CMS Research Conference 2025: Migration, Mobilities, and Changing Political Landscapes

In May 2023, CERC Migration embarked on its next multimedia storytelling collaboration WhereWeStand. The project brings together a cohort of Indigenous peoples and newcomers to co-create expressions of identity on the colonial construct of Canada, situated on Turtle Island.

WhereWeStand pairs an Indigenous participant with a newcomer participant and supports their process towards creating a story that will be widely shared with a public audience. Participants may choose any form of expression – including dance, music, film, theatre or installation – to produce their creative work.

WhereWeStand invites participants to reimagine the Land that sustains and shelters Indigenous peoples and newcomers. WhereWeStand is the third iteration of the inaugural i am… project, which opened the door to the shared experiences of displacement, which fuels the expression that frames the creative outcome. Identity and belonging are not fixed but ebb, flow, and evolve as the land beneath us shifts…

This project is a joint CERC Migration and Bridging Divides initiative.

9:00 AM | xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Welcome by Elder Mary Point

Introductory remarks from CMS and UBC Okanagan

9:30 AM | Panel 1: Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity

Discussant: Terri Givens, Political Science, UBC Vancouver

Chair: Sean Lauer, Sociology, UBC Vancouver

Panelists:

• Demographic Engineering and Ethnic Erasure: The Lhotshampa Displacement in Bhutan | Karun Karki, School of Social Work, UBC Vancouver
• Reconciliation in Multicultural Canada: Rethinking Nation Building Through Indigenous and Racialized Immigrant Relations | Guntas Kaur, Sociology, UBC Vancouver
• Indigenous Mobilities and Racialization of Space: Argentine Shantytowns as a Location of Non-Whiteness | Ana Vivaldi, Sociology, UBC Vancouver
• Dreaming with Water, Dreaming with Sirens | Anita Girvan, English and Cultural Studies, UBC Okanagan

11:00 Break

11:15 AM | Panel 2: Climate Change and Digital Pedagogies

Discussant: Geraldine Pratt, Geography, UBC Vancouver

Chair: Jemima Baada, Geography, UBC Vancouver

Panelists:

• Personal Narratives: Threading the past into the future through Virtual Reality Non-Fiction | Amira Ahmed, Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies - Digital Arts and Humanities, UBC Okanagan
• Investigating Historical Climate Migration: How GIS Can Facilitate Multi-Scalar Archaeological Research | Caroline Armstrong, Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies, UBC Vancouver
• Authoritarian Politics, Climate Migration, and Policy Gaps: Pathways Toward Rights-Based Solutions | Farrukh Chishtie, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, UBC Vancouver
• Patterns, Intentions, and Effectiveness of Digital Pedagogies in Immigrant Learning in British Columbia | Afsaneh Abbaszadeh and Kashif Raza, Educational Studies, UBC Vancouver

1:00 PM | Lunch break

2:00 PM | Panel 3: Chinese Diasporas

Discussant: Nikhita Obegadoo, Language and World Literatures, UBC Okanagan

Chair: Xiaojun Li, Political Science, UBC Vancouver

Panelists:

• “I Had a Friend…”: The Role of Social Networks in Immigrants’ Gig Work Choices | Yijia Zhang, Sociology, UBC Vancouver
• My Child’s Root: Here, There, or Nowhere? A Study of Diaspora and Cultural Identity Transmission in Hong Konger Families | Ka Po (Capri) Kong, Sociology, UBC Vancouver
• Prototyping Principles for Humanizing Technologies: Preliminary Research in Artificial Intelligence and Mixed Reality for Migration Studies | Annie Wan, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, UBC Okanagan
• Where Do Migrants Rent in Vancouver: Mapping Rental Listings on the Chinese Craigslist | Julia Harten, School of Community and Regional Planning, UBC Vancouver

3:30 PM | Break

3:45 PM (PT) | Keynote Event: WhereWeStand

Presenters:

• Adrea Baedek
• Poornima Francis
• Izzeddin Hawamda
• Aaron McKay
• Deyowidnron’t Teri Morrow
• Cyrus Sundar Singh

5:15 PM | Closing Remarks

6:30 PM | Dinner at The Rooftop Garden, UBC Nest Building (for conference panelists, presenters, discussants, and chairs)

9:00 AM | Land Acknowledgement and Introductory remarks

9:15 AM | Panel 4: Boundaries of Belonging, Dynamics of Exclusion

Discussant: Catherine Dauvergne, Allard School of Law, UBC Vancouver

Chair: Helena Zeweri, Anthropology, UBC Vancouver

Panelists:

• Problematizing Virtual Naturalization Ceremonies: State Versus Public Narratives of Canadian Citizenship | Lisa Brunner, Centre for Migration Studies, UBC Vancouver
• How Stateless People Are Made To Be Ghost Citizens In Malaysia | Valeriia Pelevina, Community, Culture and Global Studies, UBC Okanagan
• Stereotypes of High- and Low-Skilled Immigrants to Canada: Evidence From an Online Survey | Vince Hopkins, Political Science, UBC Vancouver
• Teaching Migration and Mobility through Contemporary Art | Angela Andersen, Creative Studies, UBC Okanagan
• How Do We Claim Social and Civil Rights for Noncitizens? The Limits of Human Rights Appeals in Migrant Claims-Making, and Other Possibilities | Irene Bloemraad, CMS Co-Director/Political Science and Sociology, UBC Vancouver

11:00 AM | Break

11:15 AM | Panel 5: Precarious Mobilities

Discussant: Antje Ellermann, Political Science, UBC Vancouver

Chair: Elizabeth “Biz” Nijdam, Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies, UBC Vancouver

Panelists:

• Involuntary Mobility and Social Instability in Llucia Ramis’s Las posesiones: A Study of Forced Tourism and Identity Crisis | Carlos M-Castro, French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies, UBC Vancouver
• Reframing International Student Mobility with Narrative Inquiry Research | Maham Kamal Ahsan, Educational Studies, UBC Vancouver
• Crossing the Finca Border: Migrant Farmworkers and Transnational Home-Making in Canada | Regina Baeza Martinez, Sociology and Anthropology, Simon Fraser University
• Anticipating Belonging or Anticipating Refusal: Information Environments and Taiwanese Prospective International Students’ Perceptions of Destination Immigration Regimes | Eric de Roulet, Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies, UBC Okanagan

1:00 PM | Lunch break

2:00 PM | Roundtable: Making Research Matter: Strategies for Policy-Engaged Scholarship

Moderator: Antje Ellermann, CMS Co-Director and Political Science, UBC Vancouver

Panelists:

• Vince Hopkins, Political Science, UBC Vancouver
• Sandra Schinnerl, Centre for Migration Studies, UBC Vancouver
• Lily Grewal, Director of Immigrant Integration, Government of British Columbia
• Dan Hiebert, Professor Emeritus of Geography, UBC Vancouver
• Irene Bloemraad, CMS Co-Director/Political Science and Sociology, UBC Vancouver

3:30 PM | Closing remarks by CMS and UBC Okanagan

Elder Mary Point serves as the Director of Indigenous Relations at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and as the Relationship Manager for the Musqueam Indian Band–YVR Airport Sustainability & Friendship Agreement. In her role, she strengthens the partnership between Musqueam and YVR by implementing the agreement’s key elements, identifying new opportunities for mutual learning, and advancing a global Indigenous peoples strategy with a focus on reconciliation. An accomplished Indigenous professional, Mary integrates culture, protocols, and best practices into strategic planning for those collaborating with First Nations individuals and organizations. With over two decades of experience across British Columbia, she has built strategic partnerships between various First Nations communities and local businesses.

• Andrea Baedek

Andrea Baedek is a Red River Metis and founder of Keen Media, a decolonizing public relations and communications company specializing in Indigenous business solutions, public affairs, and media that echoes voices. Andrea is a senior leader and communications professional, with a strategic vision and commitment to building relationships through community engagement and inclusion. An Executive MBA candidate in Indigenous Leadership at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University, Andrea loves to collaborate and work effectively with diverse teams.

• Poornima Francis

Poornima Francis is a diasporic Malayali filmmaker and journalist. She earned a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) in 2024, where she focused on visual forms of factual storytelling. While in school, she wrote and directed numerous short films that explored themes of cultural and emotional resistance. She is currently an Associate Producer with CBC Vancouver.

• Izzeddin Hawamda

Izzeddin Hawamda-عزالدين حوامده, born in the West Bank, Palestine, is an educator, storyteller, and advocate for dialogue. He coordinates the Anti-Racist Education Professional Learning Initiative in Winnipeg and holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies. As founder of Sadaa صدى, he fosters empathy through storytelling, including the Unbounded Stories series. A King Charles III Coronation Medal recipient, he teaches at the University of Winnipeg and serves on several advisory boards promoting intercultural understanding.

• Aaron McKay

Aaron McKay, an Anishinaabe man from Swan Lake and Rolling River First Nations, grew up navigating life's complexities and intergenerational trauma. Overcoming early academic struggles at Brandon University through self-reflection and healing, he earned B.A./B.Ed degrees. After reconnecting with his culture, Aaron now works in post-secondary education and founded Giiwe and Riding Mountain Ventures, amplifying Indigenous voices through photography and storytelling.

• Deyowidnron’t Teri Morrow

Deyo is Cayuga, Wolf clan from Six Nations of the Grand River. She is a Registered Dietitian and a PhD student in the Department of Nursing at the University of Toronto.

• Cyrus Sundar

Singh Cyrus is an AcademiCreActivist: a Gemini Award-winning filmmaker, scholar, songwriter, composer, poet, and change-maker, who continues to expand and find cracks in conventional boundaries through his research, films and music. His research and productions have taken him around the world including India, Israel, Spain, Haiti, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka. His documentary/storytelling career began with his award-winning debut Film Club (2001), which was followed by a site-specific, hybrid, live-documentary world premiere of Brothers In The Kitchen (2016) and his MFA thesis project Africville in Black and White (2017/18).

Discussant: Terri Givens, Professor, Political Science UBC Vancouver

Dr. Terri Givens’ research and teaching focus on comparative politics in Europe and the US, including immigration policy, the politics of race, and anti-discrimination policy. Her more recent project focuses on the conflation of immigration and race on a more global scale. She also wrote a textbook, Immigration in the 21st Century: The Comparative Politics of Immigration Policy.

Chair: Sean Lauer, Professor, Sociology, UBC Vancouver

Sean Lauer’s research focuses on the sociology of community, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of newcomers in Canada. He studies how community-based organizations in Vancouver impact social capacity development for these newcomers. His work also explores concepts like friendship, diversity, and network diversity, particularly in the transition from high school to adulthood.

• Demographic Engineering and Ethnic Erasure: The Lhotshampa Displacement in Bhutan

Karun Karki, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Karun Karki is a critical race scholar whose research amplifies the unheard voices of minoritized communities, including immigrants, refugees, temporary migrant workers, and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in Canada and beyond. In the context of global displacement, he examines how biopolitical and necropolitical spaces within national borders govern people and how sovereign state power perpetuates exclusion and dispossession, particularly in response to pressing contemporary issues such as humanitarian crises, the rise of populism, and homonationalist practices. His recent scholarly inquiries focus on the South Asian diaspora, with a particular emphasis on the Nepali diaspora in Canada.

• Reconciliation in Multicultural Canada: Rethinking Nation Building Through Indigenous and Racialized Immigrant Relations

Guntas Kaur, Doctoral Student, Sociology, UBC Vancouver

Guntas Kaur is a Punjabi-Sikh community-based researcher and PhD student in Sociology, working under the supervision of Dr. Renisa Mawani. Her academic research explores the possibilities of Indigenous-Sikh solidarities through historical anti-colonial connections and contemporary intercultural relations. Her doctoral project focuses on how reconciliation can manifest within the Punjabi diaspora, emphasizing the critical roles of land, language, and accountability.

• Indigenous Mobilities and Racialization of Space: Argentine Shantytowns as a Location of Non-Whiteness

Ana Vivaldi, Sessional Instructor, Sociology, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Ana Vivaldi is an interdisciplinary researcher whose work explores how Indigenous territorialities are constructed in and from the city through active mobilities. She examines how migrant and urban Indigenous communities confront unspoken forms of racism through various strategies, including reconnecting urban spaces to traditional territories, fostering new forms of activism that unite members of different nations and individuals with unknown ancestry, engaging in artistic and cultural production, and advocating for anti-racist policies within state institutions. Through ethnographic and visual methodologies, her research sheds light on Indigenous sovereignties and emergent forms of urban conviviality, particularly how mobility among marginalized populations shapes social and spatial assemblages that challenge subordination.

• Dreaming with Water, Dreaming with Sirens

Anita Girvan, Assistant Professor, English and Cultural Studies, UBC Okanagan

Dr. Anita Girvan's work examines the global-local and socio-ecological dynamics of de/colonization. By tracing the movements of stories, people, and plants—particularly within diasporic Caribbean and Afro-descended communities—they seek to affirm knowledges that have been erased or colonized. Their research also explores how localized Indigenous understandings of climate change intersect with transnational movements for climate justice. Additionally, they consider the migratory movement of greenhouse gases, which transcend the borders of communities, sectors, and nation-states, often disproportionately affecting those least responsible for their impacts.

Discussant: Geraldine Pratt, Professor, Geography, UBC Vancouver

Geraldine Pratt's research focuses on transnational migration, care economies, and performance. She has collaborated with professional theater artists to create performances addressing the migration of Filipino domestic workers to Canada, migration and settler colonialism, and migration from Europe and the United States to Thailand for dementia care.

Chair: Jemima Baada, Assistant Professor, Geography, UBC Vancouver

Jemima Baada’s research applies a gendered lens to examine how diversely situated individuals and groups are affected by climate change, domestic and foreign investment, health inequalities, and rural migration in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and other parts of the world. She is particularly interested in the experiences of rural migrant communities, women, and those whose livelihoods depend on environmental or natural resources, such as farmers. Jemima also explores how factors like gender, climate vulnerability, and migration status may serve as social determinants of health.

• Personal Narratives: Threading the past into the future through Virtual Reality Non-Fiction

Amira Ahmed, Doctoral Candidate, Interdisciplinary Graduate Study – Digital Arts and Humanities/Immersive Technologies, UBC Okanagan

Amira Ahmed’s doctoral study is focused on digital heritage storytelling and its implications for global citizenship education and intercultural communication. She investigates how implementing digital storytelling experiences focusing on cultural heritage can be used as creative and practical methodologies to enhance global citizenship in higher education. Her research proposes using an educommunication approach to heritage and project-based learning to explore the potential of digital heritage storytelling as transformative cultural learning experiences in higher education. She is particularly interested in how this can be applied in higher education to foster interconnectedness, community engagement, and intercultural understanding. Her background lies in mass media and communication studies, and her previous research projects have examined the interactive affordances of virtual reality, interactive documentaries, and serious games to promote multicultural learning, human rights, and environmental literacy.

• Investigating Historical Climate Migration: How GIS Can Facilitate Multi-Scalar Archaeological Research

Caroline Armstrong, Master’s Student, Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies, UBC Vancouver

Caroline Armstrong’s research focuses on identifying methods to isolate climate change within the paleo-environmental records of the Eastern Mediterranean Late Bronze Age (1600–1100 BCE) to critically analyze how environmental shifts relate to human migration and mobility through an archaeological lens. This work stems from their commitment to making ancient scholarship relevant to contemporary issues, recognizing the long history of human movement, environmental relationships, and climate shifts preserved in the archaeological record. As climate change continues to drive displacement worldwide, understanding these historical intersections becomes increasingly crucial. They approach their research through an anthropological lens and incorporate geographical information systems (GIS) where applicable.

• Authoritarian Politics, Climate Migration, and Policy Gaps: Pathways Toward Rights-Based Solutions

Farrukh Chishtie, Doctoral Student, Occupational Science, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Farrukh Chishtie is a climate scientist specializing in the impacts of large-scale disasters, including climate change and associated migration. His interdisciplinary research focuses on climate migration, with particular attention to vulnerable and displaced communities both in Canada and globally. As a key area of focus for his non-profit organization, his work supports the promotion and practice of climate migration research, aiming to enhance understanding and policy responses to climate-induced displacement.

• Patterns, Intentions, and Effectiveness of Digital Pedagogies in Immigrant Learning in British Columbia

Afsaneh Abbaszadeh, Master’s Student, Educational Studies, UBC Vancouver and Kashif Raza, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Educational Studies, UBC Vancouver

Afsaneh Abbaszadeh is a graduate student specializing in adult learning and education, particularly in the context of migration. As a Graduate Research Assistant on the ALE-in-ISI project, a Canada-Germany collaboration, she examines how adult education programs support skilled immigrants and refugees in their settlement journeys. Her work focuses on programs that provide language training, employment preparation, and citizenship education, which are essential for fostering integration and participation in Canadian society. Her research directly addresses the educational and social needs of migrants, reflecting her broader commitment to supporting immigrant communities.

Dr. Kashif Raza's research examines the complex intersections of migration, education, and policy, exploring how these dynamics influence international mobility, policy choices, educational contexts, curricular decisions, and notions of belonging and citizenship. His doctoral research focused on the integration of the South Asian diaspora across economic, social, political, and health dimensions, highlighting a nested [broader-selective] integration shaped by ethnicity, language, and immigration policy. Building on this work, he investigates work-integrated learning among skilled immigrants in Canada and explores ways to enhance these processes through resource alignment, policy revisions, and strengthened partnerships among key stakeholders, including governments, institutions, educators, and skilled immigrants.

Discussant: Nikhita Obegadoo, Assistant Professor, Language and World Literatures, UBC Okanagan

Dr. Nikhita Obegadoo’s research focuses on oceanic migrations in the archipelagos of the Indian Ocean, Caribbean, and Pacific Ocean. Rooted in comparative literary practices, her work employs multilingual, multispecies, and decolonial frameworks to explore questions such as: How are the intertwined histories of the Middle Passage, the kala pani journey, and contemporary clandestine crossings represented in fiction and poetry? How do narratives engage with the ecological, cultural, and historical dimensions of the ocean? Nikhita also examines how literature, and the humanities in general, can offer new creative and critical lenses to engage with migration.

Chair: Xiaojun Li, Associate Professor, Political Science, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Xiaojun Li’s research on immigration examines international migration flows, participation in global value chains, and public attitudes toward economic immigrants and refugees in both developed and developing countries. He is currently an Associate Professor of Political Science at UBC and a non-resident scholar at the 21st Century China Centre at UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy.

• “I Had a Friend…”: The Role of Social Networks in Immigrants’ Gig Work Choices

Yijia Zhang, Doctoral Student, Sociology, UBC Vancouver

Yijia Zhang's research examines how Chinese international students and immigrants in Vancouver use the Chinese all-in-one app WeChat to coordinate everyday activities such as ride-hailing and grocery shopping. While her MA fieldwork focused primarily on individual users, she is also interested in how ethnic digital platforms shape opportunities and challenges for business owners and regulators. More broadly, her work explores the intersection of transnational mobilities, digital media, and the ethnic economy.

• My Child’s Root: Here, There, or Nowhere? A Study of Diaspora and Cultural Identity Transmission in Hong Konger Families

Ka Po (Capri) Kong, Master’s Student, Sociology, UBC Vancouver

Ka Po (Capri) Kong's research focuses on transnational social networks, identity development, and the social integration of immigrant generations. Her current project examines the characteristics and dynamics of friendship networks among first- and second-generation immigrants, exploring how these relationships influence their sense of belonging and integration within Canadian society. By analyzing these networks, her work aims to illuminate the broader social and cultural factors that shape identity formation and community cohesion in immigrant populations.

• Prototyping Principles for Humanizing Technologies: Preliminary Research in Artificial Intelligence and Mixed Reality for Migration Studies

Annie Wan, Associate Professor, Creative Studies, Media Studies, UBC Okanagan

Annie Wan is an XR researcher and developer dedicated to advancing technology for well-being and social good. Her latest research focuses on developing a VR, OpenAI-powered virtual health-assisted application designed to train and support Alzheimer’s caregivers. In another project, she explored the Asian heritage site Kong Ha Wai in Hong Kong, examining the complex and multifaceted relationship between diaspora identity and heritage, and how these connections shape the ways diaspora communities understand themselves and engage with their new homes.

• Where Do Migrants Rent in Vancouver: Mapping Rental Listings on the Chinese Craigslist

Julia Harten, Assistant Professor, School of Community & Regional Planning, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Julia Harten's research explores private rental markets as key to understanding housing and urban development, addressing the lack of reliable data on renting. She tackles this gap through two approaches: developing innovative data strategies and studying the housing choices, outcomes, and experiences of private renters at the margins. By combining big data analysis with ethnographic ground-truthing, she employs mixed-methods research designs that provide a more comprehensive understanding of evolving housing needs while amplifying the voices of marginalized groups often overlooked in traditional data. Her work, both in Canada and Asia, frequently focuses on renters who are also (im)migrants.

Discussant: Catherine Dauvergne, Professor, Allard School of Law, UBC Vancouver

Catherine Dauvergne is a leading expert in refugee, immigration, and citizenship law, with over 25 years of experience. She has authored three books on the theoretical foundations of these legal areas, focusing on human rights principles in migration and citizenship frameworks. Catherine is also an editor or co-author of four other volumes, including Canada’s immigration and refugee law casebook, and her work frequently incorporates feminist critiques of immigration law, particularly concerning women’s roles in these legal contexts. She is currently collaborating on the SSHRC-funded project Finding a Place for Rights, evaluating the impact of the Beyond the Border Initiative on human rights at the Canada-US border.

Chair: Helena Zeweri, Assistant Professor, Anthropology, UBC Vancouver

Helena Zeweri's research intersects global migration studies, the social impacts of policy, and the political life of diasporas, focusing on Australia, Afghanistan, and the US. She explores liberatory projects emerging within imperial and settler colonial nation-states, with a particular interest in how settler colonial logics and migrants' transnational ties shape their notions of belonging and political participation. Her first project examined migrant-targeted social welfare policies in Melbourne, and her current work focuses on Afghan American and Afghan Australian diasporic activism in response to displacement and the global asylum regime during the Global War on Terror.

• Problematizing Virtual Naturalization Ceremonies: State Versus Public Narratives of Canadian Citizenship

Lisa Brunner, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Migration Studies, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Lisa Brunner is a migration researcher specializing in higher and adult education, immigrant settlement, and global justice. As part of the Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides project, she examines citizenship and belonging in an increasingly digitalized world. Her PhD research introduced the concept of edugration—a three-step economic immigration process shaped by international student recruitment—analyzing its ethical and policy implications. A Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant since 2014, Dr. Brunner has extensive expertise in Canadian immigration and citizenship policy. She has worked on refugee resettlement research and curriculum design with organizations in Canada and the U.S. and previously served as an International Student Advisor for over a decade. She is a member of Canada’s Pathways to Prosperity Standing Committee on Student and Junior Scholar Engagement and UBC’s Scholars at Risk Advisory Committee.

• How Stateless People Are Made To Be Ghost Citizens In Malaysia

Valeriia Pelevina, Master’s Student, Community, Culture and Global Studies, UBC Okanagan

Valeriia Pelevina's research explores the concept of ghost citizenship in Malaysia, examining the experiences of stateless individuals who reside in their own country but are effectively “ghosted” by the state. Despite having genuine ties and histories in Malaysia, these individuals lack citizenship, leaving them without access to social services or formal belonging. Her work investigates how citizenship status privileges certain groups while disadvantaging others, shedding light on the structural inequalities within the Malaysian state.

• Stereotypes of High- and Low-Skilled Immigrants to Canada: Evidence From an Online Survey

Vince Hopkins, Assistant Professor, Political Science, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Vince Hopkins specializes in Canadian politics with a focus on applied social policy. His research examines the low take-up of government programs, exploring how political and psychological barriers prevent citizens from accessing essential services. His current work aims to improve participation in employment and integration services among jobseekers, young adults, and newcomers. Why do people who could benefit from public services not apply? How can governments increase take-up? Vince addresses these questions through field experiments designed to enhance the lived experiences of low-income and marginalized populations in Canada. With over a decade of experience in behavioral and data science, he has worked as a Senior Behavioural Scientist for the British Columbia Government and as a Policy Analyst for the Government of Canada.

• Teaching Migration and Mobility through Contemporary Art

Angela Andersen, Sessional Lecturer, Creative Studies, UBC Okanagan

Angela Andersen’s work explores the intersection of architecture and migration, focusing on place, movement, and adaptation. Her research examines internal and urban displacement through architectural evidence, analyzing how migrants navigate and reshape new environments. In her teaching, she incorporates art and architecture created by and for migrant and diasporic communities, using these works to document and communicate their experiences.

• How Do We Claim Social and Civil Rights for Noncitizens? The Limits of Human Rights Appeals in Migrant Claims-Making, and Other Possibilities

Irene Bloemraad, CMS Co-Director and Professor, Political Science and Sociology, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Irene Bloemraad is a Political Science and Sociology Professor, the inaugural President’s Excellence Chair in Global Migration, and Co-Director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on how immigrants are incorporated into political communities and the impact of migration on politics and conceptions of membership. Her work lies at the intersection of migration studies and political sociology, with a broad interdisciplinary and international scope. Before coming to UBC, Dr. Bloemraad held the 1951 Chair in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, where she also directed the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative.

Discussant: Antje Ellermann, CMS Co-Director and Professor, Political Science, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Antje Ellermann is a Political Science Professor and Founder and Co-Director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of British Columbia. Their research focuses on the politics of migration and citizenship in the global North. Their current projects include several community-engaged research collaborations at the intersection of citizenship, belonging, and decolonization in Metro Vancouver, alongside a comparative study of immigration bureaucracies in Canada, Australia, and the UK.

Chair: Elizabeth “Biz” Nijdam, Assistant Professor, Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Elizabeth "Biz" Nijdam is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies at UBC, where she also leads the Narratives Research Group at the Centre for Migration Studies and co-leads the Comic Studies Research Cluster. Her research focuses on the representation of history in comics, comics and new media on forced migration, and the intersections between Indigenous studies and migration studies. Prior to UBC, Biz taught at Whitman College and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Freie Universität in Berlin. She is also the Equity Chair for German Studies Canada and serves on various executive committees, including the International Comic Arts Forum and the Comics Studies Society.

• Involuntary Mobility and Social Instability in Llucia Ramis’s Las posesiones: A Study of Forced Tourism and Identity Crisis

Carlos M-Castro, Master’s Student, Spanish/Hispanic Studies, UBC Vancouver

Carlos M-Castro's current research examines the impact of migration and displacement on the works of Nicaraguan contemporary authors who left their home country at a young age (during childhood or adolescence) and have since built their lives and literary careers abroad.

• Reframing International Student Mobility with Narrative Inquiry Research

Maham Kamal Ahsan, Master’s Student, Educational Studies, UBC Vancouver

Maham Kamal is a Master of Arts student in the Educational Studies department. Her research will explore current issues and lived experiences of international students, and immigrant learners. Maham aims to use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to better understand and inform policies made in educational and migration institutions. Maham has an undergraduate degree in International Relations from UBC and works at UBC in fundraising and education administration.

• Crossing the Finca Border: Migrant Farmworkers and Transnational Home-Making in Canada

Regina Baeza Martinez, Sociology and Anthropology, Master’s Student, Simon Fraser University

Regina Baeza Martinez’s research focuses on how Indigenous Mayan migrant workers from Guatemala create livable worlds in rural Canada, using decolonial ethnographic methods to highlight collective agency. Regina's interdisciplinary work bridges Sociology, Anthropology, Migration Studies, and Indigenous Studies to bring Indigenous perspectives to migrant labor research. She is the Project Manager for Transnationally Indigenous, a project exploring Indigenous transnational activism and diplomacy, led by Dr. Glen Coulthard (UBC) and Dr. Michael Hathaway (SFU). Regina also works as a Research Assistant on a project examining Mayan migrant farmworkers in Canada, under Dr. Evelyn Encalada Grez (SFU).

• Anticipating Belonging or Anticipating Refusal: Information Environments and Taiwanese Prospective International Students’ Perceptions of Destination Immigration Regimes

Eric de Roulet, Doctoral Student, Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies, UBC Okanagan

Eric de Roulet’s dissertation research investigates the roles of agency and subjectification in Chinese and Taiwanese prospective international graduate students’ academic career planning. Through interviews and fieldwork, he analyzes how these students perceive opportunities and obstacles in the domestic and international higher education markets, including the human security risks that come with studying abroad. By examining the experiences of prospective graduate students, this project avoids the survivorship bias built into numerous studies of the experiences of those who have already moved to their destination country.

Moderator: Antje Ellermann, Professor, Political Science, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Antje Ellermann is a Political Science Professor and Founder and Co-Director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of British Columbia. Their research focuses on the politics of migration and citizenship in the global North. Their current projects include several community-engaged research collaborations at the intersection of citizenship, belonging, and decolonization in Metro Vancouver, alongside a comparative study of immigration bureaucracies in Canada, Australia, and the UK.

• Vince Hopkins, Political Science, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Vince Hopkins specializes in Canadian politics with a focus on applied social policy. His research examines the low take-up of government programs, exploring how political and psychological barriers prevent citizens from accessing essential services. His current work aims to improve participation in employment and integration services among job seekers, young adults, and newcomers. Why do people who could benefit from public services not apply? How can governments increase take-up? Vince addresses these questions through field experiments designed to enhance the lived experiences of low-income and marginalized populations in Canada. With over a decade of experience in behavioral and data science, he has worked as a Senior Behavioural Scientist for the British Columbia Government and as a Policy Analyst for the Government of Canada.

• Sandra Schinnerl, Centre for Migration Studies, UBC Vancouver and Senior Economist, Immigration and Integration Policy, Government of British Columbia

Sandra works at the UBC Centre for Migration Studies as a Postdoctoral Fellow researching the burdens and supports related to citizenship acquisition and migration pathways of economic migrants, with a focus on the intersections between immigration and education policy. She has worked at Global Affairs Canada as a senior research fellow in their International Education Division and has recently started a new role as Senior Economist for the BC provincial government in their Immigration Policy and Integration Branch within the Ministry of Post-secondary Education and Future Skills.

• Lily Grewal, Director of Immigrant Integration, Government of British Columbia

Lily Grewal is a principled and collaborative administrator with over 20 years of community and government experience. As the Director of Immigrant Integration, she oversees the Province’s funded services and supports for newcomers. During the past 15 years, she has worked in the field of immigration with the Province and has held various positions, including program manager, policy analyst and manager of program development and promotion. She enjoys working closely with partners to spearhead complex programs and initiatives that enhance programs and services for BC newcomers.

• Dan Hiebert, Professor Emeritus of Geography, UBC Vancouver

Dan Hiebert's research interests focus on how immigration reshapes cities, examining the relationship between immigrants and urban economies, immigrants and housing markets, and the social reordering of cities due to immigration. He is also interested in the concept of "superdiversity" and its implications for social relationships. Recently, he contributed to the analysis of immigrant entry in the 2016 Canadian census.

• Irene Bloemraad, CMS Co-Director and President’s Excellence Chair in Global Migration, UBC Vancouver

Dr. Irene Bloemraad is a Professor of Political Science and Sociology, the inaugural President’s Excellence Chair in Global Migration, and Co-Director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on how immigrants are incorporated into political communities and the impact of migration on politics and conceptions of membership. Her work lies at the intersection of migration studies and political sociology, with a broad interdisciplinary and international scope. Dr. Bloemraad has significant experience engaging with media, government, and policymakers. She has authored reports for the Migration Policy Institute, the World Bank, and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.