On Monday, April 29, CMS Director Dr. Antje Ellermann and CMS Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Lisa Brunner engaged in a productive “Day on the Hill” in Ottawa.
Dr. Hoppmann, Dr. Ellermann, Mr. Sukh Dhaliwal, Dr. Brunner, and Dr. Sadiq in the House of Commons
Joined by UBC officials Dr. Rehan Sadiq (Provost and VP, Academic, UBC Okanagan), Dr. Christiane Hoppmann (Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies, Faculty of Arts), and Adriaan de Jager (Associate VP, Government Relations and Community Engagement), the group showcased the rich interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and community-engaged research conducted through the CMS.
One topic of discussion was CMS’ exploration of the possibilities to decolonize migration studies by supporting community-engaged research and programming which centres the intersection of migration, settler colonialism, and Indigeneity. Dr. Ellermann shared insights from the Belonging in Unceded Territory Project, which brings recognition of settler colonialism and the sharing of Indigenous knowledge into the center of conversations on social belonging in Vancouver.
Dr. Brunner, Dr. Ellermann, Dr. Hoppmann, and Dr. Sadiq on Parliament Hill
The group also highlighted the Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides research program, a 7-year research partnership between CMS, Toronto Metropolitan University, Concordia University, and the University of Alberta funded through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. Dr. Ellermann and Dr. Brunner discussed their current Bridging Divides work on immigrant naturalization and citizenship education.
Dr. Brunner additionally shared findings from her PhD dissertation, which focused on the ethics of Canada’s higher education-migration nexus and the retention of international students as immigrants.
By demonstrating CMS’ excellence in migration and mobilities research, the delegation positioned UBC as a resource to policy makers and legislators on migration issues. The CMS looks forward to future opportunities to engage in policy-relevant discussions.
Dr. Ellermann and Dr. Brunner at the alumniUBC Reception in the John A. MacDonald Building
The team is very grateful for the insightful conversations with the following stakeholders: Scott Harris (Associate Deputy Minister, IRCC), Louise Baird (Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, IRCC), Catherine Scott (Assistant Deputy Minister, Settlement, Integration & Francophone Affairs, IRCC), Julie Spattz (Senior Director of Temporary Economic Immigration, IRCC), Youmy Han (Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Minister, IRCC), The Honourable Mobina Jaffer (Senator for British Columbia), Joyce Murray (Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra), and Sukh Dhaliwal (Member of Parliament for Surrey-Newton and Chair, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration).
