New fellowship program set to spark innovative thinking at the intersection of practice and research
CERC Migration awards its first Civil Society and Public Administration Fellowships supporting innovative research initiatives led by practitioners from civil society organizations and government bodies. The first open call for this unique international learning exchange received over 100 applicants from 44 countries. As a result of the strong response to the initial call, a total of five fellowships were awarded to outstanding community leaders from Australia, Brazil, Germany, Nepal, and Switzerland.
“The new Civil Society and Public Administration Fellowship program was created to spark new connections between practice and research,” says CERC Migration chair Anna Triandafyllidou. “Our research team requires deep knowledge of migrant integration processes and often collaborates with individuals from civil society and policymaking. This program will help strengthen our international knowledge network with experts in research and policy in the area of migrant integration and, vice versa, we hope that we can enrich the cohort with new ways of thinking that they can take back to their home organization. I am excited to see where these new linkages will lead.”
In 2022-23, CERC Migration will welcome the following individuals:
Camila Batista, Chief Operating Officer of Migraflix, Brazil will join in spring 2023. Camila works in the area of economic inclusion of immigrants through cultural entrepreneurship, with a special interest in gender equity and women’s empowerment. While at CERC, she hopes to draw new insights from her exchange with researchers and local organizations that she can bring back to Migraflix to help expand its operation.
A human rights lawyer, Anurag Devkota represents Nepalese migrant workers at the supreme court of Nepal and contributes to ushering in progressive change in Nepal’s approach to migration governance. While visiting CERC Migration in spring 2023, he will work on a publication proposal concerning a rights-based migration governance framework.
Anthea Hancocks is the CEO of the Scanlon Foundation, a granting body, and its sister institute the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute, both of which are dedicated to advancing Australia as a welcoming, prosperous and cohesive nation through research. During the fellowship, Anthea will study the integration experience of minority communities in Toronto and how that contributes to social cohesion. Anthea joins CERC Migration in winter 2023.
Marianne Helfer Herrera Erazo is based in Switzerland where she is director for the federal government’s Service for Combating Racism. Throughout her career, she has focused on issues of social exclusion and, in particular, combating racism in institutional settings. While at CERC Migration in winter 2023, Marianne will connect with the CERC research team, as well as contacts in provincial and local governments and civil society organizations, to further inform her work in Switzerland.
A political science expert by training, Ulrike Wieland visits CERC Migration in spring 2023. She travels from Germany where she works on issues concerning integration and diversity for Bertelsmann Stiftung, a German foundation promoting social change. While at CERC Migration, she hopes to uncover lessons that she can take back to Germany in how the City of Toronto manages diversity and how Canada supports immigrants in becoming new Canadians.
The Civil Society and Public Administration Fellowship program, which launched spring 2022, provides institutional support for a one-month residency in Toronto hosted by CERC Migration at Toronto Metropolitan University. More information can be found here: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-migration/Opportunities/civil-society-fellowship/
