Maria Ahmad

With a deep passion for education, equity, and social justice, Maria is researcher, educator, and community advocate with lived experience of forced displacement. She works at the intersection of academia, policy, and grassroots engagement.
Over the past several years, she has contributed to research projects that amplify the voices of marginalized youth, including refugee and ethnic migrant communities in Aotearoa, New Zealand. She has collaborated with government agencies, non-profits, and academic institutions to drive impactful policy discussions and community-based solutions. Beyond research, she has rich teaching experience in higher education, and also works as an interpreter and adviser for refugee communities that has further strengthened her ability to engage with diverse populations and advocate for inclusive policies.

Publications

Ahmad, M., (2025). Postcolonial Affective Governmentality of Higher Education Through Problematisation of Quality. Knowledge and Culture

Deane, K., Ahmad, M., Bullen, P., Chuah, Y., Fenaughty, J., Joseph, D., Kalsi, K., Marlowe, J., Paky, V., Tang-Taylor, J. (2023). Connect & Kōrero: Innovating to amplify refugee and ethnic migrant youth voice in Aotearoa New Zealand policy. Ministry of Youth Development Te Manatū Whakahiato Taiohi. Wellington. https://www.myd.govt.nz/documents/resources-and-reports/publications/connect-korero-report/connect-korero-report-final-.pdf

Deane, K., Fenaughty, J., Bullen, P., Ahmad, M., Chuah, A., Joseph, D., Marlowe, J., Tang-Taylor, (2025). Innovating to Amplify the Voices of Young Migrants from Marginalized Ethnic Backgrounds. American Journal of Community Psychology. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajcp.12779

Mullen, M., Walls, A., Ahmad, M., & O’Connor, P. (2021). Resourcing the arts for youth well-being: challenges in Aotearoa New Zealand. Arts & Health, 15(1), 71–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2021.2017306

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