On April 16, 2025, the Migration and Diaspora Studies (MDS) Student Society hosted its first annual conference, Routes & Roots: Navigating Migration and Identity, at Carleton University. The event brought together students, faculty, and guests for a vibrant day of research presentations, critical dialogue, and community-building.
The conference opened with a keynote address by Dr. Gulay Kilicaslan, followed by three engaging panels:
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Identity and Belonging (moderated by Dr. Laura Madokoro)
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Diaspora Politics and Labour (moderated by Dr. Jeff Sahadeo)
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Transnationalism and Mobility (moderated by Dr. Christina Clark-Kazak)
Across the sessions, speakers explored themes such as refugee identity, Caribbean-Canadian narratives, migration and education, settler colonialism, immigrant labour challenges, and transnational mobility. The panels featured presentations from students including Erika Ehrenberg, Hannah Baksh, Hibagh Ahmed, Brittany Babij, Myron Liew, Gloria Lamptey, Abraham Alexander, Chizorom Ogbuagu, Victoria Salomon, Sally Duhaime, and Katie Kissick.
The program also featured a spoken word poetry performance by Yalda Sarwar, a roundtable discussion session, and a closing reflection led by Program Director Dr. James Milner.
Organized by MDS Student Society officers Sal-Sabila, Sally Duhaime, Nadia Schwartz, and Olivia Rose, the conference created a dynamic space for scholarly exchange, personal reflection, and collective learning. Participants left feeling inspired by the quality of the research, the openness of the conversations, and the strong sense of community that defined the day.
We extend our sincere thanks to all speakers, moderators, performers, and organizers for making the inaugural Migration and Diaspora Studies Student Society conference a resounding success.