Leila Bamba
Leila Bamba
Policy Analyst, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
MA Political Science with a specialization in African Studies (2017)
I have remained passionate about international development and mainstreaming gender equality and diversity in policy and research. I was a 2018 IDRC Research Award Recipient and a primary investigator on a research study that was related to my Major Research Paper (MRP) in Kenya on the role of SMS-based platforms in conflict prevention efforts. I stayed with IDRC in a new role as a Program Management Officer with its Centre of Excellence for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems. In my current position with the Policy and Inter-Agency Affairs team, I support NSERC in the implementation of a tri-agency equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) action plan.
I had the opportunity to hone several skills as a masters student that have been useful throughout my career. My research and analytical skills were strengthened through the development of my MRP under the guidance of my supervisor Dr. Gopika Solanki. The masters coursework itself contributed to tailoring my verbal and written communication skills. Finally, the co-op program offered at Carleton was a valuable way for me gain practical work experience and engage with relevant networks.