PhD Candidate, Department of Educational Studies
Neila’s research engages with feminist postcolonial theory and critical ethnography to explore the social and cultural contexts of education in relation to Muslim/ immigrant and transnational youth. In her current two-year ethnographic research, she is focusing on the entanglements of multiculturalism, (im)migration, citizenship discourses and globalization and how they impact Muslim youth identities and their sense of belonging to Canada. Neila is conducting also a photovoice project with Muslim refugee girls to explore their perspectives on their identities, their sense of belonging, and their current school experiences in Canada.
Neila’s research and interests focuses on Muslim youth identities, diaspora, citizenship, multiculturalism and teacher education in an era of increasing islamophobia and terrorism.
Neila was awarded the SSHRC Joseph Armand Bombardier Doctoral Fellowship, the Killam Doctoral Award and the Public Scholar Initiative Award.
Neila holds an MA in Educational Administration and Leadership from UBC, has taught in several countries, and is actively involved in community organizations that participate in the Syrian refugees’ settlement in Vancouver.
