Marshia Akbar

Short-Term Visitor
Marshia Akbar is a Research Area Lead on Labor Migration at Toronto Metropolitan University's Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Migration and Integration Program. Her research focuses on examining the labor market integration and inclusion of immigrants and migrants with temporary status in Canada, with a particular emphasis on an intersectionality perspective. She also leads the Data and Methods Lab of the CERC Migration program, where she develops new ideas and methodologies to examine settlement and integration challenges in Canada. With over 10 years of experience in migration research and policy analysis, Marshia is currently studying the transition and labor market integration of international students in Canada, which is funded by the Insight Development Grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She has also been recognized for her teaching excellence and was awarded a Teaching Award in 2022 for inspiring her students in her course “Immigration, Borders, and Belonging,” presented by the Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Research focus/Fields of interest: international migration, labour market integration, intersectionality and immigrant identity, immigration and settlement policies, research methods.
Core disciplines: geography and environment, immigration and settlement studies.

CERC Profile, LinkedIn.
Research Publications:

  • Akbar, M. (2023). Best Practices in Supporting International Students enrolled in Toronto-area Colleges, Intergovernmental Committee for Labour Force Development, Canada, Research Report.
  • Akbar, M. (2022). Temporariness and the Production of Policy Categories in Canada, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 48(16)3929-3946.

    • Media Engagement:

  • Akbar, M. (2020). We need responsible multifaith solidarity to fight the pandemic, Blog on Pandemic Borders, Open Democracy.