David Palmer
Vice-President, Advancement

invites University of Toronto alumni and friends to attend a special presentation:

A Conversation with U of T Scholars at Risk

moderated by:

Professor Mariana Mota Prado (LL.B)
Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, International Student Experience
Professor and William C. Graham Chair in International Law and Development,
Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law, University of Toronto

What role can universities play in protecting scholars fleeing global crises?

Hear directly from scholars supported through U of T’s Scholars at Risk program as they share their personal journeys from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Sudan. Their stories highlight the challenges of displacement, as well as the extraordinary growth, resilience and transformation that have shaped their lives and academic pathways.

This discussion will explore the essential role played by universities and surrounding communities in supporting scholars and students at risk, including the rising global need for safe academic refuge and broader reflections on what it means to rebuild one’s life in a new country.

In recognition of U of T’s Giving Day on March 26, support for the Students and Scholars at Risk Fund is welcomed. Gifts can be made easily at check-in or here.

Meet the Scholars

Mina Zahine is the Communications and Events Coordinator at the IP Innovation Clinic at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. She is a communications specialist with 6+ years of experience across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as UN agencies.  

Mina holds a Master of Global Affairs degree, with security and innovation specializations, from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, where she was a Junior Fellow at Massey College. 

Prior to joining the IP Innovation Clinic, she served as the Communications and Outreach Lead for PeerWorks, Ontario’s pan-provincial voice for the peer support sector. Mina also supported the team at Access Now in organizing the 13th iteration of RightsCon, the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age.

Maha Babeker has over ten years of extensive local and international experience in development, social justice advocacy, and program leadership. She currently serves as Program Manager of Counselling Services at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, where she supports survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through individual counselling, group facilitation, and service planning. She has actively contributed to community engagement initiatives, integrating trauma-informed and anti-oppressive frameworks into clinical practice, and collaborates with partners across sectors to enhance access to support and resources for diverse populations. 

Maha also works internationally as a counselling consultant and legal aid advisor in the Global South, supporting programs and projects across multiple NGOs and applying her expertise in access to justice and survivor support across diverse cultural contexts. 

She holds a Master's degree in Social Justice Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, with a specialization in international development. Maha’s approach is relational, collaborative, and equity-driven, blending advocacy, program development, and stakeholder engagement to foster meaningful change at individual, organizational, and systemic levels. 

Bogdan Pikula is a PhD student in Computer Science at the University of Toronto, where his research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction and AI under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Wigdor. His work centers on ambiguity resolution in AI systems and novel interaction paradigms for generative models. He holds a Master's degree from the University of Toronto, supported by a SSHRC Graduate Research Grant.  

Prior to his doctoral studies, Bogdan gained industry experience at Ubisoft La Forge, where he worked on facial animation systems for real-time gaming environments, and at Sierentz Global Merchants, where he developed algorithmic trading strategies. Originally from Ukraine, Bogdan is passionate about the intersection of academic research and real-world impact, and is honoured to participate in the Scholars at Risk initiative at the University of Toronto. 

About the Scholars at Risk Program

The Scholars at Risk Award program supports students who are, or have been, asylum-seekers or refugees anywhere in the world within the last five years, or those whose current or intended studies have been affected by political upheaval and conflict. The program also helps established academics or professionals who have come  to U of T after fleeing persecution and instability abroad.