Parisa Azari

Parisa Azari's educational background in law and international law forms the foundation of her work on forced migration issues. Before moving to Canada, she worked with UN offices and international NGOs in Iran, where she was part of a team providing certified skill-building courses for refugees. These programs aimed to enhance refugees' employment prospects, whether they remained in Iran or returned to their home countries. 

Working closely with motivated and determined refugee youth inspired her to pursue a Ph.D. program exploring the intersection of law and education for forced migrants. Her doctoral research examines the concept of protection in international refugee law, with a focus on the role of higher education pathways. It explores how these initiatives affect traditional notion of protection by offering forced migrants stability, opportunities for growth, and a chance to rebuild their lives. 

Since the number of forced migrants continues to rise globally, her research advocates for exploring complementary pathways such as education pathways as a durable response to these movements. Canada’s efforts in this area demonstrate that higher education is not only a fundamental human right but also a powerful protection mechanism for forced migrants, shielding them from persecution and precarious conditions. 

The scope of her research is limited to two significant initiatives: the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Scholars at Risk (SAR) Canada section. WUSC facilitates resettlement for youth refugee through tertiary education pathways, while SAR supports displaced and at-risk scholars by promoting academic freedom and offering temporary protection. 

By incorporating interview as a method, her research engages with WUSC and SAR local committees at Canadian institutions to collect empirical data on the challenges and successes of these programs. This approach allows her to echo the voices of local committees and highlight the transformative role of higher education as a protection and empowerment mechanism for forced migrants.

• International Doctoral Scholarship, from Faculty of Law, Graduate Studies. 
• Admission Scholarship from Faculty of Law, Graduate Studies. 
• Katherine Lippel Fund for Graduate Studies in Law. 
• Audrey J. Boyce Graduate Law Scholarship, from Faculty of Law, Graduate Studies. 
• Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO) Scholarship.

• Azari, Parisa, Book Rev “Strangers to Neighbours: Refugee Sponsorship in Context” S. Labman & G. Cameron (eds.), McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2020, Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees, (2023), 39(2), 1–3. 
• Azari, Parisa & Christina Clark-Kazak, “We can do a better job of welcoming displaced students and scholars” (31 Oct 2022), online: University Affair 
• Naseh, Mitra & Zahra Abtahi & Parisa Azari “Afghan Refugees in Iran: NGOs, INGOs, and Humanitarian Organizations Role in the Past Four Decades” in G. Inanc & L. Themba (eds.), Forced Displacement and NGOs in Asia Pacific (London: Routledge, 2022) 35 to 48.