Bio: Dina Taha
[email protected]

Education
PhD candidate, Sociology
York University, Toronto (expected June 2019)
Research interest and focus: Critical Immigration and Refugee Studies, borders, citizenship and security, Gender in the Middle East, Gender and Forced migration.
- Forced Migration Diploma at the Center for refugee studies (CRS), York University (2019)
M.A, International Human Rights Law
The American University in Cairo, Cairo (February 2013)
- Nominee and recipient of the J.D. exchange program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Fall 2010)
B.A, Political science – July 2008
Cairo University, Cairo

Awards and Scholarships
- Recipient of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2017/2018)
- Recipient Humanitarian Response Network Research Grants for 2017
- Recipient of Hedi Bouraoui Mediterranean scholarship with emphasis on the Maghreb 2016
- Recipient of University fellowship at the American university in Cairo (2009/2010)

Conference Presentations
Taha, D. (2016, Oct. 12). Nationalism(s) and the Shifts in Egyptian Policies and Attitudes toward Migrants and Refugees in Reception Contexts Symposium. York’s Canada Research Chair in Socially Engaged Research in Race and Racialization, Department of Sociology, York University, Toronto.
Taha, D. (2016, Sept. 23-24). Agency and Victimhood in Forced Migration: Towards a Postcolonial Reading in the 11th Annual CRS Student Caucus Conference: The Production of Forced Migration. York University, Toronto, Canada.
Taha, D. (2016, July 12-15). Syrian Refugee Brides: Sisters, Victims or Agents? An Exploration of Syrian Women’s Survival Mechanisms in Egypt in the 16th conference of the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration, Poznan, Poland.
Taha, D. (2012, April 15-18). Fiqh of Minorities and the Integration of Muslims in the West in the International Interdisciplinary Conference of the International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences, Palermo, Italy; and Identity, Culture, and Communication Conference Saint Louis University, Madrid, Spain.

Academic Publications
(R) Forthcoming: Taha, D. (2017), Women Refugees and Epistemic Privilege: Opening the Borders Between Postcolonial Feminism and Forced Migration Studies, Refugee Review, vol. 3.
(R) Taha, D. (2017), Real Queer? [review of the book Real Queer?: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Refugees in the Canadian Refugee Apparatus by David A.B. Murray. Gender, Place and Culture (Winter 2017)
(R) Taha, D. (2013), Muslim Minorities in the West: Between Fiqh of Minorities and Integration. Electronic Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law (EJIMEL):1-36. Available online at: http://www.zora.uzh.ch/77593/1/Beitrag_DinaTaha_final.pdf

Academic positions
University of Saskatchewan, In-field project coordinator (November 2016- current): SSHRC Targeted Research project: Syrian Refugee Arrival, Resettlement and Integration. Project title: The impact of socio-economic and cultural factors on household food security of Syrian refugees in Canada, tasks included:
- Participant in designing fieldwork in the GTA
- Hire and train research assistants to collect quantitative and qualitative data
- Data analysis and ensuring validity and reliability of the results
York University, Refugee Research Network (RRN), Research Assistant (September 2016- current)
- Preparing and publishing a weekly RRN research digest which provides a synopsis of recent research on refugee and forced migration issues from entities associated with the RRN and others.
- Conducting literature review, summaries, and other administrative and logistical tasks to support the center for refugee studies in general and the RRN in particular
- Responsible for the CRS and RRN social media platforms and comminications
York University, Teaching Assistant (September 2014-current)
- Summer 2015 and Fall 2016: Teaching assistant for Quantitative and Qualitative methods, a 200 level intensive course (6 credits),
- Fall 2015 and Winter 2016: Teaching assistant for Sociology of Gender, (a300 level course, 6 credits)
- Fall 2014 and Winter 2015: Teaching assistant for Introduction to Sociology, (100 level course, 6 credits)
The American University in Cairo, Graduate Research Assistant and University Fellow (September 2009-June 2012)
Prepare lesson materials for different professors and present subject matter to students under their direction. Facilitate and proctor tests and assignments, as well as grading. Plan, search, prepare, and develop various teaching material and techniques. Assist professors in preparing and presenting lectures and digital presentations
Cornell University, Library Research Assistant (September 2010 – December 2010)
Worked on a project targeting the creation of a database for Middle Eastern and Arabic national gazettes. Performed web research (both in Arabic and English) to investigate the targeted topic. Used Microsoft office suite to organize and analyze data collected. Wrote and presented weekly and final reports on the findings and recommendations

Academic Service
- Co-editor, Special Issue of Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees (Fall 2018)
- Co-Chair, Center for Refugee Studies Student Caucus, coordinating the interests and effort graduate and undergraduate students at York University who study, research, and do volunteer and advocacy work on refugee and forced migration issues. In addition to talking the lead in organizing the 12th annual CRS student conference (October 12-13, 2017).
- Center for refugee studies executive committee member (Fall 2016- current): the Executive Committee decides and provides oversight of key strategic activities, roles and budget of the center for refugee studies.
- York Sociology Graduate Students Association (YSGA) Curriculum Committee representative (2015-2016), York University.
- Sociology Undergraduate Dept., Research Committee member: Assisting in promoting faculty research, as well as planning and organizing Department's colloquia and visiting speakers (2016 – 2017) York university.

Relevant Experience and Extracurricular Activities
CRS Summer Course – intern Jan– May 2016
Center for refugee studies, York University, ON
Assisting with both general administrative and academic responsibilities during the annual summer course as well as logistics and planning beforehand and during the event.

Sociology and Friends Lifeline Syria Sponsorship Team Oct. 2015 – current Housing lead and budget co-coordinator. In coordination with Ryerson university and Lifeline Syria, our team is working towards sponsoring a Syrian refugee family. I was also requested to be the housing lead/contact at a higher level for the refugee sponsorship project overall at York university where I will be working on a resource database for future sponsorships.

Nazra for Feminist Studies, Field and Desk Researcher Feb. – Aug. 2012
Conducted desk/field research in a project entitled Participatory security sector reform in transitional Egypt (PASSRITE) which included surveying, archiving and analysing visual and written media (as well as social media) coverage of urban violence incidents.

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), Regional intern June 2011 – Jan. 2012
Remotely assisted in preparing proposal for different projects and funding opportunities, preparing reports as well as Performing non-routine administrative duties as assigned including translating various documents and coordinating and facilitating meeting, coordinating recruitment interviews and facilitating communication between potential partners and headquarters in London