Yuriko Cowper-Smith is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science (with a major in Comparative Politics and a minor in Public Policy) in the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph. Her main research interests lie in migration, statelessness, and social movements. Her dissertation research investigates migrant-led social movements with an empirical focus on the Rohingya community in Canada. Yuriko's research has been supported by an Ontario Graduate Fellowship, and an Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
She has extensive experience working in academic and community-based research. For three years, she worked on research projects with various community partners as a part of her role at the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute at the University of Guelph.