Hello everyone! I'm Aisha Adamu, a Lester B. Pearson Scholar studying psychology and neuroscience at the University of Toronto. My interests lie in mental health advocacy, educational equity, and empowering marginalized communities.
I founded a nonprofit at 15 to support education and youth empowerment, particularly for young women and internally displaced youth in Nigeria. Through the Laidlaw Scholars Program, I did research on the psychological impact of the Almajiri educational system in Nigeria, aiming to develop culturally sensitive interventions informed by comparative models from Senegal and Ghana. My research is presently going through the publication process. Through Laidlaw, I also carried out my leadership in action project, which focused on starting an emergency first response program at a refugee school in Uganda; the program still runs today despite my not being there! :)
Outside of academics, I enjoy swimming, running track, and exploring new recipes through cooking. I'm passionate about making meaningful connections and creating positive social change.
Hello there! I'm Ashiya, a member of the 2025 Laidlaw Leadership & Research Programme Cohort. I am a student at the University of Toronto's Munk School, pursuing a double major in Peace, Conflict & Justice and Ethics, Society & Law.
I'm passionate about education and the governance of digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. I am currently exploring how this affects children facing socioeconomic disadvantage through my Leadership-in-Action project in Northern England. This builds on my previous work in student advocacy, my research of Indigenous-led education initiatives in Canada for my first Laidlaw summer, and my new role as a Center for International Governance Innovation Digital Policy Hub Fellow.
I look forward to reading and contributing to the incredible body of work on this platform (you all are awesome)! Outside of research, I love to read, dance ballet, explore, learn new things and make new friends - please feel free to reach out anytime :)