Bushra Alimerdan

Bushra Alimerdan is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Guelph, supervised by Dr. Edward A. Koning. Her doctoral research examines how status as an EU member or candidate state shapes a refugee-hosting country’s ability to use refugee reception as diplomatic leverage, comparing Poland and Türkiye. Her broader research interests include migration diplomacy, European Union governance, international relations, Turkish foreign policy and Neo-Ottomanism.

At the University of Guelph, Bushra has served as the elected PhD Graduate Representative for the Department of Political Science. She also led the University of Guelph organizing team for the 15th annual Mapping the Global Dimensions of Policy Conference, helping coordinate the first jointly organized conference between the University of Guelph and McMaster University Political Science Departments. Her research has been presented at conferences in Canada and Italy, including the Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) Annual Conference.

Before joining the University of Guelph, Bushra founded and served as President of the McMaster Turkish Students Association. In this role, she organized cultural initiatives and eventually led an emergency fundraiser that raised more than $8,000 for earthquake relief efforts in Türkiye. She is also a recipient of the 2026-2027 Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the University of Guelph’s 2026 Braithwaite Conference Travel Grant.

MA in Political Science (Comparative Studies & International Relations), McMaster University; BA (Honours) in Political Science (Specialization in Public Law & Judicial Studies) & Minor in Sociology, McMaster University