Dariya Akhova is completing her master’s degree at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of Ottawa, where she studied in French and English. Dariya also participated in exchanges in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany.

Dariya’s research experience spans multiple fields and countries. Beginning in Ottawa, Dariya worked with Members of Parliament, then continued researching for NGOs and academics on electoral policies and immigration. This led her to conduct research at a boutique refugee law firm in Toronto. Working with clients from Nigeria, India, and Bangladesh equipped Dariya with the international knowledge necessary to later perform fieldwork in Athens, Greece on Greek-Turkish relations.

In addition to research, Dariya possesses years of media experience. She has held executive roles in media for various Ukrainian Canadian civil society organizations and worked alongside media teams in Ottawa and Tbilisi, Georgia. In Tbilisi, Dariya also picked up editorial work for a handful of news outlets and worked with the Kyiv Independent where she reported on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Dariya combines her language skills with her international research and media experience to work efficiently and with diverse teams. In her spare time, Dariya enjoys listening to hours of podcasts, going on runs, and travelling.