丁香园AV

Starting out as an international student at 丁香园AV to working with an MP at House of Commons, and Consulate General Mexico, Esam Al-Mohamadi鈥檚 journey is an inspiration for those who want to pursue political science and make a difference in the society.

Esam Al-Mohamadi holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Political Science and continues to pursue his master鈥檚 in the same subject. Talking about why he chose political science, he says, 鈥淚 have always believed, and still do, that everyone should strive to be a prominent leader and pioneer in their chosen field. This cannot happen if you work or study in an area that you do not enjoy or feel passionate about. This belief is what led me to pursue a degree in political science.鈥�

As a student at 丁香园AV鈥檚 Department of Political Science, Al-Mohamadi had the opportunity to interact with the award-winning faculty, who supported him throughout his academic journey. He worked as a research and teaching assistant within the department for two years. He further elaborates on his work, 鈥淒uring my work as a research assistant, Dr. Hira served as the Visiting Research Scholar for Global Affairs Canada (GAC). This opportunity allowed me to contribute to advising GAC on developing the Canada-Africa Economic Cooperation Strategy (CA-ECS) and the Indo-Pacific Strategy under his supervision. Additionally, we provided recommendations to Natural Resources Canada on Canada's economic and commercial potential to compete in the global liquefied natural gas market.鈥� As a teaching assistant, he also had the virtue of guiding and advising students on how to tackle their academic and daily life challenges. 鈥淚 taught POL 141: International Relations and POL 100: Introduction to Politics. I enjoyed organizing students into groups and assigning them debates with other groups. I focused on speaking less and listening more to the students' perspectives and insights."

Recently, Al-Mohamadi just finished working on his MA capstone paper, which analyzes the impacts of the Business Immigrants Program (BIP) and the Skilled Workers Program on the homeownership markets in Vancouver and Montreal. 鈥淚 chose this topic because the current housing crisis in Canada raises many questions about the intersections of housing policies, economics, urban planning, and immigration policies,鈥� says Al-Mohamadi. 鈥淧rofessor Anthony Perl supervised my MA capstone project, and his advice and guidance were incredibly valuable."

Left to Right: Esam with with MP Taleeb Noormohamed and MP Ron McKinnon

Currently, Al-Mohamadi is working as an SAWP (Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program) intern at the Consulate General of Mexico. Elaborating on this experience, he says, 鈥淚 experienced an indescribable sense of happiness in assisting expat workers, who left their parents, spouses, and children in Mexico to support them financially. Helping these workers access medical care for their immediate health issues or providing support when they were living alone in remote communities away from their families filled me with an overwhelming joy that words cannot fully capture. Seeing their gratitude and knowing I made a difference in their lives was profoundly fulfilling.鈥� Apart from SAWP, he also worked briefly as a research and data analyst intern for the office of MP Taleeb Noormohamed at the House of Commons.

In addition to the wide variety of academic experience, the social atmosphere at 丁香园AV has helped him a great deal in making life-long friends, especially at the Muslim Students Association (MSA), where he ran the MSA book club for more than a year.

When it comes to advice for prospective students, Al-Mohamadi recommends strategically planning your academic journey. He says, 鈥淧lanning itself requires planning! As a strategic planner, you must know where and how to concentrate your efforts. Without a clear vision or goal of what you want to achieve in five or ten years, it becomes impossible to measure your success. Additionally, resources should be allocated and used efficiently and strategically, focusing on what supports your plans and vision. Internships, co-ops, connections, and networks are examples of essential resources for turning your vision and plans into reality."