Nimil Mehmar Hussain

Visiting Toronto Metropolitan University

June 2026

Nimil Hussain is a PhD candidate in the Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Alberta. His research sits at the intersection of immigration, governance, and urban planning, focusing on the role of local governments in immigrant settlement and integration. His recent collaboration on a SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant (KSG), under the theme Envisioning Governance Systems that Work, examines the roles of different levels of government in immigration.

He brings practical experience working with municipalities, notably as a Project Coordinator with the Municipal Corporation of Kozhikode, India, for the UNESCO City of Literature Project. He holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the National Institute of Technology Calicut and a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from TKM College of Engineering, India. He also has over two years of professional experience in architecture across India and Qatar, which informs his interdisciplinary perspective on planning and urban development.

Research focus while a Bridging Divides Scholar Exchange Fellow:

Nimil’s research explores how municipalities respond to increasing expectations to support immigrant settlement and integration despite limited formal mandates and resources, within a system where the federal government retains primary responsibility for immigration policy and funding. Using Alberta as a case study, he analyzes how prairie cities with varying capacities and immigrant populations engage with settlement and integration, particularly through collaboration with settlement agencies and community organizations. While at TMU, he plans to extend this work by drawing on Ontario as a comparative case, given its longer history of municipal involvement in immigration governance and more established local frameworks.

Relevant Publications

Policy Report: Agrawal S., Sangapala P., Hussain N. & Ranaweera J. (2026) Newcomer Settlement and Integration: Exploring New Governance Models. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). https://sshrc- crsh.canada.ca/en/research-in-action/evidence-briefs/2026/Agrawal.aspx