Migration Disrupted

Chair: Mireille Paquet, Concordia University 

Co-chair: Shiva S. Mohan, Toronto Metropolitan University

Speakers: Ricardo Baeza, Northeastern University; Ana Beduschi, University of Exeter; Anatoliy Gruzd, Toronto Metropolitan University; Munmun De Choudhury, Georgia Institute of Technology; Yasmeen Abu-Laban, University of Alberta

The rise of ADTs opens up new possibilities for migrant civic and political participation, but also introduces new challenges. ADTs can help migrants connect with informal groups and expand their social networks, and the technologies can even facilitate access to formal structures of political participation through online policy consultations or town halls. On the other hand, ADTs, and particularly social media, have been shown to foment societal polarization and divisive politics, which may relate to domestic as well as transnational issues, even transposing homeland politics in virulent ways. This panel will discuss the main advantages that ADTs bring to enhancing migrant civic engagement and democratic participation, and it will also explore the risks involved in a world of transnational chatbots and invisible digital surveillance.

Fireside chat: Artificial intelligence for the social good 

Speakers: Ebrahim Bagheri leads the conversation with Foutse Khomh, Polytechnique Montréal, and Mark Daley, Western University

Co-chair: Radin Hamidi Rad

As artificial intelligence methods are finding their way into the realm of immigration and migrant integration, it is vital that we address their ethical and legal implications. On the one hand, the use of AI has been reported to have perpetuated discrimination, exacerbated inequalities, violated human rights, disrupted democratic processes, and more. Yet, on the other hand, AI has improved the speed of border processes and visa applications. Drawing from the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, this fireside chat will consider the ethical, moral and legal aspects of the use of AI technology, asking "how can we ensure AI will be deployed responsibly, and in a way that upholds the rights and dignity of migrants everywhere?"

Chair: Josephine Wong, Toronto Metropolitan University

Co-chair: Georgiana Mathurin, Toronto Metropolitan University

Speakers: Marla Asis, Scalabrini Migration Centre; Andre Renzaho, Western Sydney University; Elizabeth Saewyc, University of British Columbia; Karen Soldatic, Toronto Metropolitan University

ADTs have revolutionized health care over the past two decades. Their implications have moved beyond computerized billing and accounting to innovations in many aspects of care delivery. Sophisticated devices are bringing services to remote areas, enhancing real-time diagnosis and treatment and enabling drone-delivery of medical supplies. At the same time, advances in AI are leading to dramatic improvements in disease identification and more precise views of population health. While technological progress promises to improve quality of life, there are concerns about the actual effectiveness of ADTs and their ethical use, particularly whether they lead to positive outcomes for all. This panel will discuss the necessary conditions for turning ADTs into a support for equitable access to health care and for promoting migrant well-being.

Breakout discussion tables - Digital inclusion in newcomer integration

In person only

Participants will join a facilitated small group discussion to exchange ideas from diverse perspectives and experiences.

Conference dinner at Oakham House

Chair: Sandeep Agrawal, University of Alberta

Co-chair: Jérémie Molho, Toronto Metropolitan University

Speakers: Cherise Burda, Toronto Metropolitan University; Cathy Yang Liu, Georgia State University; Gil Penalosa, 8 80 Cities; Geoffrey Rockwell, University of Alberta; Zhixi Zhuang, Toronto Metropolitan University

Well-organized social and technological infrastructure can significantly affect how services are delivered, the organization of workplaces and social networks and how a community welcomes newcomers. This roundtable, comprised of Canadian and international urban and housing scholars, practitioners, advocates and activists, aims to stimulate debate on how and, more specifically, what social and technological infrastructure impacts newcomers’ integration in Canadian cities, with special consideration of the relative deficit found in small urban settings and how it might not only inhibit integration but also detract newcomers from settling in such places.

Lab innovations:

Chair: Sophie Yohani, University of Alberta

Co-chair: Radin Hamidi Rad

Speakers: Presentations from Bilal Farooq and Ali Mazalek, Toronto Metropolitan University

eXtended Reality and Digital Twins in Migration Behaviour Studies: Lessons from Travel Demand Modelling

At the Laboratory of Innovations in Transportation (LiTrans), we have pioneered the use of eXtended Reality (XR) and Digital Twins (DT) to understand human travel behaviour when faced with novel and emerging future choices, e.g., automated vehicles. Building upon our experience in travel demand modelling, we will make a case that XR and DT have the potential to be very useful tools for systematically studying the behaviour, preferences, and decision-making processes of individual migrants. With the example demonstrations of neighbourhood and walking preferences, we will discuss the opportunities, challenges, and limitations associated with these novel tools.

Grasping Migration: How tangible and embodied media can support data-driven discovery

Tangible and embodied interaction approaches can offer powerful opportunities to re-think the way we engage with and construct knowledge in a data-driven world. TMU’s Synaesthetic Media Lab has been exploring the design and application of these techniques in diverse fields. This talk will highlight the lab’s ongoing research and prototype systems that support collaborative sensemaking around complex datasets, with a view toward how these approaches can be applied in migration research.

Breakout discussion tables - Reflections for the future

In person only

Participants will join a facilitated small group discussion to exchange ideas from diverse perspectives and experiences.

Chair: Rupa Banerjee, Toronto Metropolitan University

Co-chair: Nick Dreher, Toronto Metropolitan University

Speakers: Wendy Cukier, Toronto Metropolitan University; Jean-Christophe Dumont, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; Suzanne Huot, University of British Columbia; Shamira Madhany, World Education Services; Joel Martin, National Research Council Canada 

Technological advancements have the potential to revolutionize newcomers' labour market outcomes by offering innovative solutions to the challenges they face. From AI-driven job-matching platforms to virtual skill-development initiatives, technology not only facilitates smoother integration but also addresses the evolving demands of the future workforce. The impact of technology on the future of work is palpable, with automation, artificial intelligence and digitization already influencing job structures and skill requirements. For migrant workers, adapting to these technological shifts is becoming crucial for navigating the Canadian labour market. This panel will examine the ethical considerations, potential biases, and the digital divide, asking whether the promises of technology in the future of work will materialize equitably for all participants including migrant workers.