Ruth Farkas received her BA in Political Science and Business at the University of Waterloo in 2019; then completed two semesters of a Masters in Atlantic Studies of History, Culture, and Society at the Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany. Her interest in global governance and public policy was sparked during a co-op placement in Manila in 2016. Through participating in workshops hosted by the Asian Development Bank on youth engagement towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Ruth developed a strong interest in policy development through multi-stakeholder collaboration.

From her grassroots experience implementing urban development projects in the slums in Manila to working with a university integration project for Syrian refugees in Germany at the height of the refugee crisis, Ruth has gained first-hand experience of the challenges facing vulnerable communities. Her professional experiences, combined with her academic interests, led her to pursue a career where she can work closely with communities to develop effective policies that improve the livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations. She is interested in studying the role of multi-sector collaboration in program and policy initiatives, specifically the role of the private sector and other non-state actors.

Further research interests include refugee and migration studies, mobility studies, biopolitics, security studies.

While at BSIA, Ruth hopes to further her knowledge of the global political economy, community development, and human security.