Zohal Akbari is a graduate student in the Balsillie School of International Affairs. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science with a minor in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Biotechnology Diploma (Co-op) from Mohawk College. Her scientific training, combined with experience across both the provincial and federal public service, gives her a grounded perspective on how evidence, regulation and public policy intersect.
Zohal served as Senior Strategic Policy and Communications Advisor in the Deputy Minister’s Office at Ontario’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, where she began as a Junior Policy Advisor in 2024. In this role, she managed relationships with government agencies, external partners and community groups, and led the planning and delivery of the office’s initiatives for the Rural Ontario Municipal Association and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. As a Junior Policy Advisor, she researched legislative and regulatory issues affecting energy growth in Ontario and helped coordinate stakeholder consultations to inform policy on power generation and delivery.
Before joining the energy portfolio, Zohal worked as an Environmental Officer at the Spills Action Centre within the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. There, she coordinated responses to spills and adverse drinking water results, working with municipalities, federal agencies, industry and contractors to initiate clean-up.
Earlier, as a Student Water Quality Monitoring Technician with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Zohal supported Great Lakes monitoring initiatives such as the Great Lakes Nutrient Program and the Hamilton Harbour Action Plan. She co-chaired the organizing committee for the department’s Annual Student Seminar Series and served on the waste management team at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15). At Mohawk College, she also supported climate action outreach promoting the college’s net-zero goals.
At the Balsillie School, Zohal’s research interests span conflict studies, environmental studies and political economy. She is particularly interested in
how the governance of energy and natural resources shapes cooperation and conflict, and how economic structures influence environmental and social outcomes. She hopes to bring her public service experience and scientific background to policy work in response to shared global challenges.