Meet the MyPACK Team

Mercy Sang Te is an undergraduate student studying political science and psychology at the University of Toronto. She is of Chin descent from Myanmar and is fluent in the language. She is involved with the Myanmar Culture Club and the Chin Community of Canada organization. She will be undertaking a research project in Thailand during the 2024 summer studying the impacts of the civil war in Myanmar on local situations at the border.

Napas Thein is a Master of Public Policy (MPP) Alumn at the University of Toronto, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and Chair and Co-Founder of the University of Toronto Myanmar Culture Club (MCC). He has experience working in research, policy analysis, and politics. His Burma-related work involves the creation of the MCC, establishment of multiple academic and community events in Toronto with Myanmar politicians, activists, and community members, and community organizing work. He is interested in engaging in research-backed, community-led, and innovative initiatives that help advance democracy, development, and education in Myanmar.

Mehek Berry is an undergraduate student studying Political Science, Criminology and Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto. She has worked on research projects involving environmental law and advocacy in Asia Pacific, as well as greenwashing, de-dollarization, and sustainable energy transition, among other pressing issues in both the United States and Asia Pacific. She has also collaborated with the Asian American Legal Defense Fund to develop a strategic plan and investment policy. She is currently working as a Compliance Analyst for the G20 Research Group's New Delhi Cycle 2023-2024.

Jaivet Ealom is an author and advisor to the Ministry of Human Rights at the National Unity Government of Myanmar. Driven by his firsthand experience of oppression and the Rohingya crisis, Jaivet bridges the gap between experience, research, and action to shape policies for a more peaceful and stable Myanmar. He is passionate about driving solutions for a democratic Myanmar, one where research translates into real change.

Isabella Aung is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University, researching women’s digital activism in the ongoing anti-authoritarian movement in Myanmar. Her research explores how contemporary authoritarian power is both contested and sustained through social media. She is currently a UBC Myanmar Initiative Fellow. She holds a doctoral scholarship, funded by the Research Network on Women, Peace, and Security (RN-WPS) at McGill University. She also holds a Graduate Research Fellowship at the Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP). She has been recognized as an emerging scholar by le Réseau d’analyse stratégique/the Network for Strategic Analysis (RAS-NSA).  She has recently been chosen as a Civil War Paths fellow at the University of York and an inaugural Public Scholarship Fellow at Queen's University.

Passionate about social movements and digital platforms, Thiha Wint Aung is a researcher and teacher with a strong political focus on political violence and social networks. With a Master’s degree in Political Science from CEU and another in Public Policy from GRIPS, he has provided technical support to Myanmar Parliament and civil society on federalism and decentralization during his tenure as a Senior Program Manager at the Forum of Federations. Thiha co-founded the University of Medicine Mandalay Students’ Union as a university student. Follow his journey as he explores the intersections of political violence, digital platforms, and social networks. 

Nisha Toomey holds a PhD in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto and is a Postdoctoral Fellow at York University. Nisha worked as an educator and project manager on the Thailand-Myanmar border for almost 5 years, and conducted field research there for her dissertation. Her research examines the links between settler colonialism, capitalism and land theft in the context of travel, migration, humanitarianism and international aid work.