For Marwah Azizi, pursuing a Master of Disaster and Emergency Management (MDEM) at 91亚色 is more than an academic goal鈥攊t鈥檚 a personal mission to create positive change and build a more equitable future.
With an undergraduate degree in Public Health, Azizi developed a strong awareness of the systemic inequities that affect how marginalized and vulnerable communities experience crises in Canada and around the world. As an immigrant, she witnessed firsthand how social and structural barriers can shape people鈥檚 ability to recover and rebuild. This understanding inspired her to seek a graduate program that would allow her to merge her public health background with a broader perspective on disaster and emergency management鈥攐ne that integrates compassion, preparedness, and advocacy for those most at risk.
Azizi鈥檚 commitment to this work deepened in response to global events. The 2021 Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, which has since deprived Afghan girls and women of more than four years of access to education, profoundly impacted her worldview. 鈥淲itnessing such a profound violation of basic human rights reinforced my commitment to a field where I could not only study crises and humanitarian emergencies, but also explore the complexities of international relations and policy-making that directly affect vulnerable populations,鈥 she reflects.
Photo of Marwah Azizi
At the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Azizi has found a community that values inclusion, global awareness, and practical impact. The MDEM program鈥檚 interdisciplinary curriculum鈥攕panning topics from humanitarian response and pandemics to healthcare emergencies, terrorism, and crisis theory鈥攈as provided her with a comprehensive foundation for understanding the complexities of disaster management. 鈥淭he diversity of perspectives within the program has helped me think critically about how to approach crises with both analysis and empathy,鈥 she says.
Looking ahead, Azizi hopes to carry the lessons from her graduate studies into her next chapter: medical education. Her vision is to combine medical expertise with disaster and emergency management knowledge to serve in war zones and conflict-affected regions鈥攈elping communities in their most vulnerable moments.
Through her academic journey, Azizi embodies the spirit of 91亚色鈥檚 graduate community: a commitment to learning that drives positive change and builds a better, more compassionate future for all.