Profile
Keywords: international students, adult education, higher education, refugee resettlement, citizenship, policy
I am an interdisciplinary scholar who studies the intersection of immigration, citizenship, and education, with a focus on how settler colonial states and institutions govern mobility and belonging. My areas of specialization include adult and higher education, Canadian immigration policy, international student mobility, temporary and multi-step migration, refugee resettlement, citizenship education, and newcomer settlement and integration from a critical perspective.
My current research is part of the “Migrant Integration in the Mid 21st Century: Bridging Divides” Canada First Research Excellence Fund program. I work specifically on projects within the citizenship and participation theme.
As a scholar-practitioner, I also engage in policy-relevant knowledge mobilization and contribute to professional communities of practice. I am a Public Policy Consultant with the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of British Columbia. I also worked for over a decade as an International Student Advisor and have been a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant since 2014. This work informs my applied understanding of Canadian immigration, citizenship, and settlement policy and practice.
In my role as Research Associate at the Centre for Migration Studies, I advance interdisciplinary research on migration, support and develop training and teaching initiatives, and strengthen policy outreach with government and community partners.
I hold a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia and a MA in Geography from Simon Fraser University.
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Migration experts scrutinize Justin Trudeau’s explanation for immigration cuts TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia, Concordia University Publication 2024-11-24 TRS4 1.3.1 Truth, reconciliation, and an evolving national identity “Truth, reconciliation, and an evolving national identity,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann as part of the panel “Impact of changing identities and public perceptions on newcomer experiences,” AMSSA Leadership Forum, September 25, 2024.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Conference 2024-09-25 TRS4 1.3.1 Citizenship and belonging: A research and service provider perspective Citizenship and belonging: A research and service provider perspective
Beyond legal status, citizenship is also the expression of a collective identity based on
a shared sense of belonging to a national community. However, government-sponsored
narratives of citizenship often differ from lived experience, which can obscure inequities.
This workshop presents preliminary findings from three studies examining questions
about such tensions. First, is multi-step immigration a contributing factor in the observed
decline in Canada’s naturalization rate? Second, how are equity-denied groups
represented in Canada's citizenship guides over time? Finally, how is citizenship-related
programming envisioned, delivered, and negotiated by the settlement sector in relation
to a changing Canadian citizenship context?
● Session Chair/Moderator: David Lee, Director of Employment, Language, and
Social Enterprise, MOSAIC
● Adrienne Bale, Senior Manager, Settlement & Integration, MOSAIC
● Marcela Fuller, Manager, Adult Learning and Newcomer Services, YMCA BC
● Lisa Brunner,Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Migration Studies,
University of British Columbia
● Sandra Schinneri,Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Migration Studies,
University of British Columbia
● Anjana Donakonda, Master’s Student, Public Policy and Global Affairs,
University of British ColumbiaTRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Conference 2024-10-30 TRS4 1.3.1 Narratives of Indigeneity and settler identity in citizenship study guides “Narratives of Indigeneity and settler identity in citizenship study guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, Canadian Ethnic Studies Association conference, November 16, 2024.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Conference 2024-11-16 TRS4 1.3.1 The negotiation of Canadian citizenship narratives in the settlement sector TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Conference 2024-10-30 TRS4 1.3.1 Exploring Student Policy Reform Costs A policy article published in University Affairs explores the impacts of Quebec’s international student reforms. The authors assess how funding shifts and new requirements affect access, equity, and institutional stability.
Other, TRS4 1.3.1 Concordia University, University of British Columbia Publication 2024-12-12 Other, TRS4 1.3.1 Bill C-2 and the Politics of Canadian "Strong Borders" This talk examines changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act proposed by Bill C-2, the "Strong Borders Act." Situating the bill's reforms within a broader federal securitization agenda, it outlines potential changes to refugee protection, state authority over immigration applications and documents, and data-sharing. It concludes by assessing implications for migrants with precarious status, access to justice, and the future of Canadian migration governance.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia, Concordia University Activity 2025-09-15 TRS4 1.3.1 Making Immigrants into Settlers: Colonialism and Reconciliation in Canadian Citizenship Guides “Making Immigrants into Settlers: Colonialism and Reconciliation in Canadian Citizenship Guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, Migration, Borders, and the Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion conference, Belfast, UK, June 15-16, 2025.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Conference 2025-06-15 TRS4 1.3.1 Truth and reconciliation in Canadian and Australian citizenship guides “Truth and reconciliation in Canadian and Australian citizenship guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, American Political Science Association annual conference, Vancouver, BC, September 11-14, 2025.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Conference 2025-09-11 TRS4 1.3.1 Competing problematizations of virtual naturalization ceremonies “Competing problematizations of virtual naturalization ceremonies,” presented by Lisa Brunner, Carolina Reyes Marquez, and Nadezhda Zezyulina, CMS Research Conference 2025, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, May 1-2, 2025.TRS4 1.3.2 University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, Concordia University Conference 2025-05-01 TRS4 1.3.2 Expert witness testimony for House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration On October 9, 2025, I appeared before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to provide expert witness testimony for its International Student Program and Study Permits study.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Activity 2025-10-09 TRS4 1.3.1 Canadian international student policy at a crossroads Brunner, L. R. (2025). Canadian international student policy at a crossroads. Policy Brief No. 1, October 2025. Institute for Research on Public Policy; also in French: Le système d’éducation internationale canadien à la croisée des chemins.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2025-10-08 TRS4 1.3.1 National Immigration Roundtable with MP Julie Dzerowicz, Chair of House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration Invitation to join National Immigration Roundtable with MP Julie Dzerowicz, Chair of CIMMTRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Activity 2025-10-29 TRS4 1.3.1 Canadian Ethnic Studies Association conference TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Conference 2024-11-16 TRS4 1.3.1 Photo Narratives of Citizenship website Photo Narratives of Citizenship website, featuring photos and reflections on migration journeys, belonging, citizenship, and Truth and Reconciliation from 20 newcomers to Canada: https://blogs.ubc.ca/citizenship/TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Research Output 2025-12-08 TRS4 1.3.1 MOSAIC Partnerships with two Vancouver-based service organizations (MOSAIC and YMCA BC), one Toronto-based service organization (COSTI), and one national organization (Institute for Canadian Citizenship) to gather insights from staff and clients, as part of the Narratives of Citizenship project.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Partnership 2025-12-08 TRS4 1.3.1 YMCA BC Partnerships with two Vancouver-based service organizations (MOSAIC and YMCA BC), one Toronto-based service organization (COSTI), and one national organization (Institute for Canadian Citizenship) to gather insights from staff and clients, as part of the Narratives of Citizenship project.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Partnership 2025-12-08 TRS4 1.3.1 Seeing Belonging Through a Newcomer Lens Summary of community engagement component of the Photo Narrative research projectTRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2025-12-08 TRS4 1.3.1 International student mobility and the politics of distance education Brunner, L. R. (2025). International student mobility and the politics of distance education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 56(2), 870-889. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13543TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2024-11-22 TRS4 1.3.1 Colonial logics as public secrets of international student mobility Brunner, L. R., & McCartney, D. M. (2025). Colonial logics as public secrets of international student mobility. Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.7577/njcie.6047TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2025-06-15 TRS4 1.3.1 Higher education’s care/control of refugee and displaced students Brunner, L. R., Shokirova, T., Gamal, M., & Stein, S. (2025). Higher education’s care/control of refugee and displaced students. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 12(2), 11–33. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2212TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2024-03-29 TRS4 1.3.1 Magnets, gatekeepers, surveillants, and refiners: The emergence of higher education institutions as migration governance actors in Australia, Canada, and Germany, 1990 to 2019 Brunner, L. R., Trilokekar, R. D., Morris-Lange, S., Liu, H., Laufer, M., El Masri, A., & Joshi, A. (2025). Magnets, gatekeepers, surveillants, and refiners: The emergence of higher education institutions as migration governance actors in Australia, Canada, and Germany, 1990 to 2019. International Journal of Educational Research, 129, 102490.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2024-11-29 Brunner, L. , D R Trilokekar,, Morris-Lange, S., Liu, H., Laufer, M., A Masri, El, Joshi, A.
TRS4 1.3.1 Citizenship Brunner, L. R. (2026). Citizenship. In D. Stockemer, S. Sawyer, & A. Gagnon (Eds.), IPSA companion to political science. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-06918-4_23-1TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2025-11-30 TRS4 1.3.1 Reflections on Canada’s first international student cap Brunner, L. R., & Cervantes-Macías, M. E. (2025). Reflections on Canada’s first international student cap. Critical Internationalization Studies Review, 4(1), article 2. https://doi.org/10.70531/2832-3211.1043TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2025-03-04 TRS4 1.3.1 Visiting Scholar At the Institute for Research on Migration and Society, through the Immigration Research Initiative and funded by the Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennesTRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Award 2025-12-08 TRS4 1.3.1 House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to provide expert witness testimony Appeared before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to provide expert witness testimony for its International Student Program and Study Permits study.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Event 2025-10-09 TRS4 1.3.1 Navigating intersectionality, policy, and activism: Queer international students in the Global North Organized and chaired the online panel “Navigating intersectionality, policy, and activism: Queer international students in the Global North.”TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Event 2025-04-11 TRS4 1.3.1 The crash of the international student ‘market’: Causes, consequences, and the future of Canadian higher education TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Event 2024-11-06 TRS4 1.3.1 Stop Bill C-2: How the Strong Borders Act Harms Refugees & Immigrants TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Event 2025-09-10 TRS4 1.3.1 Understanding and addressing changing attitudes toward migrants and immigration in Canada Understanding and addressing changing attitudes toward migrants and immigration in CanadaTRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Event 2025-05-13 TRS4 1.3.1 Working with international students In pressTRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2025-12-08 TRS4 1.3.1 Invited talk at Concordia University TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Conference 2025-09-04 TRS4 1.3.1 Does the academy care about refugees? Higher education media coverage of displaced students Coleman, K., Balandina, N., MacPherson, K., James, A., Brunner, L. R., Baker,S., & Streitwieser, B. Does the academy care about refugees? Higher education media coverage of displaced students. Submitted to Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2025-12-08 Coleman, K., Balandina, N., MacPherson, K., James, A.,
Brunner, L. , Baker, S., Streitwieser, B.
TRS4 1.3.1 CMS Migration Insight Series, From Classroom to Citizenship: Higher Education’s Role in Migration Policy TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2025-05-26 University of British Columbia UBC,
Brunner, L. , Marjorie Rugunda
TRS4 1.3.1 From classroom to citizenship: Higher education’s role in migration policy From classroom to citizenship: Higher education’s role in migration policy
Research brief written by Marjorie Rugunda for the University of British Columbia Centre for Migration Studies (CMS) Migration Insights Series (Number 4, 2025)TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2025-05-26 TRS4 1.3.1 Artificial intelligence and automation in the migration governance of international students: An accidental ethnography Brunner, L. R., & Tao, W. W. (2024). Artificial intelligence and automation in the migration governance of international students: An accidental ethnography. Journal of International Students, 14(1), 269-288. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v14i4.5762TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2023-09-26 TRS4 1.3.1 Unfamiliarities, uncertainties, and ambivalent long-term intentions: Conceptualizing international student-migrant settlement and integration Brunner, L. R., Karki, K. K., & Valizadeh, N., Shokirova, T., & Coustere, C. (2024). Unfamiliarities, uncertainties, and ambivalent long-term intentions: Conceptualizing international student-migrant settlement and integration. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 25, 973–996.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia, Concordia University Publication 2024-01-27 TRS4 1.3.1 International graduate students as labour: Responding to the global imaginary Coustere, C., Brunner, L. R., Shokirova, T., Karki, K., & Valizadeh, N. (2024). International graduate students as labour: Responding to the global imaginary. Higher Education, 88, 321–338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01118-5TRS4 1.3.1 Concordia University, University of British Columbia Publication 2023-10-09 TRS4 1.3.1 Artificial intelligence and the governance of international migration Brunner, L. R., & Tao, W. W. (2024, January 10). Artificial intelligence and the governance of international migration. Mobile People & Diverse Societies (Eurac Research Science Blog). https://doi.org/10.57708/BFZLXO9QXRQWGQXNVDBZMKGTRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2024-01-10 TRS4 1.3.1 Canada should be opening more doors to gifted Afghan students, not closing them Brunner, L. R. (2024, October 23). Canada should be opening more doors to gifted Afghan students, not closing them. Policy Options.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2024-10-23 TRS4 1.3.1 Canada has finally started upending this two-step approach to immigration. We have questions. Brunner, L. R., & Pratt, G. (2024, June 13). Canada has finally started upending this two-step approach to immigration. We have questions. Toronto Star.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Publication 2024-06-13 TRS4 1.3.1 Taking stock of this year’s Canadian immigration policy environment TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Event 2025-09-25 TRS4 1.3.1 Photo Narratives of Citizenship TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Research Activity 2025-12-09 TRS4 1.3.1 Narratives of Citizenship newcomer survey From January to March 2025, we conducted an online survey of MOSAIC and YMCA BC newcomer clients who had participated in citizenship-related classes or programs. We received 232 complete responses, representing a wide range of backgrounds and immigration statuses. The survey provided initial insights into newcomers’ interpretations of citizenship, belonging, and Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, as well as barriers and motivations to naturalize. These insights informed subsequent phases of the project.TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Research Activity 2025-12-09 TRS4 1.3.1 Understanding the Safe Third Country Agreement and Refugee Claimant Eligibility: Contextualizing Bill C-12 TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Event 2025-12-03 TRS4 1.3.1 The importance of integrating equity-centered initiatives into policies within the current context. Invited talkTRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Event 2025-10-16 TRS4 1.3.1 Understanding shifts in Canadian immigration and public opinion TRS4 1.3.1 University of British Columbia Event 2025-12-09 TRS4 1.3.1
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