Washington, USA
2021 World Bank & International Monetary Fund
Spring Meetings
The Annual and Spring Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, parliamentarians, private sector executives, representatives from civil society organizations, and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness.
YDC Delegates interact with experts from around the world while attending IMF-WBG Summit sessions and participating in meetings with stakeholders. The IMF-WBG Annual Meetings are an exclusive opportunity for Canadian youth to observe and learn from high-level discussions on international trade, finance, and comparative public policy.
Jaya Raghubir, Head Delegate
Jaya is currently a policy analyst with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and has previously worked in innovation spaces at ESDC and Global Affairs Canada. She holds a Master of Public Health in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology from McMaster University. She is invested in applying user-centric research to create effective, interdisciplinary solutions for complex public health challenges.
Grace Li, Communications Coordinator
Grace is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Alberta, finishing her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science and History. Her research interests lie with the international political economy broadly. However, she is especially passionate about trade policy and the intersection of politics and financial markets. As a testament to these interests, she is currently researching and writing an honours thesis on legal culture and the crisis in the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body.
Grace has long been interested in global issues, participating in and organizing Model United Nations conferences for over five years. She is currently an assistant director for the National Model United Nations conference in New York and a chair for the University of Alberta High School Model Nations conference in Edmonton, Alberta. In the past, she has also interned at the Embassy of Canada to the United States in Washington, D.C., working in the Alberta Office on files related to trade, energy, and agriculture. Motivated by both her intellectual interests and belief in the value of global citizenship, she is incredibly excited to attend the 2021 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group to deepen her knowledge and gain practical experience as she pursues a career in law.
Alexander Parsalidis, Delegate
Alexander Parsalidis is a Policy Analyst at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). He is responsible for conducting policy research and analysis and proposing solutions to overcome the impact COVID-19 has had on labour market retention and employment insurance. Previously, Alexander worked at the Office for Disability Issues at ESDC, where he helped advance the representation of persons with disabilities within legislation across Canada.
Alexander holds an Honours Bachelor in Political Studies from Queen's University and is completing his Masters in International Affairs, specializing in International Economic Policy at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) of Carleton University. While at NPSIA Alexander investigated the impact that traditional and emerging lenders have on poverty reduction, good governance, and economic development.
Most recently, in response to the economic impact of COVID-19 on Canadian start-ups and small businesses, Alexander co-founded Eqcelerate, an online private equity platform that will soon enable Canadian business owners to raise funds from retail investors.
Emma Huang, Delegate
Emma is a current law student, a published political economy researcher, and an experienced English/Chinese interpreter and translator. Prior to entering University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law with scholarships, she completed a Master’s degree in Political Economy and a Master Certificate in Business Analysis at Carleton University. During her graduate studies, she co-authored a peer-review publication to advocate for gender-based analysis in interethnic conflict prevention. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Political Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she graduated with first class honour and studied abroad in Spain.
Emma has diverse experiences in cross-border and cross-cultural matters and has cultivated skills conducive for work in international trade and development. She is currently a Technoship fellow at the University of Ottawa, Centre for Law, Technology, and Society, where she helps analyse international trade and investment treaties. She is also interning at an Ottawa-based legal technology start-up, where she helps connect clients and lawyers from different geographic locations and jurisdictions. Previously, Emma worked at a Canadian non-for-profit organisation and promoted their health care best practices in Canada, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. She has also assisted clients of varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds with access to justice, quality healthcare, and business cooperation.
Sami Issa, Delegate
Sami has a diverse personal, educational, and professional background that drives his curiosity to learn about different cultures and explore all corners of the world. He enjoys constantly learning and challenging the status quo.
He has an Undergraduate in Economics and a Master's in Global Affairs from the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He is currently based in Toronto and works as a management consultant, where he assists a variety of clients in different sectors on developing strategies and enhancing operations.
He is extremely passionate about global affairs and the role Canada can play as a G7 nation on the global stage to strengthen and advance human rights, diplomacy and global development. More broadly, his interests lie in technology, global finance and economics, policy and foreign affairs.
Farah Kammourieh, Delegate
Farah holds a Master of International Economic Policy from Institut d'études politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris, France. She has well-rounded experience in policy research and project management. Farah is currently based in Calgary working as a consultant within Deloitte Canada’s Strategy, Analytics, and Mergers + Acquisitions service line. Previously, Farah worked with the OECD in Paris, France as part of their Development Centre, conducting research on the effects of climate change, migration on medium-sized cities in sub-Saharan Africa. Farah also worked in Tamale, Ghana, as a project coordinator and facilitator for a youth employment project funded by Global Affairs Canada. She is a trilingual Calgarian with a Lebanese/Syrian background.