Daniel William Szabo - Educator and Researcher

Behind the Research: Sofia Ammassari

Originally from Italy, Sofia is an author and political scientist. Her research focuses on the populist radical right, women’s and youth political participation, and party organisations.

Sofia’s first book, Grassroots Women in the Populist Radical Right, has recently been launched. Based on extensive interview and survey data, the book investigates how and why women become involved in populist radical right parties and how these parties seek to recruit and retain women members.

In September 2026, Sofia will begin a new position as Senior Lecturer at Flinders University in South Australia. A trailblazer and a friend, I always cheer her on and wish her continued success.

Grassroots Women in the Populist Radical Right is currently available at a 30% discount from Oxford University Press. Use code AUFLY30: https://bit.ly/GrassrootsWomenInThePopulistRadicalRight

Behind the Research is a series dedicated to supporting the impact and visibility of researchers and scholars across all career stages.

Oxford University Press

Saturday, 4 July, and it's Day One of the Migrating World: International Conference on Migration, Identity and Belonging, hosted by the London Centre for Interdisciplinary Research at Birkbeck, University of London

My first presentation is part of this morning's session, which brings together three papers with diverse perspectives: rethinking the integration of new minorities in the EU and its implications for belonging, social work responses to refugee needs in the UK, and the UK's Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

Chaired by Abida Younas, the session is, I think, an excellent way to start the conference. I'm looking forward to making new friends, connecting with colleagues, and the conversations ahead.

Congratulations to the Australian Political Studies Association (AusPSA) on the launch of its new website.

The Australian Political Studies Association has worked collaboratively with the European Consortium for Political Research’s website developers to create a refreshed platform with improved member features and functionality.

This is the kind of cross-national collaboration between Australia and Europe that strengthens our academic communities.

The new website brings AusPSA activities, conferences, and opportunities into one place. Take a look, create a member account, and subscribe to the quarterly newsletter while you are there.

https://auspsa.org.au

On Monday, 27 April, the UBC Centre for Migration Studies held its 2026 CMS Migration & Integration Conference at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

A conference where scholar researchers at all stages come together to share their work on migration and integration. An encouraging place to develop ideas and test theories. A space to strengthen confidence through receiving feedback as a presenter, yet also a safe place to practice our skills in giving feedback.

This was my second year attending the CMS Migration & Integration Conference, and my appreciation and respect for the organising team continues to grow—an excellent way to kick off the 2026 academic conference season.

Uniquely Canadian. Uniquely Vancouver.