Isabella Aung is a Research Fellow affiliated with the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. She is also a Consultant Research Analyst at PerceptX, a Canadian veteran-owned advisory firm focused on defence and aerospace. She holds an MA in Political Science from Simon Fraser University and an honours degree in International Relations from Linfield University. She is an incoming Juris Doctor (JD) candidate at the University of Ottawa.
Isabella held research and policy fellowships at the University of British Columbia, the University of York, Queen’s University, and the Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP). In 2023, she received a MINDS Targeted Engagement Grant from Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND). Recognised for her Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) research, she was invited to participate in the prestigious Shangri-La Dialogue Young Leader Program in 2025. Her research interests include digital authoritarianism, transnational repression, and international defence, with a focus on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). Her regional expertise is in Canada and the Indo-Pacific Region.
Expertise
- Gender and Politics
- Comparative Politics
- Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)
Selected Publications
- Aung, I., & Berry, M. (2025, November 17). Extracting Rare Earths, Exploiting Frontiers: The Human Cost of the International Rare Earths Race in Myanmar. LSE Southeast Asia Blog. Retrieved from https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/
seac/2025/11/17/extracting- rare-earths-exploiting- frontiers-the-human-cost-of- the-international-rare-earths- race-in-myanmar/ - Aung, I. (2025, April 30). Pourquoi le Canada devrait se préoccuper de la situation en Birmanie : une crise humanitaire qui s’intensifie dans la région indopacifique. Le Rubicon. Retrieved from https://lerubicon.org/
pourquoi-le-canada-devrait-se- preoccuper-de-la-situation-en- birmanie-une-crise- humanitaire-qui-sintensifie- dans-la-region-indopacifique/ - Aung, I. (2025, April 8). Keeping Canadian Policy Promises: Addressing the Myanmar Crisis. Le Réseau d’analyse stratégique/The Strategic Analysis Network (RAS/NSA). Retrieved from https://ras-nsa.ca/keeping-
canadian-policy-promises- addressing-the-myanmar-crisis/ - Toomey, N., Aung, I., Berry, M., & McGavin, S. (2024, December 25). A Paradigm Shift Is Needed on Canada’s Approach to International Humanitarian Aid. The Hills Times. Retrieved from https://www.hilltimes.
com/story/2024/12/25/a- paradigm-shift-is-needed- canadas-approach-to- international-humanitarian- aid/446157/ - Aung, I. (Host). (2024, September 10). Ambassador Bob Rae: Regional and International Implications of Civil War in Myanmar (No. 21) [Audio podcast episode]. In The Expert Series. Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute. https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v= hwzKbnpFrEQ&t=4s
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