Shalini Matharage

PhD Candidate in Political Science

Shalini is a doctoral student in the Department of Political Science at Northeastern University, specializing in international relations and comparative politics. She possesses a strong background and keen interest in international migration, refugee crises, and disaster management and risk reduction. Shalini gained experience as a Research Assistant for the Forced Migration & Policy Responses in an Era of Global Change Tier I Project during the 2023-2024 academic cycle. Additionally, she has served as a Teaching Assistant for International Relations and Modern Political Thought. Currently, she is actively engaged in research with Dr. Denis Sullivan and Dr. Daniel Aldrich.

Related Schools & Departments

Political Science

Biography

Originally from Colombo, Sri Lanka, Shalini has lived in Japan for the past 5 years. She holds a Bachelor of Law from Nagoya University in Japan and will be receiving a Master of Arts from the Political Science Department of Northeastern University in May 2024. She enjoys learning new languages, traveling, and baking.

Prior work

While enrolled at Nagoya University as a bachelor’s student, Shalini completed her thesis under the supervision of Dr. Sean McGinty. Her research delved into the question, ‘Why does International Human Rights Law (IHRL) Fail to Protect Undocumented Migrants?’ This project involved a discussion of the inadequacy of international human rights instruments in providing adequate protection for undocumented immigrants. Shalini also explored alternative paths within international law aimed at safeguarding the human rights of these vulnerable migrants. Her assessment considered the feasibility of a universal approach to IHRL while acknowledging the preservation of sovereignty.

Research Interest

Shalini’s current research work focuses on two different fields in political science. First, she is focusing on the international refugee regime and its role in contemporary refugee crises. She is currently co-authoring an article with Dr. Denis Sullivan titled, “Is the 1951 Convention out of date and essentially ignored? Is it feasible to investigate this?” This work attempts to unravel gaps in the international refugee regime (referring to the 1951 Refugee framework and the 1967 protocol), including changed circumstances, narrow definitions, issues of human rights, burdens placed on host states, and the aftermath of asylum outcomes. Following a comprehensive understanding of these gaps, our goal is to provide a discourse on potential solutions moving forward.

Her secondary research interest lies in disaster risk reduction (DRR). She is currently co-authoring a journal article with Dr. Daniel Aldrich that explores the role of community engagement in DRR efforts at the local level. By employing a series of Delphic interviews, our study transcends national boundaries, seeking to uncover an emerging narrative of DRR by examining several countries known for their distinctive approaches to disaster risk reduction.

Articles Under Review

‘Everyday Nationalism’ and Immigration in an Aging Society: An Analysis of Immigrant Perception in Japan,’ slated to appear in the book ‘Nationality Struggles in the 21st Century and its Social Costs in Asia.’

Research Interests:

International Migration, International Refugee Crisis, Post-migration Barriers, Nationalism, Disaster Management, Disaster Risk Reduction.

Contact info:
Renaissance Park, 9th Floor
1135 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02120
Email: matharage.s@northeastern.edu
LinkedIn: ShaliniM

More Student Paths

Charles T. Wallace-Thomas IV

Charles took "Sustainable Renewable Energy Development in the Global South" with Professor Shalanda Baker, which pushed him to further question systems as they exist, no matter their entrenched in society.
He did community service as part of the Ujima Global Leaders Program through the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute. He worked on the Timebank team, helping give back to local communities.
Charles split his time for his first co-op between the Center for Economic Democracy and the Boston Ujima Project, where he analyzed studies on community needs, including infrastructure and childcare.
He was one of the co-creators of the #BlackAtNU campaign and advocated for racial literacy courses and a restorative and transformative justice center on campus.
Charles made his own research project- a macroeconomic index to measure democratic participation in municipal economies, partnering with NU, the Columbus Foundation and the Center for Economic Democracy.
He worked at the Participatory Budgeting Project as a Program Associate, helping city systems and other organizations actively decide how to invest money across different spaces.
Charles graduated in 2022. ..

Casey Greenleaf

Casey took Global Markets and Local Cultures. After traveling, she better saw how the coursework mirrored real life, and knew her education was preparing her for the world.
She went on a DOC to Argentina and Uruguay, and become highly proficient while living in Buenos Aires and visiting the glaciers of the Patagonia region.
Casey completed her first co-op at the Museum of Fine Arts as a community arts program assistant. She gained valuable hands-on experience assisting in arts classes for local communities.
She joined the Sociology & Anthropology Student Association during her third year. It allowed her to get to know her fellow students and mirrored the small school experience she loved.
Casey studied abroad in Nepal for her capstone thesis. She lived alone for a month while she researched and wrote about the lived experience of climate change in the lower Himalayas.
She worked for the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, founded by Professor Sarah Wylie. She produced promotional videos, developed a virtual research event, wrote event programming, and more.
Casey graduated in 2020. ..

Sunita Pfitzner

Sunita took Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection, taught by Professor Risa Kitagawa. The course invited students to question the motives behind acts of violence against governments.
She traveled on a Dialogue of Civilizations to Jordan and Egypt; while there she grew interested in Middle East politics and the Arabic language.
Sunita worked at the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney, Australia, where she analyzed data on the corruption of police forces in Mexico.
Sunita was a member of the International Relations Council and traveled abroad with the club to compete in Model Arab League, Model NATO, and Model UN conferences.
Sunita conducted research with Berna Turam, developing a greater understanding of the Mediterranean migrant crisis. She also researched the feminist response to Covid-19 with Val Moghadam.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2022.
..

Yasser Aponte

Yasser was in the Foundation Year program at Northeastern. The program was a rigorous deep dive into core subject classes that helped Yasser bridge the gap between his high school and college experiences.
He took Issues in Cities and Suburbs with Professor Erin Graves in Fall 2018. As someone deeply invested in urban life, he found the course was an enlightened look at the problems endemic to cities.
Yasser joined the Boston Beer Company as a Program Operations and Event Assistant for his first co-op. He worked on inventory, public relations, brewery events, and workspace organization.
He implemented community gardens all over Boston on deserted plots of land during his time as the Northeastern Campus Director for the campus’ United Nations Millennium Fellowship.
Yasser maintained a farm in Dorchester for The Food Project. He harvested crops, distributed produce through donations and food markets, and worked on overall logistics.
In 2020, Yasser won the Community Service Leadership award, given to students who show exemplary community engagement. He was recognized for his work at The Food Project, Northeastern Crossing, and more.
He graduated 2022 with his Bachelor’s in International Affairs and Religious Studies and his Master’s in Security and Resilience Studies, through Northeastern’s PlusOne program...