Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) 2023 alumna Afifa Nasar Ullah, an award-winning Pakistani multimedia journalist and documentary filmmaker, has been selected as a Fall 2026 Journalism Fellow at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Global Migration Institute (GMI) in Canada.
The fellowship marks another milestone in Afifa’s more than decade-long career in journalism, documentary storytelling, media training, and migration reporting.
Toronto Metropolitan University lists Afifa among its 2026–27 Journalism Fellows under the Bridging Divides Journalism Fellowship, which focuses on the intersection of technology, innovation, and migration. Fellows undertake field research, collaborate with researchers and other experts, and explore how technological change is affecting migration and the experiences of migrants.
Afifa brings extensive field experience to this work. She is currently a Foreign Correspondent with Deutsche Welle (DW News Urdu) and has previously worked with InfoMigrants, BBC World Service Urdu, 24 News, and City News Network.
Her reporting has covered migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, displacement, and the experiences of individuals and families navigating migration pathways. Over the years, she has combined field reporting with documentary filmmaking and media training, building expertise in how migration stories are researched, reported, and communicated.
At the Global Migration Institute, Afifa’s work brings this journalism experience into a research environment examining the relationship between technology and migration. Her areas of interest include the growing use of artificial intelligence, biometric technologies, digital systems, and data-driven tools in migration processes, as well as how access to information and media narratives can influence migration decisions and experiences.
The fellowship provides participating journalists with an opportunity to conduct field research during a residency at Toronto Metropolitan University while working alongside an interdisciplinary network of migration and technology experts.
Afifa has also contributed to the professional development of other journalists. Through assignments with organizations including the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and GIZ, she has delivered training on migration reporting, responsible journalism, documentary production, and multimedia storytelling.
Her work has previously earned recognition through national and international journalism programs and fellowships. She has participated in initiatives associated with organizations including ICMPD, APWLD, the Earth Journalism Network, the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, and DW Akademie.
Alongside journalism, Afifa founded The AN Films, expanding her work into documentary production, training, and mentoring.
Her selection for the Toronto Metropolitan University fellowship reflects a professional journey that continues to evolve from field reporting and documentary storytelling into research on emerging technologies and migration.
As PUAN marks Freedom 250, Afifa’s journey also reflects the lasting value of U.S.-supported exchange programs in helping alumni strengthen professional skills, expand international networks, and pursue new opportunities in fields shaped by innovation and technology.
From participating in the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs to advancing her work on an international research platform, her career demonstrates how exchange alumni continue building on their experience to contribute to professional communities in Pakistan and beyond.
