The MPPGA Student Association serves as the student body's voice in the program.

The MSA, as a crucial bridge between students and the SPPGA program team, represents student opinions and advocates for an improved academic and overall experience. This role fosters collaboration, enhances the learning environment, and ensures that students' needs are effectively addressed.

The MSA also bridges students, alums, and professionals by supporting student learning and professional development through co-hosting events throughout the year.

First Principles

  • Fostering Inclusivity and Diversity: We strive to create an environment that celebrates and honours the diversity of our student body.

  • Cultivating a Learning Community: We are dedicated to building a vibrant community that promotes continuous learning and knowledge-sharing.

  • Ensuring a Safe Environment: We are committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming space for all students.

  • Facilitating Professional Growth: We aim to provide opportunities that support the professional development of our members.

  • Upholding Transparent Communication: We prioritize clear, consistent, and accountable communication within the association.

Although the MSA team changes annually, the first principles stay the same to ensure that fair, respectful, inclusive communication and advocacy are upheld year after year.

2024-25 MPPGA Student Association Executives

Mercy Gakii Muthuuri

VP External Affairs

Meet Mercy, a powerhouse at the intersection of finance, policy, and climate adaptation. Currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia, she holds a Master's of science in Finance and a Bachelor's of Commerce from University of Nairobi. She is armed with over 12 years of private sector experience, channelling her passion for sustainable infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships. Certified as an Expert in Climate Adaptation Finance,she led the advocacy, development and adoption of investment guidelines for green Financing and impact investing in Kenya. As the Head of Investor Relations for the Kenya Pension Funds Infrastructure Consortium, Mercy's commitment to unlocking capital for sustainable projects led her to champion domestic resource mobilization and sustainability initiatives leaving an indelible mark on the pension industry. She has participated in private sector infrastructure funding and climate change discussions with impactful publications and presentations in Africa.Now, Mercy's expertise extends to the Canadian landscape, where she serves as a Carbon Strategy Analyst for a cutting-edge nature-based blockchain technology company. Mercy is on a mission to reshape the narrative of climate finance and policy analysis,driving change one green investment at a time.

Kamali Pahwa

VP Internal

Kamali Pahwa, a graduate student at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC, hails from New Delhi, India. Her foundational roots lie in the legal domain, having practiced as a corporate lawyer in India after completing her Bachelor's in Law,her  enthusiasm for research and analytical work led her to venture into the dynamic field of public policy.

While working as a Legal & Strategy Associate in India, Kamali actively participated in projects centered on environmental impact assessments, financial policies, and the ESG sector. Her research work significantly intertwines law and policy, aiming to bring substantive societal changes. Her aspiration is to instigate social transformations through the interplay of policy and legal analysis, specifically focusing on monetary policies, sustainability, and governance.Kamali is looking forward  to assist the MPPGA cohort in their journey and  work passionately for better internal management. She strongly believes in prioritizing cohort choices and opinions in internal management practices.

Anna Leila Szigeti

VP Communications

Before MPPGA, Anna Leila Szigeti did her BA in Philosophy and French with a specialization in ethics at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario. Anna immigrated with her family to Hamilton in 2010 from Lebanon. Although she was born and grew up in Lebanon, she comes from a Hungarian heritage. Her multicultural upbringing has allowed her a versatile and diverse outlook on life. She aspired to be a global change maker ever since she saw the injustices her parents and other immigrants faced after moving to a new country. She hopes to focus on her background and bridge the gap between cultures and nations through educational and immigration policies.

She shadowed Fiona Sampson, CEO of the Equality Effect, a non-profit charity organization that uses international human rights laws to help women and children in Africa. Fiona Sampson has been one of her role models in her last year of undergrad, and Anna hopes to pursue similar work where both laws and policies come together to help those who need justice in the world. However, her main goal is to make the change she desires and retire early to open up a cultural oasis with her sister and live peacefully until retirement. Food, culture, and music are what bring people together, so she hopes to create an environment both with her policy work and her oasis where people from all over feel welcomed and can share stories and experiences, where ignorance will no longer be bliss and where knowledge will drive change and equity in the world.

Nishi Kant Dixit

President

Nishi Kant Dixit is a first-year MPPGA student. A development practitioner with more than two decades of experience in the fields of community development and rural livelihoods in India, Nishi has focused on access to markets and sustainable livelihoods for rural communities across the country. Before coming to SPPGA, he was supporting the implementation of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), the Government of India’s flagship program for poverty alleviation. Previously, he has worked with leading social development organizations such as Pradan and Reliance Foundation.With MPPGA at UBC, Nishi plans to build on his current work to establish sustainable business institutions across the commodity value chain, owned and governed by rural women at a large scale across rural India.

Nishi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, India. He is also an Acumen India Fellow.

Nivedita Harsh

VP Professional Development

A first year MPPGA graduate student with a passion for policy processes in sustainable trade. Nivedita holds a Bachelor of Laws (B.A.LL.B.Hons) degree from a prestigious institution in India, and is a lawyer by profession. The legal field is where she developed a profound understanding of legal frameworks and their impact on businesses and society. Her commitment to justice and ethical business practices led her to further her education, and she is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Policy and Global Affairs. 

During her academic journey, Nivedita has demonstrated a keen interest in the intersection of law, policy, and sustainability. Her research and coursework have focused on topics such as environmental impact assessments, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles, and the regulation of corporate activities to combat violations of CSR.

One of her central ambitions is to play a pivotal role in shaping policies that address environmental and social concerns. She envisions herself working at the crossroads of government, industry, and non-governmental organizations, facilitating dialogue and collaboration to create a more sustainable and just future.