FHASS Welcomes Aisha Jamal!

Aisha holds a PhD in Contemporary German Diasporic Cinema from the University of Toronto. Her academic interest considers how diasporic identities operate not only in film but also literature, multi-media and contemporary art, taking an interdisciplinary approach. Her focus on the narratives of diasporic subjects extends into her filmmaking practice. She draws extensively on her real-world experience of interacting and serving community organizations like the South Asian Visual Arts Centre and Hot Docs International Film Festival. Drawing these experiences into the classroom has allowed her to remain up-to-date on real life issues and concerns, underscoring the applied aspects of knowledge to her students.

Aisha Answers Alchemy’s Proust Questionnaire:

     My favourite virtue: Curiosity – the most charming of virtues.

     Most important lesson I’ve learned this year: Embrace change.

     My favourite qualities in a teacher: Openness and communicativeness. I love it when I can both teach and learn from my students and share a-ha moments.

     My idea of perfect happiness: I love to travel with my partner Scott and experience interesting and/or weird and beautiful new places.

     My idea of complete misery: Being confined in the same windowless space all day.

     In my opinion the secret to success is: Perseverance!

     The word/phrase/expression I overuse in the classroom: Does that make sense?

     If I weren’t a teacher/administrator I’d be: An architect. I love design, art and buildings.

     Talent or skill I wish I had: Playing an instrument. I come from one of the least musical families I know so I would like to be able to wow on some form of string instrument.

     Language I’d love to be able to speak: Hindi – then I would be able to re-watch the Bollywood films of my childhood and actually understand the dialogue.

     My favourite food/meal and drink: I love all the different types of dumplings of the world.

     My guilty TV/film/gaming pleasure: “And Just Like That.” It’s a train-wreck of a show but it’s a form of mindless distraction that has its place in my life.