The Canada Research Chair in Care Work, Ethnicity, Race and Aging at Trent University, Dr. Bharati Sethi has been elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars in recognition of her groundbreaking research on populations that are foremost in contemporary Canadian consciousness: newcomers, racialized people, and older adults. 

“I feel honoured to receive this recognition from the Royal Society of Canada and to be named among other leading scholars in Canada,” says Professor Sethi. “I get a lot of meaning and purpose from the work that I am doing, working among vulnerable and marginalized populations and to see that others see value in my research is encouraging for my future studies.” 

Caring for Loved Ones Across International Borders

A professor in Political Studies, Prof. Sethi is known for her community-based, arts-informed projects that advance the social, political, and economic inclusion of immigrants and refugees in Canadian society. Her most recent work examines the challenges of transnational caregiving — the emotional, financial, and logistical strains faced by newcomers supporting family abroad while building new lives in Canada. 

“If a family member in India needs support, how can a family member working and living in Canada support those needs when there are several economic barriers for newcomer integration or there is limited time in employer leave policies to travel to the home country?” says Prof. Sethi.  

Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Prof. Sethi’s study shows how government and workplace policies can be modernized to better support immigrant workers balancing family responsibilities across borders. 

“Due to global aging, increasingly complex immigration policies, and demand for skilled labour, the need for transnational care will continue to rise,” says Prof. Sethi. “Compassionate and flexible leave policies can make a real difference for caregivers, businesses, and the Canadian economy.” 

To be elected to the Royal Society of Canada is one of the highest academic distinctions for scholars, artists, and scientists in the country. Prof. Sethi is one of 59 new members to The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. 

Watch the video with Prof. Sethi to learn more about her research on transnational caregiving with European, Indigenous, and visible minority caregivers providing care to older family members, and its implications for policies that affect immigrants, older adults, employers, and Canada. 

Learn more about Political Studies at Trent University.