Sashenka
Lleshaj

Dr. Sashenka Lleshaj just completed her PhD in Political Science at McGill University (Montreal, QC), where she received the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2019-22) from the Federal Government of Canada (SSHRC). Her research focuses on heritage and memory politics, the politics of urban transformation in post-communist cities, and international heritage governance. Prior to McGill, Sasha completed a Master of Science in Russian & East European Studies (REES) at the University of Oxford. Sasha also served as an Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania through AADF’s 2016 LEAD Fellowship and attended a Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program in this capacity. She moved to Canada as a Jeanne Sauvé Public Leadership Fellow 2017-19. As a Sauvé Fellow, she co-founded the CityInclusive initiative working with small and medium Canadian cities to craft inclusive smart city projects. Sasha’s interests are eclectic, ranging from foreign policy, power and ethics to issues of heritage, AI governance, urban politics, art and aesthetics.