Welcome from the Director

Welcome from the Joint PhD Program Director

Welcome to the Joint PhD in Educational Studies program. We know that your PhD studies will take you on a wonderous journey into research, scholarship, life-long learning, professional growth, self-discovery, scholarly collaboration and individual becoming.  As our Dr. Tanya Kaefer puts it, “a unique opportunity to develop and foster collegial relationships and friendships that will sustain and energize you throughout your academic studies and beyond.”

According to the OECD, only 1.3% of the world population held a PhD in 2022. In addition, Brenda Brouwer in her article in University Affairs (2016) points out that less than 1% of Canadians hold a PhD and she argues that Canada needs more PhDs because of the growing complexity of global issues and an increasingly competitive knowledge-based economy. She says that we need a robust supply of highly trained talent to bolster our intellectual and research capital. I believe that our Joint PhD in Educational Studies answers that call.

The Joint PhD in Educational Studies is a unique collaborative partnership between Lakehead University, the University of Windsor and Brock University. You get the very best of each of the university partners, and you have access to a wide range of expertise and research interests, and enhanced opportunities for depth and breadth in your field of study. Education continues to face many challenges and we are here to help provide exciting opportunities in generating new knowledge and directions in research in education.

I wish you all the best for a fruitful and productive journey in the Joint PhD program and I look forward to meeting each of you and to learning more about your studies.

Best wishes for continued success!

Andrew Allen
Director, Joint PhD in Educational Studies