I am a PhD Candidate in the Critical Policy, Equity and Leadership Studies department at the Faculty of Education, Western University. Working under the supervision of Dr. Paul Tarc, my research interests revolve around internationalization of higher education and global citizenship. My doctoral research examines how international partnerships in higher education set the stage for curricular innovations in the pursuit of fostering global citizenship. In essence, the imperatives of globalization over the last two decades have compelled universities to internationalize. Double Degree Programs have emerged as one of the strategies universities use to demonstrate their presence on the international stage. According to Dr. Chakma (2011), the President of Western University, the future of internationalization rests on “the establishment of institutional partnerships and joint-degree programs that will attract students and researchers alike to the combined strengths of multiple universities working in partnership”. Interestingly, the Canadian Bureau for International Education argues that the ultimate goal of internationalization is to train/foster global citizens. However, global citizenship appears to be a multifaceted concept. Scholars do not agree on what it really means to be a global citizen, as it suggests different things to neoliberals, liberals, and to critical theorists, such as postcolonial scholars. My task is to examine double degree programs at three research-intensive universities in Ontario and to decipher stakeholders' viewpoints in order to understand the relevancy of these curricular programing in relation to fostering global citizens.

Paul Tarc, PhD

Supervisor