Glen A. Jones Ontario Research Chair in Postsecondary Education Policy and Measurement Mobilizing Knowledge about Higher Education

Higher education Interdisciplinary field of scholarship Methodologically heterogeneous borrowing from a wide range of disciplines and approaches

Higher education researchers Faculty specializing in higher education (located in specialized programs/centres) Faculty in other disciplines who turn their attention to higher education issues (psychology, sociology, economics, public policy, finance, history, philosophy)

Higher education researchers Institutional researchers/planners Government policy researchers Higher education agencies Organizations and interest groups Specialized media Private research firms and consultants

Challenges … Small number of core higher education faculty in Canada Growth in interest – but the field has become increasingly fragmented Limited policy research capacity in government Limited data Limited infrastructure for research sharing or exchange Limited research funding

The Need Strengthen Ontario’s capacity for higher education policy research Mobilize existing knowledge to further evidence-based policy development

Building capacity Importance of graduate studies Specialized internships/co-op arrangements to provide practical experience Need to build infrastructure to link existing researchers, facilitate sharing and collaboration, and avoid duplication

Mobilizing Knowledge Knowledge mobilization is complex and multidimensional Develop a provincial infrastructure for sharing information on current and completed projects (including reports, published documents) Facilitate an ongoing exchange of information on research interests

The benefits … Avoid duplication of activity Researchers can learn from each other (and build on each others work) Easier to mobilize knowledge Opportunity to stimulate research in areas of interest to policy makers Build capacity and educate the next generation of policy researchers/makers

Thank you!