As student governments experience decline and collapse in the twenty-first century, their importance in contemporary political life should not be underestimated. They serve as valuable resources for political scientists looking to understand democracy at fundamental levels. Justin Patrick argues that we should take them seriously in research and practice
PhD Student, Educational Leadership and Policy, University of Toronto
Justin's research focuses on student government and student leadership.
He serves as the founding President of the Global Student Government, which represents millions of students across all inhabited continents and advocates for their interests at international levels.
From 2020–2022, he served as the first Canadian to be elected President of the International Association for Political Science Students, which represents an estimated 200,000 students in political science and related fields worldwide.
At the University of Toronto, he serves as 2022–2023 Chair of the Council on Student Services, President of the Leadership, Higher and Adult Education Departmental Students’ Association, and has served on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union.
Justin has also been a Governance and Policy Analyst for the University of Toronto Students’ Union, a member of the OISE Library Student Advisory Committee, and Editor-in-Chief of the University of Toronto Journal of Political Science.
His publications have appeared in journals such as Higher Education, Educational Review, Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, and World Medical and Health Policy, among others.
