I am the Chair and an Associate Professor in the Social Justice and Peace Studies Department at King’s University College. My research interests focus on conflict transformation and peacebuilding strategies, especially with youth, cross-cultural encounters and communication and the social responsibilities of universities. I strongly believe in bringing my students into my research projects, especially through local international experiential learning programs.
For the past ten years I have been working with international conflict transformation centres for youth, and I co-founded a month-long residential program for King’s students in Italy at Rondine Cittadella della Pace, a Nobel Peace Prize-nominated research centre. In this program, King’s students learn about conflict and peacebuilding from youth who come from regions engaged in conflict from around the world. I am an active participant in the International Peace Research Studies Association, the Justice and Peace Studies Association, Georgetown University, and the Canadian International Education Studies Association. I am also the co-director for the Centre for Social Concern at King's.
Education
- PhD Western University, Education, Gender and Social Justice
- PD Fordham University, Urban Education, Policy and Leadership
- MA Fordham University, History
- BA University of Colorado, Latin American Studies
Teaching
- SJPS 1025 Introduction to Social Justice and Peace
- SJPS 1026 Approaches to Social Justice and Peace Theory
- SJPS 2173 The International Context of Service Learning
- SJPS 2201Z Community-Engaged Learning
- SJPS 2207 Humanitarianism and Social Justice
- SJPS 2303 Humanitarianism and Global Justice
- SJPS 2304 Power and Privilege
- SJPS 3210 Citizenship and Global Justice
- SJPS 3211 Global Networks for Social Justice
- SJPS 3310 Introduction to Qualitative Research
- SJPS 3311 Advanced Qualitative Research
- SJPS 3320 Women in Civic Leadership
- SJPS 3374 Tanzania: Civil Society and Globalization, Experiential Learning
- SJPS 3376 Dominican Republic: Transnational Citizenship and Globalization Experiential Learning
- SJPS 3393 Guatemala and Social Justice
- SJPS 3373 Special Topics: Independent Studies (ongoing)
- SJPS 4493 Special Topics: Intercordia
- IS 2240 The Social Networks of Power and Privilege
- IS 2252 Introduction to Qualitative Research
- EDU 5445 Challenges and Opportunities in International Education
- EDU 5424 Teaching for Equity and Social Justice
Research
The possibilities and limitations of International experiential learning, the impact of international research partnerships between Global North and South in higher education, ethics of international development, post & decolonial theories, feminism, nonviolence, and theories of social justice.
Allyson Larkin is actively engaged in research with communities in East Africa, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, on issues related to higher education partnerships and local development. Her research considers the impact of partnerships on local community development agendas. She has engaged in research as well as taught and led experiential learning courses with communities in Guatemala, El Salvador, Tanzania and Kenya.
Selected Publications
Larkin, A. (2017). Seeking Global Citizenship through International Experiential/Service Learning and Global Citizenship Education: Challenges of power, knowledge and difference for practitioners. London: PalgraveMacMillan.
Larkin, A. (2016). Decolonizing and delinking North-South higher education partnerships: Imagining possibilities for global social justice. In L. Shultz and M. Viczko (Eds.), Assembling the Higher Education Institution: Considerations of Democracy, Social Justice and Leadership. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Larkin, A. (2015). Close encounters of the Other kind: Ethical relationship formation in International Service-Learning Education. International Journal of Citizenship, Teaching and Learning 10(2) 143-155.
Larkin, A. (2015). I am because we are: Rethinking service-learning and the possibility of learning from Ubuntu. In M. Larsen (Ed.), International Service-Learning: Engaging Host Communities. New York: Routledge.
Larkin, A. (2015). Decolonizing and delinking North-South higher education partnerships: Imagining possibilities for global social justice. In L. Shultz and M. Viczko (Eds.), Assembling the Higher Education Institution: Considerations of Democracy, Social Justice and Leadership. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Larkin, A. (2015). North-South Partnerships in Canadian Higher Education: The New Frontier? A critical policy analysis of contemporary internationalization. University of Alberta, Centre for Global Citizenship and Education Research, conference proceedings.
Larkin, A. (2013). To Engage research critically: A Review of Kerry Howell’s The Philosophy of Methodology. The Qualitative Report 18(14), 1-3.
Larkin, A. (2012). The quest for internationalization in Canadian higher education policy: Cooperative development or knowledge export? Potentia 1(6), 73-85
Conference Presentations
Learning to Live with Our Enemies: A critical pedagogical reflection on Activism, Resistance and Reconciliation on a Canadian Campus, Post October 7. Presented at the International Peace Research Studies Association Conference, November 4, 2025, New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Refugees, Migrants and Universities: Exploring Barriers for Newcomer Youth in Canadian Higher Education, Peace and Justice Studies Association, Swathmore College, Philadelphia, PA, October 10, 2025.
Learning to Live with Our “Enemies”: Critical Pedagogy to Engage our Campus and Community with Migrants and Refugees. Presented at the Our Common Home conference, Augustinianum, Rome, October 5, 2025.