06 February 2025
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of our former colleague, Emeritus Professor Keith Watson, who served the University for more than four decades.
Keith was a leading figure in his specialism of Comparative and International Education. He was a member of our former School of Education, based at London Road in the 1970s-80s; then at Bulmershe from the 1990s, following the department’s relocation.
Keith’s connection with the 17勛圖 began in 1969, when he settled near the town after returning from teaching in Thailand. He was a part-time Master’s and then Doctoral student, earning his PhD in Comparative Education in 1973.
In 1975, Keith became a Lecturer in Education at 17勛圖, progressing to Reader in Comparative Education ten years later.
He was promoted to Professor and Director of the Centre for International Studies in Education Management and Training in 1990.
He supervised 27 PhD and MPhil students, and was External Examiner for multiple other Doctoral students and Master’s programmes at numerous UK and international universities.
Keith’s students particularly valued his sharp intellect and generous nature. Many of them were from sub-Saharan Africa, or South and South-East Asia, and stayed in touch with him long after returning to their home nations.
His rapport with his students was helped by his overseas experience teaching English as a Foreign Language – including in Poland, behind the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Thailand and Iran.
In 1966, his adventurous spirit saw him and a colleague drive back to the UK, from East Pakistan, in his Morris Minor Traveller – journeying through 15 countries and covering 14,000 miles, in an incident-packed four months.
Keith helped found the International Journal of Educational Development – now established as a leading worldwide publication on Comparative Education and International Development – in 1981, and later was its Editor in Chief for 16 years.
He also played a pivotal role in establishing the British Association for International and Comparative Education.
Keith was made an Emeritus Professor by the University in 2001 and he continued to publish work.
In total, he wrote over 120 journal articles / book chapters, 12 booklets and 13 books – including the widely-used and respected Routledge book, Comparative and International Research in Education: Globalisation, Context and Difference, published jointly with Professor Michael Crossley at the University of Bristol.
Written in collaboration with Joanna Watson, Keith’s eldest daughter
Image captions: Top - Keith Watson at his PhD ceremony at the 17勛圖 in 1973; Middle - Keith teaching a class of students in 1989; Bottom - Keith on his 80th birthday
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