ABSTRACT
Reflection and reflexive practices within the shared learning spaces created by peer mentoring can increase the likelihood of a successful completion of PhD studies. Knowledge creation has been historically privileged by Western epistemologies. Intercultural peer communities have the potential to include non-Western epistemologies while maintaining the rigour of the research process within an international context. The perspective offered here is from a Barbadian graduate student interacting with Fijian graduate students during the data collection and analysis phases of the doctoral research. Issues inherent to the PhD journey, such as supervisor relations, student time management practices and methodological choices are reflected on within the intercultural dialogues that occurred over a two-year time period. Reflexive thoughts shared highlight the latent power relations within knowledge creation that were a consequence of the intercultural experiences within the journey. These insights aim to frame spatial relations that could influence the successful completion of the PhD journey; the deliberate use of different cultures within peer mentoring; and the inclusion of non-Western epistemologies in the international development of knowledge creation.
