▁innov ative ▁cap ability ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁economy . ▁ ▁L azon ick ▁also ▁conduct s ▁cross - n ational ▁compar ative ▁research ▁on ▁the ▁social ▁conditions ▁that ▁enable ▁or ▁pro scribe ▁innov ative ▁enter prise , ▁foc using ▁in ▁particular ▁on ▁the ▁econom ies ▁of ▁Britain , ▁Japan , ▁and ▁China ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁L azon ick ▁was ▁in ▁Toronto , ▁Canada ▁on ▁June ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁L azon ick ▁was ▁an ▁under grad uate ▁in ▁Com merce ▁and ▁Fin ance ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto , ▁receiving ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Com merce ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁attended ▁the ▁London ▁School ▁of ▁Econom ics , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁Master ▁of ▁Science ▁( E conom ics ) ▁degree , ▁with ▁a ▁Mark ▁of ▁Dist inction , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁L azon ick ▁spent ▁one ▁year ▁as ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁student ▁at ▁the ▁Gr adu ate ▁Institute ▁of ▁International ▁Studies ▁in ▁Gene va ▁before ▁entering ▁the ▁Ph D ▁program ▁in ▁econom ics ▁at ▁Harvard ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁For ▁his ▁doctor al ▁th esis , ▁he ▁studied ▁the ▁applic ability ▁of ▁Karl ▁Marx ' s ▁theory ▁of ▁capital ist ▁development ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁Indust rial ▁Revolution , ▁the ▁experience ▁that ▁formed ▁the ▁empir ical ▁basis ▁for ▁Marx ' s ▁arguments . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Edu c ational ▁App oint