Teaching

Motivation. Having taught numerous university courses at both bachelor’s and master’s level, I have gained extensive experience in supporting students as they develop their analytical skills, achieve their learning objectives, and broaden their academic horizons. I regard teaching as a central and rewarding part of my profession and belief that both students and lecturers benefit from an engaging and open learning environment. In my teaching, I aim to actively involve students in the learning process, connect theoretical debates to compelling empirical cases, and encourage critical reflection on political and social developments..

Qualification. I completed the Certificate for Teaching and Learning at University Level offered by the Hochschuldidaktikzentrum Baden-Württemberg, a multi-year higher education training program combining workshops, practical consultations, and innovative teaching methods. The program comprised a total of 200 work units (AE) of 45 minutes each. Over the course of my academic career, I have taught more than two dozen courses in International Relations, International Political Economy, and research methods at both graduate and undergraduate level.

Supervision. In addition to classroom teaching, I have supervised and assessed student theses at both bachelor and master level, as well as written and oral examinations. In supervising students, I seek to provide constructive guidance and academic support while encouraging them to pursue the questions and perspectives that genuinely interest and motivate them.

This section provides an overview of the courses I have offered and the topics they have covered.

International Political Economy (lecture)

level: bachelor/master

From the 1970s onwards, the (inter-)discipline of International Political Economy (IPE) has evolved into a lively and prosperous field of academic debates. The lecture course aims to present, illustrate and discuss some of the most important themes, questions and results of IPE research from different perspectives. Next to competing theoretical views this applies to historical constellations of development, the transformation of US hegemony, the dimensions of globalization and regionalization, the rise of BRIC(S) and related global power shifts, and more recent developments such as geoeconomic tensions.

Geoeconomics in the 21st Century. The Role of Infrastructures in Global Competition (seminar)

level: master

This seminar aims at understanding these dynamics and effects and analysing the global struggles for control over infrastructures. In the first part of the seminar, we will develop a theoretical lens through which we can capture the role of infrastructures in globalisation and discuss the historical context of a global competition that mainly revolves around three centres: China, the US, and the EU. The second part of the seminar will discuss different infrastructural fields: energy, telecommunication, finance, transport . On this basis we seek to answer how these infrastructures influence global production and power relations, what private and public interests they do reflect, and what strategies China, the US, and the EU employ in these areas.

Introduction to International Relations (seminar)

level: bachelor

This seminar provides an introduction to International Relations through the active application of theoretical approaches to cases. It focuses both on concrete problems and issues in international politics and their analyses through a variety of theoretical lenses. Empirical cases include: NATO, World Trade Organization, international law, US-China competition, international interventions, climate change, transnational terrorism, and international migration.

The United Nations System: Politics and Policies (seminar)

level: master

The purpose of the seminar is to provide a differentiated picture of the UN and its role in international politics. Guided by major theoretical approaches to the analysis of international organizations, the role of the UN will be examined in different issue areas such as peacekeeping, arms control, economic sanction, human rights, development and the protection of environment. In each case we will ask what the United Nations might contribute to problem solving, whether the United Nations was able to deliver on its promises, and what might be done to improve the UN’s performance.

Theories on International Relations and Peace (seminar)

level: master

The analysis of war and peace between states is one of the core tasks of International Relations. In this seminar, we examine established theoretical approaches from realism, liberalism, institutionalism, and constructivism to determine under what conditions international conflicts are likely to be resolved by military means and under what conditions states can successfully resolve them without resorting to violence.

Methods and Methodologies in Peace and Conflict Research (seminar)

level: master

The seminar deals with research designs and research methods in International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies. The course is divided in two parts: In the first part, we engage with the positivist and realist research tradition; in the second part, we discuss the post-positivist/critical research tradition. Both traditions are not only different in their epistemological and ontological basic assumptions but also pursue different objectives in research projects. Hence, they are both suited for answering certain research questions. Topics on the positivist/realist side include: meta theory, causal inference ∙ project design, causal theory, measurable concepts & operationalization, process analysis, case comparison, statistical analysis.

Quantitative Methods Workshop (seminar)

level: master

The number of published statistical analyses has been steadily increasing for years, which makes it all the more important to be able to understand and read statistical analyses, to evaluate their significance, and outline potential problems. This seminar seeks to support beginners in statistics in acquiring these skills. After taking the seminar, students should be able to understand statistical regression models (linear and logit) and be able to evaluate statistical studies in terms of their significance and quality.

Infrastructures and Global Order in Transition (lecture series)

level: bachelor/master

Infrastructures form the physical foundation of our social life, global interconnections, and international relations. They often remain invisible in our daily lives. Nevertheless, they determine the future development of our society. For this reason, they have always been the subject of intense political contestation. Rarely has this been more evident than at this moment, as we face a multitude of overlapping global crises that compel us to ask: What significance does the transformation of infrastructures hold for our global orders? What has this transformation looked like historically, and how does it shape the present? What developments can be expected, and what contribution can infrastructures make to the challenges of the 21st century? This interdisciplinary lecture series aims to address these questions from various perspectives. What unites them is an interest in illustrating what the transformation of these fields means for our society and in explaining the driving forces behind these developments.