Thoughtful Teaching

Pushing students gently out of their comfort zone, challenging them to ask original questions, and stimulating them to find connections and synthesize - are my main objectives in class regardless of the subject matter. I teach in the department of European Studies (Universiteit van Amsterdam) which has a strong interdisciplinary orientation. Therefore I need to devise my own courses in a way that they are appealing to students with an wide array of interests, ranging from political sciences and history to economics and law. The topics I teach are situated at the intersection of cultural history (using literary and musical sources) and political thought. The courses are designed to emphasize the importance of historical perspective for our understanding of current issues and to invite students to discover the relevance of culture in studying political or social developments.