Ashutosh Thakur

I have been a course assistant for multiple Ph.D. and M.B.A. classes. For 3 years, I have been a teaching assistant for POLECON 680 (Foundations of Political Economy) taught by Professor Steven Callander which is a Ph.D. course in Stanford GSB which covers social choice theory, applied game theory, and modeling. I have also taught game theory lecture in this class. I have been a course assistant and Head TA for two M.B.A classes POLECON 230 (Strategy Beyond Markets) and POLECON (Strategy Beyond Markets: Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Economies) taught by Professor Steven Callander and Professors Katherine Casey and Condoleezza Rice in Stanford GSB. These classes cover how to incorporate lobbying, regulation, media, public opinion and other non-market concepts from political economic to create a more complete business strategy. The second class takes a more focused perspective on emerging markets.

For more details and teaching evaluations, see below:

Ph.D. Classes:

• POLECON 680 (Foundations of Political Economy)- Professor Steven Callander

> Sept, 2018 - Jan, 2019

> Sept, 2017 - Jan, 2018

> Sept, 2016 - Jan, 2017

Course Description: This course provides an introduction to political economy with an emphasis on formal models of collective choice, public institutions, and political competition. Topics considered include voting theory, social choice, institutional equilibria, agenda setting, interest group politics, bureaucratic behavior, and electoral competition. Also listed as Political Science 351A.

• • • • • Social Choice (Austen-Smith and Banks book), applied game theory, and modeling

        • Taught lecture covering Game Theory and held office hours

Teaching Evaluations:

• • • • "Ashu was an excellent TA. He gave very thorough, precise feedback on all assignments, made himself available whenever I needed help, and created a detailed review of key course concepts."

      • "Ashutosh was an expert in the material. He was great at explaining important class concepts, especially game theory."

See full Teaching Evaluations (TA 680 Course Evals.xlsx)

M.B.A. Classes:

• POLECON 231 (Strategy Beyond Markets: Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Economies)- Professors Katherine Casey and Condoleezza Rice

> April, 2019 - June, 2019

Course Description: This course shares significant material with POLECON 230 and the goal of developing integrated strategies for optimal firm performance that combine elements within and beyond markets. POLECON 231 diverges from the base course to delve deeper into issues that are particularly salient for entrepreneurs in emerging and frontier markets. Using a combination of cases from developed and developing countries, we will expand the list of topics considered to include managing political risk and protecting the firm in the face of uncertain and discretionary regulatory environments. The objective is to provide a solid grounding in the techniques explored in 230, while refining skill sets and whetting appetites for investment in higher risk environments.

• POLECON 230 (Strategy Beyond Markets)- Professor Steven Callander

> April, 2020 - June, 2020

> April, 2018 - June, 2018

Course Description: Politicians, regulators, and voters place limits on - and present opportunities for - nearly every business. Firms like Uber, Airbnb, and Google do not only remain cognizant of existing laws, they also look for opportunities to change the law in ways that help their business. In this class, we will learn how businesses can influence political decision-making and develop frameworks for political strategy. We will examine firms' interactions with competitive firms, market incumbents, customers, and institutions, including interest groups, legislatures, regulatory agencies, courts, international organizations, and the public. Case studies include intellectual property, health care reform, carried interest in private equity, ride-sharing, and peer-to-peer lending. Students will complete the course with a better appreciation of how politics works, of the opportunities and perils associated with alternative political goals, and of tactics likely to achieve those goals. Special emphasis is given to beyond market strategy for start-ups and how to integrate market and beyond-market strategies.