Teaching

Teaching takes up a large part of my academic work, as I like to pass on my current research interests to students. My teaching is therefore research- and problem-oriented and aims to equip students with analytical tools to analyse political and social conflicts in internationalised contexts, understand problems and develop solutions. These tools include theories and (conceptual) foundations and analytical frameworks, but also methodologies for empirical research, which above all reflect current debates within the discipline. Furthermore, it is important to me that students learn to apply theories and concepts to immediate empirical effects and also bring in their immediate everyday experience. To this end, I have designed a short unit in each course ("The Everydays" or "Postcolonial Vocies") that explicitly gives space to this everyday experience - here, students can bring in and discuss political, pop-cultural or artistic artefacts (e.g. newspaper articles, film trailers, YouTube videos) that are related to the course. In addition to the ability to grasp empirical phenomena, it is important to me to deepen a general understanding and ability to work with theories and thus facilitate the mutual application of theory and practice. With regard to theories, it is important to me not only to present theories from the global North for discussion, but also to juxtapose mainstream approaches with non-Western paradigms and to ensure a balanced relationship in terms of the diversity and positionality of the authors. 

I teach in German and English in disciplinary and interdisciplinary BA and MA programmes as face-to-face, online or hybrid courses and actively seek cooperation with international lecturers. I am happy to invite experts from academia and practice to offer students further insights and the opportunity to exchange ideas. What my courses have in common is a strong focus on teaching theoretical principles using social science methods. In the BA course "Empirical Social Research in the Global South", for example, I place particular emphasis on trying out the relevant research methods in practice so that students are able to draw on a diverse repertoire of methods, which in particular also addresses the needs of research in the Global South. In addition to teaching subject-specific content, I am very interested in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teaching, as I know it from my own Master's programme in Global Studies. I usually organise my teaching in a skills-oriented, interactive and participatory way and aim to enable students to critically question theories, methods and phenomena. I combine more traditional teaching formats, such as theory-based text work and presentations, with more innovative approaches, e.g. in small group work (e.g. analysis of individual positions in current debates in the German Bundestag on the topic of African development policy), through analysis of current mechanisms (e.g. Covid-19 mechanisms in the African Union) and simulations (simulating conflict scenarios or sessions in regional organisations). I have also offered excursions (e.g. to Munich to analyse the NSU "Law, Conflict and Justice") and really appreciate this intensive teaching format. 

I adapt my teaching formats according to the requirements of digital or face-to-face events. I make sure that my courses are gender-sensitive and take into account the diverse backgrounds of the students. My teaching therefore aims to provide students with the skills they need both inside and outside the academic world. I attach particular importance to strengthening students' skills in scientific work and qualitative methods and providing them with the best possible support in the preparation of written scientific papers. To this end, I regularly offer an exam writing course in which I encourage my students to pursue empirical as well as theoretical questions.

In addition to compulsory and elective courses in Bachelor's programmes in the disciplines of Area Studies and International Relations (the latter particularly in the fields of sociological peace and conflict research, international organisation and post/decolonial theories), I can contribute to English-language Master's programmes, including courses on critical security studies, critical development studies and global studies. I have regularly deputised for my professors and given lectures. In the coming years, I aim to conceptualise courses for undergraduate teaching (Politics and Society in Africa, Introduction to Conflict Studies, Intervention and Statebuilding, African Regional Organisations, Qualitative Research Methods) and will also continue to bring my specialised research interests into teaching (postcolonial security and conflict studies, violent actors and legitimation, Fanon and anti-colonial classics). 

I was also responsible for curriculum planning at the chair and am therefore familiar with the administrative side. I am very supportive of co-teaching and prefer to involve colleagues from the Global South or experts from international organisations. My experiences with online teaching over the last few months have opened up relevant new opportunities, especially for my teaching profile in relation to the Global South. For example, it is now increasingly possible to develop blended-learning formats with colleagues from Africa, Asia and Latin America and to engage in a much closer exchange with local actors in teaching than would be usual in face-to-face teaching. I would like to deepen these experiences and expand collaborations. 

University of Bayreuth

Winter 2023/24                Seminar (Bachelor): State and Society in Africa

                                           Colloquium (Master): Masterthesis

Summer 2022                   Seminar (Bachelor and Master): Empirische Sozialforschung im Globalen Süden

Winter 2021/22                Seminar (Master): The Development Security Nexus in Africa

                                           Seminar (Bachelor): UN Interventionen für internationalen Frieden und Sicherheit

Summer 2021                    Seminar (Bachelor): Empirische Sozialforschung im Globalen Süden (with Jana Hönke)

                                           Seminar (Bachelor): State and Society in Africa

Winter 2020/2021       Seminar (Bachelor): Der Development Security Nexus in Afrika

                                    Seminar (Bachelor): Schreibwerkstatt für Examenskandidat*innen

Seminar (Master): Regionalism in the Global Order? The Role and Impact of the African Union

Summer 2020               Seminar (Bachelor): Empirische Sozialforschung im Globalen Süden (with Jana Hönke)

Seminar (Bachelor): Interventionen, Statebuilding und afrikanische Regionalorganisationen - Eine Einführung in akademische Debatten

Seminar (Master): Qualitative Methods and Interview Research (with Sarah Katz-Lavigne and Alexander Stroh)

University of Marburg

Winter 2019/2020           Seminar (Master): „Die internationalen Beziehungen globaler machen? - Sezessionismus, Staatlichkeit und Souveränität“

Summer 2019               Organization and Chairing of Masterclass with Dr. Mark Laffey and Dr. Sabaratnam „Decolonizing Research in Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies – A perspective for a more Global IR?”

Summer 2019               Seminar (Master): „Postkoloniale Sicherheitskonstellationen: Fanon und Dynamiken um Sicherheit“

Winter 2018/2019       Seminar (Master): „Contemporary Theories of the Global South” (with Tareq Sydiq)

Summer 2019                   Seminar (Master): Postcolonial Perspectives on Security

Winter 2018/2019           Seminar (with Excursion/Master): „Law, Justices, and Social Conflicts: Lessons from the NSU trial? “

Winter 2017/2018       Seminar (Bachelor): „Einführung in Debatten um Statebuilding“

Summer 2018                   Postcolonial Security Constellations: Fanon and Dynamics of Security

Winter 2016/2017           Reading Course on Postcolonial Theories – Power, Representations and Resistance. 

12/2015                         Organization of Workshop (in Cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Foundation): « Le dynamique de la sécurité au Cameroun avant et après l’indépendance : défis et enjeux » in Yaoundé (Cameroon)