Teaching

This course, taught at the Institute of Political Studies at Charles University in Prague since 2022 deals with an increasingly important topic in the contemporary party politics. The majority of party systems in European democracies witness a relatively recent phenomenon of new anti-establishment parties electorally succeeding at the expense of their established counterparts. Many of such parties are formed and led by political entrepreneurs. The entry of these individuals, who often have vast economic power, and who use their parties as tools to fulfil their personal interests, raises many concerns. When combined with their newly acquired political power (and in some cases also media power), the success of parties led by political entrepreneurs represents certain risks. Simultaneously, a specific approach to party organization practiced in this type of parties questions our understanding of internal party democracy.

During this course, students try to tackle several questions and points of discussion, such as: What are the key characteristics of entrepreneurial parties? How do parties belonging to this group differ from the other types of parties? What are the dangers behind the concentration of different types of power by a single institution/individual? How are entrepreneurial parties functioning within and what does that tell us about their perception of internal party democracy? Are there any similarities in regards to these parties´ ideology and rhetoric? What is the difference between entrepreneurial party and business-firm party? What are the wider consequences of entrepreneurial parties´ entry into politics?

Course: Globalization

In this course, taught at the Department of Sociology, King's College at University of Aberdeen in 2014 titled SX3502 (Globalization) students examined key economic, social and political aspects of globalisation. this course provided an advanced introduction to our globalising world enabling students to develop a theoretically and historically informed understanding of globalisation and the processes of international integration and interdependence which globalisation encompasses. In this tutorial course for the wider Globalization programme, students were guided to discuss political, economic and societal aspects of the processes that influence our contemporary global system of politics and business. This course included duties, such as student group teaching, chairing student presentations and marking students’ assignments.