Teaching

Façade of the old EuropeAid building on Rue Jozef II 54, Brussels, 2021 (my own photograph)

My teaching philosophy

As an early career academic, I am committed to non-hierarchical modes of teaching that position both the teacher and the students as mutual partners in learning and knowledge-making. I have experience teaching and working with diverse groups of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in social and political studies. Taking knowledges situated in the global souths seriously, I strive towards curricular and teaching practices based on an ethos of reflexivity, criticality, and dialogue.

Courses taught

The Politics of Global Commerce and the Global Souths
Department of Political Science and Global Studies, Universidad de los Andes (fall 2024)

For centuries and centuries, human beings have traded goods (and, at times, other human beings) with each other. In the modern world order, global commerce is not only about the boundary-spanning movement of products and services; it is equally about the circulation of political discourses and practices. It is, therefore, invariably about power relations. To appreciate this understanding, this course immerses students in a transdisciplinary interpretation of global trade and its political significance for the Global Souths, from the perspectives of anthropology, history, international relations, sociology, political economy, and political science. Here, we take an expansive view of the “Global Souths” not only as a state-centric category in relation to (previously) colonised societies but also as a critical practice committed to questioning dominant knowledge regimes in the social and political world “from below”. 

Thematically, this course revolves around three main axes. First, it situates trade as a site of political contestations in a historical and globalised context. Crucially, we will discuss how trade fuelled the age of European imperial expansion and later served as a central fixture within the struggles of the “Third World” for a New International Economic Order in the seventies (and until today). We will also understand the role of the Global Souths within multilateral settings, such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Second, the course emphasises the liberal international pursuit of norms by means of 21st century trade regimes. Given multilateral inertia, we will uncover the ways in which trade is increasingly used as a mechanism to ostensibly promote democracy, rule of law, human rights, and “green growth” via bilateral commercial arrangements. We will (un)learn about the political logics of Western preferential trading schemes offered by the European Union, United Kingdom, and United States. These commercial schemes claim to open affluent Western markets in the name of development in so-called “developing” and “least developed” societies. At the same time, we will interrogate the governance of sustainability and social rights under global trade regimes and how this is experienced in different political milieus. Last but not least, the course recontextualises dominant political and scholarly narratives about trade as a “force for good” through the lens of coloniality and from the perspectives of Global Souths. We will take seriously the agency and knowledges of indigenous peoples, farmers, fisherfolks, workers, labour unions, and civil society organisations against neoliberal trade regimes and how these regimes sustain distinct modes of exploitation, displacement, and hierarchy in world politics.

The European Union's Role in Global Governance
with Thilo Daniel Bodenstein
School of Public Policy, Central European University (spring 2021)

This course considers the European Union’s ambitious self-image as a promoter of global public goods and subjects it to critical scrutiny by taking counter-Eurocentric views into account. It looks at different global policy fields, from climate to trade, and explores the respective role the EU plays. It juxtaposes mainstream and heterodox interpretations of the ‘EU model’ and, in doing so, aims to derive analytical and practical implications for global public policy.

Comparative Case Study Research
with Carsten Q. Schneider
Department of Political Science, Central European University (fall 2020)

This course introduces the basic principles of doing case study research aimed at drawing descriptive or causal inference and testing or developing theories. The definition of ‘case study research’ used in this course comprises both comparative and single case studies. The course intends to help students to evaluate the methodological merits of political science writings that use a smaller-N comparative approach or a within-case approach and to design their own (comparative) case study research strategy.

Mentoring

South/South Helpdesk

Since 2021, I have been co-organising this initiative at South/South Movement that tries to support prospective students applying to graduate programmes in social and political studies. We do so by providing peer feedback on MA/PhD application dossiers by fellow travellers from the global souths. This advocacy arises from a shared recognition, within the movement, of how attempting to get into graduate schools can be taxing intellectually, emotionally, and financially, especially for first-generation researchers from outside the ‘west’.

Invisible University for Ukraine
Central European University (spring & summer 2022)

Invisible University for Ukraine is a transnational solidarity programme for Ukrainian students, whether residing in Ukraine or in refuge, whose studies have been disrupted by Russia’s war against Ukraine. I mentored Ukrainian undergraduate students taking the course ‘Between Norms and Realities: Challenges to Europeanization, Democratization and the Rule of Law in a Transnational Context’. As part of the mentoring sessions, I organised tailored method-related workshops in line with the research interests of students reading politics and law.

Thesis Writing Workshop: Politics in the Global South
Central European University (winter 2021)

As part of my mandatory training as teaching assistant at CEU, I organised a writing workshop tailored to provide feedback on the working thesis projects of MA students researching politics in Global South contexts.

Some feedback

“The way the content is presented makes the class easy to understand and useful for different career paths.”

The Politics of Global Commerce and the Global South, midterm course evaluation, fall 2024

“I think everything has been satisfactory and very good. I appreciate the variety of class activities and assessments.”

The Politics of Global Commerce and the Global South, midterm course evaluation, fall 2024

“I wanted to share some exciting news – I’ve received an offer from [a university in Europe] to join their PhD program, and I couldn’t have done it without your feedback. Your comments and suggestions on my statement of purpose and research proposal were invaluable and undoubtedly made my application stronger. I am truly grateful for your mentorship and support.”

Researcher working on the coloniality of climate, South/South Helpdesk, 2022

“Antonio was an amazing TA. He was available for all students to help them with the class moderation and even supported me in advance of writing the final paper for the class.”

The EU’s role in global governance, spring 2021

“I really appreciate the responsiveness of both the professor and the TA, who are certainly among the best, most dedicated duo of instructors I’ve had so far at CEU.”

Comparative Case Study Research, mid-term course evaluation, fall 2020

“This is the only course I took where the instructor and the TA actively participates in Perusall discussion before the online session. Their engagement consistency encourages me to learn more. … I am glad I took this course as the content is very relevant in preparing for a research proposal.”

Comparative Case Study Research, fall 2020

“The course was very well thought-out and organized in general – everything seemed to be working as designed, the professor and TA were always interested to hear the participants’ input on how the course can be improved.”

Comparative Case Study Research, fall 2020

“TA did great job.”

Comparative Case Study Research, fall 2020

“Great job!”

The EU’s role in global governance, spring 2021