Academic Degrees

Doctor of Science, International Conflict Research

ETH Zurich · January 2006 – June 2010

Master of Science, Humanitarian Assistance

University College Dublin & Uppsala University · September 2003 – September 2004

Master of Arts, International Economic Studies

Maastricht University · September 1998 – August 2002

Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours), Political Science

University of Waikato · July 2001 – December 2002

Work Experience

Academic Program Director

Maastricht University · September 2019 – present

Founding program director for the university-wide broad B.Sc. program Global Studies, with duties including initial vetting and accreditation, curriculum design, as well as instructor and student relations.

Academic Program Director

United Nations University · December 2010 – August 2018

Program director for the UNU-side of the double-degree M.Sc. program Public Policy & Human Development, with duties including curriculum design, instructor relations and embedding the program within the UN legal framework.

Assistant Professor

Maastricht University · July 2010 – present

Development of new education initiatives, with duties including curriculum design and accreditation.

Director of Studies for M.Sc. program Public Policy & Human Development (2010–2018), with duties including curriculum design, instructor relations, budgeting, recruitment, counseling and thesis coordination.

Lecturing at B.A., M.Sc. and doctoral level for multiple faculties/institutes.
Serving as academic advisor and thesis supervisor at the under-graduate and post-graduate level.
Assessment of instructors applying for University Teaching Qualification.

Visiting Scholar

Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University · May 2015

Visiting Scholar

ETH Zurich · February 2013

Short-term scientific mission “Expert Coding on Democratization Periods” as part of the ENCoRe EU Cost Action.

Junior Researcher & Ph.D. Student

ETH Zurich · January 2005 – July 2010

Detached as Junior Researcher to the Swiss National Center for Competence in Research (NCCR) “Challenges to Democracy in the 21^st Century”. Additionally, participated in the creation of the “Ethnic Power Relations” dataset and its merger with the “Non-State Actor” dataset as a regional expert and country coder. Supervised and assisted students in the writing of four M.A. and one B.A. theses, as well as two working papers.

Lecturer

ETH Zurich · October 2009 – June 2010

Lectured full-time in an ongoing, collaborative redevelopment of a double-semester course series “International Conflict Research” in the B.A. program in political economics for Swiss Army officers. Participated in the education commission for the program for two semesters.

Junior Researcher

NCCR “Challenges to Democracy in the 21^st Century” · October 2005 – September 2009

Covered the Middle Eastern region within the research project “Democratizing Divided Societies in Bad Neighborhoods”. Developed a software tool for the automated coding of democratization/autocratization periods. Collaborated in the statistical analysis of the role of regime-type changes on the onset of civil war and co-authored a peer-reviewed article on the subject. Co-organized workshops on governance capacity and democratization; as well as media and mobilization in democratizing countries at the Centre for Democracy Studies Aarau (ZDA). Co-organized a series of workshops on democratization and ethnic conflict; and co-authored a working paper on the results. Contributed to the launch of the journal Living Reviews in Democracy and co- authored a peer-reviewed article for the first issue.

Lecturer

University of Zurich · March 2007 – June 2008

Developed, lectured, tutored and graded the graduate-level course “Global Civil Society” on the history and current work of civil-society actors for two semesters. Co-edited a volume on the results of the course.

Tutor

University of Zurich · March 2005 – June 2007

Co-developed and taught tutorials, graded assignments and exams in the double-semester course series “Methods of Political Science” for three semesters.

Tutor

ETH Zurich · March 2005 – June 2007

Co-developed, tutored, guest lectured and graded in the double-semester course series “International Con!ict Research” for four semesters. Assisted and graded in the course “European Integration”. Worked as assistant to the B.A. program in Political Economics for Swiss Army officers and participated in the education commission for the program for four semesters.

Lecturer

Maastricht University · September 2002 – August 2003

Co-developed, lectured, tutored and graded in the two-block course series “Quantitative Methods” for over 800 freshmen in economics and business administration. Tutored and graded in quantitative methods courses for 2nd-year business students and for freshmen at University College Maastricht. Tutored in a quality management course for 3rd- and 4th-year business and management students. Co-authored and edited student and tutor manuals for introductory mathematics and statistics. Participated in the team that introduced the BlackBoard electronic learning environment for all courses and activities at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. Represented the university in promotions abroad.

Lecturer

Maastricht University · January 2001 – June 2003

Developed, lectured and graded exams in multiple courses on introductory and advanced quantitative methods, computer skills, and study and exam strategies for Asian MBA candidates at the Center for European Studies.

Tutor · Research Assistant

Maastricht University · September 1999 – August 2002

Tutored and graded in a multi-block series of courses on quantitative methods for freshmen in economics and business administration for two years. Contributed to a controlled study on the didactic use of electronic learning environments. Developed course and examination material, as well as extensive computer skills manuals for dissemination to over a thousand students. Participated in research on the effects of the introduction of admission restrictions on enrollment. Represented the students of the university in promotions abroad.

Awards & Grants

Nominated for employee of the year · Maastricht University 2016
Grant for short-term scientific mission · ENCoRE EU Cost Action 2012
Nominated for employee of the year · Maastricht University 2011
Commendation as founder of the soft-skills initiative · Center for Comparative & International Studies 2009
Conference grant · Swiss Academy of Arts & Social Sciences 2009
Full doctoral scholarship · NCCR Challenges to Democracy in the 21^st Century 2005–2009
Undergraduate Educator of the year · Faculty of Economics & Business Administration, Maastricht University 2002

Continuing Education

Didactic Qualifications

Inspiring Educational Quality · Maastricht University 2014–2015
Testing & Assessing · Maastricht University 2014–2015
University Teaching Qualification · Maastricht University 2015
Teaching Skills · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2006–2010

Didactic Trainings

“Interactive Teaching on Ethnicity, Ethnic Discrimination and Mobilization” · Rockefeller College, Albany 2019
“Rubric Writing Clinic” · Maastricht University 2019
“Audience Participation with Wooclap” · Maastricht University 2019
“Education That Moves You” · Maastricht University 2019
“Creating and Using Rubrics for Assessment” · Maastricht University 2019
“Assessment Quality” · Maastricht University 2015
“Planning and Organization of Assessments and Their Effect on Learning” · Maastricht University 2015
“Assessment: New Ways, New Ideas” · Maastricht University 2015
“Motivation and selection” · Maastricht University 2015
“Assessment and Feedback” · Maastricht University 2015
“Competence-based education” · Maastricht University 2015
“Cognitive Activation in Interactive Classes” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2008
“Peer Observations” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2007
“Learning in Cooperative Settings” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2007
“Learning in Frontal Settings” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2007
“Learning Online Together – Developing and Testing Cooperative Tasks” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2007
“The Teaching Portfolio” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2006
“Making a Fresh Impression … Rhetorical Tools for Teaching” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2006
“Visualizing Learning Content” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2006
“Teaching Soft Skills as Implicit Task in Education” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2006
“Project Management in Supervising Master Theses” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich · 2006
“Assessing Assessments” · Zurich University & ETH Zurich 2007

Research Skills

Introduction to Text Mining for Social Scientists · Sage Campus · 2020
“Managing and Sharing Qualitative Data and Qualitative Research Transparency” · Maxwell School, Syracuse 2019
“Forecasting International Events” · International Studies Association 2014
“Applied Methods and Research Design” · Uppsala University 2013
“Advanced Quantitative Methods and Research Design” · Uppsala University 2013
“SQL and PostGIS” · ETH Zürich 2012
“Media & Mobilization” · Zentrum für Demokratie Aarau 2008
“Governance Capacity” · Zentrum für Demokratie Aarau · 2008
“Qualitative Interviewing” · Summer School on Methods in the Social Sciences 2006
“Panel Data & Event History Analysis” · Summer School on Methods in the Social Sciences 2006
“Contemporary Democratic Theories” · NCCR Challenges to Democracy in the 21^st Century 2006

Managerial Skills

“Finance: Difficult Topic or Fascinating Discipline” · Maastricht University 2015
“Maastricht University Vision on Education” · Maastricht University 2015
“Coaching & Leadership” · Maastricht University 2015
“Projects and Personal Leadership” · Maastricht University 2015
“Financial streams within Maastricht University” · Maastricht University 2014
“Management Skills” · Maastricht University 2014
“Theory U: Change Management and the U Model” · Maastricht University 2014