University of Ottawa (2015 – ongoing)

POL 6118/8111/9218: Core seminar in Comparative Politics (MA/PhD seminar), preparation to comprehensive examinations

Course description: Study of the evolution of theories, concepts and methods in comparative politics as an approach to studying domestic politics and transnational influences. Comparative politics is a broad, evolving, and dynamic field of study, with ancient roots. The course examines current scholarship in light of the evolution of the field. Approaches to the study of comparative politics, and comparative politics as a method of analysis, will be examined. Topics include: comparative methods, the study of the state, political regimes, institutions, the political economy of the welfare state, the relationship between capitalism and democracy, development, identity, social movements, gender, race and indigenous politics. Work will be discussed for both substantive findings and methodological contributions. Students will read some of the great books produced by the field in recent decades, as well as cutting-edge work from the journal literature. The comprehensive examination in the major field is held at the end of the course.

POL 7120: Comparative Political Economy (MA/PhD seminar)

Course description: This seminar approaches key classical political economy questions, such as the role of the state in markets, the diverging impact of globalization on national economies, or the genesis of economic and financial crises via the lens of the rise of China. At the heart of some of the most fundamental questions of the 21st century lies the critical relationship between wealth and power. Leveraging the comparative method, and operating at the intersection of comparative and global political economy, this seminar seeks to equip participants with the tools to tackle these debates with rigour. A deeper understanding of China’s impact internationally has become fundamental no matter your area of specialization.

POL 4178 – The Political Economy of Development (4th year undergraduate course)

Course description: This course brings the joint study of political and economic dynamics to bear on issues of development. It provides students with theoretical foundations in international and comparative political economy as well as development studies. Core debates in political economy and development studies will be discussed, including the relative role of states and markets in development, the value of ‘big push’ versus incremental reform, the relationship between democracy and economic growth, and the diverging impact of globalization on national systems of political economy. Key empirical themes studied include China’s development trajectory and the role of natural resource endowments in development outcomes.

POL2104 – Introduction to Comparative Politics (2nd year undergraduate course)

Course description: This course seeks to introduce students to the main analytical tools and debates in comparative politics. The course covers eleven broad themes: comparative analysis, the state, nations and society, political economy, democratic regimes, nondemocratic regimes, political violence, developed democracies, communism and postcommunism, developing countries and globalization. By the end of the course, students should understand not only analytical tools and debates central to comparative politics, but also their strengths and weaknesses, how concepts relate to each other and their place in the broader field of political science. We will situate each broad theme empirically through various case studies of developed and developing countries.

POL 7520 – Économie politique comparée (MA/PhD seminar)

Descriptif du cours : L’économie politique peut être définie comme l’étude conjointe des dynamiques d’État et de marché. Faisant usage de la méthode d’analyse comparée, ce séminaire se penchera sur l’interaction entre la sphère économique et politique, avec une emphase sur la variation entre unités (États, provinces, etc.). Seront analysées des problématiques à la frontière de l’économie politique comparée et internationale, entre autres les liens entre les variables domestiques et la politique économique étrangère, l’impact de la Chine sur l’économie mondiale et les différentes réponses nationales aux chocs systémiques internationaux.

University of British Columbia (2013)

POLI 321 – Chinese Politics (3rd year undergraduate course)

Course description: This course approaches some of the most fascinating questions of political science through a look at Chinese political processes from the turn of the twentieth century, through the Mao and Deng eras, and up to today. We begin with a review of the particular dilemmas and traumas that China faced in the first half of the twentieth century. We then unpack the pillars of governance put in place under the Mao regime. The second half of the course focuses on the reform period that began more than 30 years ago, in the fall of 1978. We analyze the lessons from China’s approach of gradualism and experimentation in many issue-areas. Particular emphasis will be devoted to China’s interactions with the global economy. The course also focuses on the debates over political change, civil society dynamics, the global impact of Chinese resource procurement, China’s foreign policy and Canada-China relations.