Teaching

There is nothing more rewarding
than seeing students master their art.

I began teaching first-year Economics in 2006 as Lecturer in the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University, and now teach Economic History at both undergraduate (Economics 281) and graduate level (Economics 778).

The undergraduate course covers global economic history by asking 33 questions. ‘What does an Indonesian volcano, Frankenstein and Shaka Zulu have in common?’ is about the economic causes of the mfecane. ‘What does a butterfly collector do in the Congo?’ discusses the consequences of colonialism. ‘What was the most important invention of the twentieth century?’ is a session about the container and the second era of globalisation.

The graduate course, offered since 2011, covers several recent research topics in Economic History, with four papers discussed in each of the 12 two-hour lectures.

LET’S TALK ABOUT VARSITY

In 2009, I published a book about what students need to know to be successful at university. Let’s Talk About Varsity is now available to download for free here.

RESEARCH STUDENTS

Postdocs, PhD students and research Masters are the wizards of the future. Supervision is one of the most rewarding experiences as a scholar: seeing students live up to their potential as they continue their careers after their studies is one reason why I do what I do. I learn as much from my students as they learn from me. If you would like to join this amazing team of apprentices – and have a Master’s degree in Economics or History – please get in contact.