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Teaching

My teaching philosophy centered around the concepts of inclusivity, active learning, and professional preparation. As a first-generation student myself, I am deeply committed to mentorship and inclusive teaching. I take care to select diverse readings, encourage multiple forms of participation, and design assignments that accommodate different learning styles. I use scaffolding assignments to build students’ confidence step by step, integrate group exercises like role-playing simulations where students represent lawmakers or state representatives, and provide detailed feedback to help students grow as writers, researchers, and critical thinkers. For example, in my Introduction to IR sections and my IR courses, students represented “spirit countries” of their choice, which encouraged them to see the interests and strategic limitations of state actors. In class discussions, I created fun scenarios in which students made decisions analogous to the strategic decisions made by political actors. Through these exercises, students and I formed a community in the class. These activities encouraged them to share their perspectives and stories while learning, which made the material an integral part of their intellectual map. I also designed my assignments as a simulation of issues that students would face in their professional lives. 

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Summer    2025       International Law (syllabus) (midterm assignment) (final assignment)

Summer    2025       International Organizations (syllabus)

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Fall            2025       Policy Analysis & Public Welfare (Benjamin J Appel)

Summer    2025       Political Economy of Development (Simeon Nichter)

Spring       2025       Introduction to International Relations (Eric Thai) (with sections)

Winter       2025       Chinese and Japanese Political Thought (Germaine Hoston)

Fall            2024       Introduction to Comparative Politics (Karen E Ferree) (with sections)

Spring       2024       Introduction to Business Law (Maysa Nichter)

Winter       2024       The EU in World Politics (David L Fisk)

Fall            2023       Introduction to Comparative Politics (Karen E Ferree) (with sections)

Summer    2023       International Organizations (Graham Timmins)

Spring       2023       International Relations After the Cold War (David L Fisk)

Winter       2023       Political Inquiry (Umberto Mignozzetti) (with sections)

Fall            2022       International Conflict: Cyber, Space, UAVs (Erik Gartzke)

Summer    2022       International Organizations (Graham Timmins)

Summer    2022       Game Theory (Sean Ingham)

Spring       2022       International Trade & Finance (J Lawrence Broz)

Winter       2022       Introduction to Legal Reasoning (Maysa Nichter)

Fall            2021       International Organizations (Christina Schneider)

Summer    2021       Introduction to International Relations (Philip G Roeder)

Spring       2021       Evidence, Civil Procedure, and Criminal Law (Macmanus M Danielle)

Winter       2021       Introduction to Legal Reasoning (Maysa Nichter)

Fall            2020      The EU in World Politics (David L Fisk)

University of California, San Diego

Political Science Department

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©2025 Furkan Y Benliogullari

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