I am an Assistant Professor of Political Theory in the Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam. My work explores the history of nineteenth and twentieth century political thought. I am especially interested in how ideas of democracy, freedom, and revolution travel across cultures and are adapted by thinkers engaged in political struggle, both in and outside "the West."

My book, The Architects of Dignity: Vietnamese Visions of Decolonization, will be published in September 2024 with Oxford University Press. In it, I introduce Vietnamese political thought to debates in political theory, showing how Vietnamese thinkers challenge Western conventional wisdom. I trace an intergenerational debate among six influential figures in colonial Vietnam. These figures had competing visions for how the Vietnamese should respond to French colonial domination, what the Vietnamese should do with their traditions given the influx of political and social ideas from the West, and how they should harness feelings of national shame to construct national dignity. Their answers offer surprising lessons for how we in the West can enhance our understanding of decolonization, shame, dignity, and cross-cultural engagement.

My articles appear in journals such as Philosophy and Global Affairs, European Journal of Political Theory, The Review of Politics, Polity, New Political Science, The European Legacy, and Montaigne Studies. Some of these articles are the first to introduce Vietnamese political thought to the field of political theory.

My teaching combines multi-methods and interdisciplinarity to engage students from diverse backgrounds. In my courses, students explore texts and trends that span impactful historical moments to pressing contemporary international issues and their ethical dimensions. We do this from a diverse range of cultural and ideological perspectives. We give special attention to how such perspectives are informed by historical memory, hegemonic and marginalized perspectives, and future hopes. Doing so positions my classes as learning experiences that challenge students’ assumptions and provide tools to advance cultural competence and globalized leadership skills.

Click here for my CV.