Things I've learned: Professor David
David's theories and attitudes toward political science were also influenced by his time as a Watson Fellow in Africa.
"All those countries in Africa were very different from the ideal model of how international relations works," he said. "Government didn't really exist; it had no real presence beyond the main cities. The Congo is not France. So much of the theory of international relations that I'd learned up to that point didn't really speak to most countries of the world, or most people of the world."
While at Harvard, David's mentor was Samuel Huntington, author of the influential article "The Clash of Civilizations?". His classmates included current political science heavyweights Eliot Cohen, John Mearsheimer, Aaron Friedberg and Stephen P. Rosen. He keeps a framed photograph of the group near his desk.
"It was the Cold War, and it was an exciting time," he said. "I studied China at first, at Stanford, but China was pretty closed to America. So I became academically interested in security studies. It just kind of evolved. I tend to second guess a lot of things I do. Like, should I have gone on vacation here, or there? But the big things have really fallen into place. I learned that I made the right choice in my career."
David has taught the same contemporary international politics course at Hopkins for 25 years, but still finds teaching invigorating because of the enthusiasm of his students. "Undergraduates are filled with enthusiasm, with an open mind, with a real thirst for understanding things."
David recalled a memorable moments from lectures. "Once I was giving a seminar on the spread of nuclear weapons. I leaned back in my chair and fell head over heels. For the rest of the class, I could see the students trying to suppress their laughter."
"There's a lot of little moments in teaching. When you see students getting it, being excited by what excites you. And teaching forces you to constantly question the theories and assumptions you hold. Sometimes in class I try to explain something and realize that it doesn't ring true. That helps me modify and change my own opinions."
"All those countries in Africa were very different from the ideal model of how international relations works," he said. "Government didn't really exist; it had no real presence beyond the main cities. The Congo is not France. So much of the theory of international relations that I'd learned up to that point didn't really speak to most countries of the world, or most people of the world."
While at Harvard, David's mentor was Samuel Huntington, author of the influential article "The Clash of Civilizations?". His classmates included current political science heavyweights Eliot Cohen, John Mearsheimer, Aaron Friedberg and Stephen P. Rosen. He keeps a framed photograph of the group near his desk.
"It was the Cold War, and it was an exciting time," he said. "I studied China at first, at Stanford, but China was pretty closed to America. So I became academically interested in security studies. It just kind of evolved. I tend to second guess a lot of things I do. Like, should I have gone on vacation here, or there? But the big things have really fallen into place. I learned that I made the right choice in my career."
David has taught the same contemporary international politics course at Hopkins for 25 years, but still finds teaching invigorating because of the enthusiasm of his students. "Undergraduates are filled with enthusiasm, with an open mind, with a real thirst for understanding things."
David recalled a memorable moments from lectures. "Once I was giving a seminar on the spread of nuclear weapons. I leaned back in my chair and fell head over heels. For the rest of the class, I could see the students trying to suppress their laughter."
"There's a lot of little moments in teaching. When you see students getting it, being excited by what excites you. And teaching forces you to constantly question the theories and assumptions you hold. Sometimes in class I try to explain something and realize that it doesn't ring true. That helps me modify and change my own opinions."
Be the first to comment on this story