Teaching

I have been teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in political theory in international relations at the Universities of St Andrews, Edinburgh, Vienna and Leeds. I have successfully completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, the Higher Education Academy teaching degree, in 2019. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

  • Radical Political Ideas (third-year undergraduate course, School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds): This course explores some of the radical ideas about politics, with a focus on resistance. It employs the lens of critical political theory broadly construed to explore the main ambiguities involved in resisting oppression – both historically and as they pertain to current political issues. We will examine the question of the justifiability of violence in the service of freedom and justice, point to the main critiques of violence as a viable resistance strategy, scrutinize the difficulty of founding political freedom in the wake of liberation from oppressive rule, and delve into the complexities of forming solidarity across difference.

    Revolution and Reaction: Political Problems in the 20th Century (second-year undergraduate course, School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds): The dramatic events of the Twentieth century were matched by equal turmoil in the world of ideas. This module explores some of the seminal thinkers of this period and situates them in the context of the problems and challenges that they were attempting to resolve—in both radical and reactionary ways. It also sheds light on how these thinkers – by grappling with key concepts such as power, class, culture, gender and race – sought to contest many of the prevailing orthodoxies of politics and political theory.

    Justice, Community and Conflict (second-year undergraduate course, School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds): Modern democratic societies are marked by a deep diversity of cultures, beliefs and moral values; and this poses a fundamental political challenge: how are we to live well together when we cannot agree how people ought to live their lives? That question forms the core of this course, which explores a range of key concepts and issues in contemporary political theory such as justice, community, conflict, belonging, hate speech, pornography and the morality of political protest.

    Freedom, Power and Resistance: An Introduction to Political Ideas (first-year undergraduate course, School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds): This course provides students with a critical introduction to Western political thought. It focuses on the work of five influential thinkers, investigating the historical context in which they wrote, the ideas and theories they developed, and the potential application of their thought to pressing political questions in the modern world.

    Modern Revolutionary Tradition: Hopes, Disappointments and Unfulfilled Promises (Masters course, Department of Political Science, University of Vienna): Have modern revolutionary aspirations reached an impasse? The course interrogates the hopes, disappointments and unfulfilled promises engendered by past revolutionary projects, and scrutinises what, if any, role the concept of revolution can still play in our contemporary political imagination. It is interdisciplinary in scope, combining philosophical texts with relevant examples from literature. 

    Ambiguities of Resistance (third-year undergraduate course, Department of Political Science, University of Vienna): This course employs the lens of critical political theory broadly construed to explore the main ambiguities and complexities involved in resisting oppression – both historically and as they pertain to current political issues. It asks the students to critically engage with a range of canonical thinkers coming from Marxist, postcolonial, existential and anarchist perspectives, as well as contemporary feminist, critical race and democratic theorists, and reflect on how their ideas speak to practical examples of resistance from our past and present. 

    Political Thinkers (first-year undergraduate course, with classes of more than 450 students, Politics and International Relations, University of Edinburgh): The course introduces students to the main methodological approaches and arguments made by some of the most influential thinkers of the past, from a wide range of perspectives, whose thinking continues to inform current thought and practice in politics and in international relations. I have worked closely with colleagues to diversify the curriculum, enriching the core topics with existential, feminist and postcolonial perspectives.

    Critical Theory and Cinema (third-year undergraduate course, Politics and International Relations, University of Edinburgh): The course involves film screenings to connect political theory to pressing social and political issues, such as capitalist exploitation, colonialism and anti-colonial resistance, gender oppression and the role of critical theorising itself. It develops the use of cinema as an innovative tool of teaching and learning in political theory and political science, with an emphasis on stimulating the affective and experiential dimensions of the learning process.

    Research Design in Politics and International Relations (third-year undergraduate course, Politics and International Relations, University of Edinburgh): The aim of the course is to equip students with skills necessary to understand, critically assess and undertake the research design process. It explores current approaches to social science research, showing how Politics and IR has evolved as a discipline, and the contemporary debates about social and political research. My role included supporting students in developing their own research project and preparing them for writing their dissertations.

    Introduction to International Relations and Issues in International Relations (first- and second-year undergraduate course, School of International Relations, University of St Andrews): Both courses explored how different international political thinkers/theories can be engaged to relate to contemporary concerns in world affairs. Small tutorial groups allowed me to develop my participatory teaching strategies. I have sought to enhance students’ interest by organising group discussions, debate contests, collaborative close readings of texts and small exercises in argument-building.

  • “As the semester draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the invaluable lessons and guidance you've imparted to us students. Your insightful lectures and thoughtful feedback have not only enriched my understanding of the subject matter but have also instilled in me a deep appreciation for the art of scholarly engagement within the subject area. … Thank you again for your teaching this semester; it’s been truly enriching.”

    — Student on the Radical Political Ideas course, University of Leeds, semester 2, 2023/24

    “The discussions are stimulating, people contribute a lot, which is definitely a reflection of the module leader’s ability to engage people. For some of the readings there are highlighted passages, this is really helpful to pad out your understanding before tackling the whole text. The variety of activities in the seminar are really good and keep things interesting across the weeks.”

    Student on the Radical Political Ideas course, University of Leeds, semester 2, 2023/24

    “Really interesting reading list and chance for discussion - it’s been very rare that I get to explore such interesting theory during my uni career.”

    — Student on the Radical Political Ideas course, University of Leeds, semester 2, 2023/24

    “I have done lots of modules with a similar subject/topic, however I particularly enjoy this module as have found it more interesting due to the thinkers chosen and the way the weeks have been structured.”

    — Student on the Radical Political Ideas course, University of Leeds, semester 2, 2023/24

    “This course was truly fantastic and by far my favorite course I have taken at UniWien. The topics were very interesting and I feel I learned a lot, both from the teaching of the professor, the readings, and my peers. Thank you!”

    — Student on the Modern Revolutionary Tradition and Its Lost Treasure course, University of Vienna, Winter semester 2022/2023

    “Courses like this one are the reason I study political science. It was truly inspiring!”

    — Student on the Modern Revolutionary Tradition and Its Lost Treasure course, University of Vienna, Winter semester 2022/2023

    “The topic was fascinating and the approach the convener took was rather refreshing and seemed fruitful to me. I never had a class on political theory, that was this much grounded and applicable. No ivory tower at all. ”

    — Student on the Modern Revolutionary Tradition and Its Lost Treasure course, University of Vienna, Winter semester 2022/2023

    “I really enjoy the fact that there are debates and that the class is not only the teacher speaking. I believe the topics are very interesting, and help the student understand new perspectives on revolutions that are not generally taught in other disciplines. I very much enjoy the readings, and the fact that there is active participation from the students. ”

    — Student on the Modern Revolutionary Tradition and Its Lost Treasure course, University of Vienna, Summer semester 2022

    “The perspective of the topic is quite unusual and interesting. The required reading is not stuffed with dry theory, it shows the historical context from a point of view of personal experience, which is great! ”

    — Student on the Modern Revolutionary Tradition and Its Lost Treasure course, University of Vienna, Summer semester 2022

    “The seminar is very well structured and designed and the materials we use very inspiring. The lecturer is really making an effort to comfort us in participating and investigating into historic narratives. One of the best seminars I have ever visited. ”

    — Student on the Modern Revolutionary Tradition and Its Lost Treasure course, University of Vienna, Summer semester 2022

    “I really appreciate the choice of texts, I am happy to discuss them! I also like that you are creative in inviting us to talk and try to build a bridge between theory and practical politics, this gives me a new perspective. Please continue like that!”

    — Student on the Ambiguities of Resistance course, University of Vienna, Winter semester 2021/2022

    “The professor is really competent and well-articulated. She genuinely interested in our opinions and gives us the feeling that we can safely share our thoughts.”

    — Student on the Ambiguities of Resistance course, University of Vienna, Winter semester 2021/2022

    “Professor Mrovlje came up with creative methods to engage with the class and created opportunities for class participation e.g. structured class debates. Some exercises offered help with more formal aspects (how to formulate arguments/ideas). Since it can be hard to sustain motivation and active participation throughout an online semester, I value the effort put into creating exciting online lectures and encouraging participation.”

    — Student on the Ambiguities of Resistance course, University of Vienna, Winter semester 2021/2022

    “Thank you so much for everything; I have loved all of our tutorials this semester, and much of that is down to you running them. I’ll really miss it …”

    — Student on the Political Thinkers course, University of Edinburgh, 2021/2022

    “This is probably the tutorial I learnt the most in.”

    — Student on the Political Thinkers course, University of Edinburgh, 2021/2022

  • In 2024, I received the following nomination from one of my amazing students:

    Maša is an extraordinary teacher. She has a lot of passion for what she does and the topics that she teaches. Maša is a teacher that you feel that you can open up to when you need help and she will always make time for her students. She explains topics thoroughly to help her students really understand the work including assessment help. It is inspiring to try hard and her support in classes really helps with understanding the modules. Maša also uses feedback to improve her teaching which I believe is a great quality and it shows her genuine care for her students success.