Teaching

Since 2000, my teaching concept and portfolio dealt with the areas of European, transnational and global governance; systems and institutional theory; as well as multilevel policy analysis. In terms of content, it focuses in particular on multilevel governance; the EU’s political system; European integration; EU environmental and climate policy; EU social policy; and sustainable development. Interdisciplinary and international target groups as well as English-language courses are key features of my teaching activities, which, in addition to seminars, also include the supervision of theses at different learning levels. Methodologically diversified, my teaching portfolio integrates classic forms of seminar teaching and lectures as well as innovative elements such as simulation games and online lessons. Teaching languages are English and German.

During my academic collaboration at the Jean Monnet Chair for Political Science at the University of Cologne, I held seminars together with the chair-holder Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wessels focusing on multilevel policy-making; European integration and EU institutions (especially on the topics of 'Modes of Governance', 'Institutional Development of the EU between Deepening and Enlargement' and the 'Political System of the City of Cologne'). National and international executive training seminars on EU issues also fall into this period. In my function as a research associate at the chair for social policy and methods of qualitative social research of Prof. Dr. Frank Schulz-Nieswandt at the University of Cologne, I gave lectures on EU social policy together with the chair-holder and colleagues; I moreover mentored students on research methods and the structure of their examination theses.

As an external lecturer of the University of Cologne, I also gave seminars on EU environmental and climate policy as well as sustainable development. Particularly noteworthy is my teaching activity within the interdisciplinary 'International Master of Environmental Science', in which I offered interactive introductory and extension seminars and supervise internships and master's theses. I gave one of the advanced seminars together with colleagues from the natural sciences to develop interdisciplinary research projects that deal with risk analysis, assessment of inequalities, network analysis and suggestions for action. IMES is an interdisciplinary, international degree programme jointly offered by the economics and social sciences as well as the mathematics and natural sciences faculties at the University of Cologne. At the University of Innsbruck I continue my teaching activities on EU environmental and climate policy and on sustainable development. Since October 2018, I am also involved in the curriculum development of the Jean Monnet Chair of Prof. Dr. Andreas Maurer at the University of Innsbruck on the subject of ‘Democracy and parliamentary participation in EU trade policy‘, for which I develop teaching modules for EU environmental and climate policy as well as sustainability. In all of my seminars I address both the policy areas at hand as well as systemic aspects of European and global governance.

In the international interdisciplinary field, I teach on issues of global governance and sustainable development in the Joint Master on Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs of the Center International de Formation Européenne (CIFE) and the School of Government of the LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome. Moreover, I participate academically in various executive training activities.

In the following areas I have supervised and given university courses at the universities of Cologne, Innsbruck and LUISS Guido Carli Rom as face-to-face teaching or in an online format. The event formats were B.A. Introductory and advanced seminars, M.A. basic and advanced modules, lectures, advanced seminars including:

‚European Environmental and Sustainable Development Policies’ (2021);
‘The Global Governance of Sustainable Development’ (2021, 2020);
’The Sustainability of the ‘EU’s Climate Action’ Approach. Conceptual Characteristics, Policy Coherence and International Embedment (2020);
‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making‘ (including simulation game) (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016);
‘Interdisciplinary project development in environmental policies‘ (2020, 2019, 2018);
‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making: 5 Ways of Analysing Public Policies – Internship Mentoring‘ (2019, 2018, 2017);
‘EU Energy Security and Climate Action’ (including simulation game) (2015);
‚The Sustainability of the ‘EU’s Climate Action’ Approach. Conceptual Characteristics, Policy Coherence and International Embedment’ (2014);
‚Grundlagen und Grundfragen der Sozialpolitik’ (including tutorial) (2010, 2009)
‚Modes of Governance’ (2007);
‚Das politische System der Stadt Köln’ (2006, 2003, 2002);
‚Erweiterung der Europäischen Union – Stand der Beitrittsverhandlungen’ (2002);
‚Die institutionelle Entwicklung der EU zwischen Vertiefung und Erweiterung’ (2000).

Within the International Master of Environmental Science (IMES) at the University of Cologne I furthermore functioned as Internship Programme Mentor.

I have mentored the following B.A. und M.A. theses:

B.A. thesis
- ’Financing the Future: The European Green Deal Investment Plan and its Impact on Cohesion Policy’ (2020)
M.A. thesis
- ‘EU Municipalities' role in fighting climate change - The experience of Florence’s Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) and future actions’ (2021);
- The CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government: Past, Present and Future’ (2020);
- ‘Disruptive potential and path-dependency of futures study: From the future transport we should see to the future transport we can see’ (2020);
- ‘Is Pakistan trudging towards becoming a Failed State?‘ (2020);
- ‘The New Wave of Sustainability in the Fashion Industry: An analysis over the influence of corporate lobbying practices in the European policymaking process’ (2020).

I also participate(d) in PhD Commissions:

PhD Thesis 'The Foresight-Policy Gap: Explaining Success or Failure in the Transfer of Government Foresight Insight into the National Security Policy Process of Democratic States', University of Vienna (2025).
PhD thesis ‘Personalization in Social Media: Challenges and Opportunities for Democratic Societies’, University of Bologna (2020).

In the field of executive training, I have worked for the Global Governance Programme (EUI), the School of Transnational Governance (EUI), the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), the German Federal Academy for Public Administration, and the Carl Duisberg Society (Foreign Office, Stability Pact for Southeast Europe). Here, I academically conceptuatlised, designed, organized and gave the following courses:

UN Resident Coordinator Offices Learning Path Programme, Online Module ‚Data-driven Evidence-informed Policy-making for Sustainable Development‘ (2021);
‘Evidence-based Policy-Making‘ (2019, 2018);
‘Evidence-based Policy-Making: From Data to Decision-Making‘ (2018);
‚Europäische Union – Chancen und Risiken einer Erweiterung’, Lecture within the seminar „Die EU als Rechtsgemeinschaft’ (2001);
EU-training in preparation of and for the implementation of the Stability and Association Agreements (SAA) (2001).

Courses

2026

Adjunct Professor, Joint Master in Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs (GEGPA), Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE) and School of Government of LUISS Guido Carli (Spring)

M.A. Seminar ‘The Global Governance of Sustainable Development’.

2025

Adjunct Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Innsbruck (Summer term)

Advanced B.A. Seminar ‘Supranational Sustainability Policies and the Mid-term Review of the UN Sustainable Development Goals'

2023

Trainer, School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute

Advanced Professional Skills Workshops (APSWs): 'Strategic Foresight', Master of Arts in Transnational Governance (MTnG), , STG-MA-M4-APSW14, Florence.

Adjunct Professor, Joint Master in Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs (GEGPA), Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE) and School of Government of LUISS Guido Carli (Spring)

M.A. Seminar ‘The Global Governance of Sustainable Development”.

2021-22

Adjunct Professor, Joint Master in Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs (GEGPA), Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE) and School of Government of LUISS Guido Carli (Spring)

M.A. Seminar ‘The Global Governance of Sustainable Development”.

Adjunct Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Innsbruck (Winter term)

Basic B.A. Seminar ‘European Environmental and Sustainable Development Policies’ (Online Course)

2021

Adjunct Professor, Joint Master in Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs (GEGPA), Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE) and School of Government of LUISS Guido Carli (Spring)

M.A. Seminar ‘The Global Governance of Sustainable Development”.
M.A. Thesis Supervision
- ‘EU Municipalities' role in fighting climate change - The experience of Florence’s Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) and future actions’

Adjunct Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Innsbruck (Summer term)

Basic B.A. Seminar ‘European Environmental and Sustainable Development Policies’ (Online Course)

2020

Member of the PhD Committee, Joint International Doctoral (Ph.D.) degree in law, science and technology, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna (October 2020)

Ph.D. thesis ‘Personalization in Social Media: Challenges and Opportunities for Democratic Societies’

Adjunct Professor, Joint Master in Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs (GEGPA), Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE) and School of Government of LUISS Guido Carli (Spring)

M.A. Seminar ‘The Global Governance of Sustainable Development’.
M.A. Thesis Supervision: ‘Is Pakistan trudging towards becoming a Failed State?‘
M.A. Thesis Review: ‘The CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government: Past, Present and Future’

Adjunct Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Innsbruck (Summer term)

Advanced B.A. Seminar ‘The Sustainability of the ‘EU’s Climate Action’ Approach. Conceptual Characteristics, Policy Coherence and International Embedment’ (Online Course).
B.A. Thesis Supervision:
- ‘Fiscal Policy in the EU‘
- ’Financing the Future: The European Green Deal Investment Plan and its Impact on Cohesion Policy’
- ’EU-Leitideen und Narrative 1990-2020’

2019/20

Adjunct Professor, International Master of Environmental Science (IMES), Faculty of Management, Economic and Social Sciences and Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne (Winter term)

M. A. level seminar / Basic Module: ‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making’ (including simulation game) (6 ECTS).
M.A Advanced Module: ‘Interdisciplinary project development in environmental policies‘, together with Dr Anja Bierwirth, Wuppertal Institute (6 ECTS)
M.A. Thesis Supervision:
- ‘Disruptive potential and path-dependency of futures study: From the future transport we should see to the future transport we can see’
- ‘The New Wave of Sustainability in the Fashion Industry: An analysis over the influence of corporate lobbying practices in the European policymaking process’

2019

Academic Coordinator and Host, Executive Training Seminar ‘Evidence-based Policy-Making’, Global Governance Programme and School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute, Florence, 12 to 14 June 2019.

Adjunct Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Innsbruck (Summer term)

Basic B.A. Seminar ‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making’ (including simulation game).
As of 10/2018: Support of development of Prof Andreas Maurer’s Jean Monnet Chair curriculum on ‘Democracy and Parliamentary Involvement in EU Trade policies’; teaching focus on environmental and climate policies; European and global governance arrangements and parliamentary involvement.

2018/19

M. A. Basic Module: ‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making’ (including simulation game) (6 ECTS).
M. A. Advanced Module: ‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making: 5 Ways of Analysing Public Policies – Internship Mentoring’ (12 ECTS)
M.A Advanced Module: ‘Interdisciplinary project development in environmental policies’, together with Dr Anja Bierwirth, Wuppertal Institute (6 ECTS).
Mentor responsible for the IMES Internship programme.
Master thesis supervision:
- ‘Disruptive potential and path-dependency of futures study: From the future transport we should see to the future transport we can see’
- ‘The New Wave of Sustainability in the Fashion Industry: An analysis over the influence of corporate lobbying practices in the European policymaking process’

2018

Academic Coordinator and Host, Executive Training Seminar ‘Evidence-based Policy-Making’, School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute, Florence, 21 to 23 November 2018.

Academic Coordinator and Host, Executive Training Seminar ‘Evidence-based Policy-Making: From Data to Decision-Making’, Global Governance Programme, European University Institute, Florence, , 07 to 09 June 2018.

M.A Advanced Module: ‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making: 5 Ways of Analysing Public Policies – Internship Mentoring’ (12 ECTS)

2017/18

M. A. Basic Module: ‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making’ (including simulation game) (6 ECTS),
M. A. Advanced Module: ‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making: 5 Ways of Analysing Public Policies – Internship Mentoring’ (12 ECTS).
M.A Advanced Module: ‘Interdisciplinary project development in environmental policies’, together with Prof. Shamita Kumar, Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune/India (6 ECTS).

2016/17

M. A. Basic Module: ‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making’ (including simulation game) (6 ECTS),
M. A. Advanced Module: EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making: 5 Ways of Analysing Public Policies – Internship Mentoring’ (12 ECTS).

2015/16

M. A. Basic Module: ‘EU Environmental Policies and Policy-Making’ (including UN negotiation simulation ‘COP-21 Paris’) (6 ECTS).

2015

External Lecturer, Cologne International Summer University (CISU), Faculty of Management, Economic and Social Sciences, University of Cologne

Undergraduate Course (BSc): ‘EU Energy Security and Climate Action’, together with Marco Siddi (FIIA/Finland), ‘International Perspectives on Global Challenges’, (including UN negotiation simulation ‘Preparing COP-21 Paris’)

2014/15

External Lecturer, International Master of Environmental Science (IMES), Faculty of Management, Economic and Social Sciences and Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne (Winter term)

B.A. Advanced Seminar ‘The Sustainability of the ‘EU’s Climate Action’ Approach. Conceptual Characteristics, Policy Coherence and International Embedment’.

2010

Chair of Social Policy and Methods of qualitative Social Research, Institute for Sociology and Social Psychology, Faculty of Management, Economic and Social Sciences, University of Cologne (Sommer term)

Tutorial course accompanying the lecture ‘Introduction to Social Policy / Grundlagen und Grundfragen der Sozialpolitik’ together with S. Alich and M. Sauer.

2009/10

Lecture ‘Introduction to European Social Policy / Einführung in die Europäische Sozialpolitik’ , together with Prof Dr F. Schulz-Nieswandt and M. Sauer.

2007

Jean Monnet Chair for Political Sciences, Department of Political Science and European Issues, Faculty of Management, Economic and Social Sciences, University of Cologne (Summer term)

M.A. level seminar ‘Modes of Governance’ , together with Prof Dr W. Wessels.

2006

Jean Monnet Chair for Political Sciences, Department of Political Science and European Issues, Faculty of Management, Economic and Social Sciences, University of Cologne (Summer term)

M.A. level seminar ‘The political system of Cologne / Das politische System der Stadt Köln’ , together with Prof Dr W. Wessels.

2003/04

Jean Monnet Chair for Political Sciences, Department of Political Science and European Issues, Faculty of Management, Economic and Social Sciences, University of Cologne (Winter term)

M.A. level seminar ‘The political system of Cologne / Das politische System der Stadt Köln’ , together with Prof Dr W. Wessels.

2002/03

Jean Monnet Chair for Political Sciences, Department of Political Science and European Issues, Faculty of Management, Economic and Social Sciences, University of Cologne (Winter term)

M.A. level seminar ‘The political system of Cologne / Das politische System der Stadt Köln’ , together with Prof Dr W. Wessels.

2002

Federal Academy for Public Administration/Bundesakademie für Öffentliche Verwaltung (Brühl) (February)

Seminar ‘EU enlargement – State of accession negotiations / Erweiterung der Europäischen Union – Stand der Beitrittsverhandlungen’.

2001

Federal Academy for Public Administration/Bundesakademie für Öffentliche Verwaltung (Brühl) (July)

‘European Union – Chances and challenges of enlargement / Europäische Union – Chancen und Risiken einer Erweiterung’ , Lecture within the Seminar ‘The EU as legal community / Die EU als Rechtsgemeinschaft’ ).

Carl Duisberg Foundation, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe), Zagreb (June)

‘EU Training for the Preparation and Implementation of the Stability and Association Agreement (SAA)’ , training of Croatian ministerial officials, organised by the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) on behalf of the Carl Duisberg Foundation, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe), Zagreb (June).

2000

Jean Monnet Chair for Political Sciences, Department of Political Science and European Issues, Faculty of Management, Economic and Social Sciences, University of Cologne (Summer term)

M.A. level seminar ‘The institutional development of the EU in between deepening and widening / Die institutionelle Entwicklung der EU zwischen Vertiefung und Erweiterung’ , together with Prof Dr W. Wessels.

Gaby Umbach personal website

Teaching