Course Instructorship
The Political Economy of Economic Crisis (University of Toronto, Mississauga)
Course description:
Following an introduction to the history of global economic crises and macroeconomic fundamentals, the course will first investigate the political implications and social costs of austerity programs. What are the electoral costs of austerity measures? Who supports austerity programs and why? How do austerity measures impact political behavior and preferences for redistribution? Do they lead to increasing support for leftist or anti-mainstream parties? Then, we will discuss the international ramifications of economic crises: Do they lead to autocratization? Is the global monetary order crumbling? The primary learning outcome of this course is to expose students to timely and critical conversations about the political impact of financial crises and austerity measures at the domestic and international levels.
Sample student evaluations:
Extremely satisfied with my experience, instructor offered an excellent space for discussion, making everyone feel comfortable, despite getting into some controversial issues related to the political implications of economic crises.
The professor created an environment in which I felt incredibly comfortable. I honestly believed in the sentiment “no stupid questions.” I never felt embarrassed when I failed to understand a concept. Prof always was very quick to respond to emails and was very understanding of the often harsh reality of student life.
Professor Semuhi was excellent in his instruction. His course content was thorough and engaging. He was extremely knowledgable and did an amazing job in passing on his knowledge. His assignments and readings were well curated and the atmosphere in his class was very conducive to learning. Discussions were well orchestrated and made sure no one felt left out or disengaged. He was also very warm and understanding and never added unnecessary burden to discourage the learning experience.
The International Politics of Authoritarianism (University of Toronto, Mississauga)
Course description:
The course will investigate the following key questions: Is there a new emerging post-liberal global order as a backlash against economic globalization? Are we experiencing a new wave of autocratization across the world at the hands of tech-savvy dictators who repress dissidents beyond their borders and disrupt democratic processes abroad? Has autocracy promotion and diffusion replaced the international efforts of democratization? Can the international community feasibly constrain autocratic regimes? This course’s primary expected learning outcome is to offer an insight into the international roots of autocratic resilience. Students will also be equipped with analytical tools to assess current policy interventions designed to contain or curtail autocratic regime practices.
Sample student evaluations:
Hands down, best learning experience I've had at UTM. The professor is extremely engaging and provides great support to the whole class. The general mood of the class was excellent throughout, and this is thanks to the professor's excellent student management and treating us like peers.
The overall instruction of this course was great. Professor Sinanoglu was very enthusiastic about the subject material, explained concepts very clearly, and created an environment where I could feel comfortable sharing thoughts about the course readings.
I appreciated Professor Sinanoglu's conversational teaching style. It essentially forced us, as students, to engage with the readings rather than merely recite back what we read. The critical engagement made me think more about the implications of the readings rather than what was printed.
Politics in the Middle East (University of Toronto, St. George)
Course description:
The course is organized thematically but chronologically follows significant turning points. We will investigate key topics such as the legacies of colonial state on the formation of collective identities, the repercussions of patrimonial capitalism and rentier state on resource mobilization, the impact of autocratic ruling bargains on contentious politics, and the role of foreign intervention in a comparative perspective, by covering different countries under each theme. The Middle East exhibits remarkable diversity in economic development, social mobilizations, and state capacity. This course's primary expected learning outcome is to capture this intra-regional variation and deconstruct blanket explanations for the region's politics. Students will be encouraged to be attentive to social mobilizations under different types of autocratic ruling bargains. Lastly, through in-class discussions and debates with guests, students will follow current regional events to identify prominent actors, events, and institutions, especially in social mobilizations.
Sample student evaluations:
The professor created an optimal learning environment that stimulates critical thinking and discussion. Engagement with the students was optimal, and the learning experience was professional and inclusive. The professor made sure all students were engaged with the content and made effective accommodations to ensure optimal learning.
The instructor offered assistance of all kinds, from office hours at the students' preferred times, generous extensions when work in the semester was piling up, and feedback on every assignment that helped to improve for future assignments.
One of the best professors, very well versed in Middle Eastern politics. The professor was brilliant and enthusiastic.
Workshops and Teaching Materials
A Basic Introduction to Visual Conjoints. IDOS, February 2025.
The Politics of Authoritarianism: An Introduction. University of Toronto, October 2023.
Spatial Analysis using R: An Introduction. University of Toronto, March 5, 2021.
Introduction to R. University of Toronto, September 2020.
Training
Understanding the Gridlock: Measuring and Responding to Polarization. UNDP Global Policy Centre for Governance, November 2024 (with Armin von Schiller and Julia Leininger).
Organizational Development & Management: Digital Security in the Age of Hyper‑Surveillance. Istanbul: Co‑Opinion, April-June 2017.
Design Lab: Preventing & Countering Violent Extremism. Istanbul: Co‑Opinion & Hollings Center for International Dialogue, April 2017.
Teaching Assistantship (University of Toronto)
Comparative Politics
- State, Society and Power in Comparative Perspective
- Comparative Politics: Revolution, Democracy and Authoritarianism
- Democracy, Dictatorship, War and Peace: An Introduction
- Public Opinion and Voting
Political Economy
- Global Political Economy: Policy and Analysis
- Politics of Development
- U.S. Government and Politics
Methods
- Statistics for Political Scientists
- Thinking Through Research Design
- Using Data to Understand Politics and Society
- Introduction to Quantitative Reasoning
Sample student evaluations:
Semuhi is the best TA I had since I started university, he is dedicated to making the tutorial session as fun and educative as possible, he always came prepared for tutorials, organized small debates, games, and other interactive ways to help students engage with the material seen in class. He went beyond all expectations by proposing his students send their intro so that he could give us additional feedback before we submitted our essays.
I think his main strength was that he was able to create an inclusive environment and establish a lively discussion that kept me interested in the concepts that were being discussed. These tutorial sections actually made me look forward to this class.
Semuhi was extremely supportive, approachable, kind, and encouraging while still challenging students. This not only created an excellent learning environment but motivated students to succeed.
Excellent grasp of the material and an ability to synthesize complex ideas, so the class understood the essence of the ideas. He is very generous with his time to explain and help students. Great teacher and very smooth delivery.