Brian Doucet
Urban Geographer
I have been employed in the Department of Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University since October 2009. I started as a Lecturer and since 2012 I have been an Assistant Professor of Urban Geography. I have taught, coordinated and developed a number of bachelor's and master's courses within the department. From 2012 - 2015 I also taught the Introduction to Human Geography course at University College Utrecht.
In December 2014, the Utrecht University Geography Students' Association (VUGS) selected me as their favourite teacher and nominated me for Teacher of the Year in the Faculty of Geosciences
In 2011 I received my Basiskwalificatie Onderwijk (General Teaching Certification) from Utrecht University.
Below is a list of courses which I have taught, including the roles I have played in each one.
Courses Taught - Education CV
World Cities and Urban Systems
3rd Year Bachelor's Course
Course coordinator
English
In this course, we focus on definitions and characteristics of world cities, how they are related to each other, how forces such as globalisation and deindustrialisation are impacting different types of cities, and what it is like to live in world cities for different groups of people.
Introduction to Human Geography
University College Utrecht
Course coordinator
English
This course gives a general introduction to different themes within human geography. It discusses a variety of topics including urban geography, economic geography, development studies, and geopolitics. It deals with specific elements such as the change from Fordist to post-Fordist economic systems, the geographies of production and consumption and reading the landscape.
Contemporary Cities: Challenges and Opportunities
International Summer School Course (July)
Utrecht University Faculty of Geosciences
Cities are both economic engines, dynamic, creative, cultural hubs and concentrations of poverty, inequality, pollution and congestion. While the benefits of urban life are plentiful, these challenges continue to grow. The aim of this two week course is to better understand the major challenges and opportunities confronting European and North American cities in the 21st Century. Specific attention will be paid to Dutch cities, through a combination of lectures, seminars and fieldtrips to Amsterdam and RotterdamThe Role of Geography in the 21st Century
Yogyakarta State University
Department of Geography Education
(Visiting Lecturer, October 2014)
I was invited by the Faculty of Social Sciences at Yogyakarta State University to create and teach a one week course for students within the Department of Geography Education. This course focused on key issues within urban geography, examining some new and developing theories. It also focused on showing students ways of interpreting the world around them. It provided some case studies illustrating how different cities around the world tackle major urban challenges. The course was provided in English and had approximately 100 students in attendance.
Urban Reflections in Practice: Toronto and Detroit
Master's Course - course coordinator
English
In April, 2013, I led a new field trip in our Urban Geography Master's students to Toronto and Detroit. This trip replaces the Scotland excursion which I ran for the past three years. This course consists of lectures and seminars dealing with different aspects of North American cities. This gives students the background to fully understand and interpret what we see in Toronto and Detroit. Students must work in groups to prepare a walking tour of a Toronto neighbourhood. These tours give students the chance to research and discuss a specific neighbourhood and issues within it. In addition to these student-led tours, we had presentations, tours and discussions led by local academics, artists, developers and others from Toronto and Detroit. My colleague on this trip is Dr Matthieu Permentier.
Urban Reflections in Practice: Scotland Field Trip
Master's course - course coordinator
English
This is an excursion course which I ran, together with my colleague Jan Prillwitz, for students in our urban geography master's program. We visit Edinburgh and Glasgow, two very disparate cities. During the excursion, we meet with guests from local government, universities, housing associations, transport agencies, the private sector and more. Students also take responsibility for the content of the course, designing and leading walking tours of different neighbourhoods. In 2010 we had 16 participants; in 2011 there were 28 students taking part in this excursion.
Het Gebruik van de Stad (The use of the city)
1st year bachelor's course
Dutch
In this first year introductory urban geography course, I run a seminar entitled 'De Gescheiden Stad' (The Divided City). During these seminars, we learn about different spatial, economic and social divisions within the city. I encourage students to observe these divisions in their daily life. The seminar culminates with student research projects where they must conduct field work, write a report and present their findings to their fellow students.
Thesis Supervision
In addition to these courses, I supervise students at both the Bachelor's and Master's level. I have successfully supervised more than two dozen master's students since 2010. I regularly publish papers in (Dutch) magazines and international peer-review journals. I am always looking for highly motivated, hard working and creative students. Click here for a list of articles which I have published with students
Brian Doucet © 2013