Shirin Ardalan

Background

About Shirin Ardalan

I am an experienced political scientist who graduated with a BA and MA in European Studies from Maastricht University, specializing in Public Policy and Administration. During my studies, I focused on advocacy studies and anti-discrimination policy. I am currently working as a Teaching Fellow at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Maastricht University. In this capacity, I have gained extensive experience in teaching BA and MA level courses, grading exams, supervising theses and mentoring first-year students. I have also coordinated multiple courses at BA and MA level on topics such as the basics of the EU, lobbying and advocacy in the EU and political communication. Additionally, I have developed and conducted multiple lectures and workshops on various topics. Beyond that, I also completed a Minor in Gender and Diversity Studies and I have strong expertise in diversity and LGBTQ studies. In 2023/2024 I was co-organizer of QueerCon, a first-of-its-kind queer studies conference and festival in Maastricht, where I was involved in event and budget management, research and contracting with artists and vendors in the Limburg region and the Netherlands. I am a smart, capable and assertive person who can adapt easily to new tasks and responsibilities. I always face new challenges head on and use them as a learning opportunity. Additionally, I am a team-worker who is also strong at working independently, and I have experience in working within international environments. In my personal life, I love doing photography and I taught myself professional photo and video editing using programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Davinci Resolve and others.