Mako Nominated for Two University-Wide Teaching Awards
Professor Shamiran Mako, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, has been nominated for two of Boston University’s most prestigious teaching honors: the 2025 Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2025 Provost’s Scholar-Teacher of the Year Award.
These nominations recognize Mako’s exceptional contributions to both scholarship and teaching at the Pardee School, where she brings her expertise in Middle Eastern politics, state formation, and ethnic politics to the classroom. As a member of both the Pardee School faculty and the Graduate Faculty at the Political Science Department, Mako has distinguished herself through her innovative teaching approaches and commitment to student engagement.
The Metcalf Award represents the university’s highest recognition for excellence in teaching, while the Provost’s Scholar-Teacher of the Year Award specifically honors faculty who excel in both research and pedagogy. Both nominations acknowledge Mako’s ability to integrate her significant research contributions with effective teaching practices.
Mako’s scholarly work, which includes her forthcoming book “Structuring Exclusion: Institutions, Grievances, and Ethnic State Capture in Iraq” (Oxford University Press, 2025) and her co-authored work “After the Uprisings: Progress and Stagnation in the Middle East and North Africa” (2021), directly enriches her teaching at the Pardee School. Her expertise in governance in divided societies and post-conflict statebuilding provides students with unique insights into contemporary global challenges.
A former Fulbright Scholar and Canada Research Chair in Global Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Mako brings a wealth of international experience to her teaching. Her multilingual capabilities in English, Arabic, and Assyrian/Aramaic further enhance her ability to engage with diverse perspectives in the classroom.
Both awards involve a comprehensive evaluation process that will continue through spring 2025, including review of teaching materials, student evaluations, and classroom visits by the selection committee. Winners will be announced in late spring, with the Metcalf Award being conferred at Commencement.
These nominations highlight not only Professor Mako’s individual achievements but also the Pardee School’s commitment to excellence in both teaching and scholarship in international affairs education.
Shamiran Mako is an assistant professor of international relations at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. She is also a member of the Graduate Faculty at the Political Science Department at Boston University. Her research explores the historical and contemporary drivers of inter and intra-state conflicts that produce weak and fragile states across the MENA region. She is the author of After the Uprisings: Progress and Stagnation in the Middle East and North Africa, with Valentine Moghadam. Read more about Professor Mako on her faculty profile.