Brigitte Schulz joined the Trinity faculty in 1989 after teaching for the University of Maryland’s program in Greece and Spain, as well as at Seattle University. Her area of specialization is in international relations and comparative politics, with special focus on postcolonial and postcommunist societies. Her present research deals with the applicability of the liberal democratic model for postcolonial societies, with special focus on the connection between elections and violence. Much of this work is done in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg’s Center for Conflict Research. Schulz has also conducted field research in Tanzania and Ghana.

Schulz is a native of Germany who has lived, worked, and traveled in a large number of countries. In her teaching Schulz uses her broad international and cross-cultural experiences to show students that this globe is blessed with an abundance of views and theoretical perspectives. The goal is for students to understand that the world often looks very differently from the bottom up, and that the present international order cannot be properly understood without gaining insight into historical processes and their ongoing realities.