FACULTY MEMBERS

Faculty members at Parami Leadership Program are facilitators of discussions rather than lecturers in the classroom. They collaborate with each other to design a curriculum in which the contents of a class help enrich those of another. This intimate atmosphere allows them to closely guide the class, ensuring that each student receives ample attention and guidance. By doing so, they create a safe space for the students to nurture three major skills—critical thinking, interdisciplinary analysis, and articulate communication.

MEET OUR FACULTY

Andrey Tolstoy

Ph.D. Candidate, Film and Media Studies and Comparative Literature, Yale University

 Andrey Tolstoy is pursuing a joint Ph.D. in Film & Media Studies and Comparative Literature at Yale University. His dissertation focuses on the phenomenon of going “off-the-grid” across a variety of disciplines and cultures. 

 In addition to his Ph.D. work, Andrey is pursuing a graduate degree in international secondary school education. Since 2003, he has been working as a translator and videographer for NGOs around the world. 

Faculty in Humanities

Dr. Christina Hans

Ph.D., Finance, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

 Christina Hans graduated from Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona with a Ph.D. in Finance with highest honors. Her research focuses on applying a network perspective to systemic risk in the banking sector. 

 She has gathered teaching experience at both undergraduate and graduate level in different universities and business schools in Barcelona in a wide range of subjects such as Financial Econometrics, Corporate Finance and Entrepreneurship. Previously, Christina held a guest researcher position at the German central bank and a research data scientist position in a fast-growing AI-first startup. Christina returns to Parami this year after teaching Economics in PLP’s first cohort. 

Faculty in Social Science

Joseph Decker

B.A., English & Educational Studies, Carleton College

Following his passion for education and art, Joe began teaching Literature and Creative Writing in Yangon in 2012. For two years, he organized community theater and open mic night events, which he synthesized with his students’ coursework. In 2014, he moved to Chin State to direct the newly established Chin Institute of Social Science, where he developed the program’s curriculum, lead community projects, and taught the social sciences until becoming the Academic Coordinator of Parami in 2017.​ 

Faculty in Arts

Alina Sidorova

B.A., Political Science, Yale University

 As a student at Yale, Alina conducted original field research on the experiences of migrants from the conflict zone in Eastern Ukraine. Her thesis on the subject won the Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay in Comparative Politics. At Parami, Alina has led research projects on solar energy and waste management. 

 She has worked for EF Education First in Hong Kong and was a founding member of the New Haven chapter of the educational initiative CityStep. Before coming to Parami Institute, Alina worked for an enterprise search company in San Francisco. 

Faculty in Science

Observing the progress that our students are making over the course of one semester is incredibly gratifying. Seeing how they grow their own understanding of phenomena, start to notice patterns in their everyday life, and draw their own connections between what they read in the news, hear about in politics and observe in their surroundings makes me realize the power of teaching critical thinking every day.

Christina Hans

Ph.D., Faculty in Economics