Cosana Eram
PhD, French and Humanities, Stanford University, 2010
PhD, Philology, University of Bucharest, Romania, 2003
The metaphor I would use to describe myself as a professor is that of a chamber orchestra conductor. I am passionate about the production and development of ideas, and I hope I can pass this inclination on to my students. To me, one of the core purposes of a humanistic-oriented education is to make them think about how to become better citizens, intent to make a difference. I believe it is my responsibility to create a learning environment where students are respected, valued, and supported so that they feel that they can ask questions, make mistakes, and participate freely. In this multicultural world, teaching French language, literature, and culture promotes awareness to "accented" (Naficy) otherness and is ultimately a tool for self-discovery and self-expression. Foreign language and culture programs should be an essential part of academic education and I consider myself privileged to be in the position of promoting such an interest.
European and American avant-garde (Tristan Tzara, Isidore Isou, Benjamin Fondane, Victor Brauner, Georges Hugnet, Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes, Joseph Cornell etc.), 20th and 21st century French fiction and poetry, theories of the literary canon, ethics of technology and the human (Bernard Stiegler), digital humanities.
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