Having lived on three continents, it’s natural that Jayantha Jayman would teach global studies. A Canadian citizen, he grew up in Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and the U.S. and received his college degrees in Ohio, Ontario and London, England, where his doctoral research in international relations took him to Japan.

An assistant professor of global studies new to St. Lawrence last fall, Jayman’s courses include Introduction to Global Political Economy, Asia in the Age of Globalization and Global Public Goods: Solutions for the 21st Century.  “Working with students on research projects is the most enjoyable part of teaching,” he says. “When students discover that they too can conduct research, I know I have managed to empower them to think for themselves. Teaching students interested in learning is most pleasurable—when a student discovers and interprets something with some excitement, witnessing that triumph is very enjoyable. While living through students’ research vicariously, I also get great pleasure in my own research.”

That research spans several areas. “I’m interested in how powerful nations and their societies created and now influence the global system, and in how and under what circumstances less powerful nations and their citizens would accept their subordinate situations in the global system,” he says.  He explores the roles of powers with vast reach, such as Japan and the United States, “in creating and maintaining the current global system.” He and a colleague are working on an anthology of essays entitled Restoring Optimism to Global Politics: The Inclusion of Morality as Practice. And he probes cooperation among South Asian nations.

Along with his international scholarly perspective, Jayman brings globalism to his recreational pursuits as well. “I enjoy cricket, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and more,” he says. A former competitive chess player, he loves gardening and watching the Skating Saints.