B.A. and M.A. in communication studies, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Italy; Ph.D. in geo-history and geo-economy of border regions, Università degli Studi di Trieste (2006), Italy; Ph.D. in geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2007)
Specialization: Economic and human geography
Dr. Sellar’s primary teaching interest is in the area of regional economic/social development, economic governance, international political economy and institutional change. He focuses on the international dimension of policy making, blending geopolitics, sociology and economic geography. He teaches courses on the European Union, border policies, international regulation of corporations, and the relationship between free-market policies and globalization.
“My teaching has been heavily influenced and shaped by the opportunity to work with colleagues and students in the United States, Italy and Russia. My undergraduate and Ph.D. studies in Italy, along with teaching experience in Russia, accustomed me to lecturing and the idea that a good teacher is able to set a relatively high bar in order to let each student feel positively challenged but not frustrated.”
His research has taken him back to Italy to study how Italian shoe companies outsourced production to Eastern Europe (especially Romania) and how Italian banks fostered that process. He has continued to track these regional economic changes in Europe and the roles of different institution in shaping regional economies. In recent years he has been working in China to study how Italian speaking consultants and consulate personnel supports expat entrepreneurs and firms’ directors. Recently he brought his research back to Italy to study the long term evolution of State support to export and firms internationalization.