Dr. Itamar Dubinsky
Department of Politics and Government, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
My life before BGU:
I was born and raised in Tel Aviv. I earned my bachelor's degree in African studies at Tel Aviv University and went on to get my master's and doctoral degrees from the Department of Politics and Government at Ben-Gurion University. After completing my doctorate, I taught for several years in the United States and returned to Israel two years ago. Since then, I have taught at BGU, the Hebrew University, and the Open University.
Why BGU?
BGU is the university that invests the most in research and teaching about Africa in Israel, thanks to the activities and support of the Tamar Golan Africa Center, the African Studies Program and the Department of Politics and Government.
My research:
I study Africa. I mainly examine how sports contribute to community and national development goals on the continent. Some of my research involves fieldwork in sports clubs (soccer, surfing, basketball, and gaming) in Ghana. Other studies analyze how African countries use sports to promote various political, economic, and cultural interests.
An insight from my research:
Sports in Africa open new possibilities for personal and community development in a variety of areas. However, due to their great popularity, sports can also deepen gaps, promote exploitative practices, and generate aspirations that lead to deep disappointments.
Something that doesn't appear on my resume:
I am a basketball instructor certified by the Wingate Institute. I coached basketball teams during my undergraduate studies, but after starting my master's degree, I hung up my whistle. I would love to return to coaching in the future, when I have a little more spare time and more publications to my name. Maybe after I get tenure and depending on the offer... Until that happens, I'm coaching a fantasy football Premier League team.
A source of inspiration:
Catch 22.
When I grow up...
I used to want to be a basketball player. Today – a tenure-track professor.
If I wasn't a researcher, I would...
be a scriptwriter
In Brief:
- Summer or winter? Summer, with air conditioning
- Hapoel or Maccabi? Tel Aviv
- Instant coffee or espresso? Instant
- Car or train? Train
- City or country? City
- Text or voice message? Text
- Dog or cat? Dog
