Bio
I am a Serra Húnter Associate Professor of Political Philosophy and Coordinator of the MA in Political Philosophy, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. I have published extensively in the fields of critical theory, contemporary political thought, art and political imagination, populism, and religious studies.
Originally from Romania, I have an interdisciplinary academic background, having studied philosophy and political science at the University of Bucharest, Central European University, and the European University Institute in Florence. I also hold an MA in History of Balkan Studies from the Faculty of History of Art at the University of Bucharest. My PhD, completed under the supervision of Peter Wagner and Axel Honneth in Florence, focused on the later works of Jürgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida. I have taught in Bucharest (University of Bucharest), Florence (EUI, University of Richmond), and Dublin (University College Dublin) before joining UPF in Barcelona.
My research and teaching follow the interdisciplinary and dialectical tradition of critical theory, with a particular focus on capitalist societies in times of polycrisis, aiming to envision alternative societal arrangements. My research interests lie at the intersection of the humanities (philosophy) and the social sciences, encompassing the following overlapping disciplinary and thematic lines:
1. Political Philosophy: I am interested in developing a dialectical political-philosophical approach that draws on various empirically informed traditions of critical theory.
2. Social Sciences and Critique: Using qualitative methodologies, I have explored populism and national-populist ecologies, particularly in Eastern and Southern Europe (especially Romania and Spain). My work examines the rise of populist forces—both democratic and authoritarian—their socio-political contexts, and the intersections between nationalism, religion, and populism in contemporary societies.
3. Political Philosophy and Artistic Imagination: I am interested in analyzing global disruptions such as the ecological crisis, AI, and the rise of populism through the lens of political philosophy and the arts (in particular, film and literature).
I am also a founding member and coordinator of the Social and Political Theory Research Group (SPTR) at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. I am also a founding member of the Barcelona Network for Critical Thought and Social Research (https://barcelonacritique.net), which brings together researchers from various disciplines and Catalan universities with an interest in critical thought, aiming to build bridges between theory and practice, academia, activism, and society.
