Tutor
Ethics, Year 2 Philosophy Unit at the University of Manchester: 2023-24
Faculty Evaluation:
“This was an excellent teaching session. Ajinkya was an energetic and inspiring presence, and managed to keep the session moving, at speed, without dominating or “instructing” too much. He was very knowledgeable and confident regarding the details of the text under discussion.
The students were stimulated and engaged. They asked some good questions and Ajinkya was more than capable of responding, in a constructive and thought-provoking manner, with whatever they threw at him. He managed to express an encouraging, supportive yet critical attitude towards them.
The discussion was detailed and a lot of material was covered. But what was most impressive is that it didn’t feel “heavy-going” at all. It was fun!
I thought the general approach, while it might not have worked for everybody, was, in Ajinkya’s hands, extremely effective. He asked a lot of questions, and if they didn’t elicit satisfactory answers, he would follow up by putting the question in a different way, or by writing something on the board with the intention that it provoke an answer. The questions were exegetical at first, but they became more critical and evaluative as the session unfolded. It seemed to me that, almost without noticing it, the students were transported from the “shallow end” to deeper waters.
Anonymous Student Feedback:
“Ajinkya probably ran the best tutorials I’ve had at university. Writing things out on the whiteboard and engaging with the class made me always come away feeling I’ve better understood the text.”
“His seminars are always excellent, he pushes the students to think more deeply about the details of the subject as well as connecting it to its broader place within the philosophical discipline. His essay feedback was detailed and useful and his approach to the seminars helps develop study skills applicable to other readings/ topics within the course. The discussions in the seminars always flowed naturally and everyone was eager to contribute, when people did contribute he’d challenge students to develop their thinking.”
20th Century Analytic Philosophy, Year 2 Philosophy Unit at the University of Manchester: 2023, 2024
Applied Philosophy, Year 2 Philosophy Unit at the University of Manchester: 2022-23
Anonymous Student Feedback:
“Ajinkya’s passion for the topics and subject as a whole was effectively translated to me and the other students. His tutorials were extremely informative and covered a wide array of content outside of the course’s requirements as well. After every tutorial, I felt like I genuinely learned something new.”
“he is a brilliant teacher, he is engaging he is smart, he listens he is amazing”
“I thought his tutorials were great!! really concise and to the point… which made it easy to understand every week’s readings and their core concepts! If all tutorials were like yours uni would be a lot easier…!! thank you!”
Philosophy of Race, Year 2 Philosophy Unit at the University of Manchester: 2022-23
Introduction to Ethics, Year 1 Philosophy Unit at the University of Manchester: 2021-22
Anonymous Student Feedback:
“He did not just go through the tutorial questions and give us the answers. Instead each required reading was reduced to its standard form before we proceeded with the discussion. This helped my understanding of the material and made the tutorials more engaging.”
“He goes above and beyond to provide you with everything you need not only for ethics, but as a philosophy student overall. Very clearly explains difficult concepts with ease. Better still, he’s actually funny, so his explanations are memorable.”
Critical Thinking, Year 1 Philosophy Unit at the University of Manchester: 2021 (Partially taught online due to COVID)
Anonymous Student Feedback:
“Very insightful, great feedback and great tutorials, well delivered always answering questions clearly and thoroughly, I enjoyed the way he engaged us in the tutorials while still helping us come to grips with the content.. Overall a great teaching experience.”
“An amazing tutor. Very good at explaining and kept the class very engaged. Always quick to resolve any doubts.”
Grader
Gender and Race, Year 3 Philosophy Unit at the University of Glasgow, 2021
Ajinkya Deshmukh 