I'm Jacques Belval, a California-based academic, anti-authoritarian, and advocate. My teaching spans three continents and forms the bases of my research, which is rooted in justice, equity, and lived resistance. At CSUMB and MPC, I strive to build a trauma-informed, liberatory classroom rooted in mutual care, constructive critique, and community-building.
I teach political science, global studies, history, and other related courses. My family instilled in me a deep commitment to justice and community; from my grandfather’s and great-grandfather’s contributions to la Résistance, I know resistance to injustice should not only be taught—it should be lived and practiced with pride. This drives my goal of meaningfully contributing to a world where reparations are made, the structurally disadvantaged receive support, and none can harm others with impunity.
My interest in human rights began in 2004 when I went to a book talk by Nuruddin Farah; his talk on child soldiers shocked my then-seventh-grade mind and left a lasting impression. I later studied Arabic and French at the University of Maryland alongside minors in Middle East Studies and International Development & Conflict Management.
After graduating in 2014, I moved to Yemen to teach ESL at a nonprofit. The Houthi uprising abruptly ended my time in Sana’a. With help from dear friends at circumventing roadblocks and rebel checkpoints, I exited the country and returned to Morocco, where I previously studied abroad. I resumed teaching ESL and began exploring graduate study opportunities.
At the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, I completed two master’s degrees in 2017. While there, I interned with Catholic Relief Services (summer 2016) in Niamey, Niger, and then studied abroad (fall 2016) in Amman, Jordan. Each week, I volunteered in Jerash's Gaza Refugee Camp and with Caritas Internationalis, further entrenching my commitment to hands-on service.
My academic journey was briefly interrupted by cancer. After returning to the classroom in fall 2018, I focused on my student-centered pedagogy. I aim not just to teach, but to learn with my students. Mutual growth is core to my teaching. I consider it a personal teaching failure when I do not learn from at least one student in each class I teach.
Here, you will find examples of my philosophy. Across all settings, my work centers on those marginalized by unjust systems of power. This site is a reflection of my commitment to education in resistance of oppression that builds toward equity, liberation, and repair. I hope what you find here supports you and your work for justice and liberation.
