Duncan Shaw’s 30 Years of Teaching, Travel, and Life Lessons at Schiller

Professor Duncan Richard Shaw is an English historian and writer based in Madrid, Spain. He is the Senior Professor of History and Political Science at Schiller International University Madrid Campus, Spain. He is considered an expert in the history and political manipulation of sport—particularly in Francoist Spain, Fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany—and has published extensively in this area. Additionally, he is a specialist on the manipulation of public opinion in different political systems, and on the social history of popular music and literature.

Tell us a bit about your story here teaching at Schiller. When did you join, and what courses have you taught? 

I've been at Schiller for almost 30 years. It's the school where I've spent the most years and the one for which I have the most affection. 

I've had different roles here—Head of Studies, Registrar, and even temporary Director.

What I like about Schiller is the small class sizes. While I teach Diplomacy, International Relations, and Politics courses for about 10 students, I also teach larger required courses like Introduction to Politics, Introduction to International Relations, and two History courses. 

The internationalism at Schiller is another thing I appreciate. We have students from incredibly diverse backgrounds, and I always told teachers when I was in charge that this should be seen as an opportunity, not a challenge. Engaging with students from different cultures and perspectives helps us all learn how to coexist in a civilized world.

What does good teaching mean to you?

Good teaching at Schiller means preparing well, putting on a bit of a show, and setting up the classroom beforehand. I always arrive an hour early to set up videos and materials. Since students, their families, or even governments are investing a lot in their education, we need to provide them with a high-quality learning experience—an energetic, useful class. 

Above all, our goal—as professors—is to develop students into critical, free-thinking individuals. Schiller students are generally very pleasant and helpful, and I see their diverse backgrounds as an asset rather than a challenge.

What is your approach to teaching political ideologies?

What I try to do is provide students with an intellectual framework to help them understand the world, which can often be very confusing—especially for young people. In particular, I aim to give them an ideological structure. I think it's very important to provide students with this ideological “roadmap.” 

One activity I used to do was a 10-minute “field trip.” We would pass schools, restaurants, metro stations, and I would point out how everything is political. How much regulation should restaurants have? What about food quality and workers’ rights? Should public transport be free? Should education be government-controlled, private, or religious?  I try to make students see that politics is everywhere—not just in textbooks or the classroom but in everyday life. 

Tell us about the 20 rules you wrote.

Last year, while my wife and daughter were traveling, I was home alone during the summer. With more time for intellectual pursuits, I decided to write 20 rules (read below) for life. I was partly inspired by Jordan Peterson’s book 12 Rules for Life. As an intellectual, I wanted to outline a set of rules that help individuals survive and behave decently, even in a world where politicians and corporations often do not. 

I'm not going to go through all 20 rules now, but they start with childhood lessons. The first rule is what we learned in Holmgate County Primary School, our beautiful little village school in Derbyshire: be nice to each other, clean up your mess afterwards, listen to the teacher. And number two, I learnt from the Boy Scouts in our little village in Derbyshire: do a good deed every day to somebody in need.  I think those are two very important rules.

You haven written a lot about the bands of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. What musical figure do you think could politically inspire young generations?

I know much more about the history of music and its social and political influence than I do about modern music. I'm not an expert on contemporary music and politics. I know that Taylor Swift supported Kamala Harris in the election and that other musicians have been politically active, but I cannot personally recommend or endorse modern artists—I’m a dinosaur when it comes to today's music. 

If you ask me about music from the 60s, 70s, or 80s, I could talk all day. Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger were incredibly influential.  One of the books I’m working on with an old university friend is called Revolution Rock Against Thatcher. It explores how so many British bands protested against Thatcher’s neoliberal economic policies, nuclear proliferation, and the placement of American missiles across Britain. So, while I may not be up to date on modern music, I do know that the legacy of politically charged music continues, and I encourage students to explore these artists. 

You are also quite a traveler. How has your international experience shaped your global mindset, and how do you share this perspective with your students?

As a child, I used to look out of the classroom window at the beautiful fields of rural Derbyshire, England, but I always thought, "I want to see the world. I want to travel." 

I spent a lot of time at the village library, reading books by authors from all over the world—Tintin, Dickens, Hemingway, Dos Passos, Steinbeck, Emile Zola, Victor Hugo, and many more. That desire to explore never left me. 

Since then, I've traveled to about 170 countries—almost all of them. After graduating in 1983, my friend Nick Cooper and I took a round-the-world trip. That was my biggest adventure, but I’ve continued traveling ever since—hitchhiking across America, walking across the Andes, and exploring Africa, China, and Asia. 

My advice to students is to travel while they're young, ideally before turning 30. After that, life gets complicated with jobs, families, and responsibilities, making it much harder to travel freely. 

Can you share some of your favorite memories from your time at Schiller? 

I've had many wonderful memories at Schiller, especially when students show their appreciation. Many have kept in touch over the years, and they email me sometimes to tell me, "You were right about that," or even, "You were wrong about that." 

One pleasant surprise over the years has been how students usually react at the end of my courses. Usually, the day before the exam, I tell them that I hope the course was useful, not just for the exam but for their lives moving forward. Then I remind them that their generation will have to solve the world's problems.

What always surprises me is that they often applaud at the end of the course. Maybe it's because they're relieved it's over, and they don’t have to deal with me anymore! I jokingly tell them to save the applause until after the exam. But seriously, it’s gratifying to know that they recognize the effort I put into teaching. It means a lot when students thank me for a good class and later write to say how useful my teaching has been.

Duncan Shaw’s 20 Rules to Live Decently in an Indecent World:

1. Be nice to each other, clean up your mess - our Holmgate County Primary School motto.
2. Do a good deed every day – by helping those less fortunate, our Clay Cross Boy Scout motto.
3. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – try to be generous, patient, tolerant.
4. Treasure your friends and family members – but don’t expect too much from them.
5. Don’t expect too much from public events – especially from politics and sport.
6. Don’t take yourself and others too seriously – we are all so flawed and error-prone.
7. Try to create your own ‘private world,’ as a refuge – through music, art, literature
8. Don’t worry yourself excessively about the state of the world – but always vote in elections
9. Be kind to all animals – they might be our friends and family members reincarnated
10. Have as few material possessions as possible – give to the poor everything you don’t need
11. Know that life is a test, and that we will all be judged - on Judgement Day, the day we die
12. Know that this is not our only life – I think we will have another life, after being judged
13. There are more questions than answers – beware of false prophets and demagogues
14. Mens sana in corpore sano – exercise daily, steer well clear of alcohol and drugs
15. Neither a borrower nor a lender be – try to save quarter of what you earn, if possible
16. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice – if you’re not listening, you’re not learning
17. Plant a tree, have a child, write a book - show kids the difference between right and wrong
18. Always take the opportunity to have a good meal and a nap – they are both so important
19. Try to leave the world a better place than how you found it – especially the environment
20. Carpe diem – seize the day, without worrying too much about yesterday and tomorrow