Prerequisites
Course Description
This course is designed to familiarize students with key concepts and challenges of international development. This is a very wide field of theory and practice where many different areas of knowledge intersect. Development can be addressed from Economics, Political Science, International Relations, Anthropology, among others. Approaches can also vary depending on the level of analysis, from the more macro, concerned with general theories, to the more micro, dealing with the instruments and modalities of development interventions. A syllabus is a matter of choice among many possibilities to provide a general understanding of the field.
Given the content of the general programme of the undergraduate degree, I have made the choice of a broad structure of topics cutting across disciplines and levels of analysis, with a certain preference for Economics. The course is to be considered a general introduction to the complexities of development, with the aim of opening the apetite for a deeper understanding for those who are interested in a follow-up. This means that a preference has been placed in dealing with the more basic themes instead of concentrating in specific but also important policy issues, like rural development, gender, degrowth, change, microfinance, budget support, randomized control trials or others, that merit a lot of attention.
Workload distribution
Course Structure and Materials
PART I: What is the Meaning of International Development?
The first four sessions will be devoted to the historical background and competing meanings of International Development. Economic, political and human development will be examined through reading materials and videos that explore key concepts and controversies, lives of development actors and significant historical events.
Session 1: Origin and Meanings of International Development: Means, Ends and Values
Rist, S. (2014): The History of Development. Chapter 4 and 5.
Myrdal, G. (1974): What is Development? - Journal of Economic Issues Vol VIII (4)
Assa, J. (2020): What is a Developed Country? - Developing Economics.
Video (2018): The Marshall Plan. Ben Steil (45')
Video (2011): Identity and Development. Leufu (36')
Questions:
1) In your understanding, what is the most essential component of development?
2) Could you provide three examples of development interventions?
3) What does the word international add to the development concept?
4) Where would you set the line between developed and developing countries?
5) The Marshall Plan is a widely used example of a successful development intervention. What were the key features of its success?
6) Do you believe that cultures of indigenous populations should be respected when designing and implementing development projects? Why?
Session of practice: A life given to the development ideal. Hans Rosling.
Session 2: Economic development: Growth, Poverty and Inequality
Easterly, W. (2001): The Elusive Quest for Growth. Chapt 1, 2 and 3
Podcast (2010): Michael Spence on Growth (67')
Milanovic, B. (2020): The World is Becoming More Equal
Ravallion, M. (2020): A Short History of the Idea of Ending Poverty
Paul Collier (2009): Haiti: From Natural Catastrophe to Economic Security
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Questions:
1) Why economic growth is important for development?
2) What are the most important factors affecting growth? Is investment a key factor? Why?
3) Does aid contribute to growth?
4) How do we understand poverty? Is it the most important target of development?
5) Why is inequality important for development? What are the global trends in inequality?
6) What are the key recommendations of Paul Collier to ensure growth in Haiti? Do you agree with them?
Session of practice: War and global growth. Analysis of the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Session 3: The Conundrum of Political Development
Huntington, S. (1968): Political Order in Changing Societies. Foreword by F.Fukuyama (1-24, xi-xvii and 59-71).
Stewart, R. (2012): "The plane to Kabul? in Can Intervention Work? (1-89).
Video (2014): This is What Winning Looks Like (89').
Questions:
1) What do you understand by political development? Identify the most important components.
2) What is the relationship between political development and economic development?
3) What is nation building? What is the relationship between security and nation building? Is democracy an essential component of nation building?
4) What has been the experience of fighting terrorism and nation building? What would you do differently?
5) After reading the chapter of Afghanistan and watching the documentary, what are the major lessons you derive for future interventions in countries ravaged by conflict and war?
Session of practice: Analysis of the Millennium Challenge Account.
Session 4: Human and Sustainable Development
Sen, A. (1999): Development as Freedom. Chap. 1
Video (2017): The Argumentative Indian (56').
Asian Development Bank (2016), Gross National Happiness in Bhutan: 12 things to know.
Video (2012): What Matters in Bhutan (16').
Lorenzini, S. (2019): Global Development, Chap. 8 - Resources, Environment and Development, (124-141)
Huq, S. et al. (2006): Climate Change and Development Links
Questions:
1) What is Amartya Sen's concept of development? Do you agree with it? Why?
2) The Human Development Index (you will have to look in Internet). What is its rationale and dimensions? Look at the 2020 index. Point to a country that calls your attention. Why?
3) Three lessons of life of Amartya Sen.
4) The case of Bhutan. What lessons do you learn from it?
Session of practice: Climate change and resource allocation for developing countries.
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PART II: What are the drivers of development?
The second part of the course will deal with the several theories on how development can be achieved. After a case is made by its proponents, alternative views will be presented to illustrate advantages and disadvantages. The last session is concerned with a highly controversial topic that can apply to each one of the drivers: is development achieved through macro structural interventions or on a project by project bases?
Session 5: The Resource Driver: External Savings and Capital Investment
Sachs, J. (2005): The End of Poverty, Chap. 12 and 13
Podcasts (2014): Conversation with Nina Munk (63') and Conversation with Jeffrey Sachs (144')
Evaluation of the Millennium Development Villages project
Ted talks: Andrew Mwenda (2007) and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (2016) on Aid And Development in Africa
Questions:
1) What are the key drivers of development in the view of Jeffrey Sachs?
2) The Millennium Villages Project.
3) What is the criticism of Nina Munk?
4) What are the arguments of Jeffrey Sachs to defend the project?
Session of practice: Analysis of growth in a Country Strategy.
Session 6: The Market Driver: Structural Adjustment and Liberalization
Rodrik, D. (1990): "How Should Structural Adjustment Programs Be Designed? - World Development, Vol.18 (7): 933-947.
Stiglitz, J. (1989): Markets, Market Failures and Development. American Economic Review, 79 (2), 197-203.
Williamson, J. (1993): "Democracy and the Washington Consensus?, World Development, 21 (8): 1329-1336.
Video (2011): Interview with Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Former President of Brazil (60')
Questions:
1) What do you understand by structural adjustment?
2) Why markets are important for development?
3) What is more important for development, a functioning market or an effective state?
4) Identify two lessons for development from the interview with Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
Session of practice: Lessons from privatization. Video on water privatization in Cochabamba.
Session 7: The Policy Driver: Education as an Example
Hanushek, E. and Wobmann, L. (2007): Education Quality and Economic Growth.
Easterly, W. (2001): The Elusive Quest for Growth. Chap. 4
Andreas Schleicher on PISA (2012) (16')
Video (2010): Schooling the World (64')
Mapping the Global Learning Crisis - Education Next
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Questions:
1) Why education is important for development?
2) Quantity and quality dimensions of education. Schooling and learning. Why quality is key?
3) What are the main drivers of quality in education?
4) International educational standards like PISA. Why are they important?
Session of practice: The Education Strategy of the World Bank.
Session 8: Institutions Matter for Development
Acemoglou, D. and Robinson, J. (2010): Why Nations Fail. Chap. 3 and 4.
Inter-American Development Bank (2006): The Politics of Policies. Conclusion.
Dervis, K. (2006): "Governance and Development?, Journal of Democracy, 17 (4), (153-159).
Yuen Yuen Ang (2016): How China Escaped the Poverty Trap. Intro and Part I.
Video (2017): Kaushik Basu. Does Democracy Equate to Economic Growth? (16').
Video (2018): James Robinson. Institutions, Democracy and Economic Development. (7').
Questions:
1) What do we understand by institutions? Why are they important for development? Could you provide an example?
2) What institutions are relatively more important for development? Why?
3) Reflect on Yuen Yuen Ang thesis on China. What is the role she gives to institutions in explaining the transformation of China?
Session of practice: Examples anticorruption projects by bilateral/multilateral agencies.
PART III: Who are the Actors of Development?
Development has become a crowded arena with national and international actors competiting to gain influence and produce impact. International multilateral organizations have been traditionally considered protagonists of development but their influence has been gradually diminished. Civil Society, business actors and new donors have been gaining preminence and private-public coalitions have emerged in different sectors.
Session 9: The How of Development: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches
Easterly, W. (2006): "Planners versus Searchers in Foreign Aid?, Asian Development Review, Vol. 23 (2), (1-35).
Adelman, J. (2013): Worldly Philosopher. Chap. 13 Sing the epic (382-412).
Bulman, D. et al. (2015): Good Countries or Good Projects.
Video (2012): Interview with Ezra Vogel: Biography of Deng Xiaoping (64').
ODI (2015): Multilateral Development Banks: A short Guide.
Questions:
1) Planners versus searchers. What are their differences? What do you believe is better?
2) What are the key features of successful projects?
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3) What ideas you extract from the biography of A. Hirschman?
4) Deng Xiaoping biography. Identify two critical features of his leadership.
Session of practice: Are projects effective? Lessons from World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.
Session 10: The Contest between National and International Actors: Who Wins?
Cardoso, F.H. (1972): "Dependency and Development in Latin America?, New Left Review 74 (July/August), (83-95).
Krieckhaus, J. (2006): Dictating Development. Chap. 9<<
Mandele, E. (2018): Smallpox and the Globalization of Development in The Development Century, in The Development Century, Chap. 5.
Montinola, G. (2010): "When Does Aid Conditionality Work? ", Studies in Comparative International Development, 45, (358-382).
Questions:
1) How dependent is national development on historical forces like colonialism?
2) What are the most relevant external factors that affect economic and political development?
3) Should aid be based on conditions to be complied with by recipient countries?
4) Do you think failed countries should be governed through an international protectorate?
Session of practice: COVAX. A multilateral platform to fight the pandemic.
Session 11: International Multilateral Organizations: Development Banks, in particular
Woods, N. (2006): The Globalizers. The IMF, The World Bank and Their Borrowers, Intro. and Chap. 7.
ODI (2015): Multilateral Development Banks: A short Guide.
Ravallion, M. (2015): The World Bank: Why it is Needed and Why it Still Disappoints
Honig, D. (2014): More autonomy for Donor Organizations & Their Agents (Sometimes)
Questions:
1) Why development banks have been created?
2) What are the main categories of development banks?
3) How development banks operate?
- Where do they get the resources from?
- How do they channel resources to developing countries?
Session of practice: Strengths and weaknesses of development banks.
Session 12: Civil Society in International Development
OECD (2014): The Changing Role of Civil Society in Financing Sustainable Development
Brass, J. (2018): NGOs and International Development: A Review, World Development, 112 (136-149)
Ted Talks on Civil Society and Development:
? Auret van Heerden (2010): Making Global Labor Fair (17')
? Cristiana Figueres (2016): The Inside Story of the Paris Climate Agreement (15')
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Questions:
1) What roles can NGOs play in support of development?
2) Strengths and weaknesses of NGOs as development actors.
3) Personal reflection: what is the most important lesson that you retain from the course on International Development?
Session of practice: Video (2013): Raoul Peck. Fatal Assistance (100').
