International development: The Effects of Politics, Institutions and International Economy

The course focuses on political, institutional and economic causes of global development and underdevelopment. The course examines central theories on development as well as empirical literature in the field and discusses, among other things, the effects of international trade, investment, and development assistance; the development role of international organizations like the World Bank, IMF, UN and WTO, the impact of migration, domestic costraints on development in poor countries, and the extent to which national authorities enjoy freedom of action to pursue their own development models. The course provides both a historical and contemporary perspective.

Knowledge – the student shall:
* know the connections among global development, international economy and political decisions and institutions.
* demonstrate the ability to apply the theories and models which are central to international development.
* demonstrate independence in the preparation of a semester assignment which fulfills the criteria for scientific writing.

Lectures and group discussions amounting to 4 hours a week. Supervising of term paper. Approved term paper with a lenght of 4000-5000 words. The term paper can also be written in groups (2-3 students), in which case the required lenght of the paper will be increased correspondingly. The language of instruction is English.

Forms of assessment: 5 hour written exam.