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This course introduces undergraduate students to the basic theory, institutional architecture, and practice of international development. The course comprises of weekly lectures and seminars.

The lectures aim to:

• Develop a foundational understanding of competing schools of thought in contemporary international development.
• Integrate theory and practice through applying theory to current events and historical cases.
• Assess how theory is put into practice via international institutions, government agencies, NGOs, and their programs and policies.

The seminars encourage students re-examine conventional knowledge and engage critically with the assumptions behind theories and policies. By the end of the semester, students should be able to recognize the challenges, actors, and policies in the development field.

Course Structure:

The course is divided into four parts. The first part explores basic concepts, definitions and measures of socio-economic development. This initial work is designed to provide an introduction to the topics to be discussed during the rest of the semester. The second part provides an extensive analysis of development theory. We will discuss how theory leads to different understandings of what the challenges are, and accordingly, what different strategies are developer for the achievement of development. The third part explores the international aid system since its origins with the establishment of the Bretton Woods System. In this part we will discuss how this system evolved to the highly complex and dynamic international development context that exists today. Finally, the fourth part focuses on applied development issues. In particular, this final part aims to explore the implementation of development strategies by international institutions, government agencies, and NGOs.