Bachelor
2024/2025
Management of International Development
Type:
Elective course
Area of studies:
International Relations
Delivered by:
Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
When:
4 year, 1-3 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
4
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Development management is a subject which provides insights and understanding of the institutional drivers of economic and social development, as well as economic and social decomposition. It trains students to manage processes of change in the direction of increasing prosperity and freedom. Many students approach this course with the idea that development management is primarily about administering aid projects. Common misunderstandings are that countries develop as the direct result of international donor and NGO activities, and hence that by better administering the aid projects of such organisations, societies can become richer and more free. Such a view is rooted in a myth of charity which holds that people become more developed through the efforts and resources of others. This course will provide ample empirical and historical evidence to show that in fact societies develop as a result of deep changes in the way they organise key sets of rules by which they operate, such as the economy, government, and the system of justice. These sets of rules define their institutions, and hence development can be viewed as a process of transformation from less effective to more effective institutions. Outsiders, such as NGOs and international agencies, can play a crucial role in nudging societies towards such transformations, and advising national actors once change is under way. But the fundamental responsibility lies within developing societies. What you should take away from this course is an understanding of the role of institutions and organisations in developmental and anti-developmental processes, and strategies for fomenting the former and discouraging the latter.