Universität Wien

140381 VO+UE T III - Development Economics (2011S)

Continuous assessment of course work

Rückfragen und Kontakt:
Dr. Luis E. Gonzalez: legonzalez@intereconomies.com

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 09.03. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 16.03. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 23.03. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 30.03. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 06.04. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 13.04. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 04.05. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 11.05. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 18.05. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 25.05. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 01.06. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 08.06. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 15.06. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 22.06. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Wednesday 29.06. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Development effectiveness has become an important subject in today's international development discourse. It refers to the effectiveness of development endeavors and the authority of development assistance. An increasing body of evidence has identified the existence of fragile governance as a main cause of poor economic performance and particularly as a major characteristic of developing countries. We might find now, at the center of academic and policy discussions, increasing attention to the roles of governance and institutions in the promotion of economic growth and development. It is thus expected that developing countries would set up their development agenda being more conscious of the existing complex and challenging global environment and of the need to improve development effectiveness. The issues of good governance and effective institutions are fundamentally influencing our views on development. Required changes are so demanding that they would need not only a response to the existing socioeconomic conditions, but also a new approach to development. This academic course would attempt to provide: first, a synopsis of the theories of economic growth and economic development, with due consideration of the new growth and development theories; second, an account of the development role and scope of the international development assistance. Matters of particular consideration would be the current debate over development assistance: Sachs and the "Big Push" and the "Easterly Critique"; and conditionality, as seen by international development institutions and bilateral donors alike; and third, discussions on the relevance of economic growth, good governance, and social capital, as pre-conditions for the attainment of economic development. The course will thus focus on the route for development. It will also provide for a review of project documents, loan agreements and ODA conditionality, for two relevant operations financed in Africa and Latin America by a leading multilateral financial institution.

Assessment and permitted materials

The research paper on the selected country will bring into consideration an analytical account of the country's commitment to development; economic growth; ODA use; good governance; social capital; and conditionality. The paper will be individual and around 10 pages.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The course aims at increasing students' analytical comprehension and research abilities on relevant development issues; by both, their examination of pertinent theories and literature, and their evaluation of applied topics and views, all drawn from existing literature and research works done by leading scholars and international development institutions. The course has both theoretical and applied focus and is divided into thirteen main subjects:
Introduction to economic growth and development
Theories of economic growth
Determinants of long-run growth
Theories of economic development
Trade, globalization, growth and development
Poverty and inequality theories
Millennium Development Goals and the Washington Consensus
Good governance and corporate social responsibility
International development assistance and foreign debt
Fundamental causes of economic performance - social capital
Development effectiveness
Conditionality and development assistance.
Case study: Understanding development assistance and conditionality - Project and loan agreements - The cases of Mozambique and Haiti

Examination topics

Prior training in economics and development economics is a requirement. Students are expected to do reading prior to class and to participate actively in class discussion. Students will be given a list of required reading; this in addition to the course prepared notes and their reading of other material on their own. Written examination (40%) will take place by the end of the course. A final research paper (40%) will be prepared by the students. They will be asked, along the course progress, to select a developing country for the research paper and throughout the course the student will be able to relate this country's experience with topics under discussion each week. Class attendance is a requirement and active class participation expected (20%).

Reading list


Association in the course directory

T III

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:35