210414 SE D6, G6: Strategic Governance (2007S)

This course will focus on the crucial role of industry in the sustainable development of developing countries in a globalized world. Particular attention will be placed on new forms of strategic governance which will enable industries in late-comers to benefit from arising opportunities as well as to address challenges of globalization.

The twin forces of "globalization" of industries and the "localization" of competitive advantages largely define the context of the industrialization of developing countries. The core question to be answered will be how to govern the interface between the global and the local level in order to improve the performances of developing countries in the global economic game.

Traditional linear and simple governance models (e.g. the state vs. the market) need to be discarded in favour of a more complex and integrated system of institutions and organizations on various levels. New strategic governance models reflect participatory, collaborative and experimentalist configurations of institutions and organizations which enable them to openly deal with uncertainty and complexity in order to finally embark on the "high-road" of sustainable industrial development.

In the run of the course, the following questions will be addressed:
What is Strategic Governance for Sustainable Industrial Development?
Which challenges and opportunities arise for developing countries due to globalization?
Why are new forms of Strategic Governance needed in response to new issues?
How can these new forms look like?
What strategies and policies will be adopted?
Which best-practice cases can be found in developing countries?

Methodology

The seminar will include lecture-type introductory sessions in order to set out the argument and to present the state-of-the-art in industrial development. Students will be asked to intensively participate in the course through reviewing basic texts and critically engaging in class discussions on each session. The preparation and presentation of a seminar paper on one particular topic will also be required.

In order to relate the class debates to developmental practice, international experts will occasionally be invited to join the discussions and present the practitioner's view on the topics at stake.

Students with experience in matters of international development are equally welcome as are students who would like to develop a first understanding of the topic.