General information

• Study points: 6.00
• Language: English
• Category: Lectures
• Duration: 39.0 hours 
• Periodicity: Taught this academic year in the first semester
• POC: POC Bachelor FEB

Taught by

Swinnen Johan

Content

This course aims to provide students a thorough introduction to economic problems of developing countries by making students familiar with the relevant facts and by explaining the analytical frameworks used by economists to study these issues. 

After introducing the large global inequalities in income, health and education and discussing conceptual problems and measurement issues, we will turn to three major causes studied in the literature: the quality of a country’s institutions (the rule of law, the absence of corruption, the efficiency of government, etc.), the role of geography (for instance the disadvantage of having a disease-prone environment), and the role of history (e.g. the lasting impact of colonization and the slave trades in Africa). 

We will study the effects of globalization, which means an increased international mobility of goods and services (international trade), capital (foreign direct investment) and people (international migration). The role of international institutions such as the World Bank and the World Trade Organization is also discussed.

A number of specific topics in development economics will be discussed in more detail. We discuss the choice between two different strategies of economic reform (a ‘shock therapy’ or a more gradual approach) by comparing the Former Soviet Union (FSU) with China. We introduce students to the debate on the impact of foreign aid, presenting the views of ‘believers’ (J. Sachs) and ‘skeptics’ (W. Easterly) and discussing recent developments (the popularity of randomized control trials and the Millennium Development Goals). Other topics may include the role of agriculture in development, the ‘natural resource curse’ and violent conflicts, the role of credit markets in developing countries and the microfinance revolution, and issues related to health, population growth and education. A final class discusses the outlook for the future, comparing the views of ‘pessimists’ and ‘optimists’ on global development.

Course Material

Slides used during the lectures.
Own notes.
Additional literature (made available through Toledo).

Evaluation description

Examination type:
    written
When?: interim evaluations plus final examination during examination period
Evaluation type:
    Closed book
    Paper

Explanation

Determining exam results
* The exam is assessed by the lecturer(s), as announced via Toledo and the examination schedule. The grade is expressed as an integer number between 0 en 20.
The exam result is a weighted grade which is determined as follows: -The paper make sup 30% of the grade, the final exam makes up 70% of the grade. 
Evaluation assignment/paper
* Deadline: 
-The period for submittal and the deadline will be determined by the lecturer (titularis) and communicated via Toledo.
If the determined deadline was not respected, the final grade of the course will be 0/20, unless the student requested a new deadline because of serious reasons. 
Evaluation third examination period
* During the academic year, a student has 2 chances to complete the exam: a first time during the first or second examination period, in accordance with the scheduled semester, and a second time during the third examination period. 
* The evaluation criteria of the third examination period are identical to those of the first or second examination period.
* During the third examination period (retaking exams) the assignment/paper will be part of the final assessment. The (group)assignment/paper may be resubmitted fot he third examination period. The student is allowed to make adjustments. The final grade of the third examination period is calculated in the same way as during the first examination period.