THEORY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
​Knowledge and understanding
The module aims to introduce students to international economic development. It focuses on the problems and features of development with attention to recent advances in the field and to approaches adopted by the main international development institutions. The module covers both microeconomic and macroeconomic issues in development.
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Applying knowledge and understanding
By the end of the module, students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of some aspects of development economics such as growth, inequalities, poverty, and international trade both in developing and developed countries.
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Further expected learning outcomes:
Students will be able to:
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to prove they have extended their core skills;
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to apply their skills in the analysis of problems characteristic of developing and developed economies;
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communicate their knowledge and understanding to others by presentations and essays;
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to discuss policy issues related to the material they have studied;
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to demonstrate they have learned to search for relevant literature to approach the development economics critically and to address key questions on development.
CONTENTS
Millennium development goals
Income based measures of growth
Sen’s Theory of Human Development
Human Development Index
Inequality
Growth Theory: Solow Model; convergence; endogenous growth
Globalization and Development
Specific topics for in class presentations/essays.
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TEXTBOOKS
Recommended textbooks:
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Todaro, Michael P. and Stephen Smith, Economic Development, 12th Edition, (2015) Pearson. Selected chapters.
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Krugman, P. R., Obstfeld M., Melitz M. J. International Economics: theory and policy, (2015) Pearson. Selected chapters.
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A list of readings will be made available at the beginning of the course.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Learning results to be verified
All the students will make a presentation and will write an essay on the results of their individual research (45% of the final mark) and will perform a written exam (45% of the final mark). Class Participation (10% of the final mark): this grade will be calculated to reflect students’ participation in class discussions and their capacity to introduce ideas.
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Assessment method
Written and oral examination
Open questions