Handbook

Why does global inequality persist? Why do some countries remain poor, beset by conflict, while others leap ahead? What role do international and state actors play in promoting better development, or in holding it back? In order to find the answer to these questions, you will learn about contemporary academic and policy debates about international development and the quest to find solutions to global inequality and persistent underdevelopment.

You are encouraged to learn different ways to think about development, understand the role of international actors in promoting specific development outcomes, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different explanatory accounts, find your own position and apply your critical insight to real-world challenges. You will learn about a variety of structural forces that can impede development outcomes, including conflict, communicable diseases, natural resources, geo-politics, and governance institutions. In addition to international actors, you will learn about the growing role of non-governmental organizations and civil society in a global world, and explore the role of China and Japan as emerging international development actors.