AØKK08416U Seminar: Topics in Development Economics
The seminar is primarily for students at the MSc of Economics.
The seminar allows students to obtain deeper knowledge and
conduct an empirical investigation about a topic of their choice in
the area of development economics. Possible topics include, but are
not limited to:
• Poverty and inequality
• Agricultural production
• Entrepreneurship and firms in developing countries
• Technology adoption
• Education
• Health
• Global value chains
• Corporate social responsibility
• Access to finance
• Institutions and corruption
• Natural resources
• Migration
• Gender inequality
• Violence against women
• Public policies
• Conflict
Within the topic of their choice, students are expected to develop a specific research question, conduct an empirical analysis using suitable data, and discuss their findings in the context of existing literature. It is also possible to replicate in another context and to extend the empirical analysis of an existing published article.
Examples of datasets that can be used for the empirical analysis will be discussed during the introductory meeting.
After completing the seminar the student is expected to be able to fulfill the learning outcome specified in the Master curriculum and to be able to:
Knowledge:
- Deeply comprehend the relevant literature within the chosen topic of the seminar paper
- Independently evaluate the empirical methods in the relevant
literature and the seminar paper
Skills:
- Critically examine literature relevant for the chosen topic of the seminar paper
- Find, use and analyze the relevant data for the purpose of answering the chosen research question
- Interpret and discuss limitations of the empirical analysis and data
- Present findings in written and oral form
- Evaluate and discuss the work of other students
Competences:
- Conduct an empirical analysis to answer a research question in the field of development economics
- Identify and critically analyze the key elements of scientific articles, including, but not limited to, the key research question, empirical strategy and contributions to the related literature
Some examples of literature:
Ashraf, Nava, Natalie Bau, Nathan Nunn, and Alessandra Voena. 2019.
“Bride Price and Female Education.” Journal of Political Economy
128 (2): 591–641.
Atkin, David. 2016. “The Caloric Costs of Culture: Evidence from
Indian Migrants.” American Economic Review 106 (4): 1144–81.
Bai, Jie, Seema Jayachandran, Edmund J. Malesky, and Benjamin A.
Olken. 2019. “Firm Growth and Corruption: Empirical Evidence from
Vietnam.” The Economic Journal 129 (618): 651–677.
Bandiera, Oriana, Robin Burgess, Narayan Das, Selim Gulesci, Imran
Rasul, and Munshi Sulaiman. 2017. “Labor Markets and Poverty in
Village Economies.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 132 (2):
811–870.
Bellemare, Marc F., Johanna Fajardo-Gonzalez, and Seth R. Gitter.
2018. “Foods and Fads: The Welfare Impacts of Rising Quinoa Prices
in Peru.” World Development 112 (December): 163–179.
Heath, Rachel, and A. Mushfiq Mobarak. 2015. “Manufacturing Growth
and the Lives of Bangladeshi Women.” Journal of Development
Economics 115 (July): 1–15.
Kabeer, Naila, and Hugh Waddington. 2015. “Economic Impacts of
Conditional Cash Transfer Programmes: A Systematic Review and
Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Development Effectiveness 7 (3):
290–303.
La Ferrara, Eliana, Alberto Chong, and Suzanne Duryea. 2012. “Soap
Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil.” American Economic
Journal: Applied Economics 4 (4): 1–31.
McCaig, Brian, and Nina Pavcnik. 2018. “Export Markets and Labor
Allocation in a Low-Income Country.” American Economic Review 108
(7): 1899–1941.
Note: More specific papers will be suggested once the students have
decided the topic of their seminar paper.
For the empirical analysis:
Cameron, A. Colin, and Pravin K. Trivedi. 2010. Microeconometrics
Using Stata: Revised Edition. 2nd Edition. College Station, Tex:
Stata Press.
Deaton, Angus S. 2019. The Analysis of Household Surveys: A
Microeconometric Approach to Development Policy. Washington, DC:
World Bank.
Wooldridge, Jeffrey M. 2010. Econometric Analysis of Cross Section
and Panel Data. second edition. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press.
Students will also benefit from previous or concurrent participation in courses on Advanced Development Economics – Micro Aspects and Advanced Development Economics – Macro Aspects.
- identify and clarify a problem,
- seek and select relevant literatur,
- write a academic paper,
- present and discuss own paper with the other students at the seminar.
Mandatory activities in the seminar:
- Kick-off meeting
- Finding literatur and defining the project
- Writing process of the seminar paper
- Presentation of own project and paper
- Giving constructive feedback to another student´s paper
- Actively participating in discussions at the presentations and other meetings.
The aim of the presentations is, that you use the presentation as an opportunity to practice oral skills and to receive feedback at the paper. The presentations are not a part of the exam and will not be assessed.
The seminar project paper must be uploaded in Absalon before the presentations, as the opponents and the other seminar participants have to read and comment on the paper. It is important that you upload a paper that is so finalized as possible due to the fact that the value of feedback and comments at the presentation is strongly associated with the skill level of the seminar paper.
The teacher defines what materials may be used for the presentations.
After the presentations, you can with a few corrections improve the seminar paper by including the feedback and comments emerged during the presentations. It is NOT intended that you rewrite or begin the writing of the seminar paper after the presentation has taken place.
Pandemic:
In case of a pandemic like Corona the teaching in this seminar may be changed to be taught either fully or partly online. For further information, see the course room on Absalon.
Spring 2021:
• Kick-off meeting: Wednesday, 10 February, at 10:15-12:00
• Individual advisory meetings upon request 25 February – 3 March 2021
• Deadline of commitment paper: 8 March 2021
• Deadline of pre-paper upload in Absalon: One week before the presentations
• Workshops/ Presentations meetings: 18-20 May
General information:
It is strongly recommended that you think about and search for a topic before the semester begins, as there is only a few weeks from the kick-off meeting to the submission of the project description/agreement paper.
There is no weekly teaching/lecturing and the student cannot expect guidance from the teacher. If the teacher gives a few introduction lectures or gives the opportunity for guidance, this as well as other expectations are clarified at the kickoff meeting.
All information regarding the seminar is communicated through Absalon including venue. So it is very important that you by yourself logon to Absalon and read the information already when you are registered at the seminar.
- Category
- Hours
- Project work
- 186
- Seminar
- 20
- Total
- 206
- Collective feedback is given as projects are being presented.
- Each student receives individually oral feedback on the presentation from peers and supervisor.
- The supervisor gives the students individual guidance during the seminar.
For enrolled students: More information about registration, schedule, rules etc. can be found at Master (UK) and Master (DK).
More information about seminars is available at Seminars (UK) and Seminars (DK).
Read about the study programme and curricula at MSc in Economics
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written examinationA seminar paper in English that meets the formal requirements for written papers stated in the curriculum of the Master programme and at KUNet for seminars.
___ - Exam registration requirements
Attendance in all activities at the seminar as stated in the formal requrements in the Master curriculum and at the KUnet for Seminars (UK) and Seminars (DK) is required to participate in the exam.
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- Aid
- All aids allowed
for the seminar paper.
The teacher defines the aids that must be used for the presentations.
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- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
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- Exam period
Exam information:
Spring 2021:
Deadline for submitting the final seminar paper: June 1, 2021 before 10 AMThe seminar paper must be uploaded to the Digital Exam portal. More information will be available from the middle of the semester.
For enrolled students more information about examination, rules, aids etc. is available at the intranet for Master (UK) and Master (DK).
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- Re-exam
Reexam information:
The reexam is a written seminar paper as stated in the Master curriculum.
Deadline and more information is available at Seminars(UK) and Seminars(DK).
More information about reexam etc is available at Master(UK) and Master(DK).
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Criteria for exam assesment
Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the seminar and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes in the Curriculum of the Master programme.
To receive the top grade, the student must with no or only a few minor weaknesses be able to demonstrate an excellent performance displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- AØKK08416U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Spring
- Schedule
- and venue:
Go to "Remarks".
Exam and re-sits: Go to "Exam". - Course capacity
- two classes of up to 20 students on each
- Study board
- Department of Economics, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Economics
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinators
- Neda Trifkovic (14-756c6b68357b79706d72767d706a476c6a767535727c356b72)
Lecturers
Neda Trifkovic