NIFB14033U Development Economics

Volume 2016/2017
Education

Bacheloruddannelsen i jordbrugsøkonomi
MSc Programme in Agricultural Development

Content

This is a course for students interested in the challenges posed by the vast and enduring world poverty, in the way economists conceptualize those challenges, their causes and solutions. Key questions we will be discussing during this course include: What is life like when living with under a dollar a day? Are famines unavoidable? Is child labour necessary? Is education the key to lift people out of poverty? Without property rights, is life destined to be miserable? Why are the poor forest-dependent and the forest-dependent poor? Does growth help the poorest of the poor?

 

The topics explored include:

  • Poverty and inequality

  • Economic growth theory

  • Food production and consumption

  • Health and Education (human capital)

  • Poverty-Environment linkages

  • Urbanization and migration

  • Democracy, governance and conflicts

  • Policy making and how the state, donors, NGOs and the private sector can support or hinder development

Learning Outcome

Towards the end of the course, students should be able to:

Knowledge:

  • Define and explain development economics concepts and models

  • Characterize economic life in developing countries

 

Skills:

  • Explain the root causes of the problems faced by households and institutions in developing countries
  • Analyze quantitative data with Excel
  • Solve case study problems on different aspects of economic life in developing countries

 

Competences:

  • Discuss and cooperate with fellow students to solve problems

  • Apply general economic thinking as well as the concepts and specialized models of development economics to analyze development econoimic and policy-related questions

  • Critically reflect on  and discuss causes of economic problems faced by households and institutions in developing countries

The course is based on a textbook. Precise details on literature will be given on Absalon prior to course start.

Additional material (e.g. scientific articles, selected book chapters and reports) will be supplied throughout the course.

No prior academic qualifications are needed, yet a bit of knowledge of basic economic theory is an advantage, as well as some experience using MS Excel for basic data analysis.
Blended learning combining e-learning and classroom activities. E-learning is centred around online asynchronous discussions in small groups (7-9 people). Each week, students will be asked to (i) read the mandatory literature (ii) participate in online asynchronous discussions on a particular topic of relevance for the week’s theme; (iii) meet up in class to discuss the reading material and solve problems (based on quantitative and qualitative data).
  • Category
  • Hours
  • E-Learning
  • 25
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Lectures
  • 20
  • Practical exercises
  • 27
  • Preparation
  • 130
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 4 timer under invigilation
The course has been selected for ITX exam at Peter Bangs Vej.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal examiner
Re-exam

If 10 or fewer register for the reexamination the examination form will be oral.

Criteria for exam assesment

Assesment in accordance with the learning outcomes