Development Studies

This course studies a range of key historical problems and conceptual questions relating to the colonial and postcolonial experience. Focus is placed on the characteristics of capitalism, imperialism, and modernity, and students also examine the making of the modern world. Students gain an overview of European expansion, the slave economy, the development of wage labor, industrial growth, imperialism, creation of the modern state, genocide, development, anti-colonialism, and the creation of the “third world.” Students are exposed to a long-term, historical view within which the material of subsequent development studies courses may be usefully contextualized. Assessment is based fully on a final essay.

Examining flows of diseases, people, goods, knowledge, and technology induced by processes of globalization can deepen our understanding of the complexity of health and disease. In this course, these flows are studied in depth, bringing insights into (epi) genetic disease distributions as well as the spread of information, technology, and migration, all in themselves affecting health and disease. The content of this course draws on several distinct academic disciplines of political economy, anthropology, biomedicine, (epi) genetics, and epidemiology. Prerequisites include Introduction to Biology and at least one of the following courses: Genetics and evolution, Infectious diseases and Global public Health, or Globalization and Inequality.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by permission of the instructor. The course aims to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the complex phenomenon of climate change, as well as an understanding of the main interdependencies between the economic and political aspects and the local, supranational, and global dimensions. At the end of the course, students are able to: a) identify the main consequences on some areas of the economy, society, and international politics; b) describe the origins and evolution of international agreements and programs aimed at addressing the problem of climate change; c) understand the impact of climate change on different regions/areas of the world; and d) critically analyze the effects of climate change on political and economic development, with particular attention to the impact on poverty. Course contents include: an introduction to development and climate change; observed and projected impacts of climate change; climate change diplomacy: history and development of international climate change agreements; climate change mitigation; vulnerability to climate change and adaptation; climate action in the context of the Sustainable Development Agenda; and climate justice and equity: intergenerational and gender perspectives.

This course interrogates development geography as a discipline, discourse, and practice. Framed as "global development" in contemporary discourse, it traces its origins to colonialism and engages with debates in both mainstream and radical development thinking. Drawing on examples from different regions of the world, it focuses on global challenges related to migration, employment, gender, environment, digital technologies, and development finance to reflect on the changing geographies and politics of development.

This course provides a combination of critical analytical and practical skills for engaging with the challenges of development planning and policy analysis in relation to African contexts. It includes at least three dimensions: firstly, it introduces critical theoretical approaches to the very notion of doing "development," to the study of policy, and to the politics of planning; secondly, it will prepare students for analyzing different kinds of development planning and policies in their historical-political-social-economic contexts; and thirdly, it provides critically reflective yet practical skills for planning concrete development projects and undertaking critical readings of policy. Students are encouraged to draw on and share their own previous experience of working in "development" settings where relevant but such experience is not a pre-requisite for the course.

How do different actors shape, relate to, sustain or contest the shifting orthodoxies of development? This course is organized as a genealogy of development policy thinking from post-war decolonization onwards. It gives students an essential introduction to the evolution of international development as a global project from its post-World War II origins to the present day. It maps out the key moments (of innovation, crisis, and reinvention) in that evolution and the shifts in thinking that underpin changes in global development agendas/policy.

This advanced course in development economics provides a thorough exposition of concepts, policy issues, and controversies in the process of economic development. The course covers leading issues in development economics such as the role of trade and institutions in industrialization and long-run development as well as cutting-edge empirical research on various topics such as human capital, conflict, corruption, foreign aid, gender, and the environment.

This is an introductory course on Global Governance and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). It discusses current international issues such as political and economic development, the environment, and human rights. 

This course provides a foundation for international development and cooperation. It covers the histories and theories of international development and cooperation; the concepts and evolution of development and its variants, including sustainable development, economic development, human development and capabilities, and post-development; the emergence and functioning of international organizations involved in coordinating global cooperation; and a selection of compelling contemporary issues.