Development Economics

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/E_EBE2_DE

Course Objective

After successfully completing this course, you will: know the main tools and models for the analysis of economic development (Bridging Theory and Practice – Knowledge)know broad patterns of economic development (Bridging Theory and Practice)understand the microeconomics of development along various policy-relevant dimensions, such as health, education and the labor market (Bridging Theory and Practice – Knowledge)be aware of issues that arise in measuring poverty and inequality and understand the link between growth, inequality and poverty (Bridging Theory and Practice – Knowledge)understand how to conduct and critically evaluate policy analysis (Academic and Research Skills)know the standard theories of international trade (Bridging Theory and Practice – Knowledge)

Course Content

This course provides an introduction to development economics, with special attention to the microeconomics of development, the role of international trade, as well as topics surrounding poverty and inequality. The course provides an overview of the canonical theories and tools of economic development, introducing students to the analysis of economic development and asking whether and how development can be achieved, and to what extent it can be associated with equality of opportunity and a fair division of economic returns. The course starts by introducing students to the challenges in conceptualizing, measuring, and monitoring (economic) development. Care is taken to clarify concepts, identify critical underlying assumptions, and acknowledge the important role played by normative judgments. Essential background knowledge in statistics, data analysis, and introductory econometrics will be briefly revised. With these essential concepts and tools in hand, students are then presented with a comprehensive overview of a range of conventional development theories, covering topics as diverse as education, labor markets, health, migration, and institutions. The course covers many of the principal paradigms proposed to understand economic development, addressing classical topics such as household economic decision-making, the role of labor and credit markets, the contribution and impact of domestic and international trade, the drivers of economic growth, and the role of public policy. Beyond the analysis of microeconomic topics of development, a further focus will be on the topics of growth-inequality-poverty as well as international trade.

Teaching Methods

Lectures, tutorials.

Method of Assessment

Assignments
- individual and group assessments.Final exam
- individual assessment.

Literature

Selected chapters from Van Marrewijk, C and Brackman, S. (2023) The Economics of Developing and Emerging Markets (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). Additional readings provided by the instructors.

Entry Requirements

Microeconomics I, Macroeconomics I.