ECON314 ECON.OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
| Course Code: | 3110314 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 6.0 |
| Department: | Economics |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Assoc.Prof.Dr. İLHAN CAN ÖZEN |
| Offered Semester: | Fall Semesters. |
Course Objectives
Development Economics examines one of the most important economic, political, and moral challenges of our time, namely, the demand for economic growth and development in low-income countries, and the prospects for their transformation into modern, globalized, and high-income economies.
The course consists of seven modules. The first five of these explore the nature and causes of development and underdevelopment, the effects of development aid in recipient countries, and the vexing phenomenon of "growth without development," all in terms of
(1) the four major macroeconomic models of development;
(2) the basic contemporary policy debate ("Planners" vs. "Searchers");
(3) obstacles and opportunities attributable to the international aid architecture;
(4) theoretical and technical approaches to assessing aid effectiveness; and
(5) project management tools for evaluating specific development initiatives.
In the closing weeks of the course, the complex role of (6) political economy of development and democracy is also introduced in advance of our (7) final research assignment.
Course Content
This course is designed as an introduction to the field of economic development, and examining the intersection of this literature with the newly emerging field of political economy of institutions and development.
Course Learning Outcomes
- Understand the complexity of economic growth and development and the debates surrounding the ways and means to support it.
- Gain knowledge of various paradigms of economic development, and their application in a geographic and historic perspective.
- Gain factual knowledge of the “international aid architecture,” including the main institutional actors, the policy framework, and operational challenges.
- Be able to critically address current/historical debates surrounding political economy of development, and the role of democracy vis-a-vis development outcomes.
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | The aim of our program is to equip our students with the necessary skills and tools to have a firm understanding of economic theory and policymaking. Our graduates will be able to conceptualize economic problems, assess, analyze, and propose scientific solutions to them. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | Our students are expected to have interdisciplinary perspective to be able to follow and understand daily economic and political developments. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | Our program also trains students to be open to new ideas, be sensitive about social problems surrounding them and work towards providing solutions for these to share with their community. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution