IR483 POLITICS OF INTERNATIONAL AID:ISSUES, ACTORS AND DIEMMAS
| Course Code: | 3140483 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 6.0 |
| Department: | International Relations |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Assoc.Prof.Dr. ŞERİF ONUR BAHÇECİK |
| Offered Semester: | Fall Semesters. |
Course Objectives
The key objectives of this course are to enable students:
- To be familiar with the origins, evolution and forms of international assistance, the type of donors (bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs) involved and their various motivations
- To facilitate students to acquire knowledge and think critically about the determinants, allocation, impact and effectiveness of aid; aid delivery in humanitarian crises, conflict and post-conflict situations
- To develop an understanding of the link between aid and development, of the debates and dilemmas about specific policy initiatives, as well as to be able to take their own positions on reform prospects
- To understand the nature, strengths, and weaknesses of the key tools used in various forms of aid (technical assistance, capacity building, participation, conditionality, etc.)
- To analyze the changing role of aid in IR since 9/11 and the transformation of the foreign aid regime
Course Content
The purpose of this course is to introduce and analyze a wide range of issues that are central to the politics of international aid. Drawing on the historical record and more recent case studies, students will develop an in-depth understanding of the main actors, mechanisms, and dilemmas in the contemporary aid system; how foreign aid and development policy theories are constructed and used. We will examine the role of international and local politics on the provision of international aid not only from the perspective of donor countries, but also from the standpoint of recipient countries.
This course is intended to facilitate students to acquire knowledge and think critically about origins, evolution and forms of foreign assistance; the types of donors involved and their various motivations; the determinants, allocation, impact, and effectiveness of aid; aid delivery in humanitarian crises, conflict and post-conflict situations; the debates and criticisms surrounding specific policy initiatives; and the changing role of aid in international relations since 9/11.
Course Learning Outcomes
The objective of class discussions and written assignments is to help students develop their research and analytical skills as well as their ability to understand, criticize and create scholarly arguments.
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | To establish a firm basis of academic knowledge in the discipline of International Relations. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | To draw connections among different social sciences disciplines. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | To analyze social and international phenomenon in a holistic manner. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | To communicate in oral and written ways. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | To create original ideas through academic inquiry and research. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | To have social sensitivity and moral responsibilities. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution