Certificate in International Development

The course is highly participatory and includes simulations, case analyses, small and large group discussions and lectures. Requirements include writing a global health policy analysis on an issue of your choice, presentation of that analysis in a class symposium and a take home examination. The course is divided into four sections. In the introductory part of the course we will explore several critical issues concerning global health: the contours of the field, the aims of global health, the complex determinants of health outcomes and the ethical bases for promoting health. We will then move on to consider a set of health problems that have particularly severe impact on disadvantaged populations, including HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and non-communicable diseases. In the third part of the course we will consider some of the fundamental challenges in global health governance, including expanding health coverage and addressing global health security. In the final part of the course you will engage a topic selected by the class, present and participate in a class symposium on global health, and examine the future of global health.

Is the phenomenon of greater import in the current (and future) context than it has historically been and if so, why? How do selection characteristics of international migrants and reasons for leaving – whether as students, workers or refugees – affect the country of origin? What are the human capital effects ranging from the “brain-drain” of limited human capital to “brain-gain” effects arising and social norms and thereby influence social and political change? When do diasporas engage in “long- distance” nationalism that support more polar political parties and groups from diasporic networks? What are the different forms of economic engagement of diasporas with their countries of origin, ranging from remittances to trade to FDI, and why do these vary? Do diasporas transmit "social" remittances which reshape individual preferences engaged in conflict and civil wars? And what are the effects of destination country policies on immigrant selection, assimilation and deportation on the above questions?

In order for the global population to be food secure, we need functional, sustainable food systems. However, food systems and the political framing of how they function, are complex networks of individuals and institutions. Depending on policies, food systems determine the availability, affordability and nutritional quality of the food supply, and influence the amount and combination of foods that people are willing and able to consume. Agriculture-led economic growth of countries, the health and nutrition of populations, and environmental sustainability of landscapes are all significant factors of how public policies are made and directed. Conflicts regarding land, technology, natural resources, subsidies, inequity and trade are all being played out in the food policy arena. Students who take this course will become familiar with both domestic and international food policy processes and typologies along with the key players in the international landscape, and will be able to critically analyze and debate how policy and science interact with regard to food security.

While the focus of the course is on countries that are not considered rich or developed (most countries in the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East), we will refer to and use material throughout the course that also covers the rich countries and emerging market ones inasmuch as: 1) they were once underdeveloped or have developed recently, and this experience sheds light on those that have not managed to develop or ‘catch up’; and 2) their own growth and development has been in many cases a cause why others have remained undeveloped (i.e. colonialism, imperialism, dependency). The main analytical tools for the study of the international component come from concepts, theories, case studies, and data from the sub-field of International Political Economy (IPE). In turn, the main tools for the study of the domestic component of developing countries come from the sub-field of Comparative Political Economy (CPE). Hence, the course identifies key overlapping international and domestic factors that have led some countries to be poorer, less developed and more vulnerable than the advanced or mature capitalist ones.