This course will explore development public policies, their processes and outcomes in Africa and the Middle East. While these are usually perceived as the work of experts, technocrats and international best practices, they are imbued with ideological underpinnings, and shaped by actors' interests and structural processes.
Following decolonization, many African and Middle Eastern countries aimed at establishing their independence by putting in place national development strategies. Development aid from the North and South-South cooperation have also remained a key feature of these efforts. In tandem, developing nations tried to build common positions on global issues and in multilateral negotiations. One could argue that most of these efforts, nationally, regionally and internationally were inspired by a belief that by adopting some modern practices and policies, an economic, social and even political global convergence will take shape. Is it possible to take stock of the progress in this regard? To what extent do public policies related to development alter or perpetuate existing power dynamics nationally and internationally?
These threads on the policies and politics of development will be examined through themes at the crossroads between the international and national spheres, such as the investment climate, trade policies and regional integration, global public health, South-South cooperation, food security and climate change. Whereas class sessions will focus on specific themes via assigned readings, the progression of the course and class discussions are expected to highlight how these themes are intertwined both from a policy and academic perspective.
This course is recommended for students who seek to build a career in the field of international development and public policy, whether within government, civil society, development agencies, related contractors or International organizations.
This course will be mainly offered online. Arrangements are planned for several sessions to be convened in person by the instructor.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of the course, students would be able to
1. Understand the complexities of public policies / development policies and their common threads;
2. Grasp main relevant concepts and theories related to development and public policies;
3. Develop the abilities to link issues and engage with them;
4. Mobilize knowledge to analyze, evaluate and compare development policies as well as apply concepts and tools to understand new contexts;
5. Contextualize and historicize development, notably through a better knowledge of the regional contexts and historical trajectories in Africa and the Middle East.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:
1. Articulate arguments grounded in theory, evidence and data orally and in written form ;
2. Engaging in reflective and independent thinking;
3. Write professional, policy-oriented papers;
4. Work effectively in teams to generate case studies group presentation.