VVZ API is not affiliated with ETH Zurich. Data might be outdated or incorrect. Please view the official ETHZ Vorlesungsverzeichnis for binding information.
Recent Developments in Development Cooperation
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:19:19
Abstract
This research seminar leads students to assess recent trends in development cooperation using the tools of Political Economy and Institutional Economics. Different aid instruments and procedures are analyzed both from a normative and a positive perspective. Thereby students will gain some insights into decision making on aid and should be able to derive conclusions for improved aid effectiveness.
Content
In recent years, development policy has been characterized by a strong focus on issues related to poverty as a multi-dimensional approach, codified in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Moreover, there is much discussion about increased ownership of recipient countries, participatory processes including the recipient countries' civil society, donor coordination, and larger approaches (such as sector-wide approaches or budget support) as an alternative to traditional project financing. Finally, there is a discussion on how to integrate the private sector in the form of public-private partnerships. In this seminar, we will first discuss the different issues to reach a common understanding of what they actually mean. Using different theoretical and/or empirical approaches, individual research papers will then examine, to what extent these developments can be expected to lead to actual improvements in aid effectiveness. To the extent that they cannot, we will try to explore in which alternative ways their predominance in the current development policy debate could be explained (bureaucratic interest, utility maximization of donor governments, special interests within developing countries, etc.).
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar |
Recent Developments in Development Cooperation
Class is held at the University of Zurich, KO2-F-153.
|
|
2 h weekly |