Politics of Sustainable Development

Political Development

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the process of political development. It introduces a set of analytic tools based on the strategic perspective of political science and political economy to evaluate the current debates in political development and to draw policy-relevant conclusions. Throughout the course, we will discuss the political dimensions and the challenges of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development along with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their transformations - (1) education, gender and inequality; (2) health, well-being and demography; (3) energy decarbonization and sustainable industry; (4) sustainable food, land, water and oceans; (5) sustainable cities and communities; and (6) the digital revolution for sustainable development - as modular building blocks.

First, we will explore the politics of economic development: the role of leadership, political systems, and institutions in promoting growth. We study the mechanisms that underlie the persistence of poverty. Utilizing numerous country case studies, we will answer: What is political development? What explains why some countries have prospered while others remain poor, violent, or unequal? Why do we observe growth, stability, and freedoms in some and not in others?

Second, we will explore the causes and consequences of the state, political institutions, and democracy. What is at the root of state capacity, political participation, and other aspects of political development? What is the role of property rights and the rule of law in development? How do we promote gender equality and empowerment? How do we detect and mitigate the effects of corruption? How do we foster political stability?

In the third part of the course, we will focus on policies that foster stability and development. We will critically examine the effects of Western intervention in the developing world, historical legacies of slavery and colonialism, and the various tools of foreign policy: aid, democracy promotion, and military interventions. We will further explore the extent to which outside interventions alleviated poverty and whether they improved public goods provision or promoted political stability. Finally, the course will consider the role of emerging powers in the context of global governance and their influence on the future course of development in the Global South.

• R 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Gizem Acikgoz
  Info
• 3 points

Authoritarianism: Accountability and Pol

Authoritarianism and Poli

Historically, the vast majority of human society has been governed by non-democratic regimes.  Even today, more than half the world’s people live in autocracies.  Many SIPA students come from countries whose governments are not democratic, and will work in institutions and sectors where regimes are not democratic.  Yet almost all of the literature of political science on policy-making is devoted to democracy—its genesis, stability, challenges, consolidation, processes, merits, and flaws. Perhaps that is warranted; as Winston Churchill is said to have remarked, “democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”

 But what of “all the others?”

How are we to understand the regimes we collect together as “non-democratic?”  Do the authoritarian regimes of the world have anything in common? Are there effective ways to understand how policy is made in the absence of the transparent and routinized laws and procedures associated with democratic regimes?

And are democratic regimes, once installed, immune to decay, breakdown, or change into less transparent, routinized, and accountable regimes?  Is it true, as Adam Przeworski wrote, “above a per capita income of $6055, democracy lasts forever?”

Is the sharp theoretical distinction between regimes characterized by democratic procedures and those that exhibit authoritarian or illiberal practices actually so clear in practice? 

This course is designed to examine these questions, to interrogate the notion of “authoritarianism” as an analytical concept, to explore how we should approach the study of policy-making processes in regimes that are stable, enduring, sometimes even dynamic and enlightened, but not democratic, and to explore how such regimes arise from or develop into democracies.

Students will both gain exposure to a number of the classic and newer works of American political science as well as to other analytical perspectives that should assist in understanding the workings of politics in a variety of settings, from monarchies to democracies, non-state actors to imperial powers.

• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Lisa S Anderson
  Info
• 3 points

Innovation as a Driver of Change in the

Innovation as Driver of C

This course is the first in a two-course sequence on innovation for development in practice. It will focus on institutional reforms and how to leverage innovation to help drive organisational change within international development organisations. The second course will focus on innovation in low and middle-income countries, including the role of innovation in fostering inclusive growth, in efforts to advance locally led development principles and in fostering inclusive innovation ecosystems, among other themes. 

The second course builds on the foundations of this course. However, each course stands on its own, and students are welcome to enrol in either course (if they don’t have space in their schedule for both courses).

In this course, students will learn how to frame innovation in the context of development cooperation and practical ways to advance change management within international organizations and government entities.  

The course is designed to help students gain a critical conceptual understanding of the practice of innovation in the development cooperation context, obtain skills in change management, and learn the practical application of advancing innovation portfolio management within international development organisations as well as a framework to support organisations build critical capabilities related to innovation and emerging technologies. Students will be exposed to a variety of frameworks, along with case studies and practical exercises. Students will gain an understanding of advancing innovation in development organisations in practice.

Students will explore the relationship between innovation practices and management practices that emerged over the last decade to infuse more flexible and adaptive practices. These include ‘working and thinking politically’, ‘adaptive management’, ‘doing development differently’ and others. These approaches intersect at times with innovation efforts in development organizations. 

Case studies drawn from a variety of organizations and countries will anchor frameworks and theoretical content and help provide a greater understanding of the complexities and challenges of advancing development impact and changing business as usual within development organizations.

• SU 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Benjamin Kumpf
  Info
• 1.5 points

Migration and Human Development

Migration & Human Develop

International migration’s substantial economic and social effects are at the forefront of today’s academic discussion, international debate, as well as national policy strategies. This course introduces students to the key notions, norms, and narratives of international migration from economic, sociological, legal, policy, international relations, and normative perspectives. Students learn about transnational livelihood strategies and channels through which migration and migrants can enhance human development, especially in their countries of origin, while creating better opportunities for themselves and contributing to their communities of destination. This includes in-depth discussions of the determinants, flows, and effects of emigration, immigration, return, financial and social remittances, and diaspora investments. While the course emphasizes economic migration, it also elaborates on the human development impact in specific forced migration and refugee scenarios. Highlighting migration phenomena in different scenarios in the global North, as well as in the global South, the course emphasizes the agency of migrants and gender differences in the experiences and effects, as well as the role their legal status plays. It addresses the root causes of migration and the protection of migrants’ human, social and labor rights. The course also furthers participants’ understanding of the role of technology for human mobility and the policy responses in both, the international and the domestic spheres. To this end, it introduces students to key policies and governance schemes and diaspora engagement institutions, including the role of United Nations agencies and processes. The learning experience culminates in a role-play simulation, in which students discuss and negotiate a revision of the UN Joint Program in Kigoma, Tanzania.

• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Daniel Naujoks
  Info
• 3 points

Evaluation in International Organization

Evaluation-Intl Organizat

This course provides a foundational understanding of the role of evaluation within international organizations and how it is planned, conducted, and used. International organizations play a key role in supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation that advance the cross-cutting issues of human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability. Evaluations across the humanitarian, development and peace nexus from the UN system and other international organizations are used as case studies to support students to learn theoretical concepts and build practical skills that will prepare them to commission, manage and conduct evaluations that integrate these cross-cutting issues. More specifically, students will gain an understanding of how evaluation is institutionalized within international organizations, become familiar with key evaluation stakeholders and their roles in the process, and gain exposure to evaluation theories, types, methods, and tools. Students will also gain knowledge of key debates and emerging trends in evaluation related to the role of Artificial Intelligence, impact, decolonization, and the emerging post-2030 agenda. A mix of individual and group assignments have been designed to ground concepts, culminating in the development of an Evaluation Inception Report using a real world evaluation case.

• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Shravanti M Reddy
  Info
• 3 points

Economics of Sustainable Development

This course will provide students with a framework for historical and current debates on development. It will offer students a basic understanding of what constitutes “development” (ends) and how to promote it (means). The initial lecture presents the broad issue of development trends and the multidisciplinary approach, as seen today through the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. The subsequent classes then look at classical and contemporary theories of economic development. They will be followed by a critical comparative analysis of development experiences. A series of lectures will then concentrate on institutional issues, social development, and environmental sustainability (climate change). 
Enrollment in this course is restricted to students who have officially declared the EPD or D&G concentration, as reflected in their Stellic profile. If space allows, enrollment may be extended to non-EPD students at a later date.

• M 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• F 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Jose A Ocampo
  Wikipedia h-index: 77 Info
• 3 points

Finance for the World's Poorest

Finance Tools for the Poo

How do the world’s poorest people save money without access to banks or credit? This course explores the power of informal savings systems, such as tandas in Mexico, susus in West Africa, and dhikutis in Nepal, that help hundreds of millions build financial stability through trust, discipline, and community support.

We will start with grassroots savings groups (often called Revolving Savings and Credit Associations or ROSCAs) and examine how they function across cultures. Then we will explore how the social capital that makes ROSCAs successful also underpins newer approaches such as savings groups and self-help groups that generate savings for village women. 

We then turn our attention to cash transfers and remittances that inject capital into poor families and communities.

Later, we discuss the strengths and limitations of institutional financial inclusion, including microfinance, mobile banking, and fintech. The course also features presentations by leaders in soil-building subsistence agriculture and systems for measuring and tracking poverty.

In the course, students also learn how to design initiatives that effectively deliver services to the bottom of the economic pyramid, including setting goals, choosing the most appropriate methodology, staffing, budgeting, and monitoring, and evaluating outcomes.

The class is taught by a pioneer in the field of microcredit and savings whose work has shaped global thinking on financial inclusion and poverty reduction.

Students do not need technical or financial background to take this course, only a large dose of curiosity and a willingness to explore alternatives.

• T 6:10 p.m.-10 p.m.
• Instructor: Jefferey Ashe
  Info
• 3 points

Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in Glo

Humanitarian Law & Human

This course explores the foundational and advanced dimensions of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), alongside relevant aspects of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) as they apply to situations of armed conflict. Designed for students interested in the legal regulation of contemporary warfare, the course focuses on providing the conceptual and practical tools to identify, interpret, and apply international legal norms in real-world conflict situations. It examines the mechanisms through which legal rules are developed, implemented, and enforced, including the role of international courts and tribunals in addressing violations.

Case studies drawn from recent and ongoing conflicts—such as in Ukraine, Gaza, Ethiopia, Congo, Syria, Yemen, and Myanmar—serve as the backbone of the course’s analytical approach. These are methodically examined through a case analysis framework developed specifically for this course, enabling students to break down humanitarian crises into legally relevant components and formulate appropriate responses grounded in IHL and IHRL.
This analytical work is complemented by a focused introduction to the core principles of international criminal law, including the structure and substance of landmark war crimes cases. Students will engage with the legal elements of crimes such as willful killing, torture, attacks on civilians, and the use of prohibited methods of warfare, drawing on key jurisprudence from international tribunals and courts.

The course supports the development of legal reasoning, critical thinking, and research skills. Students will learn to articulate law-based, action-oriented proposals and define key legal questions relevant for academic work and professional practice—whether in international organizations, the media, or humanitarian institutions. By the end of the semester, participants will have a solid understanding of IHL’s core principles, terminology, and legal architecture, and will be equipped to navigate and respond to the complex legal challenges presented by modern armed conflict.

Key issues discussed include the legal protection of internees, prisoners, and hostages under the Geneva Conventions; the erosion of civilian protection in asymmetric warfare, especially where individuals participate directly in hostilities or are used as human shields; the regulation of indiscriminate attacks and destruction of civilian infrastructure, including the legal implications of missiles, drones, autonomo

• F 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Horst Fischer
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Humanitarian Engagement with Armed Actor

Humanitarian-Actor Engage

In many parts of the world, humanitarian actors cannot successfully alleviate and prevent the suffering of people living in areas affected by armed conflict without engaging with armed groups.  The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) estimates that there are over 450 armed groups of humanitarian concern worldwide, over 130 of which are parties to a non-international armed conflict. Africa accounts for over 40% of these groups, with about 20% in each of the Near and Middle East (NAME), the Americas, and in the Asia and Pacific. In 2024, the global population living in areas fully controlled or contested by armed groups is estimated by the ICRC to have increased to 210 million people, with 83 million living in areas fully controlled by armed groups, up by 19 million from 2023.

Many armed groups that control territory provide a degree of services and governance structures in areas they control, including health care, education, taxation, public utilities, justice/dispute resolution, security and taxation.  However, the basic needs of the population in areas controlled by many armed groups are often not fully met.  Humanitarian access, and dialogue on protection and assistance matters with such armed groups is an important part of humanitarian action worldwide. 

The last 30 years, however, have made these aspirations more difficult, as a multiplicity of armed conflicts and different types of non-state actors have emerged, posing significant challenges on the ability of humanitarian workers to effectively engage with belligerents, and hindering their access to these individuals. The lack of separation between those actively participating in conflict and those who do not have particularly made it difficult for external actors to identify who, when and how to engage on humanitarian issues, together with the level of engagement and the timing of such interactions. Additional existing inquiries relate to the strategies set in place for effective engagement: who should be in the lead of humanitarian engagements on the ground? And how can the humanitarian community best assist and increase the protection of civilians in areas controlled by entities designated as terrorist, or in fragile States?

This class will examine these inquiries, together with the parameters of engagement with a range of actors- from peacekeepers to formal armies to paramilitary groups and designated entities to community and religious leaders to determine what legal and moral bases exist for en

• M 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• Instructor: Christopher Harland
  Info
• 3 points

Children and Armed Conflict

In the 21st century, armed conflict continues to put millions of children in harm’s way, exposing them to human rights violations, including recruitment and use by armed forces and armed groups, military detention and ill-treatment, rape and other forms of sexual violence, forced displacement, family separation, and physical injuries. Children also suffer from trauma and other serious and long-lasting psychological consequences resulting from the violence they have experienced. In addition to these direct violations, children are equally affected by indirect violations of their rights, including attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access.

In this course, students will examine the international legal framework for the protection of children in armed conflict and the international humanitarian response system designed to assist affected children and address their physical and psychosocial needs. Students will critically assess these mechanisms for their efficacy and continued relevance for protecting children during war.

• R 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Laura Perez
  Info
• 3 points

Humanitarian, Development and Peace Nexu

Humanitarian, Dev & Peace

Whilst the global number of people living in poverty has significantly decreased over the last decades, there is an increasing number of severe and protracted humanitarian emergencies, caused by conflict, governance failures, climate change, and man-made disasters. These challenges are compounded by recent changes in geopolitical strategies and policies, which already have profound immediate and will have long-term impact on reducing extreme poverty, resolving conflicts, and making the Sustainable Development Goals increasingly elusive..  

There has been growing acceptance among the international aid community that these problems can only be addressed through a combination of tools – humanitarian, development, and peace initiatives – that require new governance, financing, and coordination mechanisms. This approach emphasizes that for sustainable improvements, temporary solutions must be part of a broader vision that not only saves lives in the short term but also addresses the systemic issues affecting stability and development in the long run. 

The benefits of the Nexus approach include greater coherence among the three sectors and reduced fragmentation among the various actors working in conflict-affected areas. Additionally, it improves effectiveness through coordination across sectors, ensuring that immediate relief efforts transition smoothly into longer-term recovery and peace initiatives. This approach also helps mitigate the risk of renewed crisis and fosters comprehensive disaster risk reduction by addressing not only the symptoms but also to address the root causes of protracted conflicts.

This “search for coherence” is not new and raises important questions about ethics and fundamental principles in humanitarian action, the nature of conflicts and protracted emergencies, and how different spheres of action interact to balance the immediate urgency of humanitarian needs with longer-term development and peace objectives, as well as to navigate complex political environments where external interventions may be met with suspicion and politicized. 

This course provides students with a critical perspective on these issues, looking at core concepts and definitions, historical trends, theoretical debates, and the current policy and practice landscape. The course will also provide a practitioner’s perspective on many of the issues, through case study examples, the participation of guest speakers, and an opportunity for students

• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Pierrette Quintiliani
  Info
• 3 points

Forced Displacement: Refugees, IDPs and

Displacement in Changing

A surge in violent conflict since 2010 has led to historically high levels of forced displacement. More recently, the war in Ukraine has caused the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since the end of World War II. Globally, there are 
more than 100 million forcibly displaced people
 including refugees, internally displaced persons and asylum seekers who have fled their homes to escape violence, conflict and persecution. 

The majority of the world's refugees come from just a handful of countries, with Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Ukraine and Myanmar being among the top countries of origin. These refugees often seek safety in neighboring countries, but many also attempt to make the dangerous journey to Europe or other parts of the world. In recent years, an upsurge of mixed migration has posed enormous practical, but also ethical and legal questions to host governments and aid organizations: in today’s world, what distinguishes a refugee from a migrant? And how does their ensuing treatment differ? Climate displacement, which is growing exponentially outside any normative framework, adds to the complexity of how to address the needs and rights of the displaced globally.

Internal displacement is also a major issue, with people being forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, natural disasters, and other factors. IDPs often face similar challenges to refugees, such as lack of access to basic needs like food, water, and healthcare, as well as limited opportunities for education and employment.

The course will allow students to examine the history, norms, principles, actors and governance related to forced displacement to assess with a critical lens whether the system is set up to respond to what forced displacement is today, with all its complexities. Through a combination of thematic sessions and case studies, it will provide an overview of the typologies of displacement, the different initiatives and durable solutions pursued, as well as the remaining questions the international normative and assistance system has to answer.

• M 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Andrew C Heinrich
  Info
• 3 points

Global Political and Legal Thought

The seminar explores how political and legal philosophers, as well as leaders of political movements and established states, envision international order.  It asks and critically assesses how they imagine international politics
is
governed and how it
should be
governed. 

It begins with a reexamination of major Northern/Western traditions in international jurisprudence and political theory as seen through the eyes of classical and modern political leaders and philosophers.  It covers Realism, Liberalism, Socialism, and Fascism.  It then broadens the lens to include thinkers from the global South, including Nehru, Senghor, and Biko, and explores how they have addressed the challenges of post-colonialism. In considering their international orders, we will discuss their insights into the connections among issues of order and justice, identity and legitimacy, peace and war, cooperation and conflict, intervention and independence and international equality and inequality.   We conclude with a discussion of Cosmopolitanism and Rawls’
Law of Peoples
.

• W 1:20 p.m.-3:10 p.m.
• Instructor: Michael Doyle
  Info
• 3 points

Global Economic Governance

This course aims at familiarizing students with major issues surrounding global economic governance, exploring both the issues that have been or are now subject to current debates, as well as the institutional questions involved. “Global economic governance” is understood in a broad sense, and thus includes not only global but also regional frameworks, and both formal institutions as well as informal groupings of countries (such as the G7/8 and the G20) and rules of international transactions that have been left to bilateral agreements or are under the domain of national sovereignty but do have global implications. “Economics” is also understood in a broad sense, to include social and environmental issues.

The course will start with three general lectures that will place the debates on global governance in relation to those on globalization, and will give a first look at the objectives of international cooperation, the historical evolution of the current governance, and typologies of the different rules, organization,s and governance structures that have been created at varied times. It will then deal in detail with major issues that involve international cooperation: the role of the UN system, development cooperation, global monetary and financial management, trade and investment, international tax cooperation, and climate change. It will end with discussion of the governance of the system, and a recapitulation of governance issues and reform proposals in light of global economic developments in the 2008-2019 period, during COVID-19, and during the current crisis that mixes geopolitical issues with an economic crisis.

• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Jose A Ocampo
  Wikipedia h-index: 77 Info
• 3 points

Methods for Sustainable Development Prac

This is the first of a two-course sequence for second-year students concentrating in Development and Governance (D&G), formerly Economic and Political Development (EPD). The second course is the Workshop in Sustainable Development Practice. These courses are integrated into a year-long encounter with the applied practice of sustainable development, guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this course, students will learn how to design, plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate development interventions by mastering the fundamental aspects of program management for development. The course is designed to help students develop a critical understanding of some of the key frameworks, tools, and approaches used by organizations in the field of development practice, and to encourage students to use these methods in an ethical and discerning manner, by recognizing their limitations and implicit assumptions while identifying areas for innovation. Students will also come to appreciate the influence that methodology can have on the prioritization of sustainable development goals and the application of development strategies. Development practice, after all, is inherently political. Over the last few decades, the field of sustainable development has changed dramatically as development practitioners increasingly perceive themselves less as knowledge experts – delivering top-down transfers of technical expertise and resources to beneficiaries – and more as knowledge facilitators, recognizing the importance of evidence-based decision-making, local ownership and accountability, and participation of poor and marginalized groups as citizens and partners. However, this transition has been uneven, and externally-driven, top-down approaches and policies persist. Development practitioners, therefore, need to be continually aware of the values, assumptions, and biases that they bring to their work and that are implicit in the resources, approaches, and tools they use.

 

This course also seeks to illustrate the application of theories and concepts introduced in other D&G core courses, and to highlight some of the political, practical, and ethical issues and challenges facing development practitioners working in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the context of recent drastic cuts in official development assistance (ODA). While the course considers both quantitative and qualitative methods, the emphasis is on widely-used pro

• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• W 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• R 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• F 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• F 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• R 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Eugenia McGill
  Info
• 3 points