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Economic Development

Code: 102470 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2501573 Economics OT 3
2501573 Economics OT 4
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 3
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4

Contact

Name:
David Enrique Castells Quintana
Email:
david.castells.quintana@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

 A working knowledge of the material of the courses "Introduction to Economics", "International Economics" and "Political Economy," that is, an understanding of the basic concepts of economics and an understanding of the major features of the evolution of the world economy and international relations.

 


Objectives and Contextualisation

• an approach to the processes of development and underdevelopment

• understand the concepts and levels of development

• handle the most relevant theories and debates on development

• understand the principals obstacles for development


Competences

    Economics
  • Analyse economic facts and policies in relation to economic development.
  • Capacity for independent learning in the future, gaining more profound knowledge of previous areas or learning new topics.
  • Demonstrate thorough understanding of the most important theories of economic development.
  • Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implementing new projects and coordinating, negotiating and managing conflicts.
  • Organise the work in terms of good time management, organisation and planning.
  • Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Take decisions in situations of uncertainty, demonstrating an entrepreneurial and innovative attitude.
  • Work well in a team, being able to argue proposals and validate or reject the arguments of others in a reasoned manner.
    Contemporary History, Politics and Economics
  • Analyse the sociodemographic, geoeconomic and environmental dynamics at different territorial scales.
  • Explain and summarise knowledge acquired in English language at an advanced level.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.

Learning Outcomes

  1. A capacity of oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English, which allows them to summarise and present the work conducted both orally and in writing.
  2. Analyse the relationship between economic development and the environment.
  3. Be familiar with the most relevant theories about economic development.
  4. Capacity to continue future learning independently, acquiring further knowledge and exploring new areas of knowledge.
  5. Comparing the different theoretical approaches concerning social policy.
  6. Demonstrate the capacity for oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English which allows the work to be summarised and presented orally and in writing.
  7. Demonstrating a comprehension of the analysis of social phenomena presented in English, as well as observing their strengths and weaknesses.
  8. Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  9. Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  10. Effectively communicating the basic analysis of social phenomena in an elementary level of English.
  11. Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
  12. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  13. Interpret the complexity of sustainability and interpret processes of change, from the perspective of sustainable development.
  14. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  15. Know the main theories on economic development and demographic change.
  16. Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implement new projects, coordinate, negotiate and manage conflicts.
  17. Make decisions in situations of uncertainty and show an enterprising and innovative spirit.
  18. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  19. Organise work in relation to good time management and planning.
  20. Organise work, in terms of good time management and organisation and planning.
  21. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  22. Relate the mechanisms and institutions of cooperation for development and the improved biological welfare of the population.
  23. Relate the mechanisms and institutions of cooperation for development.
  24. Relating the explanations of the access inequalities and the impact of social policies with the general theoretical and methodological debates.
  25. Respect the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  26. Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
  27. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  28. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  29. Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
  30. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  31. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  32. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  33. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  34. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  35. Work as part of a team and be able to argue own proposals and validate or refuse the arguments of others in a reasonable manner.
  36. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.

Content

0. - The challenges of Humanity

1. - Concepts of development and development limits

2. - The genesis of underdevelopment: historical approach

3. - Theories of development and underdevelopment

4. - Population,  Migration & Education

5. - Poverty, Inequality and Health

6. - Institutions

7. - Aid and Trade

8. - Urbanisation and Sustainability


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 32.5 1.3 2, 13, 3, 23
Practices 17 0.68 2, 13, 3, 23
Type: Supervised      
Presentations 15 0.6
Tutorials and monitoring 5.5 0.22 2, 13, 3, 23
Type: Autonomous      
Read and study the material 75.5 3.02 2, 13, 3, 23

 
Lectures

Practical classes

Readings (at home), comulsory and complementary
 
Autonomous research
 
Guided visit 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Course work 35% 1 0.04 2, 29, 26, 10, 7, 6, 9, 8, 21, 11, 18, 12, 14, 13, 3, 27, 19, 33, 32, 31, 28, 30, 23, 34
Final Exam 35% 2 0.08 2, 29, 26, 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 8, 15, 21, 11, 18, 12, 13, 16, 3, 27, 19, 20, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 34, 36, 35
Midterm exam 30% 1.5 0.06 2, 1, 13, 16, 3, 20, 17, 23, 35

Mixed assessment:

The assessment of learning will be through:

  • Course work
  • A compulsory first term exam (30% of the final grade)
  • A compulsory final exam (35% of the final grade)

The minimum overall grade to pass the course is 5, with a minimum of 3.5 in the final exam.

If the final overall grade is less than 3,5, the student must repeat the whole course the next year.

Students whose final overall grade is between 3,5 and 5 are admitted to a re-evaluation exam.  If a student passes the re-evaluation exam, her/his overall final grade will be 5.

A student is considered as “no evaluable” for the final overall grade, in the case  he/she did not participate to any evaluation activity. Therefore, a student participating to one or more single activities will be graded in accordance to the results of those activities even if he/she does not show up at the final exam.

Calendar of evaluation activities

The dates of the evaluation activities (midterm exams, exercises in the classroom, assignments, ...) will be announced well in advance during the semester.

The date of the final exam is scheduled in the assessment calendar of the Faculty.

"The dates of evaluation activities cannot be modified, unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason why an evaluation activity cannot be carried out. In this case, the degree coordinator will contact both the teaching staff and the affected student, and a new date will be scheduled within the same academic period to make up for the missed evaluation activity." Section 1 of Article 264. Calendar of evaluation activities (Academic Regulations UAB). 

Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, who in accordance with the previous paragraph need to change an evaluation activity date must process the request by filling out an Application for exams' reschedule: e-Formulari per a la reprogramació de proves.

Grade revision process

After all grading activities have ended, students will be informed of the date and way in which the course grades will be published. Students will be also be informed of the procedure, place, date and time of grade revision following University regulations.

Retake Process

"To be eligible to participate in the retake process, it is required for students to have been previously been evaluated for at least two thirds of the total evaluation activities of the subject." Section 2 of Article 261. The recovery (UAB Academic Regulations). Additionally, it is required that the student to have achieved an average grade of the subject greater than or equal to 3.5 and less than 5.

The date of the retake exam will be posted in the calendar of evaluation activities of the Faculty. Students who take this exam and pass, will get a grade of 5 for the subject. If the student does not pass the retake, the grade will remain unchanged, and hence, student will fail the course.

Irregularities in evaluation activities

In spite of other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, "in the case that the student makes any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, it will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case of various irregularities occur in the evaluation of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0". Section 11 of Article 266. Results of the evaluation. (UAB Academic Regulations).

 

COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION (Art. 265 of the UAB Academic Regulations)

By requesting the comprehensive evaluation the student waives the option of continuous evaluation.

The comprehensive  evaluation must be requested at the Academic Management (Gestió acadèmica) of the Campus where the degree/master's degree is taught. The request must be filed according to the procedure and the deadline  established by the administrative calendar of the Faculty of Economics and Business.

Attendance :

  • Student  attendance  is mandatory on the day of the comprehensive assessment. The date will be the same as that of the final exam of the semester as per the evaluation calendar published by the Faculty of Economics and Business and approved by the Faculty's Teaching and Academic Affairs Committee. The duration of the comprehensive assessment must be specified in the characteristics of such activity.
  • 100% of the evaluation evidences must be handed in by the student  on the day of the comprhensive assessment.
  • The evaluation evidences carried out in person by the student on the same day of the comprehensive assessment must have a minimum weight of 70%.

Final exam (100%, 3 hours). To de be done in room, date and hour specified by the Faculty.

RETAKE PROCEDURE :

"For the retake procedure, no distinction is made between students who have followed the continuous evaluation and those who have opted for the comprehensive evaluation. All will be re-assessed using the same test or evaluation evidence."

REVIEW OF THE FINAL QUALIFICATION:

"The review of the final qualification will follow the same procedure as for the continuous evaluation".

 


Bibliography

Compulsory:

Cypher, J.  2020 The process of Economic Development. Routledge

Castells-Quintana, D. 2021. Our Elusive Quest for Prosperity. Edicions UAB

Recomended:

Duflo, E & Banerjee, A. 2019. Poor Economics. Taurus

Easterly, William. 2001. The Elusive Quest for Growth, MIT Press, Cambridge,

Meier, G. & Rauch, J. 2005. Leading Issues in Economic Development. Oxfort University Press

NN.UU. Human Development Reports

Perkins, D; Radelet,S., Lindauer,D.L. 2006. Economics of Development. Norton Co,

Ray, Debraj. 1998. Development economics. Princenton University Press

Sachs J. 2008. Economics for a Crowded Planet.

Sachs J. 2007. The End of Poverty.

Simon D. 2006. Fifty Key Thinkers on Development. Routledge Key Guides 

 


Software

world, power point, excel 


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 8 English first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 8 English first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 8 English first semester morning-mixed