2025
Economic and Social Development
Name: Economic and Social Development
Code: ECN11990M
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area:
Economy
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
The program of Economic Development (Msc) establishes a deeper knowledge of the fundamental concepts apprehended in Development Economics (Ba). We aim that the student be ready to quantify and analyse the reality of (LDC) Less Developed Countries, in order to produce himself his own research paper.
We aim at establishing the following transferable skills:
To understand markets limits as an escape clause to poverty traps;
To understand micro incentives schemes as a poverty fight instrument;
To raise independent research skills, namely critical analytical reasoning in order to produce an applied economic quantified analysis.
To write a paper on the themes of the field of development
We aim at establishing the following transferable skills:
To understand markets limits as an escape clause to poverty traps;
To understand micro incentives schemes as a poverty fight instrument;
To raise independent research skills, namely critical analytical reasoning in order to produce an applied economic quantified analysis.
To write a paper on the themes of the field of development
Contents
1.Introduction:Definition of economic development. Poverty and social exclusion.WB Indexes. Absolute & relative welfare. Equity and efficiency. Poverty, under-nutrition and famines
2.Economic development behavioural analysis. 2i) Theories: Households and development. Land market: a key issue. Credit and rural markets: micro-credit and fragmented markets. Human capital and income distribution.
Poverty reduction: efficiency and equity.Technical progress and learning in development. Environment.
2ii) Applied cases: human capital. Property rights and incentives. The case for African development.
3.Some examples of development public policies: The role of the State, the Market and international NGOs in development.
4.The role of institutions: Entitlements and capabilities as constitutive elements. Accountability. Political & economic factor in development.Theory of the firm, endogenous transaction costs. Neo-institutionalist approach. Culture and development. Limits to economic analysis
2.Economic development behavioural analysis. 2i) Theories: Households and development. Land market: a key issue. Credit and rural markets: micro-credit and fragmented markets. Human capital and income distribution.
Poverty reduction: efficiency and equity.Technical progress and learning in development. Environment.
2ii) Applied cases: human capital. Property rights and incentives. The case for African development.
3.Some examples of development public policies: The role of the State, the Market and international NGOs in development.
4.The role of institutions: Entitlements and capabilities as constitutive elements. Accountability. Political & economic factor in development.Theory of the firm, endogenous transaction costs. Neo-institutionalist approach. Culture and development. Limits to economic analysis
Teaching Methods
Teaching methods will be flexible accordingly to the number of students enrolled. With a standard number of
students the presential lessons will be of a theoterical-applied type. This means conventional explanation of
general models, and then inter-active solution of applied cases with students. If the number of students is very
reduced, a guided lecturing/tutoring system, with weekly reading targets will be established.
The course will actively promote students engagement in the process of research, and it aims at attaining the
start of the dissertation.
So, the assessment rules previews the elaboration of a paper.
Besides oral lectures by the professor, students must present orally the paper and the written final report.
Rules of Assessment
The course has the following rules:
Class oral participation: 15%
Paper about themes of the classes: 50%
Exam*: 35% (with a minimum requirement of>= 8 values)
(* Exam-take home of one week duration).
students the presential lessons will be of a theoterical-applied type. This means conventional explanation of
general models, and then inter-active solution of applied cases with students. If the number of students is very
reduced, a guided lecturing/tutoring system, with weekly reading targets will be established.
The course will actively promote students engagement in the process of research, and it aims at attaining the
start of the dissertation.
So, the assessment rules previews the elaboration of a paper.
Besides oral lectures by the professor, students must present orally the paper and the written final report.
Rules of Assessment
The course has the following rules:
Class oral participation: 15%
Paper about themes of the classes: 50%
Exam*: 35% (with a minimum requirement of>= 8 values)
(* Exam-take home of one week duration).
Teaching Staff (2024/2025 )
- Miguel Rocha de Sousa [responsible]
Certificações
