Course subject: International Development (INDEV)

This course explores aspects of the distribution, diffusion, determinants and delivery of health and health care in a global context. Building on foundational skills (i.e. basic understandings of epidemiology; the social determinants of health) the course will review a range of case studies (e.g. infectious disease; water; access to care; global environmental change) from a variety of regions around the world. Students will gain an appreciation for the complexity of the issues, as well as science-policy bridging.

This course introduces students to the history, theories and practices of development economics. Select issues such as trade, (Public and private) capital flows, transnational corporations, technological change and innovation, agricultural and industrial policy and production, poverty and reduction, structural adjustment, etc. are treated, as are recent developments in globalization and global economic governance.

The course is aimed at enhancing skills useful for development practice. From a systems perspective, students will learn to conceptualize problems using real cases and to analyze them both at the level of structure and dynamics. Problem solving will rely on analytical, heuristic and normative categories and will include learning select methods focusing on sustainability coupled with socio-ecological systems.

The course introduces the students to a spectrum of sustainability concepts, approaches, and key debates, setting the stage for practical engagement with development. The emphasis is on gaining clarity on the notion of sustainability and global environment change since its translation into practice will often imply confronting a number of decisions to be taken. A number of concepts, debates and proposals for the planet¿s sustainable future will be presented, evaluated and discussed on the basis of empirical findings and case studies.

This course presents a broad survey of water resources processes and issues. How much water does the world need to support growing human populations? What factors influence water quality, droughts, floods, and waterborne diseases? What are the potential effects of climate change on the world's water resources? This course presents a thorough introduction to the complex world of water resources. The fundamentals of the science of water, aquatic ecology, geomorphology and hydrology, chemistry, and biology of lakes, rivers, and wetlands are covered. Major disease issues, worldwide water quality and quantity problems, and potential solutions are examined.

The purpose of this course is to investigate the major issues involved in water and related (e.g. land) resource management in both local (case study) and global (global governance) contexts. Students will develop an integrated approach to the analysis and management of water resources, appreciate the relevance of an integrated approach through a consideration of selected resource management issues and problems, and apply an integrated approach to the analysis of specific water resource problems.