Admission requirements
Required course(s):
The prerequisites for this course are Introduction to Statistics, Mathematical Reasoning/Mathematical Modelling, and Academic Writing (or equivalents of these courses). Basic understanding of economics and politics (as evidenced, for example, by completion of a 100-level GED course) is highly desirable for your successful progress in this class.
Description
In this survey course, we will dissect one of the key puzzles in the development of countries increasingly recognized by academic and practitioner communities alike – paradoxically, countries that are endowed with abundant natural resources can be prone to having worse development records than those without such riches. We will look at this phenomenon, dubbed the “resource curse,” under a magnifying glass of various theories, evidence, etc.
Course Objectives
We will strive to broaden our knowledge and hone our tools to dissect, understand, and debate key challenges to sustainable development arising from natural resource wealth. Successful completion of this course should enable you to:
understand and discuss key issues in the political economy of natural resource management;
critically apply existing theoretical frameworks to evaluate specific country experiences;
empirically identify existing or potential sources of challenges for specific resource-rich countries, their neighbors, partners and foes,
work toward developing tailored remedies for such challenges and present findings to stakeholders and informed non-specialists.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2020-2021 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
We will meet for two 2-hour seminars each week, starting each class with a brief recap and following with a discussion of a specific topic based on assigned readings. Most of our discussions will take the form of a structured interaction, including case-based debates, role-plays and simulations, so as to channel our brainstorming and musing productively, efficiently and in a fun way. Collaborative “experiential learning” exercises should help us apply our theoretical knowledge, hone analytical skills in simulated real-life settings, perceive the “reality” from the perspective of actors whose behavior we want to understand, and foster productive team work. Multi-media material should help us connect the dots among various ideas and phenomena. Your preparation, research, contribution and reflection are essential for your success in this course, for the quality of our interaction and, ultimately, the learning of the whole group.
Assessment Method
Contribution to in-class discussions and exercises - 15%
A case study report - 20%
Group policy analysis/impact evaluation project - 30%
Final research essay - 35%
Reading list
Three books are recommended, although not required:
Humphreys, Macartan, Jeffrey D. Sachs, and Joseph E. Stiglitz, eds. 2007. Escaping the Resource Curse. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Bain, Caroline. Guide to Commodities: Producers, Players and Prices, Markets, Consumers and Trends. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Ross, Michael L. 2012. The Oil Curse: How Petroleum Wealth Shapes the Development of Nations. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Anar Ahmadov, a.k.o.ahmadov@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
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