Web site: http://ps.au.dk/approachestodevelopment/
B-module, Spring, 3 points, 15 ECTS
This course is offered each spring semester. The course is multidisciplinary and is offered to students from the University of Aarhus, the Aarhus School of Business and the Danish School of Journalism, which is located in Aarhus. Students can take their point of departure in their own disciplines' methods and subjects of current interest.
Main objective
To increase the participants' knowledge of development issues and work within a multidisciplinary context. The focus will be on the least developed countries.
Immediate objectives
1. To describe the political as well as the private and public institutional frameworks for development assistance and to introduce the objectives of aid, the background to these objectives and the preconditions for their implementation.
2. To acquaint the participants with common concepts and approaches used in development work.
3. To provide opportunities for students to carry out in-depth studies of selected topics, i.e. by preparing and presenting papers and by reviewing papers presented by fellow students.
E-mail and Internet
All participants are expected to have Internet access and to be conversant with electronic mail and attached files. The course's homepage address is
http://ps.au.dk/approachestodevelopment/
Time and process
Classes will take place two times a week and last for three hours (normally Thursdays and Fridays 14–17 hours) for 11 weeks followed by 3 weeks' presentation of student papers. They will consist of lectures, group work and discussions on the basis of prescribed literature. The students will write papers alone or in groups on topics of their own choice and act as critics of fellow students' papers.
Facilitator and teaching
The course is facilitated by Mr Frands Dolberg (see his profile at
http://ps.au.dk/approachestodevelopment/) and involves Danish as well as international lecturers with firsthand development experience.
Entry requirements and number of students
A bachelor degree is a first requirement. However, there has been a consistent and strong interest in the course over the years, with an average of 50–60 participants the past couple of years. Students are therefore only admitted when it is clear that they will give a high priority to the course. Thus, it is important to mention in the application (i) how far you are in your studies, (ii) if you have any experiences with development issues, for example in terms of travels or work in developing countries, or whether you intend to use the course as a background for your thesis work.
Study tour
A two-day study tour to Copenhagen is part of the course. The study tour typically comprises visits to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a consultancy company and a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Literature
The literature consists of books and a collection of papers, which are screened for relevance and appropriateness as part of the annual detailed course planning and therefore not necessarily the same year after year. However, as an illustration of the type of literature used, the Spring 2000 course books are listed below:
Chambers, R (1997). Whose Reality Counts? Putting the first last, Intermediate Technology Publications. ISBN 1-85339-386-X
Janice Jiggins (1994). Changing the Boundaries, Island Press. ISBN 1-55963-260-7
John Degnbol-Martinussen and Poul Engberg-Pedersen (1999. Bistand: Udvikling eller afvikling, Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke. ISBN 87-7028-996-4
Amartya Sen (1999). Development as Freedom, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-829758-0.
Detailed course programme
A detailed course programme and calendar will be available at the start of the course. The programme for the spring semester 2000 can be studied at
http://ps.au.dk/approachestodevelopment/
Examination
Each student has to produce a written paper, alone or as a member of a group, but can choose between two types of evaluation. The paper can either be evaluated as “pass/fail” or marked by an external examiner. The students are encouraged to write their papers in English.
Application
To obtain an application form - and to return your application - please contact:
Biologisk Studienævn, Institute of Physics and Astronomy,
Building 520, the University Park, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Telephone (direct) +45 89 424890
For further information about the course, please contact
Frands Dolberg, Course Facilitator (telephone: +45 8615 2704, e-mail: frands@mail1.stofanet.dk) or
Jonna Kjær, Secretary (telephone: +45 8942 1324, e-mail: jbk@ps.au.dk)