Seminar on Development Assistance
Course Description：
This graduatelevelcourseistoexplorecurrentcontroversiesinthe developmentaid.The lecturer will lookatissuesand theories relatedtothe origins and definitions of development, humanitarianneeds,political concerns, and aideffectiveness and conditionality.The lastfewclasseswill apply Chinese experiences on these issues and theories.
Course Materials:
See weekly readings
Assessment and Requirements
Class Participation 20%
In-class quizzes 20%
Presentation 20%
Final Paper40%
Class participation includes attendance and in-class discussion. Every student must make a 10-20 minute presentation, which is essentially the proposal of his/her final paper (of lessthan20pages), before the end of this semester. Students must discuss presentation/paper topic with the instructor every week and make decision before the end of 9th week and distribute the summary (of no more than one page) to the class before their speeches. Readings, discussions, independent researches, and teaching materials are subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.
Class 1 Introduction
Class 2 The Making of Development (1)
Harry S Truman, “The Point Four Program”
Arturo Escobar, “The Invention of Development”
Lucian W Pye, “The Concept of Political development”
Class 3 The Making of Development (2)
Amartya Sen, “The Concept of development”
World Bank, “What is Development”
Class 4 Economic Development
Nathan Nunn, “The Importance of History for Economic Development”
H W Arndt, “Economic Development: A Semantic History”
Class 5 Why Does Development Need Assistance?
Alberto Alesina, “Who Gives Foreign Aid and Why?”
USAID, “History of Foreign Assistance”
Class 6 Development Assistance and Politics (1)
Hans Morgenthau, “A Political Theory of Foreign Aid”
Michael Faye and Paul Niehaus, “Political Aid Cycles”
Class 7 Development Assistance and Politics (2)
Alain Noel and Jean-Philippe Therein, “From Domestic to International Justice: The Welfare State and Foreign Aid”
Jean-Philippe Therein and Alain Noel, “Political Parties and Foreign Aid”
Class 8: Effectiveness
Lex Rieffel and James W Fox, “Too Much, Too Soon?”
Raghuram G Rajan and Arvind Subramanian, “Aid and Growth”
Michael Clemens, Steven Radelet, RikhilBhavnani, andSamuel Bazzi, “Counting Chickens when they Hatch”
Class 9: In-class Quiz
Class 10: Dependency？Democracy？
Edward Muller, “Dependent Economic Development, Aid Dependence on the US, and Democratic Breakdown in the Third World”
Stephen Brown, “Foreign Aid and Democracy Promotion: Lessons from Africa”
Class 11: Business Interests
WTO, “ Aid for Trade: Is it Working?”
Thomas V DiBacco, “American Business and Foreign Aid: The Eisenhower Years”
Class 12: Humanitarianism (1)
Regine Andersen, “How Multilateral Development Assistance Triggered the Conflict in Rwanda”
Jonathan Goodhand, “Aiding Violence or Building Peace?”
Joanna Macrae, “Understanding Integration from Rwanda to Iraq”
Class 13: Humanitarianism (2)
Carola Weil, “The Protection Neutrality Dilemma in Humanitarian Emergencies”
Michael Barnett, “Humanitarianism Transformed”
Susan Cotts Watkins and Jane Menken, “Famines in Historical Perspective”
Class 14: Art and Development
Kate Manzo, “An Extension of Colonialism?”
Amy Oliver ,“The Pornography of Poverty and the Brothel without Walls”
Class 15: China and Assistance (1)
US Congressional Research Report: “China’s Foreign Aid Activities in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia”
US Congressional Research Report: “China’s Assistance andGovernment-Sponsored Investment Activities in Africa,Latin America, and Southeast Asia”
Information office of the State Council, PRC, “China’s Foreign Aid”
「中國對外援助六十年的得與失」(
Class 16: China and Assistance (2)
William Easterly, “Can the West Save Africa?”
Ngaire Woods, “ Whose Aid? Whose Influence? China, Emerging Donors, and the Silent Revolution in Development Assistance”
Deborah Brautigam, “Aid with Chinese Characteristics”
Class 17: China and Assistance (3)
Deborah Brautigam, “Chinese Development Aid in Africa”
Paul Hare, “China and Zambia: The all-weather friendship hits stormy weather” (
Yang Yao, ”The End of the Beijing Consensus” ( )
Class 18: Student Presentations/In-class Quiz