International Development Courses

This course involves a general examination of main concepts of Sustainable Development, trade and environmental protection and the analysis of some cases in order to apply the theoretical content to solving problems. It is an exploratory course designed primarily for students in a regular program of International Development. The objectives are:

1. To introduce students to basic concepts and problems of development, trade and environmental protection.
2. To introduce students to citizen’s submissions process under CAFTA-DR.
3. To introduce students to basic concept of case analysis in the frame of FTA’s .

This intensive four day course examines two of the most successful approaches to assisting women to improve their microbusinesses, increase their income, improve their families’ wellbeing, and increase their self-esteem. Microfinance is an innovative strategy of financing microenterprises and small businesses. It is designed to assist very low income and limited asset persons to grow their businesses over many loan cycles. This self-sustaining methodology has grown exponentially in the last two and a half decades and is now active in almost every country, whether developing or industrialized. The course will examine a variety of methods of microcredit to groups and individuals as well as other types of microfinance, such as savings, insurance, leasing, and e-banking.

A weekend experience with case studies and exemplary models, emphasizing prevailing public policy and latent economic challenges for mitigating incipient environmental public health threats from ubiquitous manmade waste, which can impede, even stifle, steady economic growth of developing nations, struggling to enhance the quality of life and to raise living standards. Continuous resource management and manmade waste recovery are viewed as dynamic interdependent processes for safeguarding environmental public health, while encouraging and attracting international investments and commerce.

In the field of social and economic development, perhaps the greatest challenge lies in the transition from program concept to reality. In the movement between what is known and what is delivered in the real world, the implementation falls short. The health care field has utilized the study of the science of implementation in order to bridge the gap between research and practice.

Research among children provides a vital window into their lives and the issues that affect them, informing policies and programs to improve their wellbeing. However, working with children presents challenges due to their inherent vulnerabilities and reduced level of emotional and cognitive development.

One of the biggest challenges of any development agency or company is to understand the needs of their clients or customers. This course presents a variety of qualitative tools to help discover from the poor themselves what types of services, products and financial offerings they need and for which they would be willing to pay. As both NGOs and corporations seek to serve some of the three billion potential clients, it is important to have quick, structured ways to dialog with the poor. Through triangulation of tools and methods, a researcher can find out what the poor feel that they need to solve their problems and improve their lives. The social entrepreneurs, who seek to reach those at the bottom of the economic pyramid globally, first need to research if there is effective demand for their new product or service.