DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
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To my early interest in development economics
the experience at the European Commission in Brussels made me discover transition economics.
Subsequently, I gave classes on development economics and African problems at
the executive training program Nova Forum and tried combining both interests. The research interest continued as
president of the OECD
Development Centre (1999-2003. In fact, like with macroeconomics at Nova, teaching development economics began
with an offer I could not refuse. In Spring 2000, Marc Flandreau asked me to
think of a course that could make the research there better known in French
university circles, starting with SciencesPo
in Paris
where he was a professor. The interest in the field continued as I returned to the Tropical
Research Institute as President in February
2004 and became Director of CG&G as of December 2007.
A master’s course was
offered at NOVA by CG&G in January 2009: “ABC
- Africa vs Brazil, China and other emerging markets”, which was an
outstanding success. A baby version was offered in collaboration with CG&G
from May 31 to
I thought for some
time on how to use relevant economic literature, both analytical and empirical,
in order to apply economic reasoning to real world problems in countries where
institutions and cultures may differ from those in developed countries and came
up with a sequence titled International Development: theory and policy
which I taught during 2002/2003 with the help of Angel Calderon, from Colegio
de Mexico who was interested in spending some time at the OECD.
The issues selected in the course for Fall 2003 continue to be based on the implications of economic analysis in devising
concrete development policies under globalization. In Fall 2004, thanks to the collaboration of
Joaquim Oliveira Martins, of OECD´s Economics Department, the course included
several case studies of emerging markets and transition economies in addition
to an emphasis on policy reform, which was reflected in the final exam. The same approach has led to a
joint paper to be presented at SATPEG on 30 September and underlies the
syllabus for Fall 2005. In Fall 2006 the course included
more visitors from OECD. In Fall 2007,
we focused on the intensive rather than extensive margin with respect to the
OECD by having a series of lectures on the political economy of reform by Bill
Tompson, responsible for that area at the Department of Economics of OECD. This
approach was followed in Fall 2008 and in Spring 2009 we offered a course in
the new Economics and Public Policy (EPP) program which was also opened to the
students from the Economic History Masters program in the joint degree with
LSE. In Spring 2010 the course was
restricted to them. In Spring 2011 a course along similar
lines will be offered to the new Masters in International Economic Policy.