« Sustainable Development in developing and transition economies

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"Sustainable Development in developing and transition economies" master's degree program

Objectives and content

This master program aims at responding to growing concerns and capacity building needs on sustainable development (SD) issues among developing and developed countries, development agencies, local governments, corporations and enterprises.

More specifically, this master program aims at providing a comprehensive view on SD issues in developing and transition economies. The academic hard core of the program is related to environment and natural resources economics. The students are trained to apply economic reasoning to a multifaceted SD: desertification, water management, biodiversity losses, soil degradation, deforestation, climate change, fisheries, etc. and to analyse related policy implications as well. The program also provides operational tools related to the project management cycle, environmental management, statistical and econometric investigations. Training methods rely on case studies, simulation and econometric exercises, individual and collective homework on various subjects.

The program duration is one academic year (starting late September) and comprises an internship (3 to 10 months). The program is organised in teaching units (UE) over 2 semesters:

Semester 1 (late September January)

UE 1 Environmental Economics
UE 2 Natural Resources Economics
UE 3 Development Economics I: Development, Foreign Aid and Sustainable Development
UE 4 Corporations and SD
UE 5 Quantitative Methods

Semester 2 (February mid-June)

UE 6 - Development Economics II: SD economics and policies
UE 7 Environmental Policies Case studies
UE 8 Operational principles in natural resources management
UE 9 Agricultural policies and SD
UE 10 Project analysis

Training team and students

The program draws on the expertise of professors in economics from the faculty of economics and management of the University of Auvergne and researchers affiliated to the CERDI (Centre for Studies and Research on International Development) established in 1976. The Cerdi is recognized as a leading institution in teaching and research in international development economics. A research program has existed for several years at the Cerdi connecting macroeconomics to environmental and natural resources issues. The Cerdi was awarded a grant by the French Ministry of research to study the influence of macroeconomic policies on deforestation in developing countries.

Other researchers and professionals from development agencies, development and environmental NGOs, SD consultants and SD executives, etc. also constitute the team giving the students the opportunity to be closely connected to current SD research and operational questions.

Students completing a graduate program or students with a professional background constitute the public of the master; students coming from developed, developing or emerging countries as well. The master has existed for 4 years (first cohort in 2005 - 2006) with already about 50 graduated students. Graduated students can obtain careers in public or private sectors, development agencies, consulting offices, as well as NGOs, mainly internationally.

Partnership

This program benefits from a close partnership with the AFD (French Development Agency) and more specifically with its training department (CEFEB) located in Marseille (France).