Course Type: Postgraduate (taught)
Training Provider: University of Sussex
School/Institute/Dept./Centre: Institute of Development Studies (IDS)

IDS is proud to announce a new Masters programme which includes a trip to China to witness the country’s rapid economic growth. The innovative one-year Globalisation and Development degree starts in October 2008 and will provide a fresh perspective on globalisation. It will focus on the shift of power from West to East. For example, this year China surpassed the US as the main engine of global economic growth. When considering Russia and India along with other Asian economies, it becomes clear that over half of all the global economic growth is being generated by emerging economies, most of them from the East.

Students will be exposed to the latest research and policy advice from leading IDS researchers working on the new challenges faced, and posed, by developing countries that come from the East. In the summer term of 2009 they will also take part in a two-week field trip to China which should include meetings with public officials, representatives from the private sector, trade unions, academics and non-governmental organisations.

The MA is unique in that it complements academic training with policy perspectives and practical learning that draws on the accumulated experience of a team of researchers with a rich portfolio of work on the ground, and cutting-edge research on policy-driven issues. The MA is managed by the Globalisation Team at IDS, which comprises a select group of researchers including Professors Hubert Schmitz and John Humphrey, two leading experts on industrial organisation and global value chains, and Jing Gu, a Chinese scholar currently working on the political economy aspects of China’s Foreign Direct Investment in Africa.

The programme takes the perspective that understanding the new drivers of the world economy is crucial to any analysis of globalisation today. It offers a study tour to China, one of the major new drivers of globalisation. First-hand experience of this major laboratory of innovation and change will be gained through exclusive visits to leading organisations and institutions.

China matters because of its rapidly growing demand for primary products and its impact on oil and other commodity prices, its competitive challenge in manufacturing markets, and because of its significant contribution to climate change. It is becoming an increasingly important player in the international political arena, and is keen to forge a positive image in the long term through investing in events such the 2008 Olympic Games and in its relations with other major economic powers and trade partners.

The programme is suited to students who wish to engage actively in the management of globalisation. Their academic and professional backgrounds are expected to be varied, ranging from business to economics, social and political sciences, development studies and other related subjects, so that each student can both contribute to, and benefit from, a wide pool of diverse experiences. The excellent language training facilities on the Sussex University campus, where IDS is based, are available at a discounted rate for our students, should they wish to study Chinese.

The Globalisation and Development programme is the latest addition to postgraduate teaching at IDS. After completing their postgraduate studies at IDS, our alumni work at international organisations, renowned research institutes, international and national NGOs, government agencies and private sector organisations committed to growth and social responsibility. In searching for ways to engage professionally in globalisation and development fields, students on the new programme will be able to draw on the Globalisation team’s professional networks spread around the world.

At the end of the programme, successful students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the debate about the nature of globalisation, its direction, and whom it benefits.
  
  
• Develop original thinking and use it creatively for problem-solving when dealing with globalisation-related issues affecting various actors and arising in specific contexts and country settings.
  
  
• Use practical skills in policy design and implementation learned during the programme in a range of areas such as international finance, production upgrading and trade.

Autumn Term
Core Course One: Ideas in Development and Policy: Evidence and Practice
Core Course Two: Managing Globalisation

Spring Term    
Core Course Three: Globalisation and Inequalities
Core Course Four: From a menu of options
Professional Skills for Development     

Summer Term
Specialised Courses: Competing in the Global Economy, and another from a menu of options
Trip to China: 15-day trip
Professional Skills for Development
Dissertation: 10,000 word dissertation under the supervision of a faculty member

Managing Globalisation Course (Autumn term)

This course is based upon the understanding that globalisation is a complex process with regional, national and local ramifications that can be managed through policy interventions at different levels to make it more equitable and sustainable. It provides an overview of globalisation, with emphasis on its main drivers; and it discusses the various consequences of globalisation, and the set of policies that are required in different areas such as international trade and finance to change globalisation towards more positive outcomes.

Globalisation and Inequalities Course (Spring term)

While the opportunities offered by globalisation can be large, the question is often raised whether the actual distribution of gains is fair. This course aims to provide the tools to answer this question. Students will be introduced to the many debates that have developed in recent years about the meaning and measurement of inequality and poverty, cross-country and inter-temporal data comparability and methodology of analysis relating to these.

Competing in the Global Economy (Summer term)

China’s rapid rise has transformed the spaces for competing in the global economy. Some new opportunities arise and many new challenges need to be faced by countries all over the world. This course examines in particular the implications for countries in the rest of Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Can they keep their position in global value chains, how can they upgrade, how can they escape the race to the bottom? Do national chains offer better learning opportunities than global chains? What are the policy options at the global, national and local level?

This course will provide students with:

• An understanding of the new challenges (and opportunities) posed by China and the East Asian production system.
  
  
• An understanding of the strengths and limitations of global value chain analysis, the industrial cluster approach and enterprise-level capability approach.
  
  
• The analytical tools to identify appropriate lessons for policy.  

Application Forms

The University's postgraduate prospectus and application form can be downloaded from:

Sussex paper application

Sussex online application

Alternatively, if you require a hard copy of the prospectus and application pack, please order one on-line:

Order the prospectus and application pack

Further Information

Or contact James Prescott, Programme Administrator

Tel: +441273678869 E-mail: j.prescott@ids.ac.uk

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Entry Requirements:
A good honours degree in a social science discipline, and work experience in development-related work. The minimum acceptable level of English language competence is grade seven in each section of the IELTS test (or equivalent).

Course Duration:
12 months full-time

Language(s) of Instruction:

• English

Mode of Study:

• residential

Thematic Focus:

• Development Policy and Management
• Development Studies
• Globalisation
• Poverty Analysis

Country(ies):

• United Kingdom

Town(s) or City(ies):
Sussex

Course fees:
For entry in October 2008, fees are £12,700 for all students. Expenses on trip to China are included in the fees.

Scholarships & Awards:
Two scholarships are available for applicants from African members of the Commonwealth through a joint scheme between IDS and Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. Please contact IDS for further information. For sources of funding, please see the University of Sussex funding advice: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/publications/pgrad2008/funding_your_studies

Further Funding Information:
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/publications/pgrad2008/funding_your_studies

Course's Webpage:
http://www.ids.ac.uk/index.cfm?objectId=25D049F4-99DB-252E-471D59ED7514ADD6