MSc Global Development (Poverty and Inequality) / Course details

The Lecture Programme will include:
1: Analytical Approaches to Global Institutions (Public and Private) and Trade Policy
2: The 'Washington Consensus': Trade Liberalisation and the IMF and World Bank
3: The Multilateral Trading System: GATT to the WTO to the Doha Round
4: WTO: Intellectual Property, the TRIPs Agreement and Dispute Settlement issues
5: EU and Regional Trade Agreements
6: International Labour Organisation, Labour Standards and the 'Social Clause'
7: Global Standards and Voluntary Certification
8: Corporate Social Accountability, Fair Trade and Ethical Trade
9: Rising Powers in Global Institutions and the Governance of Trade Rules
10: The Ethica Game: A role play game on Trade Rules, Global Competitiveness and International Development

- support students to analyse key theories and policy debates concerning global trade governance and development  

- enable students to critically appraise the interactions between public governance institutions (i.e. WTO), private actors and gloval trade rules  

- develop students’ understanding of how these institutions and rules shape development strategies, industrialisation processes and policy space in the global South  

- encourage critical engagement with contemporary shifts in the gloval economy, including South-South trade, trade wars, and the resurgence of bilateral and regional trade agreements  

- provide conceptual and empirical tools to assess the role of multilateral coroporations, global production networks, gloval standards, and emerging powers in shaping development outcomes

- foster the ability to evaluate competing perspectives on the opportunities and challages that global trade governance presents for development and development policy 

Through engagement with key debates on global trade, development, and global institutions, students develop the ability to analyse complex policy environments, understand interactions between public and private actors, and critically assess how global rules shape development outcomes in the Global South. These skills are directly relevant to careers in international organisations, government and policy roles, NGOs, consultancy, international business, and development-related professions. 

The individual video-recorded presentation develops students’ abilities to communicate complex ideas clearly, while the essay supports students in developing their writing skills, independent research skills, and ability to summarise and put different debates in conversation with each other.  

Syllabus:

1: Analytical Approaches to Global Institutions (Public and Private) and Trade Policy 

2: The 'Washington Consensus': Trade Liberalisation and the IMF and World Bank 

3: The Multilateral Trading System: GATT to the WTO to the Doha Round  

4: WTO: Intellectual Property, the TRIPs Agreement and Dispute Settlement issues 

5: EU and Regional Trade Agreements  

6: International Labour Organisation, Labour Standards and the 'Social Clause' 

7: Global Standards and Voluntary Certification  

8: Corporate Social Accountability, Fair Trade and Ethical Trade  

9: Rising Powers in Global Institutions and the Governance of Trade Rules  

10: The Ethical Game: A role play game on Trade Rules, Global Competitiveness and International Development 

The course is divided into ten weekly lectures. Each lecture will introduce the topic of the week and involve a discussion of a range of concepts and issues. It is important that students read the key readings before each lecture. In addition to the lectures, there are tutorial sessions to discuss specific readings and topics in a smaller group format.  

Lectures are designed to be interactive, including components that classes/seminars will build on. This is in line with lecturing approach guided by the pursuit of capturing students’ situational interest by introducing puzzles and questions to the class (Quinlan, 2019).  

• Summarise and explain key theoretical approaches to global trade governance, including the role of public and private actors.
• Analyse how global trade rules and institutions interact with national development strategies and industrial policy in the Global South.
• Evaluate the role of multinational corporations, institutions, and standards of global trade in shaping development outcomes.

• Critically compare competing theoretical approaches to trade, development, and global governance.
• Apply conceptual frameworks to analyse contemporary issues such as South–South trade, trade wars, and regional trade agreements.
• Synthesise empirical evidence and policy debates to construct coherent arguments.

• Locate critical academic and policy sources relevant to global trade and development.  
• Analyse empirical materials, such as reports, case studies, and trade data, to assess development implications.  
• Communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively.

• Analytical abilities and engagement with key bodies of critical literatures
• Develop practical understanding of key debates in trade policy and their implications for international development
• Acquire presentation skills though seminars and case study presentations
• Develop capacity to undertake group-based work

• Individual Recorded presentation (5 minutes)
• Written assignment (2,000 words)

Feedback provided through VLE within standard turnaround time

There are no standard textbooks for this module however the following general references are useful readings:  

Rodrik, D (2018) Straight Talk on Trade. Princeton University Press.

Roberts, A. and Lamp, N. (2021) Six Faces of Globalisation. Harvard University Press.

Mwencha, E. (2025) Rising Together: How African Nations can prosper through integration. Action Wealth Publishing.

Barrientos, S and Dolan, C (2006) Ethical Sourcing in the Global Food System, Earthscan, London.  

Chang, H.J. (ed.) (2003) Rethinking Development Economics, Anthem Press  

Dicken, P. (2011) Global Shift: Mapping the Changing Contours of the World Economy, 6 th ed., Sage.  

Gruber, L. (2000) Ruling the world: Power politics and the rise of supranational Institutions, Princeton University Press.  

Hoekman, B. and Mavroidis, P (2007) World Trade Organisation: Law, Economics and Politics, Routledge.  

Peet, R. (2009) Unholy Trinity: the IMF, World Bank and WTO, Zed: London.  

Wilkinson, R. (2014) What's wrong with the WTO and how to fix it, Polity Press.