The Rise of the Rest: Africa and Latin America under Transformation

About the course

Subjects

Social responsibility Sustainability Globalisation Internationalisation International economics Politics

Course content

This course examines the long-run development patterns of Africa and Latin America in light of recent experiences of economic growth, poverty reduction, democratization, and global integration. Students will explore whether these regions have fundamentally shifted development paths using various theoretical perspectives and indicators. The course emphasizes diversity within regions and the analytical value of comparing development conditions between Latin America and Africa. The first part focuses on seminal works and debates on long-term development, while the second part applies historical insights to present challenges and opportunities.

Session 1: Introduction
Session 2: Why is Africa and Latin America poor? The big debates
Session 3: Colonialism and institutions in Africa
Session 4: Institutions and colonial legacies in Latin America
Session 5: Growth and structural change before the oil-crises
Session 6: Midway assignment seminar
Session 7: Globalization and the lost decades: Africa and Latin America compared
Session 8: Growth and transformation: Is Africa and Latin America Growing out of Poverty
Session 9: De-globalisation: Opportunity or threat?
Session 10: The rise of the rest?

See course description in course catalogue

What you will learn

To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors.

Demonstrate familiarity with different theories of long-term economic change in Africa and Latin America since 1930.
Apply and critically assess theories and analytical concepts in the literature of long-term economic development in Africa and Latin America.
Compare and critically assess theories of long-term economic change in Africa and Latin America.
Use empirical data to analyse and evaluate patterns of economic development in Africa and Latin America since 1800 to present.
Present and defend theoretically and empirically sound analyses of development patterns in Africa and Latin America.

Course prerequisites

This course is designed for graduate students in business disciplines or social sciences. A completed bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required.

Facts

Level

Master

Type

Elective

ECTS

7.5

Code

CGMAI3031U

Teaching periods

Summer

Academic year

2025/2026

Status

Available places

Teaching language

English

Teaching Format

On campus

Exams

Written assignment
Individual exam, summer

Assessment type

7 point grading scale