SUM4509 – The politics of sustainable development
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
This course will introduce you to the major theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of sustainable development, including the contested nature of the sustainable development discourse at global and national levels. It will highlight core features of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 accompanying Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including issues related to governance and the underlying theory of change. The added value of international goalsetting on sustainable development and attempts to address the climate crisis will feature prominently in the lectures.
As countries in the Global South have called for major reforms of the global financial architecture to better achieve sustainable development, this course will focus on the multilateral governance systems including the United Nations, the World Bank Group, and intergovernmental forums such as the G20 and the BRICS. In addition to identifying and critically discussing the effectiveness of global and national institutional arrangements, the lectures will address the role and availability of finance (including aid) and technology to achieve sustainable development. The relationship between democracy and sustainable development will also be explored, including recent trends of democratic backsliding. By taking this course, you will learn how to better understand what works, how and why in relation to global and national interventions aimed at promoting sustainable development.
Learning outcome
By taking this course, you will
Become well acquainted with the major theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of sustainable development.
Acquire a nuanced understanding of the role, influence, and impact of the multilateral governance on sustainable development.
Gain insight into the explicit role of democracy and politics in achieving sustainable development and addressing climate disruption.
Learn how to understand what works, how and why in sustainable development.?
Admission to the course
You may apply to be a guest student at SUM. Please follow these instructions.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
A bachelors degree.
Teaching
Teaching is held in an intensive one-week period, with full-day sessions.?
Attendance in lectures and seminars is mandatory, and active participation in class is both expected and encouraged. You must have an attendance of 80% to be eligible to take the exam.
The course is held together with SUM2509. Students at BA-level and students at MA-level will take the course together, but the MA-level students will have an extra exam component.
Examination
2024: TBA (Delayed because of illness)
2023: A 4-hour school exam, and for masters students, an in-class oral presentation.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.