First class session Friday!

The class portion of IEDP, Economic and Social Policies of Colombia, will hold its first session this Friday at the Ford School. This 1.5-credit, seven-week course is a prerequisite to the policy research trip to Colombia that will take place at the end of February.

We will begin our exploration of Colombian social policy with a country briefing from the World Bank Country Manager for Colombia, Geoffrey Bergen, via Skype. Bergen will discuss the "development conundrums of Colombia," such as rapid growth amid huge inequalities and government inefficiencies. He will also offer perspective on the policy climate in Colombia and its current security and economic situations. To learn more about what The World Bank is doing in Colombia, visit the organization's country page here.

Professor Ciorciari will follow with a lecture that will give social, political and historical context to Colombian development. From the syllabus:

This session ... will feature an overview of Colombia's physical and human geography, which have presented both opportunities and challenges for stable, equitable and sustainable development. We will then turn to a brief review of Colombia's modern history, touching upon the effects of the colonial legacy, the strong U.S. role in the region, and the social and political forces that have driven Colombia's domestic evolution since the mid-20th century. Finally, we will introduce the contemporary political order in Colombia and discuss the main features of Colombia's electoral politics, national institutions and local government units.