Exploring International Organizations: The World Bank

Course Description

The course starts one week later than scheduled, on April 21, and ends one week earlier on July 14! We will decide in the group when the two sessions will be made up for.

Many problems confronting today’s societies are transboundary, leading states to increasingly rely on international organizations for policy solutions. One of the best-known international organization is certainly the World Bank. It is the world’s largest multilateral development organization, which outpaces any other international development organization in terms of funds and staff.

In this research-based course, students will explore the World Bank as international organization. Research-based means that students will initially develop their own research agenda by identifying questions that they deem important or worthy of consideration in the context of the World Bank. They will then develop self-dependently a suitable research strategy to find answers to these questions. Eventually and most importantly, they will conduct the research by implementing the research strategy with the ultimate aim to answer their questions. In so doing, students will make use of the internet-blog “The World Bank”. This blog essentially serves two purposes. On the one hand it serves as platform where students post their individual research proposals, outline their research plan, and present interim results as they gradually progress with their research. On the other hand, it serves as platform where they discuss and comment their fellow students’ contributions.

The lecturer will give support and input whenever needed, requested, or deemed necessary.

Degree Programs

Master Political Science

• Optional module (5 LP) International Politics

Master Public Administration

• Optional module (5 LP) International Politics

Master International Relations