This Seminar closes the degree requirement of students in the Department of Political Science in the area of International Studies. It offers them the opportunity to further develop their knowledge in this area through the critical engagement of topical debates in the study of International Relations. In this seminar, to achieve this objective, we will focus on contemporary issues in the area of critical development studies. The Seminar will enable students to not only deepen their appreciation of major theoretical and cutting edge debates in the area of the political economy of development, it will also provide them with the tools to create and develop their own research projects, related to pressing topics in this area ranging from: the political economy of climate change and pandemic, the politics of international aid, the role of international organizations and non-state actors, like NGOs, in development practice, the relationship between conflict and capitalist expansion, and the current state of liberal democracy in global south societies, among others.

In this seminar, students will share the responsibility for their own training, and the course demands their active participation in class discussions. Additionally, two training options are offered at the course’s conclusion. The first is academic, which culminates with a manuscript designed and written by students for a scientific journal. The second, follows a more professional stream, in which students will develop skills for the preparation of a more practical, policy-focused document related to the area of International Development.