I took Casey's Marine Resource Economics class last spring and enjoyed it. I like the teaching style and interactive discussions in class. Also, I really liked Goldsmith's Economics of Social Problems class which I took last year. That is why I wanted to take Development Economics with Prof. Casey.
Hopefully I will learn the dynamics of the economies of developing nations, and how the many factors mentioned in class today play a part in that development. It is interesting to me to learn about the many aspects of different countries' "well-being." Gender, race, education, employment, poverty, health, and many more are essential to understanding a country's well-being, not just GDP.
As I already stated, I took Goldsmith's Economics of Social Problems course, and I learned a lot. I also took Ghandi's Economics of the Middle East course which taught me about developing countries in the Middle East. Hopefully these courses and any other prior knowledge will allow me to contribute in class.
Last year, I researched the effects of gender on poverty in Ghana. Since I found the topic so interesting, I figured taking Development Economics would allow me to study similar topics in great depth. Also, I have taken Economies of the Middle East in which there was much discussion of the HDI and how it acts as a better indicator of development and general standard of living than GDP/PPP. I hope that Development Economics will cover similar topics in a greater scope.
Additionally, I have yet to take a class with Professor Casey and I really wanted to prior to graduating.
For my capstone project, I intend on researching an as of yet undecided area of health or development economics. I hope that through this research I can offer insights in class based on my findings.
I am taking this class largely to learn more about the field of microfinance and how developing nations will continue their growth especially as an economic recession has crippled a vast portion of the international economy. I've always been very interested by issues of development and how this will complement my capstone course and public policy course, which both look at related issues. Given my background (similar to many W&L students) with a vast mixture of internships in both the private and public sector, I hope to draw from those experiences to benefit the class in a positive way (and hope to learn from others' experiences, as well).
I really hope to take away a few solutions to the problems of developing nations and developing economies especially as I perhaps consider my future career opportunities.
I have a strong interest in both business and poverty, especially international business. I took this class because I thought it correlated with these interests and because I have been working on a W&L Student Consulting project in Brazil where we created a business plan for villagers along the Rio Solemois who grow malva and juta vegetable fibers. This class sounded really interesting and seemed like it would be really helpful for me moving forward with the project.
I have been to Brazil twice with W&L professors and students and have observed the poverty that these villagers face and the problems that they face in trying to alleviate poverty. The project is ongoing this year as we hope to further explore the chain of distribution for the production of the malva fibers and to find ways the eliminate the middle man, who exploits the villagers. I think my experience in Brazil and with this project will be a contribution to the class.
I hope this class will help me get a better understanding of the economics of developing countries as a whole and as I said before, that it will especially help me with this project.
I am interested in how investment in different types of social programs, particularly public education and microfinance, can help grow an economy and make a nation more productive and stable. Development econ will help me expand my knowledge of social issues and also seems like it will be interesting and engaging.
I hope to learn more about all of the topics on the syllabus and am particularly interested to see how gender issues will be incorporated throughout the semester. I also hope to learn more about microfinance as a business through our group project.
Hopefully other courses I've taken such as poverty, econ of social issues, econ of education, etc. will help me to be a strong contributor to class discussion. Other service experiences I've had outside the classroom will also surely be beneficial to my experience in this class.
I want to work in the US foreign service, particularly in one of the developing nations of Central or South America. In order to properly understand the social situation and impact of government programs (or lack there of), it is important that I am versed in the subject of development economics. As well as where I want to go, I have spent a significant amount of time living and travelling in South America and would love to know how and why the economic disparity exists.
Without realizing that this course would be focused on gender issues, I signed up for "International Relations from a Feminist Perspective" and am sure that our discussions in that course will be beneficial to the discourse in ours. As well, I spent the summer working on the US-Mexican border, dealing with the politics of immigration. The director of the non-profit I was working for habitually drove home the point that "in order to curb the flow of illegal immigration from south to north, we need to be better neighbors. That in the long run, no one benefits from living next to poverty". I took that idea and played with it alot over the summer months...asking myself what I could do as a college student to be part of the solution of a massive displacement of people, and what I came to rest on was a non-profit mircofinance organization run by students with the purpose of educating the individual WL student in matters of the global community, providing him/her with a vital experential education, while simultaneously working for the betterment of our Mexican neighbors.
I am taking this class to help round out my minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies. So far, the only courses I have taken in this area focus on historical and cultural aspects, and I hope that Econ 280 will allow me to look at developing nations in yet another way.
In this class, I hope to get a general understanding of how economics works in countries other than the US. Economics courses I have taken in the past focus primarily on US economics (occasionally bringing in nations such as China), but I hope that this course will expand my economic knowledge and allow me to apply some of the principles that I already know in new ways, to countries in much different shape than nations such as the US. Also, I hope to gain an understanding of how different countries effect one another on an economic scale.
Although I have only taken a few economics courses in the past, I have taken several cultural and historical classes about developing nations, and also travelled to a few different locations in Latin America and the Caribbean. I hope this background will allow me to contribute to the class by focusing on the effects of economics on a human and cultural level.
I have a strong interest in "practical" economics, rather than in theories (though I still regard them as important parts), so it was a suitable choice for me to participate in this course. Before I came here, many experiences in many countries have made my mind coming up with some sort of idea, or perspective towards what developing countries are like, but I also thought that what I see is just a part of it. By taking this course, I am expecting to look into development economic in a wider range, particularly dealing with relation between economics and a nation. Analyzing data could be one approach, or discussion among classmates, which can broaden my view, could be another.
In addition, I have engaged in service-learning activity program in Malawi by joining a NGO, and this experience would help me contribute in class. And I am hoping my previous study in Japan can suggest some different ideas in our learnings (since I am an exchange student from Japan).
Also, it would be a great peasure for me if you could speak "a bit" slower than you usually do, since I am not good at listening English that much. Thank you.
This class seems to be the perfect culmination of several interests, in the fields of business and poverty. With Allie Long, I have done significant research in small villages in Brazil, in the state of Amazonas. In the process we've learned about the social and environmental issues that these villages face that hinder wealth generation and ultimately a higher quality of life. I think that my experience here will help me to contribute to class discussions, and I in turn hope that class discussions will add value to our student consulting project in Brazil.
Additionally, I have significant interest in microfinance and small business development in developing countries. I worked at a non-profit loan fund for my Shepherd internship this past summer, and I learned a lot about the issues surrounding access to credit in low-income communities. A portion of our portfolio was dedicated to microfinance funds, so I also know a bit about sources of funding, etc for microfinance organizations which I can contribute to the microfinance project. Further, I am pursuing an independent study with Prof. Beckley to analyze access to credit within Lexington and working to develop an alternative to pay day lenders. I hope that what I learn in this class will contribute to these other projects and also to my poverty and environmental studies capstones where I plan to focus on small business development or corporate social responsibility, both of which tie in to the class agenda. I think that learning about these issues using economic analysis will strengthen my understanding of the issues as well.
I became interested in the class when I decided to take part in the Shepherd program and developed a great interest in the economies of undeveloped countries. Being a part of the Shepherd program I have a genuine interest in poverty and as an economics major I want to better understand how countries like Ecuador, Rwanda, and Cambodia end up in their situations along with how they can better alleviate them and spur economic growth.
I hope to learn the many different variables that bog country's economies down, ranging from geographical location to poor policy. I also hope to learn how I can help make a difference, through micro-financing, something I'm excited to get started using.
I will contribute to the class by being prepared and having the readings done before every class, as well as incorporating material learned in the poverty courses and tying it into what is currently going on in our course.
Many Indian Nationals criticized the film Slumdog Millionaire for its prejudiced portrayal of poverty in India, but even they will agree that there is poverty in India. And there is a lot of it. Someone rightly pointed out that India has a “wealth of poverty”. India at 62 is still struggling with poverty and inequality. Most people still don’t have access to clean water, toilets, three meals a day and other basic necessities of life. While doing research in the poor district of Jahanabad in the north-eastern part of India, I recall a government official remarking about the villagers, “One public toilet should be enough for about fifty people”. No doubt, that a lot has changed since the midnight of August 15, 1947, when Nehru said that finally India was having its “tryst with destiny” but a lot still needs to be done. Visit any city and you will see signs of change everywhere, in form of grand buildings, shopping complexes, expensive cars but then you step outside the city to its peripheries and see the sadness of the slums. Why does such contrast exist? Nehru was right- India was born on the fine midnight of 1947 but it was born as a diseased and feeble child that needs care and nourishment. We all know about it. Not, a single day goes by when the Indian government does not talk about the high levels of poverty but it is time for more action and less talk. Its time to design policies that will actually work. The field of development Economics has helped us understand the problem of poverty and inequality, the difference between growth and development, and most importantly helped us devise policies to combat these problems. Why are some countries behind others in the race? Will they ever converge? What is the role of government? Questions such as these have run through all of our minds and development economics provides us with the tools to answer these questions. I audited Prof Robin Burgess’s Development Economics class while studying abroad at LSE and found myself very interested in the field. Immediately after, I started working on a research that looks at Returns to Schooling in India. The paper aims to analyze and estimate the economic benefits of attending different levels of school in India. I hope to learn a lot from this class. I believe it will prepare me for my continuing research and also provide me with great insight along the way. Microfinance is very interesting field of study, and is certainly becoming prominent in many developing countries such as India itself. I am excited to learn more about this area. I hope to contribute to the class by sharing my first-hand experiences in India.
I am taking this course in order to better understand the modern world and developing countries. Obviously poverty is an issue in many developing countries and modern countries but a lot of people don't know exactly why it is such a big issue. I am hoping this course will answer many of those questions and give me the skills to analyze developing economies and the problems they face. I also enjoyed my labor economics course last year and I am hoping this course will also reach my intesrests. As a student I will contribute to the class by being prepared, asking questions and engaging in discussions. I have not taken any previous classes on poverty so I will be paying close attention to the comments of those who have previous expereience.
I am taking this course because I have an interest in middle east politics and am interested learning more about how we as a developed nation can better serve less developed countries through our foreign policy, which may be something that we have failed to do in our current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, over the summer I was interested in reading The New York Times Magazine special "The Women's Crusade". I found their coverage to be fascinating and I would like to further explore the role women play in developing nations. As a business major, I think it is important to understand how skills acquired can be used to help those less fortunate. I hope that the case project opens up my mind to various career options that I wasn't aware of previously.
As a Sociiology/Anthropolgy and Business Admin. double major, I have developed a keen interest in how the business world directly affects the society within which we live. This class integrates both concepts perfectly and will allow me to gain a broader perspective of countries across the world. Adhering to a firm stance on issues related to social justice is of paramount importance if we are to develop a more egalitarian world and I believe the concepts we will be covering will only enhance my ability to do so.
I bring a unique understanding of business and sociological concepts to the table that I have cultivated while here at W&L. As we see in the first couple chapters of our text, everything (economic and noneconomic) is interrelated and must be taken into account when trying to facilitate advantageous change in a developing country. On the whole, I think my (and everyone else here at W&L) well-rounded liberal arts education will allow me to tackle these issues surrounding development quite successfully (history, society, economics, marketing, etc.).
I am taking this course to gain a better understanding of develping countries economies. I have an interest in social issues and, more specifically, poverty which also led me to this course. I am eager to learn the various methods countries have employed in their development, including successful and unsuccessful efforts.
I hope that my prior experiences will enable me to contribute to this course. In the summer of 2008, I worked at Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation through the Shepherd Program. Working in the business development office, I gained some experience with micro-lending and small business development. In addition, I participated in the Ghana Spring Term Abroad trip, where we focused on economic development and African political economy. Dan
Before I came to the US 2 years ago, I had lived my entire life in Romania. Even though the gap between the rich and the poor there is perhaps not as great as in other countries, Romanians have always struggled, whether it was because of low salaries, social injustice, government inefficiency or poor education and health systems. Your ordinary Romanian would rather find ways to "work with" the system in order to get by, rather than find ways to better the system. I haven't realized that as I was growing up there but living in the US and looking at my country from afar changed my perspective. So my interest in development was actually born not as I was inside the bubble, so to say, but rather as I distanced myself from it. It is something that intrigues me and frustrates me at the same time because I have yet to understand everything that surrounds it. So primarily I am taking this class with the hope that it can answer some questions like why, despite global efforts to improve the lives of the poor we still witness huge disparities across the world (to name just one). I am hoping that, given my background, I can bring a bit of an "insider's perspective", but one that is objective at the same time. I have also taken the Spring Term trip to Ghana which was a truly eye-opening experience and therefore I think that I could share with the class what I've learned and observed there as well.
I have a strong interest in languages, so I had always hoped to eventually apply my Economics/Math majors in an international context. When I took International Trade last winter I became exposed to and interested in the study of the economics of developing countries, and focused my term paper on growth and globalization in Sub-Saharan Africa. So after being introduced to the subject, I signed up for this class in order to learn much more about developmental economics, a field that I hope to focus my future studies in.
Last February break I went on a service trip to Najayo, in the Dominican Republic, with the ESOL group at our school. We went to teach English to baseball recruits at the San Diego Padre Baseball Academy, but ended up doing a lot of work in the community. The Padres are very involved in the development of Najayo, a very poor town with limited access to medical treatment, clean water, proper housing, etc. So as part of our work we taught at the elementary school and entered the community to survey the people on their living conditions and what improvements they would find most useful. This experience was extremely eye-opening and hopefully it will help me to make meaningful contributions to our class work and discussions.
I am taking this course to better understand the theory behind a lot of developmental economics I have read about and observed, and to tie together ideas from other courses I've taken, such as Poverty 101, International Development (Pol 215), and Economics of Social Issues. I was especially excited to see the course opened with an introduction to Amartya Sen, whose work I really admire. Finally, the focus on microfinance is very interesting to me, and although I have done research and written papers on the topic, I am looking forward to developing an "action plan" for W&L. A lot of my education has focused on domestic poverty issues, and while these are certainly important, I am looking forward to better understanding the world outside of the U.S. I think we tend to dismiss the problems of LDCs because they do not affect us directly, when in fact their problems are extremely pressing and any improvement or development in their countries will benefit the entire world. Also, I am a big supporter of microfinance as a primary solution for LDC's poverty, but I am always looking for more empirical evidence. I hope to contribute what I've learned from previous classes, as well as from spending some time in urban and desert Peru. I also enjoy discussing Sen and hope to contribute from having read "Development as Freedom."
I am a recently declared economics major so this is the first semester I am really getting into specific requirements for the major. I have chosen to take this course specifically to better understand the circumstances of developing countries. Economic development is a subject that I know little about, but one in which I am very interested. Initially knowing little about the discipline, I hope to come out of this course with a clearer understanding of what ‘development economics’ is.
Coming from Hong Kong, a city with its economy driven by capitalism, I had never challenged myself to think hard on poverty and development in the third world until I got into college in which I found myself very eager to learn more about developing countries and the dilemmas they are facing. Throughout the last three years of college experience as a Sociology major and a minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies, I have begun to immerse myself into thinking about issues on poverty in the third world countries and have never felt myself knowing enough about the topic. Lots of my classes, especially in sociology, have trained me to think of social issues sociologically – an example would be using a social theory “culture of poverty” to examine the vicious cycle of poverty; or how culture and values in society relate to development in general in different nation states (not necessarily only developing countries). Because of this background, I am interested in taking development economics in order to gain another perspective to examine development and growth in the less developed countries and definitely hoping to learn to think in an “economics” way (as opposed to sociologically..) In addition, it would be interesting for me to combine the different schools of thoughts in economics and sociology to study development and poverty with a more rounded collection of ideas, after taking this class. Besides the sociological perspective I was trained to use, I also hope to contribute my volunteer experiences in Venezuela and rural China with you all in this class when needed. From what I’ve seen, politics and certain ways of doing development as an interest to the government, say, of Venezuela, have influenced particular development in a country such as Venezuela. One definitely sees how political environment and cultural ethos could add to the variety of problems and solutions we might address and debate on.
I am taking this class because I took Professor Caseys natural resources economics course last year and thouroughly enjoyed it and decided I really wanted to take another one of his courses. Additionally the study of aspects of poverty and its corellation to economics seems extremely interesting to me.
I hope to learn more about parts of economics that you get little exposure to other classes. I am interested to hear how some of the more impoverished developing countries propel their economy with less opportunities and resources.
I believe I can contribute because this is a class that I am actually interested in and not one that I am simply taking to fill a requirement.
I took this course on the recommendations of Professors Beckley and Diette. I am an Econ and Politics double major, with a Poverty minor, so this course seemed like a natural fit for my interests. I really enjoyed Econ of Education, and want to take a deeper look into the effects of education on future rates of economic growth.
I hope to be better able to examine development in LDCs through measuring social and economic policy, and look at the cost/benefit of such policies on the citizens of LDCs.
I think Ill be able to contribute to this class because I've taken relevant topical econ courses in education and the middle east, in addition to a basic understanding of economic regression analysis and its implications and usefulness to policymaking.
Minus the Politics major, Jarrett and I had a similar process of choosing this class. I chose Development Economics in order to create connections between my Economics major and my Poverty minor. Since taking Professor Diette's course in Health Economics, I have had a growing interest in public health. Health Economics focused on Northern developed countries, and I hoped to now explore health care in the developing world. I realize that health care is not a main focus of the course, but I still believe I can gain a lot from the topics covered.
From the class I hope to gain a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of the the developed and developing world. Also, I am eager to learn about microfinance, which is currently a foreign topic to me.
I hope that my experiences of study and interaction with poverty within the U.S. can help me contribute to discussions about the effects of poverty on societies. Hopefully taking poverty courses, which addressed disparities in health and education, and working summers at a camp for underprivileged children and a non-profit medical clinic serving the poor, can provide me with ideas to contribute. I also hope my study of Economics allows me to see statistical relationships between different variables and the development of societies.
1. Why are you taking this class? I enrolled in Development Economics because I plan to minor in Poverty and, after taking Micro from Prof. Ghandi, I want to fulfill the requirements with courses from the economics cluster. I really did not know very much about what Development Economics would cover, although I assumed, from the title, that it would focus on the economies of developing and third world countries. After the first lecture, though, I realized how much fell under the heading of “development economics” and that we would be getting a “hands-on” experience of sorts through our project. The first lecture of the class really sparked my interest and I am choosing to continue taking the class because it is important to understand economic development in order, through service, policy, or whatever, we can use this knowledge to make a difference. 2. What do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn about developing economies and the role I can play, either as a citizen of the United States with my voting practices, or as a physician, working in underdeveloped areas of the world. I want to learn about the applications of development economics to worldwide poverty and the eradication of such. I hope to see how development economics is applicable, on a small scale, to underdeveloped areas of the United States, such as inner-city slums or rural areas. I hope to learn about the role of healthcare and physical well being in developing economics and the importance of policy concerning such, especially in developing countries. Finally, I want to broaden my horizons by learning “how the other half lives”.
3. What can you contribute? As a biochemistry major, I do not have a strong background in economics. I am able to look at problems form a scientific stand point and approach problems using the scientific method, which is very similar to the economist’s approach to problems. It differs only in that scientists design an experiment, while economist’s design a model. I am also from a small town in rural West Virginia, which gives me a perspective that many W&L students cannot understand. I have seen poverty close at hand and although my family is, by and large, not directly affected by poverty, the effects of it are very evident and we are indirectly affected on a daily basis.
1. I am taking this class because I have a strong interest in Latin American economies, almost all of which are developing. In 2005, I travelled to Costa Rica for a summer with a study-abroad program. During my time there, I conducted small-scale research on the Central American Free Trade Agreement--asking locals about there reactions to the "agreement" and looking into its consequences and benefits for Costa Rica. While I was only in high school, this experience jump-started my interest in economics, and ever since then, I have been aiming to learn more about the dynamics of a developing economy and how such agreements (and others) can be created or altered to benefit the developing economy. I have also worked in Ecuador for a summer in a Christian school for impoverished children...so I have seen the effects of poverty there as well. Finally, I hope to work for the State Department at some point in the future, so knowledge of the inner workings of developing countries may prove crucial.
2. I hope to learn more about what developing countries NEED in order to grow economically and improve the lives of their citizens. I know all about what works in the US, but I know very little about the methods of expanding a developing economy. As I have already read, the circumstances in these countries require a completely different approach...
3. As a senior Econ major, I hope to contribute ideas and concepts that I have learned from other econ classes as many theories and topics in economics overlap. In addition, I am currently writing my honors thesis in economics on unofficial dollarization in latin america. More specifically, I am looking into the effect that unofficial dollarization has on integration with the United States. Closer integration with the US could be yet another way of building a developing economy. While I am unsure if we will get into the topic of dollarization in this class, I will hopefully contribute a solid understanding of this phenomenon and how it effects the developing economies in Latin America. Even if we do not cover this area, the knowledge that I gain about the inner workings of a developing economy will undoubtedly contribute to my research.
1.Why am I taking this class? I am taking this class based upon my interest in developing countries and learning more about them by studying their economy. However, the main reason I am taking this class is because many of my friends have take Prof. Casey and told me he is a lot like Prof. Goldsmith, so after hearing that I had to take a course with Prof.Casey
2. I really hope to learn more about just how different/similar developing countries economies are compared those of developed countries like the US. I also, since the first day of class have become really interested in micro-finance and the project that we will research and do in this class.
3. As I have only taken really two intro econ classes, micro and macro, I am sure there will be more people that know a lot more than I do about economic policy/terms/ideas. However, I feel like I will absorb the information and participate given hopefully well thought responses and questions in class.
1. This summer I went to Sub-Saharan Africa with my dad and a mission group call IJM. As we traveled throughout one of the poorest regions in the world I kept asking how these immense problems could ever be solved. When I heard about how this class would cover the economies of developing countries I jumped at the opportunity, and when I heard about the microfinance project I was sold. 2. I hope that this semester I will find some answers, or at least steps in the right direction, to solving or reducing the overwhelming obstacles preventing development. I have also been interested in the concept of microfinance, and hope to gain a better practical understanding of how it works in reality, not in a book. I also hope to make a difference somewhere in the world through this project. 3. I have only taken macro and micro, and did ok at best in those courses. But I have traveled to Africa as well as southwest Mexico and Guatemala. I can hopefully bring a unique perspective in class discussion and in our project because of this.
Developmental Econ fulfills my Econ Major and Poverty minor, which initially attracted me to the class. This past summer I worked for a microfinance organization in Peru that focused on development and it fascinates me. Developmental Econ seems like the last great frontier for the common man. Not everyone can go to space, but almost anyone could move to Africa and try to sort out the puzzle pieces and, if nothing else, make a bit of a difference.
I want to learn more about what is known about development and what great puzzles are still there, so that I can do development well when I graduate.
I have alot of first hand, anecdotal knowledge that can sometimes illustrate a point better than a paper. I really enjoy learning from my classmates and I'm excited about our group work. I also want to get the General's Development Initiative off the ground and running so that future classes can expand on it.
I'm taking this class because it fulfills a Shepherd requirement. It also reminds me of what I learned in Peace Studies in high school. When I read the previous year's syllabus it seemed like a class that I could really understand the purpose of.
I guess I'm just hoping to learn more about how the world around me works. I have found it supremely annoying that most of these economic policies that were implemented early on in the development process seem to have never consulted an anthropologist on how the local culture would take to these policies.
That's interesting, I suppose I can contribute because I'm not an economics student. Having students who are not majoring in either economics or business means they'll look at problems in a completely different manner then those who are, leading to diversity in focuses during class discussions. Which might annoy some.
I wanted to take this class because it is a direct application of the theory I have learned as an economics major for the last three years. Development is one of the most important areas of study, especially because it takes into account factors that are not typically thought about in economic research, such as culture and religion.
I want to learn about how successful the development efforts in Africa have been thus far. In what seems like a hopeless situation, I am curious to see what has been done and whether there has been significant progress as a result.
I can contribute to the class with my background knowledge in economics. I do not know much specifically about developing nations, but I can apply the principles I have learned in previous courses to the material presented in this course.
I am taking this class because I am trying to create a focus on every part of the world through my course selections. I have already done focuses on the Middle East and the EU and with this class I hope to learn more about the poorer regions of the world such as parts of Asia and Latin America.
I hope to be able to learn not only about how to help developing areas of the world grow but also about their cultures. I want to be able to begin to gleam what may be ingrained in the cultures of the regions (if anything) which has created such economic stagnation.
I hope to be able to contribute a realistic business-style thought process to class discussions. I have worked in the floral industry in Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya for many years now and have some ideas of what has been going on in those areas through this business.
I took Casey's Marine Resource Economics class last spring and enjoyed it. I like the teaching style and interactive discussions in class. Also, I really liked Goldsmith's Economics of Social Problems class which I took last year. That is why I wanted to take Development Economics with Prof. Casey.
ReplyDeleteHopefully I will learn the dynamics of the economies of developing nations, and how the many factors mentioned in class today play a part in that development. It is interesting to me to learn about the many aspects of different countries' "well-being." Gender, race, education, employment, poverty, health, and many more are essential to understanding a country's well-being, not just GDP.
As I already stated, I took Goldsmith's Economics of Social Problems course, and I learned a lot. I also took Ghandi's Economics of the Middle East course which taught me about developing countries in the Middle East. Hopefully these courses and any other prior knowledge will allow me to contribute in class.
-Alex Boehling
Last year, I researched the effects of gender on poverty in Ghana. Since I found the topic so interesting, I figured taking Development Economics would allow me to study similar topics in great depth. Also, I have taken Economies of the Middle East in which there was much discussion of the HDI and how it acts as a better indicator of development and general standard of living than GDP/PPP. I hope that Development Economics will cover similar topics in a greater scope.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I have yet to take a class with Professor Casey and I really wanted to prior to graduating.
For my capstone project, I intend on researching an as of yet undecided area of health or development economics. I hope that through this research I can offer insights in class based on my findings.
-Erika Khalek
I am taking this class largely to learn more about the field of microfinance and how developing nations will continue their growth especially as an economic recession has crippled a vast portion of the international economy. I've always been very interested by issues of development and how this will complement my capstone course and public policy course, which both look at related issues. Given my background (similar to many W&L students) with a vast mixture of internships in both the private and public sector, I hope to draw from those experiences to benefit the class in a positive way (and hope to learn from others' experiences, as well).
ReplyDeleteI really hope to take away a few solutions to the problems of developing nations and developing economies especially as I perhaps consider my future career opportunities.
-Logan Pettigrew
I have a strong interest in both business and poverty, especially international business. I took this class because I thought it correlated with these interests and because I have been working on a W&L Student Consulting project in Brazil where we created a business plan for villagers along the Rio Solemois who grow malva and juta vegetable fibers. This class sounded really interesting and seemed like it would be really helpful for me moving forward with the project.
ReplyDeleteI have been to Brazil twice with W&L professors and students and have observed the poverty that these villagers face and the problems that they face in trying to alleviate poverty. The project is ongoing this year as we hope to further explore the chain of distribution for the production of the malva fibers and to find ways the eliminate the middle man, who exploits the villagers. I think my experience in Brazil and with this project will be a contribution to the class.
I hope this class will help me get a better understanding of the economics of developing countries as a whole and as I said before, that it will especially help me with this project.
-Allie Long
I am interested in how investment in different types of social programs, particularly public education and microfinance, can help grow an economy and make a nation more productive and stable. Development econ will help me expand my knowledge of social issues and also seems like it will be interesting and engaging.
ReplyDeleteI hope to learn more about all of the topics on the syllabus and am particularly interested to see how gender issues will be incorporated throughout the semester. I also hope to learn more about microfinance as a business through our group project.
Hopefully other courses I've taken such as poverty, econ of social issues, econ of education, etc. will help me to be a strong contributor to class discussion. Other service experiences I've had outside the classroom will also surely be beneficial to my experience in this class.
Tricia Bates
I want to work in the US foreign service, particularly in one of the developing nations of Central or South America. In order to properly understand the social situation and impact of government programs (or lack there of), it is important that I am versed in the subject of development economics. As well as where I want to go, I have spent a significant amount of time living and travelling in South America and would love to know how and why the economic disparity exists.
ReplyDeleteWithout realizing that this course would be focused on gender issues, I signed up for "International Relations from a Feminist Perspective" and am sure that our discussions in that course will be beneficial to the discourse in ours. As well, I spent the summer working on the US-Mexican border, dealing with the politics of immigration. The director of the non-profit I was working for habitually drove home the point that "in order to curb the flow of illegal immigration from south to north, we need to be better neighbors. That in the long run, no one benefits from living next to poverty". I took that idea and played with it alot over the summer months...asking myself what I could do as a college student to be part of the solution of a massive displacement of people, and what I came to rest on was a non-profit mircofinance organization run by students with the purpose of educating the individual WL student in matters of the global community, providing him/her with a vital experential education, while simultaneously working for the betterment of our Mexican neighbors.
I look forward to getting to know yall.
Benjamin Ersing.
I am taking this class to help round out my minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies. So far, the only courses I have taken in this area focus on historical and cultural aspects, and I hope that Econ 280 will allow me to look at developing nations in yet another way.
ReplyDeleteIn this class, I hope to get a general understanding of how economics works in countries other than the US. Economics courses I have taken in the past focus primarily on US economics (occasionally bringing in nations such as China), but I hope that this course will expand my economic knowledge and allow me to apply some of the principles that I already know in new ways, to countries in much different shape than nations such as the US. Also, I hope to gain an understanding of how different countries effect one another on an economic scale.
Although I have only taken a few economics courses in the past, I have taken several cultural and historical classes about developing nations, and also travelled to a few different locations in Latin America and the Caribbean. I hope this background will allow me to contribute to the class by focusing on the effects of economics on a human and cultural level.
-Catherine Anderson
I have a strong interest in "practical" economics, rather than in theories (though I still regard them as important parts), so it was a suitable choice for me to participate in this course. Before I came here, many experiences in many countries have made my mind coming up with some sort of idea, or perspective towards what developing countries are like, but I also thought that what I see is just a part of it. By taking this course, I am expecting to look into development economic in a wider range, particularly dealing with relation between economics and a nation. Analyzing data could be one approach, or discussion among classmates, which can broaden my view, could be another.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I have engaged in service-learning activity program in Malawi by joining a NGO, and this experience would help me contribute in class. And I am hoping my previous study in Japan can suggest some different ideas in our learnings (since I am an exchange student from Japan).
Also, it would be a great peasure for me if you could speak "a bit" slower than you usually do, since I am not good at listening English that much.
Thank you.
Kotaro Watanabe
This class seems to be the perfect culmination of several interests, in the fields of business and poverty. With Allie Long, I have done significant research in small villages in Brazil, in the state of Amazonas. In the process we've learned about the social and environmental issues that these villages face that hinder wealth generation and ultimately a higher quality of life. I think that my experience here will help me to contribute to class discussions, and I in turn hope that class discussions will add value to our student consulting project in Brazil.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I have significant interest in microfinance and small business development in developing countries. I worked at a non-profit loan fund for my Shepherd internship this past summer, and I learned a lot about the issues surrounding access to credit in low-income communities. A portion of our portfolio was dedicated to microfinance funds, so I also know a bit about sources of funding, etc for microfinance organizations which I can contribute to the microfinance project. Further, I am pursuing an independent study with Prof. Beckley to analyze access to credit within Lexington and working to develop an alternative to pay day lenders. I hope that what I learn in this class will contribute to these other projects and also to my poverty and environmental studies capstones where I plan to focus on small business development or corporate social responsibility, both of which tie in to the class agenda. I think that learning about these issues using economic analysis will strengthen my understanding of the issues as well.
Katie Harris
I became interested in the class when I decided to take part in the Shepherd program and developed a great interest in the economies of undeveloped countries. Being a part of the Shepherd program I have a genuine interest in poverty and as an economics major I want to better understand how countries like Ecuador, Rwanda, and Cambodia end up in their situations along with how they can better alleviate them and spur economic growth.
ReplyDeleteI hope to learn the many different variables that bog country's economies down, ranging from geographical location to poor policy. I also hope to learn how I can help make a difference, through micro-financing, something I'm excited to get started using.
I will contribute to the class by being prepared and having the readings done before every class, as well as incorporating material learned in the poverty courses and tying it into what is currently going on in our course.
Many Indian Nationals criticized the film Slumdog Millionaire for its prejudiced portrayal of poverty in India, but even they will agree that there is poverty in India. And there is a lot of it. Someone rightly pointed out that India has a “wealth of poverty”. India at 62 is still struggling with poverty and inequality. Most people still don’t have access to clean water, toilets, three meals a day and other basic necessities of life. While doing research in the poor district of Jahanabad in the north-eastern part of India, I recall a government official remarking about the villagers, “One public toilet should be enough for about fifty people”. No doubt, that a lot has changed since the midnight of August 15, 1947, when Nehru said that finally India was having its “tryst with destiny” but a lot still needs to be done. Visit any city and you will see signs of change everywhere, in form of grand buildings, shopping complexes, expensive cars but then you step outside the city to its peripheries and see the sadness of the slums. Why does such contrast exist? Nehru was right- India was born on the fine midnight of 1947 but it was born as a diseased and feeble child that needs care and nourishment. We all know about it. Not, a single day goes by when the Indian government does not talk about the high levels of poverty but it is time for more action and less talk. Its time to design policies that will actually work. The field of development Economics has helped us understand the problem of poverty and inequality, the difference between growth and development, and most importantly helped us devise policies to combat these problems. Why are some countries behind others in the race? Will they ever converge? What is the role of government? Questions such as these have run through all of our minds and development economics provides us with the tools to answer these questions. I audited Prof Robin Burgess’s Development Economics class while studying abroad at LSE and found myself very interested in the field. Immediately after, I started working on a research that looks at Returns to Schooling in India. The paper aims to analyze and estimate the economic benefits of attending different levels of school in India. I hope to learn a lot from this class. I believe it will prepare me for my continuing research and also provide me with great insight along the way. Microfinance is very interesting field of study, and is certainly becoming prominent in many developing countries such as India itself. I am excited to learn more about this area. I hope to contribute to the class by sharing my first-hand experiences in India.
ReplyDelete- Aparajita Singh
I am taking this course in order to better understand the modern world and developing countries. Obviously poverty is an issue in many developing countries and modern countries but a lot of people don't know exactly why it is such a big issue. I am hoping this course will answer many of those questions and give me the skills to analyze developing economies and the problems they face. I also enjoyed my labor economics course last year and I am hoping this course will also reach my intesrests. As a student I will contribute to the class by being prepared, asking questions and engaging in discussions. I have not taken any previous classes on poverty so I will be paying close attention to the comments of those who have previous expereience.
ReplyDeleteI am taking this course because I have an interest in middle east politics and am interested learning more about how we as a developed nation can better serve less developed countries through our foreign policy, which may be something that we have failed to do in our current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, over the summer I was interested in reading The New York Times Magazine special "The Women's Crusade". I found their coverage to be fascinating and I would like to further explore the role women play in developing nations. As a business major, I think it is important to understand how skills acquired can be used to help those less fortunate. I hope that the case project opens up my mind to various career options that I wasn't aware of previously.
ReplyDelete-Tara O'Neil
As a Sociiology/Anthropolgy and Business Admin. double major, I have developed a keen interest in how the business world directly affects the society within which we live. This class integrates both concepts perfectly and will allow me to gain a broader perspective of countries across the world. Adhering to a firm stance on issues related to social justice is of paramount importance if we are to develop a more egalitarian world and I believe the concepts we will be covering will only enhance my ability to do so.
ReplyDeleteI bring a unique understanding of business and sociological concepts to the table that I have cultivated while here at W&L. As we see in the first couple chapters of our text, everything (economic and noneconomic) is interrelated and must be taken into account when trying to facilitate advantageous change in a developing country. On the whole, I think my (and everyone else here at W&L) well-rounded liberal arts education will allow me to tackle these issues surrounding development quite successfully (history, society, economics, marketing, etc.).
I am taking this course to gain a better understanding of develping countries economies. I have an interest in social issues and, more specifically, poverty which also led me to this course. I am eager to learn the various methods countries have employed in their development, including successful and unsuccessful efforts.
ReplyDeleteI hope that my prior experiences will enable me to contribute to this course. In the summer of 2008, I worked at Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation through the Shepherd Program. Working in the business development office, I gained some experience with micro-lending and small business development. In addition, I participated in the Ghana Spring Term Abroad trip, where we focused on economic development and African political economy.
Dan
Before I came to the US 2 years ago, I had lived my entire life in Romania. Even though the gap between the rich and the poor there is perhaps not as great as in other countries, Romanians have always struggled, whether it was because of low salaries, social injustice, government inefficiency or poor education and health systems. Your ordinary Romanian would rather find ways to "work with" the system in order to get by, rather than find ways to better the system. I haven't realized that as I was growing up there but living in the US and looking at my country from afar changed my perspective. So my interest in development was actually born not as I was inside the bubble, so to say, but rather as I distanced myself from it. It is something that intrigues me and frustrates me at the same time because I have yet to understand everything that surrounds it. So primarily I am taking this class with the hope that it can answer some questions like why, despite global efforts to improve the lives of the poor we still witness huge disparities across the world (to name just one). I am hoping that, given my background, I can bring a bit of an "insider's perspective", but one that is objective at the same time. I have also taken the Spring Term trip to Ghana which was a truly eye-opening experience and therefore I think that I could share with the class what I've learned and observed there as well.
ReplyDeleteCristina Bratu
I have a strong interest in languages, so I had always hoped to eventually apply my Economics/Math majors in an international context. When I took International Trade last winter I became exposed to and interested in the study of the economics of developing countries, and focused my term paper on growth and globalization in Sub-Saharan Africa. So after being introduced to the subject, I signed up for this class in order to learn much more about developmental economics, a field that I hope to focus my future studies in.
ReplyDeleteLast February break I went on a service trip to Najayo, in the Dominican Republic, with the ESOL group at our school. We went to teach English to baseball recruits at the San Diego Padre Baseball Academy, but ended up doing a lot of work in the community. The Padres are very involved in the development of Najayo, a very poor town with limited access to medical treatment, clean water, proper housing, etc. So as part of our work we taught at the elementary school and entered the community to survey the people on their living conditions and what improvements they would find most useful. This experience was extremely eye-opening and hopefully it will help me to make meaningful contributions to our class work and discussions.
Cailin Slattery
I am taking this course to better understand the theory behind a lot of developmental economics I have read about and observed, and to tie together ideas from other courses I've taken, such as Poverty 101, International Development (Pol 215), and Economics of Social Issues. I was especially excited to see the course opened with an introduction to Amartya Sen, whose work I really admire. Finally, the focus on microfinance is very interesting to me, and although I have done research and written papers on the topic, I am looking forward to developing an "action plan" for W&L.
ReplyDeleteA lot of my education has focused on domestic poverty issues, and while these are certainly important, I am looking forward to better understanding the world outside of the U.S. I think we tend to dismiss the problems of LDCs because they do not affect us directly, when in fact their problems are extremely pressing and any improvement or development in their countries will benefit the entire world. Also, I am a big supporter of microfinance as a primary solution for LDC's poverty, but I am always looking for more empirical evidence.
I hope to contribute what I've learned from previous classes, as well as from spending some time in urban and desert Peru. I also enjoy discussing Sen and hope to contribute from having read "Development as Freedom."
-Caroline Head
I am a recently declared economics major so this is the first semester I am really getting into specific requirements for the major. I have chosen to take this course specifically to better understand the circumstances of developing countries. Economic development is a subject that I know little about, but one in which I am very interested. Initially knowing little about the discipline, I hope to come out of this course with a clearer understanding of what ‘development economics’ is.
ReplyDeleteSarah Miller
Coming from Hong Kong, a city with its economy driven by capitalism, I had never challenged myself to think hard on poverty and development in the third world until I got into college in which I found myself very eager to learn more about developing countries and the dilemmas they are facing. Throughout the last three years of college experience as a Sociology major and a minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies, I have begun to immerse myself into thinking about issues on poverty in the third world countries and have never felt myself knowing enough about the topic. Lots of my classes, especially in sociology, have trained me to think of social issues sociologically – an example would be using a social theory “culture of poverty” to examine the vicious cycle of poverty; or how culture and values in society relate to development in general in different nation states (not necessarily only developing countries). Because of this background, I am interested in taking development economics in order to gain another perspective to examine development and growth in the less developed countries and definitely hoping to learn to think in an “economics” way (as opposed to sociologically..) In addition, it would be interesting for me to combine the different schools of thoughts in economics and sociology to study development and poverty with a more rounded collection of ideas, after taking this class. Besides the sociological perspective I was trained to use, I also hope to contribute my volunteer experiences in Venezuela and rural China with you all in this class when needed. From what I’ve seen, politics and certain ways of doing development as an interest to the government, say, of Venezuela, have influenced particular development in a country such as Venezuela. One definitely sees how political environment and cultural ethos could add to the variety of problems and solutions we might address and debate on.
ReplyDelete-Silvia Cheng
I am taking this class because I took Professor Caseys natural resources economics course last year and thouroughly enjoyed it and decided I really wanted to take another one of his courses. Additionally the study of aspects of poverty and its corellation to economics seems extremely interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteI hope to learn more about parts of economics that you get little exposure to other classes. I am interested to hear how some of the more impoverished developing countries propel their economy with less opportunities and resources.
I believe I can contribute because this is a class that I am actually interested in and not one that I am simply taking to fill a requirement.
-Ryan Welsh
I took this course on the recommendations of Professors Beckley and Diette. I am an Econ and Politics double major, with a Poverty minor, so this course seemed like a natural fit for my interests. I really enjoyed Econ of Education, and want to take a deeper look into the effects of education on future rates of economic growth.
ReplyDeleteI hope to be better able to examine development in LDCs through measuring social and economic policy, and look at the cost/benefit of such policies on the citizens of LDCs.
I think Ill be able to contribute to this class because I've taken relevant topical econ courses in education and the middle east, in addition to a basic understanding of economic regression analysis and its implications and usefulness to policymaking.
-Jarrett Brotzman
Minus the Politics major, Jarrett and I had a similar process of choosing this class. I chose Development Economics in order to create connections between my Economics major and my Poverty minor. Since taking Professor Diette's course in Health Economics, I have had a growing interest in public health. Health Economics focused on Northern developed countries, and I hoped to now explore health care in the developing world. I realize that health care is not a main focus of the course, but I still believe I can gain a lot from the topics covered.
ReplyDeleteFrom the class I hope to gain a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of the the developed and developing world. Also, I am eager to learn about microfinance, which is currently a foreign topic to me.
I hope that my experiences of study and interaction with poverty within the U.S. can help me contribute to discussions about the effects of poverty on societies. Hopefully taking poverty courses, which addressed disparities in health and education, and working summers at a camp for underprivileged children and a non-profit medical clinic serving the poor, can provide me with ideas to contribute. I also hope my study of Economics allows me to see statistical relationships between different variables and the development of societies.
1. Why are you taking this class?
ReplyDeleteI enrolled in Development Economics because I plan to minor in Poverty and, after taking Micro from Prof. Ghandi, I want to fulfill the requirements with courses from the economics cluster. I really did not know very much about what Development Economics would cover, although I assumed, from the title, that it would focus on the economies of developing and third world countries. After the first lecture, though, I realized how much fell under the heading of “development economics” and that we would be getting a “hands-on” experience of sorts through our project. The first lecture of the class really sparked my interest and I am choosing to continue taking the class because it is important to understand economic development in order, through service, policy, or whatever, we can use this knowledge to make a difference.
2. What do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn about developing economies and the role I can play, either as a citizen of the United States with my voting practices, or as a physician, working in underdeveloped areas of the world. I want to learn about the applications of development economics to worldwide poverty and the eradication of such. I hope to see how development economics is applicable, on a small scale, to underdeveloped areas of the United States, such as inner-city slums or rural areas. I hope to learn about the role of healthcare and physical well being in developing economics and the importance of policy concerning such, especially in developing countries. Finally, I want to broaden my horizons by learning “how the other half lives”.
3. What can you contribute?
As a biochemistry major, I do not have a strong background in economics. I am able to look at problems form a scientific stand point and approach problems using the scientific method, which is very similar to the economist’s approach to problems. It differs only in that scientists design an experiment, while economist’s design a model. I am also from a small town in rural West Virginia, which gives me a perspective that many W&L students cannot understand. I have seen poverty close at hand and although my family is, by and large, not directly affected by poverty, the effects of it are very evident and we are indirectly affected on a daily basis.
1. I am taking this class because I have a strong interest in Latin American economies, almost all of which are developing. In 2005, I travelled to Costa Rica for a summer with a study-abroad program. During my time there, I conducted small-scale research on the Central American Free Trade Agreement--asking locals about there reactions to the "agreement" and looking into its consequences and benefits for Costa Rica. While I was only in high school, this experience jump-started my interest in economics, and ever since then, I have been aiming to learn more about the dynamics of a developing economy and how such agreements (and others) can be created or altered to benefit the developing economy. I have also worked in Ecuador for a summer in a Christian school for impoverished children...so I have seen the effects of poverty there as well. Finally, I hope to work for the State Department at some point in the future, so knowledge of the inner workings of developing countries may prove crucial.
ReplyDelete2. I hope to learn more about what developing countries NEED in order to grow economically and improve the lives of their citizens. I know all about what works in the US, but I know very little about the methods of expanding a developing economy. As I have already read, the circumstances in these countries require a completely different approach...
3. As a senior Econ major, I hope to contribute ideas and concepts that I have learned from other econ classes as many theories and topics in economics overlap. In addition, I am currently writing my honors thesis in economics on unofficial dollarization in latin america. More specifically, I am looking into the effect that unofficial dollarization has on integration with the United States. Closer integration with the US could be yet another way of building a developing economy. While I am unsure if we will get into the topic of dollarization in this class, I will hopefully contribute a solid understanding of this phenomenon and how it effects the developing economies in Latin America. Even if we do not cover this area, the knowledge that I gain about the inner workings of a developing economy will undoubtedly contribute to my research.
1.Why am I taking this class?
ReplyDeleteI am taking this class based upon my interest in developing countries and learning more about them by studying their economy. However, the main reason I am taking this class is because many of my friends have take Prof. Casey and told me he is a lot like Prof. Goldsmith, so after hearing that I had to take a course with Prof.Casey
2. I really hope to learn more about just how different/similar developing countries economies are compared those of developed countries like the US. I also, since the first day of class have become really interested in micro-finance and the project that we will research and do in this class.
3. As I have only taken really two intro econ classes, micro and macro, I am sure there will be more people that know a lot more than I do about economic policy/terms/ideas. However, I feel like I will absorb the information and participate given hopefully well thought responses and questions in class.
1. This summer I went to Sub-Saharan Africa with my dad and a mission group call IJM. As we traveled throughout one of the poorest regions in the world I kept asking how these immense problems could ever be solved. When I heard about how this class would cover the economies of developing countries I jumped at the opportunity, and when I heard about the microfinance project I was sold.
ReplyDelete2. I hope that this semester I will find some answers, or at least steps in the right direction, to solving or reducing the overwhelming obstacles preventing development. I have also been interested in the concept of microfinance, and hope to gain a better practical understanding of how it works in reality, not in a book. I also hope to make a difference somewhere in the world through this project.
3. I have only taken macro and micro, and did ok at best in those courses. But I have traveled to Africa as well as southwest Mexico and Guatemala. I can hopefully bring a unique perspective in class discussion and in our project because of this.
Developmental Econ fulfills my Econ Major and Poverty minor, which initially attracted me to the class. This past summer I worked for a microfinance organization in Peru that focused on development and it fascinates me. Developmental Econ seems like the last great frontier for the common man. Not everyone can go to space, but almost anyone could move to Africa and try to sort out the puzzle pieces and, if nothing else, make a bit of a difference.
ReplyDeleteI want to learn more about what is known about development and what great puzzles are still there, so that I can do development well when I graduate.
I have alot of first hand, anecdotal knowledge that can sometimes illustrate a point better than a paper. I really enjoy learning from my classmates and I'm excited about our group work. I also want to get the General's Development Initiative off the ground and running so that future classes can expand on it.
I'm taking this class because it fulfills a Shepherd requirement. It also reminds me of what I learned in Peace Studies in high school. When I read the previous year's syllabus it seemed like a class that I could really understand the purpose of.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm just hoping to learn more about how the world around me works. I have found it supremely annoying that most of these economic policies that were implemented early on in the development process seem to have never consulted an anthropologist on how the local culture would take to these policies.
That's interesting, I suppose I can contribute because I'm not an economics student. Having students who are not majoring in either economics or business means they'll look at problems in a completely different manner then those who are, leading to diversity in focuses during class discussions. Which might annoy some.
~ Danielle Ausems
I wanted to take this class because it is a direct application of the theory I have learned as an economics major for the last three years. Development is one of the most important areas of study, especially because it takes into account factors that are not typically thought about in economic research, such as culture and religion.
ReplyDeleteI want to learn about how successful the development efforts in Africa have been thus far. In what seems like a hopeless situation, I am curious to see what has been done and whether there has been significant progress as a result.
I can contribute to the class with my background knowledge in economics. I do not know much specifically about developing nations, but I can apply the principles I have learned in previous courses to the material presented in this course.
Ben Goetsch
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ReplyDeleteI am taking this class because I am trying to create a focus on every part of the world through my course selections. I have already done focuses on the Middle East and the EU and with this class I hope to learn more about the poorer regions of the world such as parts of Asia and Latin America.
ReplyDeleteI hope to be able to learn not only about how to help developing areas of the world grow but also about their cultures. I want to be able to begin to gleam what may be ingrained in the cultures of the regions (if anything) which has created such economic stagnation.
I hope to be able to contribute a realistic business-style thought process to class discussions. I have worked in the floral industry in Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya for many years now and have some ideas of what has been going on in those areas through this business.