Bachelor
2024/2025
Russia as Actor of International Development
Type:
Elective course
Area of studies:
International Relations
Delivered by:
Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
When:
4 year, 3 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Богомолов Кирилл Сергеевич
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
4
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course will give a practical perspective to the concept of foreign aid, its modern rationale as seen by our state. We will discuss the place of Russia as an actor in this market. The deep dive into the topic will be led by the day-to-day questions that people working in this often underestimated sector face. The course will focus on the future perspectives as seen from today and the key question for the class to consider is what path should Russia form to the future and what place and role will development assistance play in this path. This course will give an overview of Russia becoming a donor after the breakdown of the Soviet Union. The role of the former Soviet countries for us and our role for them will be discussed. Particular emphasis will be placed on the raw practice and government level legal space. The course will evaluate key sectors in which Russian aid is the most needed in recipient countries, highlight features and advantages of Russia as a donor and study regional and country priorities for us to focus our aid.
Learning Objectives
- Provide an introduction to the context of establishment of Russia as an international development donor
- Examine basic principles of decision making and project design in recent years
- Explore features and characteristics of Russia’s international aid
- Discuss key sectors of competitive advantages for Russia to focus on
- Observe the official discussion concerning the topic
- Discuss the perspectives and possibilities for Russia as a donor in modern development market
- Develop critical skills necessary to assess and push forward the theme in Russia
Expected Learning Outcomes
- To identify the perspectives and possibilities for Russia as a donor in modern development market
- To apply basic principles of decision making and project design
- To distinguish features and characteristics of Russia’s international aid
Course Contents
- Russia and foreign aid after the Soviet Union
- Russia’s view on concept of foreign aid. Forms of aid
- Legal space of today: decision making and project design
- Legal space of tomorrow: internal discussion and ways forward
- Topics and sectors. Our best offers to the world
- Aid efficiency: myth, or reality?
- Regional priorities to focus on: soft war
- Aid PR: the good, the bad and the ugly
- Essay presentations
- Perspectives and possibilities for Russia as a donor in modern world
Assessment Elements
- Active seminar participationActive participation in class is essential as the learning process will be richest as more people become involved in the conversation and debate. The cutting-edge topic that has less theory and more practice in it requires live discussion concerning its nuances.
- Final essayThere will be a final written assignment of approximately 15000 characters with spaces. There are 3 topics to choose from. The essay is due the penultimate class of the 3rd module. The grading of the final essay is done based on oral presentation of the essay. The instructor may ask additional questions based on the essay topic.
- Final examThere will be an obligatory blocking oral exam taken on the exam week in the 3rd module. The list comprised of 20 questions will be sent by the instructor one month before the Final exam date. Each student will get two questions based on the course content, will have 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to answer. The instructor, if needed, may ask additional questions concerning other topics of the course.
Interim Assessment
- 2024/2025 3rd module0.25 * Active seminar participation + 0.3 * Final essay + 0.45 * Final exam
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Dollar, D., & Alesina, A. (2000). Who Gives Foreign Aid to Whom and Why?
- International development : ideas, experience, and prospects, , 2014
- Oldekop, J. A., Fontana, L. B., Grugel, J., Roughton, N., Adu, A. E. A., Bird, G. K., Dorgan, A., Vera Espinoza, M. A., Wallin, S., Hammett, D., Agbarakwe, E., Agrawal, A., Asylbekova, N., Azkoul, C., Bardsley, C., Bebbington, A. J., Carvalho, S., Chopra, D., Christopoulos, S., & Crewe, E. (2016). 100 key research questions for the post-2015 development agenda. Development Policy Review, 34(1), 55–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12147
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Brezhneva, A. (2013). Russia as a humanitarian aid donor / Anna Brezhneva and Daria Ukhova. Oxford: Oxfam. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.407208801
- Carothers, Thomas, and Gramont, Diane de. Development Aid Confronts Politics : The Almost Revolution, Brookings Institution Press, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1167366.