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Graduate School in Economic Governance, Development and Public Policy |
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The Graduate School in Economic Governance, Development and Public Policy takes place usually in September. The School has a ten year history, having evolved from the L’institute-Ferrara Graduate School, which took place in Ferrara, Italy from 1998 to 2005. It is an itinerant School, its venue being determined each year by the organisers, many of whom are alumni of previous schools *. A particular aim of the School is to contribute to the evolution of a multinational network of people thinking about, analysing and researching industrial development policy. To this end, the School brings together around 15 participants from a variety of countries and research backgrounds, to engage in a co-operative learning process with researchers and practitioners in the field of industrial development policy. An aim is to foster an environment in which both young and established researchers and practitioners can interact and forge working relationships that will be of benefit long into the future. Due to the international nature of the School, and to the fact that it is an interactive learning process, all teaching is in English and prospective participants are required to have a solid grasp of this language. Students completing the School are awarded a certificate from L'institute. School ContentThe School features analysis of theoretical foundations for industrial development policy that is rooted in a strategic choice approach to governance, economic organisation and development. These foundations are explored in a series of applications focussed on strategic failure, enterprise governance, foreign direct investment, and experiences from Europe, Asia and Latin America. The specific topics focussed upon include:
Teaching StyleThe focus of the School is very much on exchange of ideas and experiences in a process of co-operative learning. It therefore includes significant time dedicated to participant interaction around particular issues. The idea is for issues to be pursued in line with participants’ own research interests, while learning from and integrating the perspectives and experiences of others. The activities at the School are all designed to foster multinational networking amongst young and established researchers, and to encourage working relationships that will be of benefit long into the future. To facilitate this, the School aims to provide social space for interaction as part of the learning environment. The structure of each day of the School is flexible and varies depending on individual teaching styles and requirements. Typically, the sessions will include presentations by faculty of material on particular issues, and these presentations will be integrated with reading, group discussion, and interaction in the form of ‘co-operative learning workshops’. Indeed, an important aspect of the School is that participants work together to develop their ideas and apply their own experiences to an Ongoing Case, a consideration of the prospects for economic development in a particular situation. Participants then have an opportunity to present their analysis to faculty towards the end of the School. The School is taught by members of a multinational network of faculty from, amongst others, the Universities of Birmingham (UK),Barcelona (Spain), Bath (UK), Florence (Italy), Rovira I Virgili (Spain), and Warwick (UK). One of the goals of the School is to have a broad international mix of those involved. This international diversity of participants helps to give the School its distinctive atmosphere; the international mix means that participants have a great variety of different experiences to share, which proves valuable in the learning and social processes. The School is limited to around 15 university graduates, selected on the basis of academic ability and bearing in mind the aim of drawing together students from various countries. Those applying to participate in the School should be postgraduate students, registered for a Masters or PhD degree in economics or a related discipline, or engaged in research activity at an equivalent level in a policy agency. Participants must also be fluent in English (the language used at the School for teaching). An important aspect of the School is the informal, relaxed and friendly atmosphere that exists between participants. The School is not about learning together in the day and then separating in the evening. Indeed, participants are accommodated together (see below) to facilitate the learning and social interaction that takes place when people spend an intense period of time together. Everything about the School is designed to encourage people to make friends, and enjoy the company of others with similar research interests. As part of the co-operative learning environment, students stay together during the course of the School. The School aims to provide a range of scholarships to cover tuition. The aim is that many of those involved with the School will keep in contact with the new friends they have made, meeting up at conferences and on other occasions. These new alumni will also be part of the wider set of alumni of the former L’institute-Ferrara Graduate School, and therefore part of the ever enlarging multinational network at the heart of these activities. * The 2006 School was held at the University of Bath, UK The 2007 School was held at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain The 2008 School will take place at Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
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