Presentation on International Development Studies

During the meeting, Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh introduced the Department of International Development Studies, Faculty of International Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities. This specialization was established by Decision No. 3086/QD-XHNV-TC signed by the former Rector of the University on December 22, 2014. With the opening of this specialization, the Faculty of International Studies (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) is the first institution in Vietnam to offer a specialization in International Development Studies. The Department of International Development Studies is expected to teach courses including Introduction to International Development Studies, Development Economics, Human Security, International Humanitarian Assistance, Development Project Management, Global Issues, and Sustainable Development.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) introduces the Department of International Development Studies.

Professor Edward Lahiff expressed his desire to collaborate with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities to establish an International Development Studies (IDS) program in Vietnam through sharing teaching experience, curriculum development, and especially establishing a library and translating necessary materials for the IDS specialization. Initially, Professor Edward Lahiff and Professor Nicholas Chisholm will organize IDS courses to share their teaching experiences with staff from the Department of International Development Studies, Faculty of International Studies. The first course will last one week (from March 21st to March 26th, 2016).

Professor Edward Lahiff gave an introduction to the history of international development studies.

In his first presentation, Professor Edward Lahiff provided an overview of the history of development studies, development issues, development studies training models around the world, as well as the methodology and curriculum of development studies at University College Cork. Accordingly, development studies is a multidisciplinary social science focusing on issues relevant to developing countries. Historically, development studies have placed a strong emphasis on issues related to social development (such as health, education, housing, clean water, social security policies, and human rights) and economics (such as economic growth, structural change, trade growth, employment/unemployment, transport, infrastructure, and public services). The scope of international studies can extend to communities and regions outside the developing world.

Development studies are taught differently in each region of the world. In most of the United States and continental Europe, development studies are tied to regional studies (Latin American studies or African studies) and are taught in traditional academic departments. In Asia and Africa, where development challenges are clearly defined and closely linked to public policy, development studies are tied to efforts to build state-centric economies and are often taught in development research institutes (as in India).

Scene from the working session

At University College Cork, the International Development Studies course is taught for 12 weeks in the first semester of the first year. Before each class, students are assigned to read the material beforehand for class discussion. In-class questions revolve around fundamental issues of development such as the concept of IDS, measures of development, gender and development, colonialism, development theories, and aid. In addition, students can conduct independent research on development using a wealth of resources from reference materials, professional journals, scientific articles, and websites of organizations such as the World Bank and the Irish Aid Foundation (part of the Irish Foreign Office).

As a developing country, Vietnam can be a suitable destination for international development studies and will develop its own approach to teaching and training in this field. Vietnam has taken many effective reform steps to attract foreign investment, boost economic growth, and alleviate poverty, enabling it to transform from an agricultural country into an industrialized and modernized one. In this context, promoting international development studies is crucial for comparing and applying the development experiences of other countries to Vietnam's specific conditions.