Fall 2026
Development Aid and Politics
Dates: August 24, 2026 – December 09, 2026Day/Time: Monday; Wednesday 7:00 AM - 8:15 AM EDT
Level: 300-Level
Certificate: Civic Engagement, Global Studies
Civic Engagement certificate requirement: Theories of civic engagement, democracy, and social action.
Global Studies certificate requirement: Introductory course on international relations, globalization, global affairs.
Instructor: Bugra Güngör, American University of Central Asia
This course investigates the political aspects of development aid, exploring how aid delivery shapes and is shaped by international and domestic politics. Students will engage with key theoretical frameworks and debates about the determinants, effectiveness, and (un)intended outcomes of aid. Themes include theories of development, donor and recipient politics, and the intersection of development aid with issues such as media, foreign policy, and humanitarian diplomacy. Thanks to certain case studies from the Global South/North and critical reflections, the course provides students with a nuanced understanding of how development aid operates as an instrument for global, regional, and local dynamics of politics.
Credits: 3 US / 6 ECTS