MICAD Program

1. Research Writing Skills / 15 contact hrs

The main goal of this module is to provide guidance on written English to make the most effective use of the language, according to its specific purpose. English language should be fluently mastered in writing – besides speaking and reading – to enhance one’s own communication capability. Lectures will emphasize the importance of achieving qualities such as cohesion, coherence, synthesis and accuracy, without neglecting a wide vocabulary. Different purposes require different writing styles which need first to be acknowledged, and then carefully studied. Useful hints to remember when writing an essay, a critique, a project proposal, a report or a short paragraph will be presented with the help of several samples and exercises.

2. Methodology of Social Research/ 15 contact hrs

What is methodology? In what ways can methods be helpful for social research? While addressing these two central questions, the module will illustrate why discourses of methods are primordial for social research (and for the Master in particular) and why different methods respond to different types of questioning in the social sciences. Quantitative and qualitative questionings differ inasmuch as the first tend to understand causal or statistical inferences, while the other try to offer an interpretation of social actions. Still, both kinds of analysis require a sound, clear, and open methodology. The main goal of the module is enabling students to get familiar with the process of formulating hypotheses, understanding the role of variables, and linking research designs with the most appropriate methodologies. Such a goal will be met by three kinds of activities: a) lectures on the theoretical foundations of different methodologies; b) open debates on selected readings which represent concrete applications of different methods of social research; c) individual exercises in drafting a research plan.

3. Development Indicators/ 15 contact hrs

The Human Development Index is a well-known indicator for measuring development with a single figure catching dimensions other than income. How is it built? And what other indicators should be considered when analyzing social, economic and cultural features of a context, so as to describe them in a standardized language for comparison purposes? This module will address such questions, drawing the students closer to the heart of development issues. Reports published by international agencies will be introduced as sources of primary relevance. Demographic and economic indicators will be discussed in a cross-country comparative perspective, with a particular attention to time series describing historical trends. Basic inequality indicators will be presented as well in order to highlight social and economic gaps within a population.

4. Quantitative Methods/ 15 contact hrs

Closely related to the topics discussed in Methodology of Social Research, this module will introduce a series of statistical tools commonly used in quantitative analysis. The focus of the Module is on reading statistics in a critical way, understanding their degree of reliability and extrapolating information from different indicators which may be taken as evidence for second-level analysis. The main indicators used to describe certain features in a given population will be presented, including measures of dispersion and central tendency. The lectures will also address the concept of probability, with a particular focus on the Normal distribution of a variable. Moreover, students will be guided through the analysis of causal relations between two variables, identifying the strength of association as well as its direction. Finally, specific software for data analysis will be presented (SPSS).

5. Software Applications/ Optional

A good familiarity with many software applications is a prerequisite for development agents. This module will provide a hands-on training on several applications, including Microsoft Access, Excel and Power Point. The advanced functions of relevant software will be explored to enable students to exploit them at their fullest potential. Creating and managing databases, preparing charts, designing graphs and preparing effective presentations are skills to be mastered to improve the quality of analytical projects as well as administrative tasks. What might be perceived as dry technicalities, are in fact powerful resources for development. This module is optional and it does not require assessment, but attendance is highly recommended.

1. Sociology of Development/ 15 contact hrs

The purpose of this module is to familiarize students with some of the central theories and concepts that have dominated debates on social development from a global, comparative and historical perspective. The module addresses the dynamics of social change in relation to political economy. In particular, the lectures will examine how discourses of underdevelopment and development emerged and became institutionalized in the context of decolonization, the Cold War and the Global Project. The module looks at how the Western notions of process and social development were articulated around the notion that Third World countries could catch up with the First World. At the same time, some critiques to the modernization model and its related dependency on global hegemony will be discussed. To this regard, the emergence of counter movements to the globalization project, represented by civil societies and social groups, will be analysed as a new, powerful actor on the global stage.

2. Anthropology of Development/ 15 contact hrs

The goal of this module is equipping the students with skills and methodology for analyzing the cultural meanings of development and humanitarian processes. To this regard, a peculiar focus will be given to the skills of “observation”, often underestimated or superficially acknowledged. The lectures will analyze the points of view, interests, strategies and systems of action of the local population as well as those of the practitioners. Moreover, this module will tackle the phase of transition from short-term humanitarian assistance to long-term development, which can be differently described as a continuum or a contiguum. It will stress on coping mechanisms of local populations, indigenous responses to crises including the use and understandings of violent and non-violent means.

1. Microeconomics / 23 contact hrs

Economics will be introduced as a theory of choice on the optimal allocation of limited resources: the basic concepts of trade-off and opportunity cost, rational behavior, marginal thinking, incentives, efficiency and comparative advantages are some of the key concepts that will be clarified. After introducing the circular-flow diagram and the production possibility frontier, the lectures will analyze the market demand and supply curves, the natural equilibrium set by the “invisible hand” and the determinants which make the curves shift and the equilibrium change. The analysis of competitive markets will represent the focal point, but the features of non-competitive markets will be highlighted as well, with peculiar attention to the assumptions upon which models are built. Also, the trade-off between efficiency and equity will be discussed in order to point out its complex significance in the development perspective. To this regard, references will be made to welfare economics and the measurement of social surplus.

2. Macroeconomics / 23 contact hrs

This module will cover the main concepts of macroeconomic theory, with a particular focus on open economies. First, the meaning of the principal macroeconomic indicators will be discussed, starting from the components of GDP. Then, the Aggregate Demand – Aggregate Supply model will be introduced in detail, providing a key to understanding the fundamental dynamics which regulate the equilibrium of whole economic systems. The effects produced by fiscal and monetary policies will be analyzed. Moreover, the trade-off between unemployment and inflation – the so-called “twin evils” of macroeconomics – will be analyzed. Several references to the Palestinian context will be made throughout the lectures.

3. International Monetary Economics / 15 contact hrs

In recent years international monetary topics such as exchange rate adjustments, balance of payments crises, the international financial architecture or the functioning of Monetary Unions, have strongly moved into the forefront of analysts, practitioners, policy makers and students alike. Financial crises have dominated the 90’s and international economic policymakers are currently confronted with the urgent problem to reform the international financial architecture through which crises can be predicted, prevented and dispatched. The end of the millennium, moreover, witnessed the birth of the European Monetary Union and the emergence of the nations of Eastern Europe has given rise to a host of new issues pertaining to their future monetary relationship with current EMU member countries. The object of this module is to provide with an introduction to the above major topics, together with an analytical framework designed to facilitate their understanding. In particular, the module will concentrate on the following core issues: concepts and relationships involving exchange rates and balance of payments magnitudes; the construction of a simple open economy model to analyse the exchange rate, interest rate and output effects of major changes in monetary policy and to investigate the choice of the exchange-rate regime; optimum currency area theories; models of speculative attacks on fixed–exchange rate regime; the role of international financial institution and IMF reform proposals.

1. Development Economics/ 15 contact hrs

This module will provide a basic analytical treatment of fundamental issues in Development Microeconomics, delivering a general but rigorous knowledge of the role of agents’ behaviors and of the economic-institutional incentives that influence such behaviors. The Lewis model will constitute the conceptual framework for enquiring how the rural sector affects economic development. A Keynesian perspective will be sketched out as well. Emphasis will be put on technological progress and industrialization as keys to development. The Harris-Todaro model will be the benchmark for the analysis of the other side of structural change: urbanization and the birth of the informal sector in highly densely populated urban areas. This model mainly focuses on the arbitrage between urban expected wage and rural wage as the main factor behind mass migration towards cities. Finally, the lectures will deal with countryside organization, landowners-tenants contracts and land reform, analyzing the vicious factors that explain large land holdings and hamper distributional changes that would enhance overall productivity.

2. Economic Integration and International Cooperation/ 15 contact hrs

This module will move from the analysis of two major scholars in development issues, both from India: R. Kanbur (The Economics of International Aid) and K. Basu (Globalization, poverty, inequality: what is the relation? What can be done?). These papers will provide the framework for opening the debate on two fronts: the aid-economy and its related traps, and the alleged trade-off between poverty and inequality, which might be considered as a mirror of the trade-off between efficiency and equity. The impact of development aid at micro and macro levels will be analysed, trying to evaluate its power in compensating the three traditional gaps suffered by developing countries: the gap in savings, tax revenue and financial stock. Finally, the module will outline the major features of the aid economy in Palestine.

3. International Development Finance/ 15 contact hrs

This module will be divided into two sections: the first will deal with financial development tools at macro-level, with a specific focus on loans to governments of developing countries by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The differences between these two institutions will be discussed, as well as the conditions to be met in order to be eligible for a loan. Moreover, the first section will address the issue of foreign debt, which represents one of the major burdens on the path of development. In particular, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative (HIPC) will be presented. The second section will focus on the micro-level of development finance, including micro-credit and micro-finance programs. The origin, features, opportunities and reliability of micro-credit will be discussed, making use of specific case studies. Micro-credit is in continuous expansion and it has been successfully introduced in many different contexts. The growing recognition of its relevance as a grassroots development tool has been recently emphasized by the Nobel Prize awarded to Mohammed Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank.

1. International Law / 15 contact hrs

International law is the body of treaty or custom based rules that govern and regulate the interactions and relations between nations, international organizations and, to a lesser degree, multinational corporations and individuals. Public international law has increased in use and importance vastly over the twentieth century, due mainly to armed conflict, the increase in global trade, environmental deterioration on a worldwide scale and human rights violations. This module will cover the building blocks of public international law: the nature and subjects of international law; statehood; the law of treaties; the peaceful settlement of international disputes; the legitimate use of force and sanctions; and basic principles of International Humanitarian Law.

2. International Organizations/ 15 contact hrs

This module will introduce a series of multilateral organizations and institutions which, on global or regional scale, are engaged in pursuing different missions to promote human development. The role and functions of the United Nations central bodies will be described in detail. Particular attention will be given to the process of reform of the UN Security Council, one of the major issues in the contemporary debate, since the end of the cold-war. Also, the activities and modus operandi of the main UN agencies will be described, with special references to those operating in Palestine and all over the Middle East. Students will be actively involved in presenting the features of a selection of international organizations.

3. Institutions of the European Union/ 15 contact hrs

Recently enlarged to 27 members comprising more than 450 million people, the European Union represents one of the most complex entities on the global scene. How was it born, and how does it work? Analyzing its internal organization is crucial in order to understand the economic, social and political shape of the continent. The lectures will address the different aspects of the European Union, with a particular attention to the features of the common market and the monetary union, but also to the actual rights of EU citizenship. After a brief review of the European integration process and a description of its founding pillars, the lectures will open the debate on topical issues such as the common foreign policy, the protection measures for the domestic economy, the alleged democratic gap between citizens and institutions, and the relations with ACP countries. To this particular regard, references will be made to the institutional framework designed to implement the EU development aid policies, EuropeAid and ECHO.

4. International Politics and Relations/ 15 contact hrs

This module will consider how the modern international system, or “community of States”, has constructed state sovereignty in relation to the concept of “nation”, commonly viewed as the origin of a state while more often it is the result. While realist theory is useful to understand power relations between states, understanding the interdependence between international and domestic politics requires a constructivist approach. Constructivist theory approaches the international system as an evolving set of rules and norms. Through this lens, it will appear evident that race, ethnicity, culture, territory, and other doctrines about national identity have had changing significance to state legitimacy. The lectures will explore the application of this theoretical framework by reviewing the Question of Palestine as it has evolved in international debates from the 1920s.

5. Euro-Mediterranean Relations/ 15 contact hrs

The Mediterranean Sea has historically been a privileged setting for economic, social and cultural exchanges between the peoples living along its shores. Does the sea divide or unite the peoples? Relations between the northern and southern coasts have been deeply shaped by war, conquest, colonialism, trade and migrations. The aim of this module is to make a presentation of the complex political, economic and cultural ties between the European Union and the Middle East. To this regard, the specific case of Turkey will be analyzed as a bridge between the two. Moreover, from a developmental perspective, the reasons for the alleged gap between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean will be explored. But also, this module will pose questions – and, possibly, provide tentative answers – on the foundations of European identity. Students will analyze the strategic importance of Euro-Mediterranean relations in a multi-polar international system, compare the EU and US approaches, and develop a deeper understanding of intercultural relations beyond the usual “clash of civilizations” or religious-secular debate.

1. Middle East Politics/ 15 contact hrs

This module aims at providing an introduction to the study of politics in the Middle East through a focus on a number of contemporary issues such as political religion, gender, democracy and the role of external actors. It also sets out to offer an historical perspective on how current situations emerged. By the end of the course, students should be familiar with key themes and issues in the study of the region and equipped with the conceptual and analytical tools required
in order to understand them. The topics addressed by the lectures will include the legacy of colonialism in the Middle East, the emergence of pan-Arabism, the birth and evolution of modern Arab states, the issue of political Islam and its evolving relationship with democracy and the role of external actors.

2. Contemporary History of the Middle East/ 15 contact hrs

Starting from the end of the First World War and the results of the War, this module will trace the history of the Middle East with a particular focus on the second half of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st century. The lectures will cover all major events related to the Middle East, including the partition of the Arab East, 1916-1921, the Balfour Declaration and the ensuing Arab-Israeli conflict, the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, the Suez crisis of 1956, the 1967 War which led to the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the 1973 War, the oil crisis, the 1979 Iranian revolution, the Iraq-Iran war of the 1980s and the Gulf war of the early 1990s. Finally, the most recent years will be analysed in order to provide a deeper understanding of the contemporary Middle East context, still characterized by internal and external tension and turmoil.

3. Economic Relations of the Middle East/ 15 contact hrs

This module is meant to provide an outlook on the main features of the regional economic system, trying to highlight its strengths, weaknesses and degree of integration in the global economy. The main international trade channels which involve the Middle East will be described, obviously starting from its natural resources. Particular attention will be given to labor-related issues, productivity, unemployment, wages and the economies of remittances, which are tightly connected to migrations. The economic structure of the countries bordering with Palestine will be outlined, while a close-up on the Palestinian economy will conclude the lectures.

1. History of the Developing World/ 15 contact hrs

From the colonial project to the decolonization process: a historical journey with dramatic consequences for the development of many countries all over the world. This module aims at investigating the complex relations between the historical experiences of colonialism and the development challenges of our times. Analysing the legacy of colonialism will highlight motivations, practices and consequences of the process of colonization in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia, drawing comparisons on the actual process of colonization in different areas, the models of colonial administration, the impact of colonizers on local institutions and the primary forms of resistance. Then, lectures will move on to the decolonization process, covering the formation of new elites, the birth of nationalisms and “pan” ideologies, the impact of the Second World War, the formation of the Third World and the non-aligned movement, the crisis of post-colonial states. Finally, a special section will be dedicated to the colonial and post-colonial experiences of Middle East countries.

2. International Cooperation and Development Aid Policies/ 15 contact hrs

At governmental level, international cooperation can be considered a recent branch of the foreign policy implemented by most industrialized countries, since it has always been inspired by a complex mix of political and humanitarian considerations. The earliest instance of international cooperation can be found in after-war Europe, where the victorious powers participated in the huge, collective effort of re-building the continent. Afterwards, following the decolonization process, development aid policies were directed towards emerging countries in the south of the world, and the civil society increasingly got involved in international cooperation activities. This module will explore the main historical steps, evolving schools of thought and political reasons for engaging in international cooperation, both at governmental and non-governmental level. Particular attention will be dedicated to the determinants of development aid, which establish geographical and sectorial priorities. OECD statistics and figures will be reviewed and critically discussed. The Emergency and Development components of Official Development Assistance will be compared, and the increasing role of remittances from migrants to their home countries will be highlighted as a parallel flow to development aid.

3. Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Strategies/ 15 contact hrs

This module will review the main tools developed in different times and places for civil and governmental peace-building activities, trying to highlight their strengths, weaknesses and usefulness in the Israeli-Palestinian scenario. A field of topical interest, Peace Studies will explore the different dimensions of conflict, ranging from economics to culture, from religion to ethnicity. Making reference to several historical experiences, the lectures will emphasize that, however difficult it might be, there is no sustainable alternative to peaceful relations among peoples. Students will be engaged in active simulations of dispute resolutions through peaceful means, such as negotiation, mediation, inquiry and conciliation.

1. Human Rights / 15 contact hrs

What are exactly human rights? Who is entitled to human rights? And how can human rights be guaranteed and safeguarded? Some answers to these questions can be found in documents like the Universal Declaration of 1948, the two Covenants of 1966 and other legal instruments protecting positive and negative rights. Other answers, at times conflicting, can be found in customs. The lectures will describe the main theories on human rights; the progressive codification of human rights; the universal character of human rights VS the claim of cultural relativism; the nature and content of human rights obligations and the role of the United Nations in promoting the respect of human rights. Finally, some issues of the contemporary human rights debate will be discussed, i.e. the third generation of human rights; the right to development, and the new Optional Protocol on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

2. Human Development: Theories at Work / 15 contact hrs

Making all development projects human rights-aware. This is the goal of the Human Rights Based Approach, which will be introduced in this module as a bridge between theoretical notions and field practice. Qualified experts will guide the students into the process of operationalization of concepts, which calls development agents to reflect their cultural and professional background into their actions. The lectures will make several references to case studies in different contexts, examine real data and discuss the actual meaning of human development indicators. Live simulations will help students in avoiding neglecting human rights when drafting project proposals. But this is only the first step: human rights should not remain on paper and be practiced all throughout the phases of a project cycle.

3. Gender Issues/ 15 contact hrs

Often placed within the vulnerable groups of most societies, women have historically encountered remarkable difficulties in being recognized an equal social, economic, and cultural status of men. Nowadays the struggle for equal opportunities still remains crucial in many countries. The existence itself of gender issues is sometimes denied recognition due to a number of cultural factors. Hence, the need of spreading awareness in the first place, at all levels. This module will highlight the main obstacles on the way of women’s empowerment, and will provide the conceptual keys for planning development activities with a gender perspective. The goal of these lectures will be to make students familiar with some crucial assumptions and findings of gender studies and develop a gender-sensitive perspective in society and their particular workings fields. The pedagogical approach will rely on a range of different methods which aim at involving the students in an active way so as to connect the topics with their life experiences. The following methods will be applied: visual supports, group work, case work, text work, constant interaction with the students.

1. Principles of Governance and Management/ 23 contact hrs

The concept of Governance was elaborated in the early 1980s when the World Bank defined it «a criterion to evaluate deeply indebted countries in order to determine their credit-worthiness.» Soon afterwards the meaning of governance has widened to include all management practices needed to make an institution trustworthy, and thus effective in its actions and interactions. Nowadays the concept of governance is considered a cornerstone of sustainable development, possibly more decisive than economic growth: oftentimes the roots of poverty lay in the lack of governance rather than in the lack of resources. Accountability, transparency, predictability and participation are the four pillars of governance, and they will be thoroughly explored by the lectures with specific references to the Palestinian context.
The second part of the module will focus on the specific features of the no-profit sector, including NGOs, cooperatives, associations. The lectures will describe the structural characteristics of NGOs, highlighting sound management principles for achieving objectives. Fund-raising techniques, donor-NGO relations and the concept of social accountability will be other topics of study. Management principles of NGOs will be compared to the ones of small enterprises in order to highlight differences and similarities.

2. Accounting/ 23 contact hrs

The goal of this module is providing the students with the fundamental tools for understanding financial transactions in the environment of no-profit organizations and small businesses. Such an understanding is a crucial asset in any decision-making process. The module will be developed along three lines: first, the main principles of accounting theory will be introduced; second, the purposes and features of Financial Statement, Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Statement of Cash Flow will be described; third, a number of case studies and exercises will be presented in class. The role of investments, the distinction between fixed and variable costs, and the analysis of costs VS revenues and assets VS liabilities will be also discussed.

1. Project Cycle Management/ 15 contact hrs

This module will introduce the six basic steps of the Project Cycle as adopted by the European Community, including Planning, Identification, Formulation-Appraisal, Financing, Implementation-Monitoring, Evaluation. In particular, these lectures will focus on planning and implementation, in synergy with the following modules. The module will provide an overview on PCM and analyze the different techniques to carry out feasibility studies and translate needs assessments into projects. Topics of discussion include the following: performing SWOT analysis and stakeholder analysis, building partnerships, using a participatory approach, sharing tasks with partners, planning for development VS planning for emergency; keeping relations between headquarters and field offices; logistics.

2. Logical Framework/ 15 contact hrs

Turning the Tree of Problems into the Tree of Objectives is one of the steps of the Logical Framework, a technical tool which nowadays is required by most donor institutions in order to show the consequential relations among activities, results and objectives in a project proposal. The Logical Framework is made of a table of cells, ordered in a hierarchical pattern, which provide specific information on how the project activities may achieve the project objectives. In order to plan solid, consistent and verifiable activities, the Logframe requires specific indicators and external assumptions. Students, divided in groups, will be guided in the construction of a Logical Framework applied to a case-study. Despite some inherent limitations in capturing complex relations which cannot always be squared in cells, the Logical Framework is a powerful tool for identifying priorities, explaining the ratio behind activities, and submitting project proposals to donors.

3. Budget Analysis and Design/ 15 contact hrs

Following PCM and Logical Framework, comes the task of looking into the details of budget design. This module will focus on the financial part of the project-building activity, which is crucial to attain accountability. Evaluating reasonable costs, avoiding wastes and planning expenditures efficiently represent valuable skills for a project designer. First, students will practice reading and interpreting the budget of a sample project, and afterwards they will practice drafting a budget related to a chronogram. Different kinds of eligible expenditures – such as personnel, material, local manpower, vehicles, administrative costs etc. – will be described and proper unit indicators will be used.

4. Project Monitoring – Evaluation/ 15 contact hrs

After having underlined the relevance of constant monitoring to assess the progress of activities, this module will provide the students with the necessary competences for determining proper indicators and suitable criteria to measure the outcome of a project. Students will be introduced to the most widely used forms of indicator analysis. The lectures will highlight the difference between monitoring and evaluation, being the first dynamic and the second static, either ex-ante or ex-post. Then, the main criteria for evaluation will be introduced: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, transparency, sustainability. Particular attention will be dedicated to sustainability, sometimes considered but a mirage. Rightly so? The module will also highlight the importance of self-evaluation, and it will shed light on mid-term and final report writing.

1. Sustainable Use of Natural Resources/ 15 contact hours

This module deals with the natural resources of the Palestinian environment, mostly focusing on water and land. Water is the most important resource for life, and its scarcity – especially in dry and desert contexts – poses many challenges. The lectures will analyze the conditions of water resources in Palestine, and will examine how water is controlled and distributed among the population. With the help of specific data, lectures will trace a water map of the West Bank, the Jordan basin and Gaza, highlighting the strategic areas involved in political conflicts. The sustainable utilization of water in agriculture is another issue to be explored. Finally, a brief analysis of how Palestinian land is used will be provided, underlining the need for comprehensive development plans for urban and rural areas.

2. The Question of Refugees/ 15 contact hours

Refugees represent one of the major, unsettled questions in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Nowadays, more than four millions of 1948 refugees are registered at UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugee in the Near East), and they live in camps or villages scattered around the West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Their living conditions are often extremely harsh, and the only services they can rely upon are those provided by international aid. The lectures describe the historical evolution of the question of refugees, and outline the principal interventions being implemented in order to support displaced populations. Moreover, the topical issue of the “Right of Return” is studied from legal, cultural, and sociological perspectives. UNRWA documents and videos will be used in class, providing a basis for debate.

3. Current Issues/ 15 contact hours

The content of this module is defined by the Scientific Committee on a yearly basis. The module is conceived to provide the opportunity to discuss possible fields of intervention and research for development agents. Selected issues might be broad as well as specific in their scope. A few examples: food security; health policies; agricultural and rural policies; children rights; education; the Human Development Capability Approach; information of conflict vs conflict of information; the question of Jerusalem.