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Cooperation in Humanitarian Development and Aid 

Code: 104481
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
International Relations OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Carlos Martin Faus
Email :
carlos.martin.faus@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Carlos Martin Faus

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

In order to properly follow the course, students are expected to have learned the core concepts of the International Relations discipline, seen in the course "International Relations" of first year.

Objectives

Description and objectives 

This introductory course will assist students to acquire basic analytical tools and empirical knowledge to better understand the international development cooperation and the humanitarian aid systems from an international relations perspective. The course is intended for students with interest on the Agenda 2030 and achieving its development objectives. 

Objectives: 

  • View the relationship between development and cooperation. 

  • View the relationship between security-intervention-development. 

  • Map the role of different actors. 

  • Explore the relation between South-South Cooperation and North-South Cooperation. 

  • Understand the Official Development Assistance system and its limitations, transformations and challenges. 

  • Review recent trends in the changing International development cooperation sector. 

  • Explore the relationship between the International development cooperation and the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. 

  • Explore the role of Humanitarian Assistance and its transformations. 

  • Visualize key issues and work on different thematic areas.

Learning outcomes

  1. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  2. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  3. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  4. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  5. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  6. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  7. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  8. Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  9. Produce and prepare the presentation of intervention reports and/or proposals.
  10. Apply the bases of international theories and their different focuses to problems related to human rights, cooperation for development, humanitarian aid and international policies for the environment.
  11. Use analytical tools for international regimes for problems such as human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid.
  12. Analyse and explain the international agenda management in areas of human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid, and the role of the different actors in it.
  13. Analyse and explain the role of different actors in the implementation of actions and public policies in areas of human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid.
  14. Analyse the operation of the main international institutions in areas related to human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid and the application of the respective regimes and regulations.
  15. Evaluate the impact of topics related to human rights, environment, cooperation for development and humanitarian aid in foreign policies and public policies of the main states.
  16. Evaluate the impact on the policies and actions of the main states and international actors of the main treaties and legal rulings, of different types, which regulate areas of human rights, environment, cooperation for development and humanitarian aid.
  17. Propose new experience-based methods or alternative solutions.
  18. Weigh up the risks and opportunities of one's own ideas for improvement and proposals made by others.
  19. Propose new ways to measure success or failure when implementing ground-breaking proposals or ideas.
  20. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within the area of your own knowledge.
  21. Analyse the indicators of sustainability of academic and professional activities in the areas of knowledge, integrating social, economic and environmental dimensions.
  22. Propose viable projects and actions that promote social, economic and environmental benefits.
  23. Propose ways to evaluate projects and actions for improving sustainability.
  24. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  25. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  26. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  27. Propose projects and actions in accordance with the principles of ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights, diversity and democratic values.
  28. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
  29. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  30. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  31. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  32. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  33. Analyse how the operational rules of international society apply to topics related to human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid.

Contents


Content


Part I. Approaches in international development

Concepts of development and cooperation

Conflict and development

Gender and development

Globalization and development


Part II. Actors and Stakeholders in international development

Different actors and their roles

International development assistance architecture and global governance

Official Development Assistance

South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation


Part III. Introduction to recent trends in International Development Cooperation

Evolution of narratives and norms

Aid trends, aid architecture, key issues

2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals: Compliance and Governance.

Complex emergency crisis and intervention


Part IV. Issues in international development cooperation

A few issues will be selected to work during the course. Some examples of issues to choose from are the following:

Poverty in the world

World hunger and food production systems

Gender, development and cooperation

Climate Change, Environment and Development

Rural development

Development and Health

Conflict and development

Information Technologies and Development

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Writing a research paper; Autonomous study of the syllabus; Compulsory and complementary reading; Information search; Preparation of presentations and activities to present in classes. 62 2.48
Master classes with use of ICT; Debates and reviews on compulsory and complementary reading; Seminars, workshops and assessable activities in small groups 48 1.92
Supervised reading and preparation of texts and presentations that will be evaluated in classes; Preparation of a supervised group work; Individual and group tutorials to prepare class and follow-up activities. 20 0.8

The dedication to this course involves various types of activities. A 6 ECTS credit course requires a total dedication of 150 hours by students, which are distributed in different types of activities:

- Directed activities are activities in the classroom, with the presence of the professor, such as: lectures (with ICT support and the possibility of forming discussion groups for specific topics); seminars and workshops in smaller groups for discussing the required readings, for focusing on practical issues and for analyzing specific cases, problems and examples. These activities represent around 35% of the total work required.

- Supervised activities are carried outby the students outside the classroom, according to a work plan designed, supervised and evaluated by the lecturer. In addition, students will read short articles or documents, write short papers to analyze these materials, and will present and discuss them in class. Supervised activities also include group and individual tutorials and similar activities to asses each student’s progress. These activities represent approximately 17% of the required working hours.

- Autonomous activities are all those activities that the students do on their own, and in accordance with the requirements of the course. These activities may include to conduct supplementary research and readings, study all class materials, to search information, to prepare written works and oral presentations, and all the activities that supplement their work during the course. These activities account for about 48% of required working load.

The course content will be sensitive to issues related to gender perspective and the use of inclusive language.

A detailed schedule outlining the content of each session will be presented on the first day of the course and will be available on the course’s Virtual Campus, where students will find all teaching materials and necessary information for effective course monitoring. Should the teaching modality change for reasons of force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching staA will inform students of any modifications to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Research work in groups 40% 11 0.44 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33
Final exam 30% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 13, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Continuous evaluation 30% 6 0.24 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33

Assessment

The course evaluation consists of the following items:

Research/Consultancy work (role playing) in groups 40%

  • Poster 10% (State of the art of issue).
  • Oral defense final report. 10% (It includes now policy recommendations).
  • Written group document/final report. 20% (4000 words).
  • This research work and its oral defense are mandatory to pass the course and must be approved with a minimum grade of five points (out of 10). This work does not have any compensation activity.

Continuous evaluation 30%

  • Individual knowledge capsules 10%. Short presentations, round tables, debates, book recensions etc. during the course. Students shall provide a document and present in class their capsule.
  • Practice: Evaluation Final Report Consultancies. 10%
  • Class participation in all activities during the course. 10%
  • These items of continuous evaluation do not have any compensatory activities.

Final exam: 30%

  • Exam conducted at the end of the course.
  • The exam includes readings, class content, students presentations and group reports/presentations.
  • A minimum grade of 5 (over 10) must be obtained on the final exam to approve the course.
  • Students who do not pass the written exam can take advantage of the compensation activities, that is, they will be able to take the suspended exam again on the day determined by the Faculty.

Important:

Students who do not obtain the minimum grade in the written exam, five points out of ten, will have the subject suspended, even if they have approved the group work and the continuous evaluation.


Comprehensive evaluation.

Students who have so requested in due time and form, may apply for a \"Single Evaluation\" for the whole course, which will be composed of an evaluation consisting of an exam (50% of the grade) and a practical activity (50%, divided in a written document and an oral presentation). The procedure and dates for requesting the single evaluation will be announced at the beginning of the course.

This single evaluation will take place at the end of the semester, on the date of the ordinar final exam of the course; the date will be announced well in advance by the Faculty. In case of not obtaining a passing grade in this test (a minimum of 5 points out of 10), the test can be retaken on the date set by the Faculty for the compensatory evaluation.

The review of the final qualification follows the same procedure as for the continuous assessment. If the student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment, this assessment will be graded 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be initiated. If several irregularities occur in the assessment acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.


On the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted as an integral part of assignment development, provided that the final outcome demonstrates a significant contribution from the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection. Students must clearly identify any content generated using AI, specify the tools employed, and include a critical reflection on how these technologies have influenced both the process and the final result of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.


Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity (academic fraud, plagiarism, or improper use of AI—unless such use is expressly authorized in the course syllabus) that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade will result in that activity being graded with a 0.

If the course syllabus establishes that passing the subject requires obtaining a minimum grade in this assessment activity, or if multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same subject, the final grade for the subject will be 0.

Additionally, a disciplinary procedure may be initiated against any student who engages in such irregularities.

The teaching staff reserves the right to conduct oral interviews or alternative assessments in order to verify the effective acquisition of knowledge and competencies, and therefore the validity of the assessment activities completed by the students.

Bibliography

Compulsory Bibliography (Lecturas Básicas/Lectures bàsiques)

Manuals

  • Chaturvedi, Sachin, Janus, Heiner, Klingebiel, Stephan, Li, Xiaoyun, Mello e Souza, Andre. D., Sidiropoulos, Elizabeth, & Wehrmann, Dorothea (2020).The Palgrave Handbook of Development Cooperation for Achieving the 2030 Agenda: Contested Collaboration(p. 730). Springer Nature. (Available at this link). Open Access Commons Attribution
  • Haslam, Paul A.; Schafer, Jessica; Beaudet, Pierre (2021). Introduction to international development: approaches, actors, issues, and practice, Fourth edition: Ontario: Oxford University Press, 2021


Other readings (Otras lecturas/Altres lectures)

  • Bracho, G., Carey, R. H., Hynes, W., Klingebiel, S., & Trzeciak-Duval, A. (2021). Origins, evolution and cooperation : The role of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) (No. 104). Studies. https://doi.org/10.23661/s104.2021
  • Brass, J. N., Longhofer, W., Robinson, R. S., & Schnable, A. (2018). NGOs and international development: A review of thirty-five years of scholarship. World Development, 112, 136-149.
  • Cranenburgh, Katinka. (2017). The Role of the Private Sector in Fostering International Development.
  • Debusscher, Petra (2020). Budget Support Through a Gender Lens: The Case of EU Development Cooperation with Botswana.Eur J Dev Res32,718-737 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-019-00236-0
  • Gulrajani, Nilima & Faure, Raphaëlle. (2019).Donors in transition and the future of development cooperation: What do the data from Brazil, India, China, and South Africa reveal?Public Admin Dev.2019;39:231-244. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.1861
  • Kragelund, Peter. (2017). International cooperation for development. In The Essential Guide to Critical Development Studies (pp. 215-224). Routledge.


Recommended bibliography (Bibliografía de referencia general/Bibliografia de referència general)

Alonso, J. A., & Glennie, J. (2015). What is development cooperation? https://www. un.org/en/ecosoc/newfunct /pdf15/2016_dcf_policy_brief_no.1.pdf. 7

Ayllón, Bruno (2007) "La Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo: fundamentos y justificaciones en la perspectiva de la Teoría de las Relaciones Internacionales", in: Carta Internacional, 2 (2): 32-47, São Paulo.

Bartenev V. and Glazunova E. (2013). International Development Cooperation. Set of Lectures. The World Bank (selected chapters) (available at this LINK)

Banerjee, Abhijit V. & Duflo, Esther. (2011).Poor economics: A radical rethinking of the way to fight global poverty. Public Affairs.

Black, David R. (2020). Canada and the changing landscape of global development cooperation. Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 26(2), 228-234.

Brzoska, Michael (2008): Extending Official Development Assistance or Creating a New Reporting Instrument for Security-related Expenditures for Development?, Overseas Development Institute, 26(2), p131-150.

Cascante Hernández, Kattya, & Sotillo, J. A. (2024). Editorial Síntesis. Política de cooperación internacional para el desarrollo.

Call, Charles T. and Cousens, Elizabeth M. (2008): Ending War and Building Peace: International Responses to War-Torn Societies, Blackwell Publishing/International Studies Association, p1-21.

Chandler, David (2007), The security-development Nexus and the rise of"anti-foreign policy", Journal of International Relations and Development, p362-386.

Colina Martín, Sergio. (2020). International Development Cooperation in the Fields of Water and Sanitation: A Comparative Study of the United States and the Spanish Approaches in Latin America and the Caribbean.Journal of International Cooperation and Development,3(2), 37. https://doi.org/10.36941/jicd-2020-0014

Collier, Paul (2007) The Bottom Billion, Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It, Oxford, 2007

Easterly, William (2014), The Tyranny of Experts: how the fight against global poverty suppressed individual rights. Perseus Books Group.

Easterly, William (2006), The White man's burden: Why the West's efforts to aid the rest have done so much ill and so little good, Penguin Press.

ECOSOC (2008). "Trends in South-South triangular development cooperation", Background study for the Development Cooperation Forum

Fakuda-Parr, Sakiko (2007), Rethink the Policy Objectives of Development Aid, United Nation University/World Institute for Development Economics Research, nº2007/32, 25p.

Fakuda-Parr, Sakiko and Picciotto, Robert (2007), Conflict Prevention and Development Co-operation in Africa: A Policy Workshop, United Nations Development Programme/Wilton Park/Japan International Cooperation Agency, 26p.

Fleming, Sue, Markus Cox, Kasturi Sen & Katies Wright-Revolledo. (2007). Strengthening the Poverty Impact of the Paris Declaration: Aid Effectiveness evidence gathering project on gender equality, human rights and social exclusion. London: Department for International Development.

Focus on Conflict, Security and Development (2006), Management Committee/The Reality of Aid, 170p.

Gore, Charles. (2013), THE NEW DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION LANDSCAPE: ACTORS, APPROACHES, ARCHITECTURE. J. Int. Dev., 25: 769-786. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.2940

Hegoa (online), Diccionario de Acción Humanitaria y Cooperación al . https://www.dicc.hegoa.ehu.eus/ Desarrollo

Homer-Dixon, Thomas F. (1999), Environment, Scarcity, and Violence, Princeton University Press

Human Development Report 2020 (2020). The next frontier. Human development and the Anthropocene. UNDP (selected chapters) (available at this LINK)

Huwitz, Agnès and Peake, Gordon -rapporteurs- (2004), Strengthening the Security-Development Nexus: Assessing International Policy and Practice Since the 1990s, International Peace Academy, 26p.

International Policy Center (2010). "South-South Cooperation, The Same Old Game or a New Paradigm?", Poverty in Focus n.20

Kharas.Trends and Issues in Development Aid https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/11_development_aid_kharas.pdf

Kharas, Homi (2011), Coming Together: How a New Global Partnership on Development Cooperation was Forged at the Busan High Level

Kragelund, Peter (2010), The potential role of non-traditional donors' aid in Africa‛, Issue Paper No. 11, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development.

Kragelund, Peter (2008). The Return of NON-DAC Donors to Africa: New Prospects for African Development? Development Policy Review, 2008, 26 (5), accessed at http://www.diis.dk/sw65215.asp

Lang, Stephan, Füreder, Petra, Riedler, Barbara, Wendt, Lorenze, Braun, A., Tiede, D., & Hochschild, V. (2020). Earth observation tools and services to increase the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance.European Journal of Remote Sensing,53(sup2), 67-85. Manning, Richard (2006), "Will 'Emerging Donors' Change the Face of International Cooperation?", Development Policy Review, 24(4):371-385.

Manning, Richard and Williams, Lisa (2004), Security and development, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Moyo, Dambisa (2009). Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is Another Way for Africa

Official Development Assistance (2004), Conflict Security, and Official Development Assistance: Issues for Non-Governmental Organization advocacy, 11p.

Reality of Aid Network (2021). Aid in the context of Conflict, Fragility, and the Climate Emergency Reality of Aid Report 2020/2021. The Reality of Aid Network

Rogerson, Andrew, Hewitt, Adrian, Waldenberg, David (2004): "The International Aid System 2005-2010. Forces Forand Against Change". Londres:Overseas Development Institute.

Sachs, Jeffrey D., Schmidt-Traub, Guido, Mazzucato, Mariana et al. Six Transformations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Nat Sustain 2, 805-814 (2019). (Available in this link)

Sachs, Jeffrey D. (2005), The End of poverty: Economic possibilities for our time. Penguin Press

SEGIB (2023), Report on South-South Cooperation in Ibero-America 2022, Secretaría General Iberoamericana (SEGIB). Cristina Xalma Editor.

SEGIB (2018), A Decade of South-South Cooperation in Ibero-America, Secretaría (SEGIB).Cristina Xalma Editor. (Available here)

Seligson, Michael and John T. Passé-Smith, Development and Underdevelopment: The Political Economy of Global Inequality. (Boulder: Lynne Reinner, 2008).

Stan, Flavius-rapporteur-(2004), The Security-Development Nexus: Conflict, Peace and Development in the 21st Century, International Peace Academy/International Peace Academy Report, 17p.

United Nations (Several). Reports on Sustainable Development Goals

World Bank (annual) World Poverty Reports. 2021 Report available here

World Bank (annual) World Development Reports. 2021 Report available here

Zimmermann, F., & Smith, K. (2011). More actors, more money, more ideas for international development co-operation. Journal of International Development, 23(5), 722-738.

Software

Students are expected to have basic knowledge on the use of the most common computer programs for searching information on the Internet, and for the elaboration and edition of texts, tables, and charts.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 English first semester morning-mixed