Summer School: Global Studies

Discover our Global Studies Summer School module below, and if you’re unsure what to study, follow our top tips for how to choose a module.

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You can see our Global Studies module below.

Session One 

26 June - 14 July 2023

  • Global Development Challenges

    Module code: IS416

    This module is designed to teach you about the different dimensions of key global development challenges and possible solutions. You will learn how problems are defined, measured and recorded - looking at international development processes to understand how responses are determined across scales, from the global to the local.

    Experts in the field will present interactive lectures and workshops on each challenge and corresponding innovations. Challenges examined might include: Poverty, Finance and Inequality, Food and Agriculture, Climate and Environment, Natural Resource Extraction, and Global Health Challenges.

    On the module, you will develop an in-depth understanding of specific responses to the global development challenges and will draw on multi-media resources and your own creativity to explore: (1) how responses are developed and by whom; (2) how they are financed and communicated; (3) how support is mobilised; and, (4) different ways to measure and think about their success or failure.

    You will be asked to demonstrate critical reflection on the politics and processes that underly different development challenges. To do this, you will be guided to read academic and policy literature, and reflect and engage with this in your own writing.

    The module is both ‘solutions focused’ and interactive, and you will have the chance to work in groups throughout as you reflect collectively on how you would address particular challenges and work creatively to identify innovative responses. You will also have the opportunity to present and discuss this work in your groups at the end the module.

    This module is ideal for those with a Geography, Politics, Anthropology, Sociology, International Relations, or Law background - or indeed anyone with an interest in social sciences and a passion for key issues facing our world today.

    The University of Sussex is ranked first in the world for Development Studies – (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021). This ranking reflects the quality, impact and range of international development research and courses offered across the Sussex campus – including in the School of Global Studies, the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and Centre for International Education (CIE).

    Learning outcomes:

    • Develop a critical understanding of key development challenges
    • Demonstrate a capacity to critically reflect on the politics and processes that underpin responses to development challenges
    • Engage effectively and creatively in collaborative activities with others to achieve common goals that reflect the potential needs of future employers
    • Demonstrate good writing skills that showcase the student’s ability to be reflexive and to engage with academic and policy literature.

    Teaching method: Lectures and workshops
    Assessment: 70% essay, 30% group presentation
    Contact hours: 40 hours 
    Credits: 15 Sussex Credits
    Level: 4

Not sure how to choose?

Follow our top tips for choosing your modules. You can also find out about our teaching structure, assessment process and how your credits transfer back to your home institution.

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The University of Sussex reserves the right to cancel modules due to staff availability, student demand, minimum enrolment, or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let our applicants know of such changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Which school will I study in?

You'll study in the International Development department, which is part of the School of Global Studies. 

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Our Development research

Our staff focus on understanding processes of social exclusion, marginalisation and inequality. We are engaging with initiatives for social justice and activist movements in the UK and abroad. Our academics are pushing the boundaries of development thinking. 

Our research influences the way we teach, and you learn from academics at the forefront of their fields.

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Contact us

If you are studying at Sussex for a summer and have questions, email summer@sussex.ac.uk.


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