Education Programs & Curriculum
Curriculum: Coursework and Educational Programs
The Blum Center for Developing Economies has a continuously evolving portfolio of coursework and educational programs designed to educate and inform students and faculty of issues relating to global poverty, while providing them with the the appropriate skills and experiences so that that can take action.
A cornerstone of this learning process is the "Global Poverty and Practice" (GPP) Minor program, launched in Fall 2007. In addition to this curriculum, the Center designs educational programs, including prominent guest lectures, symposia for both students and faculty, and an international fellowship program. It also serves as the nexus on the Berkeley campus for convening resources to combat global poverty in order to foster exchanges across departments and to promote multi-disciplinary collaborations on poverty-based initiatives.
Global Poverty and Practice Minor
Open to all undergraduate majors and housed in the International and Area Studies Teaching Program (link) the GPP Minor utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to explore and address issues of global poverty and its alleviation. The minor is unique from offerings at other universities in that it has a specific (thematic) concentration on global poverty, a focus on undergraduates, training in the key theoretical and ethical debates around poverty, inequality and development, and a requirement for a hands-on practice or service learning experience.
Each semester the Blum Center supports new courses that expand the University’s current offerings related to global poverty and development. In addition to expanding the base of knowledge on campus about poverty alleviation, these specialized courses attract and inspire students from a wide-variety of disciplines.
These courses are open to, and welcome, students from all majors. However, students who have declared the Global Poverty and Practice Minor will be given first priority in enrollment. Graduate students are also welcome to join these courses.
International Service Learning Opportunities
The Blum Center's committment to facilitate international service-learning opportunities for students extends beyond just those in the Global Poverty and Practice minor. The Center seeks to encourage students from across the University to participate in global poverty alleviation programs in developing countries. Currently the Center is focused on researching and establishing partnerships with reputable organizations and projects that offer these types of transformative experiences.
The Blum Center for Developing Economies presents a newly created faculty speaker series. Each semester, the lectures and discussions will focus on a pressing issue facing developing economies.
The fall 2008 series is entitled “The Global Food Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities.” As food supplies become more scare in the developing world, the price of food skyrockets, and consumers take to the streets in protest, Faculty speakers will provide their research and perspectives on the causes and challenges of the food crisis. The series is open to all students, faculty, staff and the general public.
Major Speaker Series: Stay tuned — details on dates and speakers will be available shortly.