Special Studies Course: Technology, Engineering and Global Development

The Department of Civil Engineering will be hosting a special new course in the Winter term that is now available for enrollment on ROSI.

CIV1399H: Technology, Engineering and Global Development Seminar

Session Code: S

Section Code: LEC 0101

Seminar style class

Meeting Schedule: Meet once a week in a three hour time slot, with the first two hours for lecture/discussion and the third hour used for overflow if necessary. Planned meeting time is Wednesday 3:00 to 6:00 pm in GB303.

Instructors: Yu-Ling Cheng, Murray Metcalfe, plus guest instructors from FASE and elsewhere within UofT. Selected outside guest speakers.

Draft Calendar Description: This graduate reading seminar will explore the role of technology and engineering in global development. The course format will be a combination of lectures by the instructors and guest speakers, discussion of assigned readings, review of case studies, and student presentations. Topics covered will include a brief history of international development and foreign aid, traditional models of international development, major players (UN, World Bank, government agencies, NGOs), emerging alternative models (social entrepreneurship, microfinance, risk capital approaches, base of pyramid), major and emerging players (Grameen Bank, Ashoka, Gates Foundation, Skoll Foundation, Acumen Fund), the role of financial markets, environmental and resource considerations/sustainable development. We will then turn to addressing the role of technology and engineering in international development, including technology diffusion models, case studies of technology and engineering within various models of development, current progress in specific segments (infrastructure, energy, communications, health care), the role of technical education and universities, future strategies, and potential roles for UofT graduates.

Format: A combination of:
· Lectures by the instructors, UofT guest lecturers and outside speakers
· Discussion of readings – book excerpts, academic journal articles, popular press articles, UN publications, etc.
· Case Studies – including formal business school cases on topics of international social entrepreneurship from U. of Michigan, Harvard Business School, Stanford, others
· Student presentations starting part way through and featured each week. These will involve students presenting findings on use of technology within a specific assigned engineering domain.

Required book: Students should purchase Innovation: Applying Knowledge in Development Calestous Juma and Lee Yee-Cheong lead authors; Earthscan, 2005. The book will be available through the UofT Bookstore.

Grading:
· 70% - Written description of major topic and presentation on topic in class (10% on proposal, 20% on presentation in class, 40% on final report)
· 15% - Reaction papers to other lectures, discussions and presentations
· 15% - Class participation and value added to sessions