Global Policies and Local Challenges: Perspectives from the South, 5 cr

This course provides a guided reflection and learning about the global-local nexus in public policies from an international comparative perspective. It explores sustainable development issues that lie at the intersection of global and local governance such as food justice, education quality and water scarcity, among others. The goal is to open up the complexity of contemporary public policies and practices. The course invites students to develop an understanding of the global-local nexus by considering main debates in the field and their connection with current local issues. This will be accomplished by leveraging the valuable insights and experience brought by guest speakers from Africa and South America.

The course adopts a three-fold complementary approach. First, it introduces main concepts and interpretative frameworks that lend themselves for understanding global agenda-setting and the development of global frameworks, such as the United Nations Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Second, a special focus is placed on understanding the localization of global agendas. Global policies are frequently detached from the Southern local realities which they target. Thematic sessions with guest lectures working on the ground enable to understand local challenges better, and to address the global-local nexus from southern perspectives. Third, the course also tackles issues of collaboration and partnerships, which are the backbone of current sustainable agendas. The course reflects critically but constructively on how cooperation takes place by drawing on recent studies, experts’ insights, and practitioners experiences.

The course directly touches upon issues related with the SDGs, for example, with SDG 4 Quality Education and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals. Although many examples deal mostly with education policies and practices, the course may be useful for students in public policy studies in general, and any person interested in related subjects, such as international cooperation, sustainable development, and global governance.