Dr Arjan Gjonça

This course is available on the MSc in Development Management, MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Health and International Development and MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

This year the course will focus on “Covid 19 pandemic: health, socio-economic and political implications for development” and will be run by Dr Arjan Gjonça. The main epidemiological, health, socio-economic and developmental issues related to the most important global health issue of the past 100 years will be addressed in this course. Some of the main topics to be covered are: Understanding Covid-19 pandemic – trends, patterns and differentials; Understanding the data, and assumptions in modelling the pandemic - Sensitivity and accuracy of the estimates; Health system readiness and public health intervention in the case of Covid–19; Demographic and health implications of Covid-19 pandemic; The implications for sexual and reproductive health and rights; Covid 19 pandemic in conflict and crisis regions. Drug discovery, production/supply/distribution, and patents in the Covid 19 pandemic; Globalisation in a post Covid 19 Pandemic – Implications for the role of international organisation; Globalisation in a post Covid 19 Pandemic – Implications for funding in development.

This course is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars in the MT. Seminars will be at or upwards of 45 minutes duration and lectures will be at or above 60 minutes duration.

For each session up to five readings will be given in advance of the seminar. Students will be asked to read the literature in advance and discuss their findings in an intercative debate during the seminar, monitored and led by the academic instructor. For certain topics, special designed policy-relevant tasks will be assigned and team discussion and debate will be encouraged. A general reading list for the course will be provided at the start of the course.

Student on this course will have a reading week in Week 6.

One 1,500 word formative essay in MT.

A detailed reading list will be provided at the start of the course each year.

Take-home assessment (100%) in the WT.

The take-home assessment will take the form of a take-home essay (100%, 3,000 words).