Call for Applications: Advanced Certificate Programme on Research in Political Economy Applications to be accepted until September 12, 2022, 23.59 UTC

Introduction

This international programme aims to train postgraduate students for research in political economy. It will expose students to frontier areas of research in political economy, to heterodox approaches in development research, and to research methods.

The programme will be useful for students preparing for their PhDs, students who are already enrolled in PhD programmes, undergraduate-level teachers of economics, and those who want to start working after their post-graduation as research analysts, journalists or in other positions requiring them to undertake research.

This is an independent certificate programme and is not affiliated with any university.

Programme Advisory Committee

• Alicia Puyana (Professor, FLACSO, Mexico)
• C P Chandrasekhar (Economist, New Delhi)
• Charles Abugre (Executive Director, IDEAs)
• Dzodzi Tsikata (Professor, University of Ghana)
• Fiona Trgenna (Professor, University of Johannesburg)
• Issa Shivji (Emeritus Professor, University of Dar es Salaam)
• Jayati Ghosh (Professor, University of Massachusetts)
• Jomo Kwame Sundaram (former Assistant Secretary General, UN-DESA and former Assistant Director General, FAO)
• Martin Abeles (Director of the ECLAC Office in Buenos Aires, UN ECLAC)
• Prabhat Patnaik (Emeritus Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University)
• Raja Khalidi (Director, Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute)
• Vikas Rawal (Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University)

Course Structure

The programme will be conducted in a hybrid (online+in-person) mode. In-person classes will be held in New Delhi, and all Indian students will be required to attend these classes. Students from other countries will participate online.

The programme will start in the first week of October, 2022 and will run for 8 months. It is expected that Indian students will reside in Delhi/NCR region during this period.

This is a full-time programme. It will involve about 8 hours of classes per week. The schedule for classes will be determined keeping in mind countries from where students are attending and availability of resource persons. In addition, students will be required to spend a considerable amount of time on readings, take-home assignments and research. A number of additional activities – special lectures, workshops and field surveys (for Indian students) – will be organised over the course of study to complement regular classes. Students are also expected to participate in other activities of IDEAs.

The programme is structured in four modules. English will be the medium of instruction for the programme.

Term I: Foundation Course (10 weeks)

This module will include three compulsory courses:

1. Macroeconomic theory with a focus on heterodox approaches (24 teaching hours)
2. Problems of underdevelopment in contemporary world (24 teaching hours)
3. Research methodology – I (24 teaching hours)

Term II: Optional Tracks (10 weeks)

In this module, a number (about 9) of optional courses (16 teaching hours each) will be offered and students will be required to choose any three. Three courses will run concurrently, and each student will have to opt for one of the three.

1. Political Economy of Development
2. Theories of Value and Distribution
3. International Trade
4. Banking and Finance
5. Agrarian Development
6. Industrialisation
7. Labour and Development
8. Class, Gender and Social Stratification
9. State and Politics
10. Education, Health and Social Security
11. Deprivation and Inequalities
12. Feminist Economics
13. Accumulation, Resource Extraction and Dispossession
14. Environment, Sustainability and Climate

In addition, all students will be required to attend the Research Methodology–II course (24 teaching hours) as part of this module.

Term III: Field Survey (3 weeks)

This module will comprise one week of intense training on survey design and sampling methodologies, two weeks of a field survey, and one week of data entry. In India, the survey will be organised as a group activity. Students who are enrolled for online participation in the programme will carry out fieldwork individually and at their own cost.

Term IV: Research Paper (8 weeks)

In the last two months, students will work on a research paper under the supervision of a mentor. Students will select a topic of their interest and will be assigned a supervisor. They will be required to submit the paper and make a presentation at the end of this module.

Eligibility

Applicants should have completed post graduation in economics or any other social science discipline. Students in the final semester of their post graduation may also apply.

Course Fees

Fees: INR 40000 (+18% GST) for Indian students/USD 500 for students from other countries

Fee waiver: Partial or full fee waiver can be provided to a few students facing financial constraints. Such students may be asked to pay a security deposit that will be refunded at the end of the course.

IDEAs will not provide any boarding or lodging facilities for students attending in-person classes.

Admission

Application (Last date: September 12, 2022)

Apply online at: https://forms.gle/duaUwqe1i217sfZe7

In your application, you would need to include:

1. Statements of grades/Marksheets of your under-graduate and post-graduate degrees
2. A statement of purpose explaining your academic background, your academic interests and why you want to enrol for this course.
3. One letter of recommendation from a teacher, supervisor or anyone else you have professionally worked with. In case you are unable to obtain the LoR at the time of application, you can also email it to course.coordinator@networkideas.org after submitting the application (but before your interview is held).
4. If applying for a fee waiver, a note explaining why you need a fee waiver, and the extent (full or partial) fee waiver you need. It would be a good idea to include supporting documents to substantiate your case for a fee waiver.

Selection (Candidates to be informed by September 17, 2022)

• An admissions committee constituted by IDEAs will review the applications and shortlist candidates for an online interview.
• Interviews will be held online between September 13 and September 15, 2022.
• Selected candidates will be sent an offer of admission by September 17, 2022.
• The decision of the admissions committee will be final.

Confirmation of admission

• Students will be required to confirm the acceptance of the offer of admission by September 24, 2022.
• Unless provided a full fee waiver, the students will be required to pay the course fee at the time of confirmation. The entire course fee has to be deposited at the time of confirmation of admission.

Contact

For any queries, email course.coordinator@networkideas.org