International development: past, present, and future

Course delivery and schedule

This Weekend Course includes 7 x 90-minute sessions delivered between Friday evening and Sunday lunchtime with plenty of opportunity for further conversations and networking during breaks and mealtimes.

Course programme

Friday

Please plan to arrive at Madingley Hall between 16:30 and 18:30. You can meet other course participants in the Terrace Bar which opens at 18:15. Tea and coffee making facilities are available in the study bedrooms.

Saturday

Sunday

Aims:

The course will allow you to:

•    develop a broad factual overview of international development practice and implement
•    develop a comprehensive understanding of the debates surrounding the theoretical underpinnings of development practices
•    develop a reflexive awareness of the normalised frames of reference we bring to the study, theory and practice of international development

Summary of content:

Since the end of the Second World War, the concept and imperative of ‘development’ has been central to our understanding of the world geopolitically, economically and even culturally. 

The history of international development is not, however, simply a one-dimensional history of the facts of how development has been ‘rolled out’. It is also a two-dimensional history of the competing understandings of what ‘development’ is and ought to be: should it be state-led, or market-driven? Should success be measured by economic or social indicators? Does it imply an objectively ethical goal, or is it merely imperialism by other means? 

But there is also a third dimension: why do we find ourselves interested in the concept, and preoccupied by the imperative, of international development? As individuals, we come to the topic with a set of presumptions about our capacity to know about our capacity to act, and about the nature of our very interest in knowing about and acting towards people in contexts far removed from our own society. This third dimension is, in a sense, the broader ‘story’ of development, in which we ourselves are key actors. 

In as much as the one-dimensional facts of how development has been rolled out is subsumed within a two-dimensional history of the competing ideas of what exactly is being implemented, that history itself exists in the context of the three-dimensional story of why we take an interest in it. 

The purpose of this course is not to cast a judgment, for example, not to assess the merits of development as either a concept or imperative. Rather, the purpose is to clarify, in three dimensions, the nature of the concept’s relationship to the world, its relationship to itself, and its relationship to us who seek to understand it. That is, to clarify the facts of how it has been implemented, the theories of what it is, and the frames of reference that inform why we care about those theories and facts. 

Presentation of the course:

It is impossible to project the future of international development without understanding its present, and it is impossible to make sense of its present without understanding its past. This course therefore takes a chronological approach to understanding the development of development. It is a concept that has had a number of evolutions over the decades, each of which emerged as a reaction to the failings  , be they internal contradictions or external consequences, of previous iterations. 

In taking a chronological approach, this course will establish the full political-economic context of each iteration of the concept of development, before diving into the philosophical content of the theories and worldviews involved, before examining the factual consequences of these theories as they were applied to the ‘real world’. 

In order to tell this rich, three-dimensional story, which will not only bring us up to the present, but leave the class better equipped to project the future course of international development, the format will be seven 90-minute sessions, with both a lecturing and an interactive component. 

As a result of the course, within the constraints of the time available, you should be able to:

•    understand the history of international development
•    understand the key challenges of international development
•    understand our own relationship to the whole topic and imperative of international development, and to think about it critically

Course materials:

Course materials include the course syllabus, detailed timetable, reading list and tutor biography. Once these materials are available, you can download them from the Documents section below. 

We will also email these to you before your course starts. Please check your spam folder if you have not received them.

Please note that our weekend courses are non-credit bearing and there is no formal assessment.

About Madingley Hall 

This weekend course takes place at Madingley Hall, home to the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education. Built in the 16th century, Madingley Hall is a Grade 1 listed building, and is set in eight acres of landscaped gardens designed in the 18th century by ‘Capability’ Brown. Madingley is just four miles from the centre of Cambridge, and only 60 minutes from London, with excellent links to London airports. 

As a student you will enjoy award-winning cuisine in our elegant Dining Hall and first-rate facilities in an atmospheric and inspiring setting. You can choose to stay at the Hall in comfortable en suite accommodation, or attend as a non-resident. 

Course delivery and format 

All courses follow a similar format: seven 1.5hr sessions delivered between Friday evening and Sunday lunchtime. The first course session takes place after dinner on Friday evening.   

There are four sessions on Saturday: two before lunch, one before dinner and one after dinner. There is a break on Saturday afternoon, just after lunch, offering time to rest, read, or explore Madingley Hall’s beautiful grounds. The final two sessions take place on Sunday morning, and the course finishes with lunch. 

Accommodation

Accommodation for those wishing to be resident is provided in single, double or twin study bedrooms, with views over the woods, garden and courtyard. 

Each room has internet access, a television and a direct-dial telephone, as well as tea- and coffee-making facilities and a safe for valuables. Rooms are all en suite and centrally heated. 

A lift gives access to two bedrooms adapted for wheelchair users, and all areas on the ground floor can be reached once inside the building.  If you would like us to make any special provision for your stay, please let us know when booking, and we will be happy to discuss your requirements. 

Non-student attendance 

Please note: accommodation spaces are limited and priority is given to course attendees. Non-residential places are available for those who live locally or who prefer to stay elsewhere. If space permits, non-student guests may accompany a course attendee for the weekend, paying the rate below for accommodation and meals.  

Fees 

Residential fees cover tuition, accommodation and meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch (a total of two breakfasts, two lunches, and two evening meals), as well as morning coffee and afternoon tea during teaching hours.  

Non-residential places are available for those who live locally or who prefer to stay elsewhere. Non-residential fees include tuition, lunches, evening meals, morning coffee and afternoon tea during teaching hours. (Non-residents wishing to purchase breakfast may do so on payment of the current rate to Reception before taking their meal.) 

If a residential student is sharing a room with someone who is not enrolled on the Weekend Course, guest accommodation and meal prices are subjected to 20% VAT. 

Course fees 

Accommodation fees (includes Friday and Saturday night with breakfast on Saturday and Sunday at Madingley Hall)

Supplementary items  

Accommodation for carers is provided free of charge, accommodation and meals for guests is subject to VAT.  

Any attendee sharing a room with a carer should contact intenq@ice.cam.ac.uk to discuss further details before the booking deadline. 

Extra nights 

If there is capacity, you can book to stay for the Sunday night after your course at the same weekend bed and breakfast rate. (Please note:  dinners are not provided on a Sunday evening.)   If you wish to arrive early (before Friday) you will need to make a separate booking with Madingley Hall. (Charges may differ.)  

Dietary requirements 

If you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies please indicate these when booking.  

Bursaries for teachers  

Our State School Teacher bursary offers 50% off tuition fees for any teacher with Qualified Teacher Status working in a UK state-funded school or further education institution.  

You will be asked to enter the name and contact details of the school when booking. 

Getting to Madingley Hall 

The Institute of Continuing Education is based at Madingley Hall (CB23 8AQ) in the village of Madingley, four miles west of Cambridge. It is easily accessible from the M11, A14 and A428. Other gateways include Cambridge Main Railway Station and London airports.   

If you are arriving in Cambridge by train you can take a taxi to Madingley Hall. Please contact Reception to book a taxi for your return journey.  

Parking 

Free on-site car parking is available and we have a small number of spaces close to the Hall entrance for Blue Badge holders. 

Booking a course 

To book a weekend course please click the Book Now button at the top of the course page. You will be taken to our secure bookings portal where you can set up an account using your email address, and pay for your course by credit or debit card. 

Payments 

Payment can be made by credit/debit card using our secure online booking system, unless otherwise arranged. You can either pay in full at the time of booking, or pay a 15% registration fee as a deposit; the balance will automatically be taken two weeks before the start of the course.  

Booking deadlines 

Bookings close 11 days before the start of the course. If your preferred course is full at the time of booking you can add yourself to a waiting list. You will be notified, by email, if a place becomes available. We recommend that you book early to avoid missing out. 

Booking terms and conditions 

Before booking your course, please ensure that you have read and understood our Booking terms and conditions.