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Students in the MIDA program at Western Michigan University planning to pursue careers in the public and nonprofit sectors in developing countries and in international development organizations can build a foundation of professional competence in the following areas:Development theories such as those oriented to government strategies and administration, economic markets, political development, rural development and environmental sustainability.History of the field, where most core classes use case studies so students gain a broad familiarity with practical issues specific to many professional areas and political environments.Methods such as statistical analysis, project planning, cost-benefit analysis, monitoring and evaluation, the logical framework, stakeholder analysis, participatory appraisal, and political and institutional analysis.Skills such as budgeting, research and writing, human resource management and public speaking.Recent classes have discussed development strategies in areas such as industrialization in Taiwan, Brazil and China, social security in India, health in Chile, Argentina and Niger, and textiles and apparel in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Tuinisia, and development projects such as on hydroelectricity in China, agriculture in Afghanistan and Pakistan, education in Burkina Faso, social cohesion in Liberia, and child survival in Mozambique. Students developed the Climate Action Plan for the City of Kalamazoo. Other topics include legacies of colonialism, international financial institutions, the Millennium Development Goals, corruption, climate change, technology, political representation, decentralization, and economic topics such as inflation, exchange rates, value chains and international financial and trade agreements.
