The Pacific island region is unique in many ways, and this is reflected in the economies in the region. The geographical disadvantages and governance weaknesses of the region interact with each other and combine to make development a daunting task. While some Pacific islands have become high-income countries, most have not. For none of them is a conventional path to development a likely prospect. This course will expose students to the economic issues facing the Pacific island region, including Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. It will also relate economic performance to underlying political features and challenges. It will explore both the distinctive features of the various Pacific island economies and some of the common challenges they face and strategies they can adopt in relation to migration and aid. Models and topics covered will include the resource curse; aid dependency; migration and development; the economics of remoteness and isolation; clientelism, governance and political determinants of development; and institutional theories of development.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Apply advanced concepts, debates and tools from the economics and political science disciplines to the Pacific island region.
- Analyse key topics relating to the Pacific island economies.
- Engage in policy debates relating to Pacific island development.
- Display an in-depth understanding of key economic and policy challenges facing the Pacific island region.
- Demonstrate expertise on the distinctive features of the various Pacific sub-regions and countries.
Indicative Assessment
- Presentation (20) [LO 1,2,3]
- Essay 1 (1,500 words) (20) [LO 1,2,3]
- Essay 2 (1,500 words) (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Exam (40) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
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Workload
The standard workload for a 6 unit course is 130 hours including class time and independent study.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable.
Prescribed Texts
Not required.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 34
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
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