International Development Studies (IDS)
Concentration Guide (MP1 and MP2)
Concentration leader: Jonna P. ESTUDILLO
IDS faculty:
Jonna P. Estudillo: Professor
Chikako Yamauchi: Associate Professor (on maternal leave)
Yoko Kijima: Associate Professor
Stephen Litschig: Associate Professor
Dainn Wie: Associate Professor
Minchung Hsu: Associate Professor
Yuqing Xing: Professor
Patarapong Intarakumnerd:Professor
Kazushi Takahashi: Professor
1. Goals
The IDS concentration aims to foster technical skills for solving development problems using economics as the basic tool. This curriculum covers a wide range of topics in development (e.g., gender, poverty, agricultural development, trade and industry, environment, and market and government, health and education) and is especially designed for researchers and policy makers interested in development issues.
2. Courses
2.1 Strongly recommended courses for MP1 and MP2 (8 credits for both MP1 and MP2)
Course name |
Instructor |
Term |
Microeconomics I |
Wie |
Fall (Session I) |
Microeconomics II |
Wie |
Fall (Session II) |
Essential Microeconomics |
Kurosawa |
Fall |
Macroeconomics I |
Hsu |
Fall (Session I) |
Macroeconomics II |
Fujimoto |
Fall (Session II) |
Essential Macroeconomics |
Nakagaki |
Winter |
Introduction to Quantitative Methods |
Oyama, Morohoshi |
Fall |
Introduction to Applied Econometrics |
Chen |
Fall |
Applied Econometrics |
Litschig |
Winter |
Development Economics |
Kijima |
Winter |
Strategy of Economic Development |
Yamauchi |
Spring |
Poverty Alleviation |
Takahashi |
Spring (Session II) |
Students who do not have economics background are recommended to take:
Ⅰ. Microeconomics
Microeconomics I and Microeconomics II:Prof.Wie (Fall)
Essential Macroeconomics :Prof.Kurosawa (Fall)
Ⅱ. Statistics
Introduction to Applied Econometrics: Prof. Chen (Fall)
Introduction to Quantitative Methods: Prof. Morohoshi/Prof. Oyama (Fall)
Ⅲ. Macroeconomics
Macroeconomics Ⅰ: Prof. Hsu (Fall Ⅰ)
Essential Macroeconomics : Prof. Nakagaki (Winter)
2.2 Recommended elective courses
Course name |
Instructor |
Term |
Trade and Industrial Development |
Sonobe |
Spring |
Gender and Development |
Estudillo |
Spring I |
Government and Market |
Hatanaka |
Winter |
Resource and Energy Economics |
Tanaka Makoto |
Winter |
Agricultural Economics |
Hara |
Spring I |
Agricultural Development |
Kijima |
Spring Ⅱ |
Environmental Economics |
Munro |
Spring |
Cost Benefit Analysis I |
Kidokoro |
Winter |
Structure and Process of Government |
Horie |
Spring |
Comparative Political Economy |
Kanchoochat |
Fall |
Comparative Development Studies of Asia |
Kawano |
Spring |
Comparative Analysis on Science, Technology and Innovation Policy |
Intarakumnerd |
Fall |
Note: Courses not listed in this table could be credited. We advise the students to consult with concentration leader before registration.
3. Research supervision
MP1 students are required to write a policy paper and MP2 students are required to write a thesis. Each student will be assigned to a professor who will provide individual advice.
The following are examples of past policy paper titles.
- Examining the Effects of Local Government Expenditure Mix on Poverty Reduction in the Philippines
- The Effectiveness of Foreign Aid in Fragile States under Political and Security Instability
- Innovation and Governance Dynamics of Functional Upgrading in Global Value Chains: The Case of the Philippine Cacao-Chocolate Industry
- Determinants of the Adoption of Farm Machinery in Lowland Rice Ecosystem: The Case of Central Luzon, Philippines, 1966-2012
- Role of Financial Literacy on the Uptake of Financial Services in Southern and Central Regions of Thailand
- An Essay on the Evolution of Modern Rice Farming Systems in Asia