Module description
Both the increasing trend and the perils of de-industrialisation for emerging economies have been highlighted by the international development community. While there is a need to think ambitiously about ways in which the productive capacity in emerging economies can be developed in a sustainable way, industrial development has been (and continues to be) viewed narrowly in terms of trade and industrial policies, with a strong emphasis on the management of foreign direct investment (FDI) as a major source of skills and technology transfer. Hence, policy solutions are circumscribed to the realm of FDI by both the neoliberals and state interventionists alike. In this module, we go beyond the “market vs. state” debate, and take on a more structuralist approach to studying the institutional foundations and path-dependent dynamics of industrial development.
This module aims to understand the theoretical and conceptual foundations for studying the processes of industrialisation and firm growth, and examines the challenges of committing to long-term industrial development that provides durable conditions for local firms to grow and attain competitiveness. By investigating the experiences of successful late industrialisers - known as the East Asian Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs) - and in particular, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan - the module explores the constraints and opportunities that today’s emerging economies – both BRICs and non-BRICs - face in developing their industries and firms.
Assessment details
Literature review (1,000 words)
Research essay (1,000 words)
Final essay (3,000 words)
Teaching pattern
10 x 2 hour lectures