GLBL 5003b, Narrative Storytelling for Policy Makers  David Morse

Human beings are storytellers. We tell stories to impart to the chaos of our lives some order and meaning, or to generate empathy, or to convince others to understand some version of a particular reality. Research has shown that people remember information better—and are more inclined to believe that that the information is true—when it is presented in the form of a story, that is, with a beginning, middle, and end; characters and setting; and coherent cause and effect. In this class, we study how the craft of narrative storytelling can be deployed to further improve the public’s understanding of politics and/or a particular policy. Students identify a policy or political topic that holds their interest, conduct their own independent research to learn more about their topic, and write a public-facing feature length narrative intended to introduce the topic to a larger audience, shaping their research into a coherent and compelling story. To learn storytelling techniques—and how they might be applied to a policy context—students study a range of policy-focused narratives, learning how craft can help generate maximum effect. In addition to craft, we also study the ethical questions raised by storytelling: our lives do not resolve neatly into a story; a story, therefore, is an artificial construct. Therefore, all stories, even those based on a “true” reporting of facts, are, in a certain sense, false, capable of corrupting rather than enlightening the reader’s understanding. The final written product for the class is a policy-focused narrative of 3000+ words of the sort that might be published in outlets such as Harper’s, The Atlantic, The Believer, Guernica, or The New York Times Magazine. To apply for this course, students should specify how their interest in narratives relates to their course of study and/or career goals and describe previous experience writing narratives of any kind. If you haven't written any narratives yet, that's fine. Tell me about your previous experience writing in general (personal and/or professional). This short statement should be submitted via Yale Hub.
Th 1:30pm-3:25pm

GLBL 5010b, Economics for Global Affairs  Amit Khandelwal and Lorenzo Caliendo

This core course introduces students to the critical issues facing the global economy today. One of the main goals of the course is to practice how to use measurement and economic frameworks to analyze current events. The course teaches students how to apply economic reasoning to policy issues in the real world building on the concepts covered in the first-semester economics course and new concepts presented in the course.  We use these frameworks to understand questions such as: Why do some countries richer than others? How much inequality is, and should we worry about it?, How are wages and interest rates determined? How do countries conduct fiscal and monetary policy to smooth the business cycle? What determines the gains from international trade and migration? Graded only, sat/unsat option is not permissible. 
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

GLBL 5021b, Applied Methods of Analysis II  Ardina Hasanbasri

This course is a continuation of GLBL 5020 that covers statistics and their application in public policy and global affairs research. Topics cover several tools related to multivariate regression analysis, prediction models (including machine-learning models), and causal analysis. Most important is class discussion on which tools are more relevant for answering a policy or research questions and understanding the limitation of each tool. Lectures consist of theoretical discussions of the tools as well as real-world applications and case studies. Graded only; Sat/Unsat option is not available.
HTBA

GLBL 5040b, Comparative Politics for Global Affairs  Katharine Baldwin

Economics can tell us with increasing precision what policies maximize growth, welfare, and productivity. But how are policies actually made? Why are so many poor policies adopted and good ones foregone? In this course students investigate how government organization and the structure of political competition shape the conditions for better and worse economic policy making across a range of economic policies including macroeconomic policy, corporate and financial regulation, industrial policy, and trade. Students consider these policy areas in democratic and nondemocratic regimes, and in developed and developing countries. Graded only, sat/unsat option is not permissible. 
MW 2:35pm-3:50pm

GLBL 6265b, Rebuilding Nations After Atrocity  David Simon

The transition from war to peace entails daunting challenges like demilitarization, economic reconstruction, and the renewal of the state. When conflict involved atrocities—that is, widespread and systematic attacks against civilian populations, the transition is even more fraught, with questions of transitional justice, refugee reintegration, and political reconciliation looming large. The legacies of atrocities are such that transitions require more than money for post-conflict development or ingenuity for institutional (re-)engineering. They also require a reimagination of the relationships among fellow citizens and between the citizenry and the state. In short, the task at hand following a conflict that featured atrocities involves the rebuilding of nations. This course examines many of the facets of such transitions, including all of those named above. It examines cases that reflect different experiences with nation rebuilding, inspecting the roles (and motives) of a variety of actors, both domestic and international. The objective of the course is to arrive at a better understanding of what factors (or constellations of factors) tend advance successful transitions and, alternatively, which ones tend to undermine them.
T 4pm-5:55pm

GLBL 6600b, Development Economics  Lauren Bergquist

The course exposes students to topics in economic development and international poverty. The course also explores a variety of tools available for rigorously measuring the impact of development programs. The goals of this course are for students to (1) learn about and apply economic theory to issues of development and (2) hone their skill in critically analyzing causal statements and develop a basic understanding of economic tools for identifying causality. Topics covered in this course vary year to year, but typically include poverty and inequality, population and health, education, agriculture, credit, savings, insurance, labor markets, management, technology, governance, and corruption. Completion or simultaneous enrollment in MPP core economics and quantitative methods courses or permission of instructor are required.
M 9:25am-11:20am

GLBL 6611b, Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technologies, and National Power II  Ted Wittenstein

Part II of this two-term course continues to examine how artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to alter the fundamental building blocks of world order. Machines capable of sophisticated information processing, towards the frontier of autonomy, pose tremendous opportunities for economic growth and societal well-being. Yet the potential risks also are extraordinary. How can we build AI systems that are reliable, transparent, safe, scalable, and aligned with human values? Following an introduction to AI and survey of current research challenges, the seminar focuses on seven core areas where AI and emergent technologies already pose significant security concerns: (1) lethal autonomous weapons and the nature of conflict, (2) disinformation and the future of democracy, (3) competition and conflict in U.S.-China relations, (4) AI ethics and safety, (5) AI governance, (6) nanotechnology and quantum computing, and (7) outer-space development. For each of these sub-units, the goal is to equip aspiring leaders with requisite technical fluency, and to bridge the divide across the law, technology, and policy communities at Yale.
Th 1:30pm-3:25pm

GLBL 7270b, Development in Action  Shoshana Stewart

This course is an immersion into the "how" of international development, done through a case study of and practicum in Jordan with Turquoise Mountain, an NGO working to preserve heritage in areas of conflict. It is not meant to establish the "how to’s" but is more concerned with the messiness, the human factor, the opportunities, and the realities.  We take an in-depth look at the elements—and the complexities—of building and running successful projects, including: How do you build community support? How can you work and get things done with government bureaucracies?  How do you work with refugees and others affected by conflict? What are the elements of a sustainable financial model for programs? The practicum also allows students to work on an element of the project, which may include any parts of Turquoise Mountain’s work, from economic development, vocational training, primary education, and health, to sustainable tourism, historic building restoration, heritage, and culture. This is an opportunity for students to explore this kind of work for their career planning and to get a sense of the practical realities of development work—and whether they want to work in the field, or work alongside development projects in the future. The course begins with approximately three sessions (one in person, two over zoom) in the first half of the semester. The bulk of the work and the experience takes place over a two-week practicum, scheduled to take place over school break, in Jordan. Students who cannot spend their time off in Jordan for the course should not enroll.  ½ Course cr
T 9:25am-11:20am

GLBL 7280a, Leadership  Christopher Fussell

This course is designed for students wanting to deeply reflect on what it means to be a leader, and to help them prepare for leading others in their future. Amongst the many pressures of the role, leaders affect the lives of those they lead, influence the health of the organization they oversee, and hold an important role in advancing social progress. Many learn these realities through trial and error but are rarely given the time to consider what leadership truly entails and how we, as individual leaders, will handle the challenges that lie ahead. From heading up a small team to running a major organization, leadership is often an isolating and uncertain position, but is also full of opportunity to positively impact others, and to advance society broadly. Leadership is challenging, exciting, and sometimes terrifying; but most importantly, it is a choice to which one must recommit every day. This course is designed to offer a foundation in the practice of leadership for students who want to take on these challenges in their future. The course is divided into three main sections: historic perspectives on leadership, leadership in context, and personal reflections on leadership. Students finish the semester with a foundational understanding of leadership models throughout history, a range of case studies to refer to in the future, and most importantly, a personal framework that can be applied and expanded throughout their journey and growth as a leader. Students do not leave with all the answers they need to conquer the countless challenges that leaders face, but they instead leave with an understanding of how leaders work, every day, to improve themselves and better the lives of those they lead.
Th 4:30pm-6:25pm