Learn about the developing world and the world's diversity in terms of human wellbeing in this free online course.

The world is becoming increasingly connected and automated with economically advancing technologies. Despite this, the disparity between the rich and poor keeps increasing. Did you know that according to the United Nations, more than 700 million people live in extreme poverty? International development is the study of improving individuals' living conditions worldwide. It is concerned with long-term solutions to poverty, inadequate health care, human rights abuses and inequalities. Government departments or humanitarian organisations such as the United Nations, the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) are at the forefront of finding solutions. This course covers some of the world's most pressing issues, such as poverty and famine, environmental sustainability and health care. It starts by providing you with a basic understanding of the concept of the ‘developing world’ and the different opinions about international labelling. Next, you will learn about the factors that drive development governance, Western and non-Western approaches to development and various development donor tactics.

‘Health’ includes medical and societal solutions for better communities, including population, water and sanitation challenges. These amenities help serve people, improving their wellbeing and quality of life. We will explain in detail the measurement of the burden of disease and nutrition, including how it affects societal development. After that, you'll study the health of young children and adolescents and communicable and non-communicable diseases. We will explore how understanding gender discrepancies can help improve development, including the importance of addressing inequality for international development. Discover how emerging nations handle public finance and their perspectives on trade, entrepreneurship and economic growth. We'll teach you about agricultural and agrarian development, rural transformation, climate change and environment and climate adaptation. Gain insight into agricultural and rural development and transformation, climate change and environment and climate adaptation. You will learn how industrial policy, education and development and innovation for development contribute to international development studies.

Migration is a powerful force of social change and cultural interaction. It provides migrants with excellent prospects for advancement. You will learn about migrants and how migration varies and explore topics like entrepreneurship, labour markets and international remittance. A collection of theories about how desirable change in society is best achieved is known as ‘development theory’. Such views draw on a variety of social science disciplines and approaches. We will help you understand the development and counter-development theories, such as modernisation and dependency, and how they relate to international development studies. Lastly, you will study the relationship between international development studies, civil society and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including the role of international financial institutions in development. This course is designed for anybody interested in starting a career in international community development, advocacy, policy development or public affairs. So if you are interested in world events and want to reduce global inequality and poverty, get started with this course and enrol now!