University of Pennsylvania Offering Free Online Course: Economic History of Latin America

The Penn Initiative for the Study of Markets at the University of Pennsylvania is offering an online course on the economic history of Latin America beginning February 14, 2023 until April 27. The objective is to familiarize students with the most recent literature on the economic history of Latin America and its contemporary development.

According to the course description, “Despite recent gains in democracy and economic growth in the region, it still lags behind advanced economies in Europe and Asia. These traits are linked to a shared past: indigenous legacies, colonial extraction, slavery, economies based on commodities, political fragmentation, conflicts fueled by the cold war, and authoritarian regimes and rebellions against them.”

It is an interdisciplinary course that encompasses the most recent contributions in economics, economic history, political science, archeology, and other fields. There will be ten 90-minute classes (with a short break) and ten plenary talks by invited experts, spread over ten weeks.

This is an open access course. All lectures and sessions will take place via zoom. All interested to participate need to register by the day the classes commence.

The course is aimed at advanced undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in economics, political science, history, and sociology, interested in Latin America’s economic history, development, and political economy. The online course is also well-suited for professionals in international organizations, development agencies, non-governmental organization, and development finance institutions interested in how history shapes domestic policies, foreign aid, development finance, and international investment.

Interested participants may register here.