SA.

500 (Development, Climate & Sustainability) 1

SA.500 (DEVELOPMENT, SA.500.104. Climate Change: Science, Economics and Politics. 4

Credits.

CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY) Climate change is anticipated to have catastrophic impacts on the
planet and on human civilization over the coming century and beyond.
Sea-level rise is expected to have severe consequences on coastal
SA.500.100. Green New Deals. 2 Credits. communities; weather extremes such as droughts, heat waves, and
SA.500.101. Financial Crises and Policy Dilemmas in Emerging hurricanes are expected to intensify; and the combination of these
Markets. 4 Credits. impacts with warming temperatures is expected to influence human
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have activities from agriculture to the development and maintenance of energy
already received credit for SA.810.727[C] systems. Globally, scientists have come to a consensus that greenhouse
gas emissions from human activities contribute to present trends in
SA.500.102. Business and Human Rights: Who's Responsibility is it?. 4 climate. Students will acquire a firm grounding in climate science,
Credits. mitigation options, economics, and politics that they can leverage at
This course will examine the complexities of transnational and cross- SAIS and throughout their careers. Join us for a lively course on how
political business practices and strengthen students’ ability to counsel policymakers and society have addressed this challenge up to now and
corporate clients effectively in a transnational business environment. The options into the future, accounting for interactions with the COVID-19
class will touch on the legal dimensions of international business and pandemic and beyond. Classroom sessions will involve lectures, seminar
human rights, starting with postwar prosecutions of business leaders discussions, and active learning (e.g., simulations of international climate
in the Nuremburg trials, and continuing through contemporary human negotiations).
rights challenges against corporations and corporate executives based Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
upon their alleged complicity in human rights violations. It will focus already received credit for SA.680.760[C]
on the increasing importance of corporate social responsibility, the
creation of shared value for business, and the crucial role of the financial SA.500.105. Comparative Energy and Environmental Governance. 4
sector, advocacy groups and the internet in rewarding (and penalizing) Credits.
businesses that do not take human rights and sustainability into How are public policies addressing energy and environmental problems
account. The class will cover a few sectors that pose specific challenges designed and implemented at various levels of governance? Why are
in the business environment, namely: extractive industries, internet certain pressing energy and environmental problems addressed, while
privacy, human trafficking, and health.<a href="http://bit.ly/1bebp5s" others ignored? What drives some nations, but not others, to embrace
target="_blank">Click here to see evaluations, syllabi, and faculty bios</a> renewable energy and decrease reliance on fossil fuels? Moving beyond
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have the idea that differences in public opinion are primarily to blame for
already received credit for SA.650.766[C] such variation, this course focuses instead on how the design of the
state itself influences energy and environmental governance outcomes.
SA.500.103. Climate Change Impacts: Foundations, Problems, and Regime type, electoral systems, party rules, fiscal structures, and
Solutions. 4 Credits. institutions that determine regional and municipal policy-making
This course will explore the impacts of climate change, with an authority have enormous impact on policy design and implementation.
emphasis on developing countries. In the first half of the course, we will In addition, energy and environmental problems span regional and
characterize the current and expected impacts of climate change and national borders, often mapping poorly onto existing governance
the institutional landscape of global climate governance, particularly institutions and spawning a range of unintended consequences.
climate finance. In the second half of the course, we will examine specific To systematically examine the link between state institutions and
issues arising from or linked to climate change, such as energy poverty energy and environmental governance, this discussion-intensive
and renewables, extreme weather and power grids, drought and human seminar applies theories and concepts from literatures on comparative
conflict, and adaptive agriculture. Students will become familiar with the politics to topics in energy and environment, moving gradually from
scientific community’s assessment of climate impacts, the problems multilateral institutions, through institutions at the national, regional,
arising from climate change in developing countries, and possible and municipal levels. The course ends with a class on non-state, market-
solutions to those problems. Students will write policy memos and based governance institutions. To facilitate detailed, comparative
undertake numerous negotiations on climate change. analysis and in-class discussion, each week introduces a range of
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have empirical cases drawn primarily from China, Germany, and the United
already received credit for SA.680.888[C] States.<a href="http://bit.ly/29waOzg" target="_blank">Click here to see
a video introduction for the course.</a> <a href="http://bit.ly/1bebp5s"
target="_blank">Click here to see evaluations, syllabi, and faculty bios.</
a>
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
already received credit for SA.680.796[C]
2 SA.500 (Development, Climate & Sustainability)

SA.500.106. Development Strategies. 4 Credits. SA.500.110. Fundamentals of International Law. 4 Credits.

Study of development reveals a range of proposals for economics, A general introduction to international law, surveying such areas as
political and social reform and an equally wide range of constraints. But (among others) the sources of law, the law of treaties and customary
the challenge confronting development practitioners is to find a tractable international law, statehood and sovereignty, refugees and human rights,
and promising way forward, given country-specific realities. Drawing on the laws of armed conflict, dispute resolution, international organizations,
a variety of emerging approaches to development policymaking, this the law of the sea, use of armed force, the role(s) of NGOs, and the law
course examines how to identify priorities for reform that are feasible in of international trade. The course will consider the differences and
particular country circumstances and that have the potential to build and similarities between international and domestic legal regimes, and
sustain momentum for development. how the two systems interact in theory and in practice. Considerable
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have emphasis will be placed on legal reasoning, exposition, and advocacy.
already received credit for SA.400.818[C] The course is intended for students of all fields of concentration, since
it will introduce them to the grammar and syntax of international law:
SA.500.107. Digital Development: Innovative Use of Technology in
a language with which they will surely need some familiarity whatever
Emerging Markets. 2 Credits.
their intended career paths. It should be of special interest to potential
The aim of this course is to provide students with a practical, relevant
International Law concentrators, since it will lay the foundation for the
framework to apply participatory and principled approaches to deploying
exploration of more specialized areas. Examination or paper option, with
information and communications technologies (ICTs) and digital tools
mid-term writing assignment.
to meet international development goals and improve outcomes in low
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
and middle income countries (LMICs). The course will equip students
already received credit for SA.650.700[C]
with the skills and knowledge they need to understand and contribute
to this emerging sub-field of international development practice. Each SA.500.111. Geospatial Dimensions of Energy and Environment (GIS). 4
session will include an introduction to relevant foundational knowledge Credits.
that will provide an entry point whereby technologies such as mobile The energy economy and the natural environment operate over
phones, sensors, drones and tablets can be designed and deployed a common matrix, that of geography. To gain a comprehensive
to address problems in health, education, agriculture, governance and understanding of how these phenomena interact and interrelate, one
environmental sustainability. Cross-cutting themes such as information must apply tools that can accurately represent and model the spatial
security, policy, gender, and inclusion will also be explored. Students will dimension. In this class, students will explore the use of Geographic
have an understanding of the constraints and benefits of integrating Information Systems (GIS) and satellite imaging technologies to capture
technology into development programs.<a href="http://bit.ly/1bebp5s" and analyze geospatial data. Topics covered include Spatial Thinking,
target="_blank">Click here to see evaluations, syllabi, and faculty bios</a> GIS components, spatial data types and sources, and remote sensing
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have principles, systems and technologies, as they apply to energy and
already received credit for SA.400.797[C] environment. Students will investigate geospatial datasets and develop
hands-on skills with mainstream and open-source GIS platforms.<a
SA.500.108. Energy Economics. 4 Credits.
href="http://bit.ly/1bebp5s" target="_blank">Click here to see evaluations,
The objective of this course is to make you familiar with key economic
syllabi, and faculty bios</a>
concepts, ground realities, and policies related to the supply and use
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
of energy. There will be a focus on sustainable energy, but the course
already received credit for SA.680.887[C]
will not consider environmental implications, which will be part of
the Environmental Economics course. We will consider supply issues SA.500.112. Global Electricity Markets. 4 Credits.
(renewables and storage, petroleum, coal, natural gas, nuclear), energy Electricity is fundamental to the functioning of modern society and the
demand and efficiency in various sectors, and their interactions with each electricity grid has been called the greatest engineering achievement of
other and with the rest of the economy. the 20th century. It has also been deemed the lynchpin in combatting
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have climate change – globally, the electricity sector accounts for just over
already received credit for SA.680.772[C] 40% of carbon emissions, and 20% of final energy consumption. This
course is designed to provide an introduction to the electric power
SA.500.109. Facing the Oil Problem: The United States, Canada, OPEC
industry, with a focus on the economic, policy, technology, institutional,
and the World. 4 Credits.
and regulatory factors affecting the industry, major current issues and
Every aspect of foreign and domestic policy feels the effect of the oil
trends, and the prospects for the industry’s future development and
problem. Solutions will be difficult. The course assesses direct and
sustainability.
indirect costs of oil addiction, including global warming. Considers
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
scenarios of supply disruption. Examines who controls oil and how.
already received credit for SA.680.730[C]
Explains “peak oil” and the loss of “spare capacity” to cushion price
shocks. Looks at heavy oil production from Canada, America’s largest
oil supplier. Weighs energy initiatives, alternative energy development
and future energy RD&D. Unravels complexities of the oil problem and
explores what is to be done about it. (This is a cross-listed course offered
by the Energy, Resources and Environment Program that also can fulfill
a requirement for the Canadian Studies Program and the Latin American
Studies Program.)
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
already received credit for SA.680.759[C]
 SA.500 (Development, Climate & Sustainability) 3

SA.500.113. Global Governance of Energy and Environment. 4 Credits. SA.500.116. International Development Practicum. 4 Credits.
This seminar introduces the institutional governance of international The practicum is a course designed to provide students with the tools
energy and environmental affairs. We will consider several questions and opportunity to work with an external client on a development problem
of contemporary policy relevance. How have governments designed or opportunity. It allows students the opportunity to apply their research,
international institutions to meet energy demands in developing analysis and practical skills to an issue that is of direct relevance to a
countries? What are the principle challenges for the international client. The team of students works closely with the client to produce a
community in facilitating global energy transitions? To what extent are high quality output in the form of a publishable report, policy or program
global institutions capable of meeting the challenges posed by climate that may be implemented by the client. In addition to allowing students
change? How have global institutions evolved since the end of the Cold to translate their knowledge into practice, the practicum experience also
War to handle environmental issues? And what lessons can policymakers allows students to make valuable contacts with potential employers.
learn in designing or building institutions to govern energy sectors Students audit the course in the fall semester (in additional to their full
and the natural environment? By the end of the seminar we will have load) and take the Practicum as a 4-credit course in the spring semester
learned about the specific energy and environmental challenges and the as part of their load.<a href="https://livejohnshopkins.sharepoint.com/
international strategies developed to meet those challenges. Topics will sites/SAISInsider2/SitePages/DC-Capstones,-Professional-Skills-
include oil markets, climate change, renewable energy, ozone depletion, Courses.aspx" target="_blank">Click here for Capstone course application
technology innovation, and financing mechanisms. We will cover the information</a>
relationships between technology and energy, environment and energy, Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
international relations and energy, domestic politics and fossil fuels, and already received credit for SA.400.901[C]
oil and international relations. Sessions will focus on questions relating SA.500.117. International Environmental Law: Crisis and Cooperation. 4
material from different parts of the seminar to provide continuity from Credits.
one week to the next. This course will explore various aspects of international environmental
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have law and policy, including relating to human health. We will examine
already received credit for SA.680.889[C] international regimes on the ownership, control and management of
SA.500.114. Global Health Policy. 4 Credits. natural resources, including the international institutions designed
The world’s countries—low, middle and high-income alike—face numerous to resolve disputes, as well as the prevention and management of
health challenges, many shaped by processes connected to globalization. pollution problems that do not respect national boundaries. Many
These include combating the COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS pandemics, international environmental problems are, unfortunately, in a state of
addressing non-communicable diseases, expanding health coverage crisis, the proliferation of hazardous chemicals and climate change being
and ensuring effective global governance for health. This course will examples. These and other environmental problems can only be resolved
examine these and other issues with an emphasis on facilitating your through international cooperation. We will explore ways of catalyzing
understanding and critical analysis of central issues in global health and actualizing such cooperation. We will also explore approaches
policy, and examining the role you can play to address health conditions— to reconciling the particular needs of, and realities facing, developing
particularly those that affect disadvantaged populations. countries in dealing with these issues. The course is intended to allow
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have students to develop an analytic approach to international environmental
already received credit for SA.400.745[C] problems in order to enable them to participate in designing and
implementing solutions to those problems, particularly in an era of
SA.500.115. Humanitarinaism, Aid & Politics. 4 Credits.
increasing interdependence and globalization. The course will also
Over the past 20 years, the attention given to the humanitarian
convey substantive information about specific problems and about the
consequences of conflict has grown considerably, not least due to
policies and legal regimes being used to deal with them.
advances in media technology. These consequences are multiple and
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
transnational: civilian casualties, insecurity and human rights abuses,
already received credit for SA.680.744[C]
population displacement and attendant health impacts, food insecurity,
damage to traditional political and economic structures—what some SA.500.118. Energy & Environment Practicum. 4 Credits.
have called “development in reverse”. The human toll of these conflicts-- The Energy & Environment (E&E) Practicum is an opportunity for students
sometimes fueled by natural resources such as oil, water, land, diamonds, to work in a consulting-like setting during their second year at SAIS.
timber, or poppy-- has placed substantial public pressure on donor Teams of four are paired with a client organization on a pro-bono
governments and aid agencies to respond with ever more rapid and basis to tackle a real-world problem. This is an excellent opportunity
effective assistance. The resulting relief programs in turn carry real to get hands-on consulting experience and acquire marketable skills
political repercussions, locally and internationally.The course examines that can be showcased on your resume and during interviews; and to
these political repercussions. It provides a foundation for understanding contribute to the public discourse by addressing a meaningful problem
the context of conflict and humanitarian crises, laying out such in the energy, resources, and environment space. <a href="https://
components as the nature of conflict, forced migration, humanitarian livejohnshopkins.sharepoint.com/sites/SAISInsider2/SitePages/DC-
law, how the international aid community functions, and the use of Capstones,-Professional-Skills-Courses.aspx" target="_blank">Click here
militaries in humanitarian interventions. It also follows current trends in for Capstone course application information</a>
humanitarian action, tracking the role and use of Western aid agencies, Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
the changes arising from counter terrorism policies, and the dynamics of already received credit for SA.680.775[C]
specific crises<a href="http://bit.ly/1bebp5s" target="_blank">Click here
to see evaluations, syllabi, and faculty bios</a>
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
already received credit for SA.400.769[C]
4 SA.500 (Development, Climate & Sustainability)

SA.500.119. International Human Rights Law Clinic. 4 Credits. SA.500.121. Introduction to Energy, Resources & Environment. 4
The HR Clinic is a practicum designed to provide hands-on experience Credits.
in legal mechanisms for the promotion and protection of internationally- This course introduces students to the fundamentals of energy,
guaranteed human rights. The classroom portion of the course will seek resources and environment. It covers a wide range of topics from the
to provide students with a solid grounding in human rights principles, functioning of electricity markets to the challenge of climate policy
treaties, enforcement procedures, and caselaw. The course culminates and the management of air pollution. It also introduces a host of key
in a significant report on a case study that will be the principal focus concepts and analytical frameworks that underpin policy analysis in
of the entire academic year. The specific topic and subject country for the field, such as notions of collective action and the role of regulatory
the study will be announced at or shortly before the first class session, agencies in monopolistic markets. The course pays particular attention
but the project this year will explore ways in which domestic legal to the energy-environment nexus, including the challenge of low-carbon
systems internalize, implement, and enforce human rights norms, making development in an era of climate change.
them into legally-enforceable obligations. Students will research more Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
developed systems, to analyze their successes and shortcomings, already received credit for SA.680.680[C]
and will report based on their observation of the subject country, SA.500.122. Life Cycle Assessment. 4 Credits.
having researched its legal system and conducted interviews with Life cycle assessment (LCA) is technique that is widely used by
government officials, lawyers, and individuals complaining of human businesses, government, and civil society to quantify environmental
rights violations. There will be an organized fact-finding mission to impacts of products and processes from materials extraction to
the subject country during Winter Break, with the report ready for waste disposal (cradle-to-grave or even cradle-to-cradle). This course
publication by late spring.Students enrolled in the course must register will provide a comprehensive introduction to LCA, an internationally
as auditors in the fall semester – meaning that this class will not count recognized tool that is promoted by organizations such as the
towards their full-time status for the fall, but will be in addition to a full United Nations Environmental Program (through the Life Cycle
course load. They will receive four credits and a grade for the course, Initiative). Studies employing this technique have uncovered surprising
in the spring semester. This class has limited enrollment and is by environmental findings, including the trade-offs between plastic and
application only. <a href="https://livejohnshopkins.sharepoint.com/sites/ glass bottles, the upstream impacts of gasoline produced from the
SAISInsider2/SitePages/DC-Capstones,-Professional-Skills-Courses.aspx" Canadian Oil Sands, and the hidden impacts of “zero emissions” vehicles.
target="_blank">Click here for Capstone course application information</ The classroom sessions will include in-depth discussions, exercises
a> with and without software, and guest lectures to engage students with
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have real-world LCA practice. The course has been structured for students to
already received credit for SA.650.780[C] iteratively develop their own real-world LCA on a product of their choice
SA.500.120. International Migration, Diasporas and Development. 4 throughout the semester. The technique enables in-depth comparative
Credits. analyses which may be used to examine the environmental impacts of
While there are fierce debates on the impact of immigration on advanced different products (e.g. dietary or energy choices) or even the influence of
industrial countries, the effects of emigration and diasporas on supply chain disruptions (e.g., related to COVID-19). While other products
the source country are poorly understood. This seminar will seek will be discussed, there will be an emphasis on energy technologies.
to understand the economic, political and social consequences of This course can fulfill quantitative reasoning requirements.Pre-requisite:
international migration and diasporas on countries of origin. Is the Students are strongly encouraged to already have or acquire basic
phenomenon of greater import in the current (and future) context than spreadsheet skills in advance of this course. Contact the professor
it has historically been and if so, why? How do selection characteristics with questions about the course and the prerequisite.<a href="http://
of international migrants and reasons for leaving – whether as students, bit.ly/2D0n6mw" target="_blank">Click here to see a video introduction for
workers or refugees – affect the country of origin? What are the the course.</a><a href="http://bit.ly/1bebp5s" target="_blank">Click here
human capital effects ranging from the “brain-drain” of limited human to see evaluations, syllabi, and faculty bios</a>
capital to “brain-gain” effects arising and social norms and thereby Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
influence social and political change? When do diasporas engage in already received credit for SA.680.855[C]
“long- distance” nationalism that support more polar political parties SA.500.123. Natural Gas Market Fundamentals, Forecasting and
and groups from diasporic networks? What are the different forms Political Drivers. 4 Credits.
of economic engagement of diasporas with their countries of origin, This course acts as an introduction to global natural gas markets, with
ranging from remittances to trade to FDI, and why do these vary? a focus on the methods energy companies, consulting firms, financial
Do diasporas transmit "social" remittances which reshape individual institutions, and governments use to analyze and forecast energy prices
preferences engaged in conflict and civil wars? And what are the effects and fundamentals. The course covers four themes: (a) global natural
of destination country policies on immigrant selection, assimilation and gas and LNG market fundamentals (key producers, consumers, trade
deportation on the above questions? flows and market pricing) (b) methods for forecasting gas supply and
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have demand; (c) geopolitical drivers and trade flows and (d) commercial
already received credit for SA.400.748[C] strategies of international oil companies, national oil companies, and
utilities. The primary project for this class is building an excel-based,
bottom-up country level gas balance. Accordingly, while there are no
prerequisites for this course, students will find the course easier if they
have a background in economics (micro, macro) and if they can use data-
processing software (e.g. Microsoft Excel). A paper and a presentation
will accompany the model.
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
already received credit for SA.680.793[C]
 SA.500 (Development, Climate & Sustainability) 5

SA.500.124. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Challenges in the 21st Century. 4 SA.500.126. Renewable and Distributed Energy Policy. 4 Credits.
Credits. Given the challenges presented by climate change, environmental
How can a world of multiple nuclear powers control the spread of this degradation, and resource scarcity, virtually everybody agrees that
immensely powerful nuclear technology? This course will introduce the “business as usual” in energy production and consumption is no longer
student to these challenges by looking at how nuclear weapons work, tenable. However, for all the compelling reasons to increase the share of
why some countries are tempted to seek them, and the implications of energy generated from renewable sources, the development of renewable
nuclear weapons for civilian nuclear power and geopolitical stability. Over energy sectors has varied widely across countries. In some economies,
50 years have elapsed since an international non-proliferation regime was more than 30 percent of electricity are now generated from renewable
established based on the 1968 Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). sources, while others have made few attempts to establish domestic
The Treaty assigned responsibility to the International Atomic Energy renewable energy sectors. This course will examine what's driving
Agency of the United Nations (IAEA) for applying safeguards to nuclear the remarkable growth in some countries while others lag behind. To
and related materials, nuclear equipment and facilities to ensure that understand such variation, this course provides an in-depth look at the
they remain in peaceful use. New challenges arise from growing interest policies and economics of renewable energy – from large scale wind
by some nations in acquiring nuclear weapons to meet their perceived and solar to distributed generation (DG) resources such as rooftop
security needs, and the revival of interest in nuclear power as a carbon- solar, micro-grids, and storage in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Weekly,
free energy source, including from countries that have no experience in discussion-intensive class meetings examine how specific national
nuclear technology. In addition, increasing threats of nuclear terrorism and state policies are driving growth in renewable energy sectors, how
from acts of malice, diversion, sale, and theft of nuclear material and these policies impact renewable energy projects (large and small scale),
technologies contribute to the scenario of competing nations able to how and why these policies have differed across nations and over time,
master the technology and thirsting for the security benefits it seems and what factors have contributed to policy failure.<a href="http://
to offer. North Korea and Iran are not alone in this. Students will gain an bit.ly/2h1Uieh" target="_blank">Click here to see a video introduction for
understanding of the political and military dynamics of nuclear weapons, the course.</a>
ways to slow or halt the spread of such weapons and how to reduce the Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
dangers of nuclear terrorism. Group discussions, simulated exercises, already received credit for SA.680.797[C]
and guest lecturers will introduce additional real-world dimensions into SA.500.127. Research Seminar: Energy and Environment. 4 Credits.
the classroom.<a href="http://bit.ly/2hWONjP" target="_blank">Click Policy makers, business leaders and other stakeholders in civil society
here to see a video introduction for the course.</a><a href="http:// confront many challenges in ensuring a transition to a sustainable energy
bit.ly/1bebp5s" target="_blank">Click here to see evaluations, syllabi, and future. The ERE curriculum provides students with basic and specialized
faculty bios</a> skills and knowledge across a broad spectrum of these challenges. With
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have the introduction of the ERE Research Seminar, students will have the
already received credit for SA.680.786[C] opportunity to conduct more in-depth, focused research on a specific
SA.500.125. Reimagining International Development for Children and topic under the guidance of an instructor and with inputs from fellow
Youth. 4 Credits. students.Note: successful completion of this course fulfills the capstone
There are well over two billion children and youth in the world with half oral exam requirement.
living in poverty. Threats to human security are already leading to social Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
disruption in many parts of the world. Investing in education, healthcare, already received credit for SA.680.857[C]
protection, and future economic opportunities for future generations is SA.500.128. Sustainable Development in the Era of Climate
vital for building a safer, productive, and prosperous society. This course Disruption. 4 Credits.
will enable students to have an overview on issues affecting young Students will get an introduction and participate in critical discussions
people’s lives at the intersection of poverty and globalization. The course of basic concepts, science and debate about climate change and
will have a heavy focus on social innovations that have been developed how climate will impact sustainable development, climate change
and implemented to support the most vulnerable young people globally. It leadership, science, power and politics. This will cover the scientific
will also examine many dynamic policies that deal effectively with these overview of climate change over geological and historical time, its
issues. impact on the availability of basic necessities like freshwater, food
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have security, and energy and a number of case studies that illustrate different
already received credit for SA.400.753[C] societies interaction, adaptation and collapse in relation to climate
change. Thereafter, students will learn global, regional and local efforts
being undertaken to adapt and mitigate climate change and how these
efforts are shaping the global development agenda and the Sustainable
Development Goals. There will be case studies understanding the political
and ethical contentions of climate and sustainable development and
how present and future scenarios could impact food prices, conflict,
infrastructure, migration, trade and geopolitical relationships.
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have
already received credit for SA.400.799[C]
6 SA.500 (Development, Climate & Sustainability)

SA.500.129. The Geopolitics of Energy. 4 Credits. SA.500.132. Practicum on Responsible Digital Development: Ethical
Energy and geopolitics are intrinsically linked. Profound shifts in the Considerations in Implementing Digital Solutions. 4 Credits.
global energy landscape are having major impacts on international With advances in artificial intelligence and pervasive digitization,
relations. This course will address the risks to global energy security, policymakers must now contend with ethical dilemmas including
how countries and regions define their energy challenges, and how such issues as facial recognition, voter profiling and exclusion, labor
these perceptions impact their foreign policies and the international displacement, algorithmic bias, and addiction. Beyond risks, policymakers
system. The course will look at global energy forecasts, the security must ensure that the communities in greatest need of the benefits of
considerations attached to different fuels and sources of energy, and the technology benefit from, and have the ability to access it safely. Through
key issues impacting the geopolitics of energy in different regions of the engagements with digital development practitioners, the Practicum
world. seeks to expose students to the tradeoffs involved in digitization and
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have ethical dimensions of these choices, while also providing participating
already received credit for SA.680.765[C] clients with well-considered advice and recommendations on these
tradeoffs.<a href="https://livejohnshopkins.sharepoint.com/sites/
SA.500.130. The Water, Energy and Food Nexus. 4 Credits.
SAISInsider2/SitePages/DC-Capstones,-Professional-Skills-Courses.aspx"
Energy underpins the modern economy, food and agriculture underpin
target="_blank">Click here for Capstone course application information</
civilization, and water underpins life on Earth. These three resources
a>
are the essence of human existence on this planet and yet their current
exploitation and use imperils that very existence. The Food, Energy, SA.500.133. Theories of Change in Development: The Good, The Bad,
Water Nexus, is the exploration of the interrelationships between these and the Ugly. 4 Credits.
resources, the challenges they face individually, and the complex linkages This course looks at the theory and reality of project planning in
between them. Dealing with these challenges requires an interdisciplinary development agencies, and asks why it is so hard for them to be realistic
approach to find integrative technology and policy solutions to complex and to plan to adapt. It covers the starting point of planning and project
problems especially as these challenges are exacerbated by global design and the most salient critiques (rigorous evidence bases and
warming and climate change. In this class students will be exposed to randomized control trials; systems thinking and complexity; Doing
the unique features of each element of the nexus, the complex dynamics Development Differently; Thinking and Working Politically/political
of their interaction, and the pursuit of integrative solutions. Students will settlements). The course builds upon insider understandings of the
investigate historical, contemporary, and emerging practices that are incentives and processes within large donor bureaucracies and how
essential for a sustainable and resilient human society. those shape the processes and ultimately results of the work.
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have SA.500.134. Global Energy and Climate Policy. 4 Credits.
already received credit for SA.680.792[C] …. forthcoming.
SA.500.131. Venture Capital and Impact Investing in Emerging SA.500.135. Economic Development in Latin America. 4 Credits.
Markets. 2 Credits. This course examines the economics of Latin America in contemporary
This class will thus focus on the intersection of venture capital and comparative perspective. Starting with an overview of long term trends
impact investing, on this newer asset class for emerging markets, and in growth and structural transformation, the course moves on to
its specific application in the service of consciously creating impact. consider the theoretical approaches which economists have adopted
Given the roots of the early success stories in impact investing in to understand development processes in the region. The introductory
the financial services sector, this class will focus primarily (although phase of the course completed, the next three lectures survey the key
not exclusively) on financial inclusion, as it helps to demonstrate the macroeconomic themes of fiscal policy, monetary policy and the external
progression of one impact investment sector that has had both early balance. The difficulties countries in the region have faced in maintaining
stage VC support and multiple exits. Financial inclusion also offers an macroeconomic stability is an important theme of the course and is
ideal laboratory because it offers a service typically provided by private referred back to again and again in subsequent sessions. An equally
sector entities (albeit to fewer people than it should) and has been the important topic, that of poverty and inequality, forms the basis for the
source of entrepreneurs pursuing pro-poor innovations for decades, led next section of the course. The remainder of the course deals with the
and supported by Grameen, Accion, Women’s World Banking, Opportunity challenge Latin America now faces as it struggles to compete in the
International, and many others who pioneered microcredit. But the course global economy. The course will entail formal lectures and student
will go well beyond the field’s microcredit roots and explore what is presentations/group discussions. Each student (in conjunction with
happening on the frontier in the fintech revolution, as significant portions
one or two colleagues) will be expected to prepare and present one 20
of the financial services sector begin to digitize and financial services minute presentation at some point during the course. The presentations
increasingly are delivered via mobile phones. As such, this focus on will be followed by group discussions led by the course lecturer. Broad
financial inclusion will, in turn, highlight the power of investing and indications of themes for the talks provided in this outline. More precise
value creation in many of the newest pro-poor sectors.<a href="http:// details of the talk topics – along with guidance on sources and formats –
bit.ly/1bebp5s" target="_blank">Click here to see evaluations, syllabi, and will be given in week one of the course.
faculty bios</a>
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have SA.500.136. Agricultural Development, Poverty Reduction and Food
already received credit for SA.400.795[C];SA.380.760[C] OR SA.510.102[C] Security. 4 Credits.
...forthcoming
 SA.500 (Development, Climate & Sustainability) 7

SA.500.137. Energy and Climate Change. 4 Credits.

This course will focus on the inseparable links between energy use and
climate change and, consequently, the unavoidable connection between
energy and environmental policy. Through an examination of the subject,
we also hope to explore three closely-related themes that exemplify the
complexity of the interaction between science and technology on the one
hand and public policy on the other hand: the challenges of achieving
political acceptance, both nationally and internationally, of scientific
consensus in the face of ever-present scientific uncertainty; the extent
and the limitations of science as a driving force for public policy; and the
role of technological development in influencing political choices.