Why are some countries so poor while others are so many times more affluent? Development economics is trying to provide an answer to this difficult question. The quest for this answer takes place either (i) at the level of states and countries, looking at international issues as well as into the political economy of government failure in poor countries, or (ii) at the level of individuals and firms, with a view to understand how these microeconomic agents are able to cope in such difficult environments. The Public Policy and Development (PPD) Master’s program aims at equipping its students with the tools required to become part of that quest at the cutting edge.

Modern development economics uses all the tools provided by mainstream economics, including economic theory and econometrics, to shed light on the problems facing developing countries. However, this discipline has a definite applied bent, making relevance the ultimate criterion for successful research. Ever since the end of World War II, the international community has been involved in trying to help developing countries to escape from poverty. Several international institutions have been created like the World Bank or the UNDP for collecting and channelling massive amounts of foreign aid to the countries in need. These institutions employ large number of economists and policy advisors.

The PPD program aims at training its students to become actors in that process, either within aid agencies or within their own country’s government. Moreover, many non-state actors have emerged to take part in this development process and the PPD program aims also to train potential actors in such activities. The ultimate objective pursued in the PPD program is to turn knowledge into a policy tool for improving the fate of millions of people living in poor countries.