SUM4029 – Global Governance for Sustainable Development

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

This course provides a thorough overview of the theory and practice of global governance, emphasizing issue areas central to sustainable development. We critically discuss how norms, rules, institutions, and practices that structure relations between states and non-state actors contribute to solve pressing global problems in specific issue areas in the absence of global government. We further learn about the main obstacles to reaching such solutions, and how progress may occur. The course gives insight into to the main theoretical perspectives on global governance and their foundation in theories of world order. It seeks to contextualize the emergence of the concept of global governance in the post-Cold War era, and discuss recent developments in the light of a new global distribution of power, resources and struggles for domination. The course moreover provides in depth insight into the main actors of global governance (including states, inter-governmental organizations, private companies, and non-governmental organizations) and the relationship between them. It also provides in-depth empirical knowledge of current processes of global governance in the areas of health, natural resource management, energy, climate change, finance, nutrition and food production, poverty reduction and economic redistribution.

Learning outcome

At the end of this course, students:

  • have advanced knowledge about different theories of global governance and how they are embedded in different historical moments and political projects.

  • thoroughly understand the main actors and institutions of importance to global governance for sustainable development. Understand the obstacles to and premises for the reaching of solutions to pressing global problems of climate change, energy, health, natural resource management, economic redistribution and poverty reduction and democratization.

Admission to the course

You may apply to be a guest student at SUM. Please follow these instructions.