Through a series of eight classes this course will illustrate the value of linking ideas to action and impact for personal, institutional and international development.

Using the arc of my career as an academic economist, professional staff member and later leader at a Canadian international agency, and head of a think tank, the course will highlight the interplay between innovative thinking, capacity building and development. An idea, preferably a good one, is a necessary but not sufficient condition for success. But what makes for a good idea and who defines success?

We are shaped by the context, people and institutions around us, and in turn we can shape them. Using cases such as the birth of modern Overseas Development Assistance, creation of the G20, and rise of the innovation economy, we will explore how ideas are implemented to create lasting (and sometimes only fleeting) impact. In the process we will address two broad sets of issues. Does categorization by “developed” and “developing” matter anymore (did it ever)? What works, when and why (and what doesn’t)?

Each class will feature an overview of 30 – 45 minutes followed by a response by one or two students and an open semi-structured discussion.