This course introduces students to key actors involved in education internationally through the critical review of their policies and practices. Participants will learn how international organisations work, how they are governed, how global education policy agendas are constituted, and how they influence national education reforms. The focus will include multilateral aid agencies, UN organisations, philanthropists, International and regional non-governmental organisations, and bilateral aid agencies. The course provides a solid theoretical foundation to make sense of the relationship between global governance and education policy, looking at how globalization has altered the way we think about and study education policy. The course will particularly focus on the role of international actors in the dissemination and transfer of education policies to different world locations.

Weekly

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For the course's summative assessment students are expected to write an essay of 4,000 words in which they critically analyse the influence of an international actor in education or a process of international policy transfer in education. 100% of the final grade will be based on this assignment.

■ To create knowledge of and appreciation for the importance of international actors for the study of education policy.

■ To develop a thorough understanding of the multi-dimensional relationship between global governance and education policy.

■ To familiarize participants with a variety of globalization and policy transfer theories and their implications for the analysis of processes of education reform.

■ To develop skills to engage and critically analyse the policies and practices of international actors in education.

■ To stimulate interest in further study of the global education arena and awareness of the ethical implications of doing work in the education policy field.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Demonstrate awareness of key debates in international education policy, particularly those concerning the mechanisms of influence of international actors in education policymaking.

■ Critically analyse the influence of international actors and global education policies on education systems from a social justice perspective.  

■ Apply the course content in individual and group assignments on global education policy related topics.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.