Programme facts

  • Duration: One semester
  • Semester: Spring/autumn
  • Credits: 30 (European Credit Transfer System)
  • Examination: Examination in Vietnam/academic papers
  • State loans: Yes, in most European countries
  • Programme fee 6300 euro
  • Includes: Accommodation, breakfast
  • Language of instruction: English
  • Academic prerequisitions: University eligibility

Core topics

  • What is poverty?
  • What is development?
  • Development i Vietnam and Southeast Asia
  • Globalisation: history and economy
  • Politics, Governance and human rights
  • Cultural-, gender- and religious issues
  • Education
  • Demograhy and migration
  • Local and international initiatives for poverty reduction

The program offers an interdisciplinary introduction and provides a comprehensive basis for casual, critical analysis and thoughtful evaluations. Following Development studies 1 you will have the opportunity to carry out minor fieldwork and gain valuable experience should you wish to focus on international relations.

Read the full course description

Semester, academic year or bachelor?

The program is worth 30 ECTS and can be included as part of a bachelor degree.

Should you choose to continue on to Development studies 2 in Ghana, you will have a full academic year of development studies, and the opportunity to apply straight to the second year of the development studies bachelor OsloMet university.

The students

The majority of the students are from Scandinavia. Kulturstudier offers scholarships to students from Vietnam. This is to make our program accessible to local students, that might not otherwise have the financial means to participate.The scholarship students helps the visting students connect with and understand their environments.

The differences in the students' social, academic and professional backgrounds also make for interesting debates and seminar groups. Approximately one third of the students come directly from college, one third has started their bachelor programs and the last third is made up of experienced students.

Interview with Phuc

Academically, even though my major at university is in business, learning about development has allowed me to know and learn more about the current development trend and all the relevant issues. I now understand more about the dynamics of global development, and how things work. If you are a student studying this major of development, this course is all that you need to know.

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The teachers

We recruit the best lecturers and seminar leaders from all over the world, including Vietnam. We are very proud of our proficient teaching staff who ensure that students recieve the maximum benefits from their studies.

Our teachers and seminarleaders

Interview with Seminar Leader Marie Holden

Studying development studies is relevant no matter what you choose to work with or study at a later point as it emphasizes critical thinking and continued questioning of perceived truths.

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Field trips

The main objective of the program is to bring to life the academic theory, and enable the students to make real life comparisons. While it is up to the students to make the most out of the experience, we organise field trips to introduce the students to current and relevant examples to challenge the more abstract concepts of the curriculum.

The structure of the semester

  1. The self-study period: before you travel to Vietnam you are expected to get acquinted with the curriculum and write an introductory assignment.
  2. The main periode: consists of ten weeks in Hoi An with lectures, seminars, field trips and group assignments.
  3. Home exam: at the end of the ten weeks you have three weeks to write your home exam.

The self study assignment and the home exam can be done anywhere in the world, why not in Vietnam?

For a more detailed course outline, see the study guide

Relevance

As Development studies focuses on social change, it naturally draws on all the traditional social science disciplines, such as economy, sociology, anthropology, geography and political science. Whether you are planning a bachelor in development studies or take this semester as an elective subject, you will benefit from the experience of analyzing social change, and seeing the connection between the individual, global processes and society at large. 

University partners

Institute for International Studies at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) holds the responsibility for the program. You get your ECTS and state loan/scholarships through and because of OsloMet. It is Norway´s third largest university college, with approximately 20 000 students and 2000 employees.

In Vietnam we cooperate with the University of Danang University, which also send some of the local students that follows the program. In Hoi An we use class rooms and facilities at a local college.

        

The application process

To apply for the courses you must be eligible for university training.

Fill in the application form. If there are still places available we will send you an offer with an invoice for the deposit of 250 Euro. By paying the deposit you confirm your place on the programme. Leading up to the start of the programme we will keep you informed about the preparations for travel and studies.

WHY STUDY DEVELOPMENT STUDIES IN VIETNAM

  • you study development in the global south
  • you aquire your own curriculum related experiences
  • you recognize that your interpretation is colored by your background and cultural experience 
  • you work with students and teachers from other parts of the world
  • you learn that you can master new knowledge and new environments 

More on Vietnam as study location

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