ECONOMICS AND GOVERNANCE OF MIGRATION

The course contributes to achieve the main objectives of the Master Programme in Global Development and Entrepreneurship and will teach students to 1) understand the main issues and challenges related to the migration flows through theory and empirical evidences 2) critically evaluate the socio-economic implications of Migration for the origin and destination regions.

1) Knowledge and Competence
Students will master the basic concepts and notions of the economics of migration. First, students will understand the main theories of migration choice, and their relation to the composition of the migrant population. Second, taking stock of the such theories, students will be able to point out the positive and the negative effects of migration on sending countries, regions, and families. Third, students will learn how economists have modeled the impact of immigration on labor markets at destination and be exposed to the key empirical literature about the issue. Fourth, students will learn about the impact of migration on political outcomes in high-income destination countries and the main empirical findings on this issue in economics and political science.

2) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
Students will be able to formulate their own hypotheses about migration choice and the impact of migration in destination and source countries.

3) Critical thinking skills
Critical appraisal of the course contents will be strongly encouraged in class. Such an approach, and the analytic tools that the course will provide, will help students assess the feasibility and desirability of policies to manage migration, using the knowledge offered by scientific research.

4) Communication skills
Students will be able to communicate works in the scientific literature in a concise and clear way. More generally, they will be able to express concepts and ideas related to migration decisions and the effects of immigration within an economic framework.

Notions of microeconomics are a pre-requisite. Some knowledge of econometrics is strongly suggested.

Outline of the class

1. Overall trends in migration and migration policy
2. Economic theories of the migration choice
3. Impact of migration on the sending countries and regions:
i. Remittances
ii. Brain drain
4. Impact of migration on the destination countries and regions:
i. Impact on labor markets
ii. Impact on political outcomes

Dr. Enrico Di Pasquale from Fondazione Leone Moressa will presents some case studies on the above topics.

A. F. Constant and K F.. Zimmermann (Eds.), International Handbook of the Economic of Migration, Edward Elgar 2013.

B. Chiswick and P. Miller (Eds.) Handbook of Economics of International Migration, Elsevie 2015.

Selected papers and reports will be provided during the course.

The grade of the exam will be composed of a group project (20%) and a written exam (80%). For the group project, students will have to read and present a paper from a list provided. The written exam will test the main concepts and notions studied in class, and ask students to apply their knowledge critically.

The main classes will consist of lectures, but students will be asked to participate actively, and encouraged to critically assess the contents provided. Similarly, during the classes where students’ presentations are planned non-presenting colleagues will be strongly encouraged to debate about the topics presented.

English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development