In the past two decades, emerging economies—including, but not limited to, the celebrated “BRICS” (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). This course will take on, and contribute to, debates surrounding these emerging markets. How have they become the darlings of international capital markets, regional economic and political leaders, and the brightest lights in a gloomy global economic landscape? Along with this rapid economic growth, these same countries are also experiencing dramatic social changes, environmental problems, political transitions and foreign policy frictions. How can these growing pains be effectively managed?

Today’s global challenges often require global solutions and a small number of developed countries ( such as G8) can no longer effectively coordinate policy solution to address global crises, including economic recession, financial crisis, and climate change negotiations. As such, the G20, including a number of the emerging economies in its membership, has risen to prominence as a new forum for global governance. The experiences of these countries also offer an opportunity to think about larger questions of global order and national development. What constitutes power in the global political economy and how is it/should it be/is it beginning to be (re)distributed? How can state and market work together to generate equitable and participatory growth? How should the BRICS and other emerging economies be factored into the 21st century’s policy challenges, such as climate change or reworking international financial institutions after the recent economic crisis? What do the experiences of the emerging markets mean for the many people who still lack access to the fruits of such growth--- including over a billion citizens of these countries themselves?