Economics of development and structural change

Uneven development between countries can be attributed to structural differences in how their economies are organised and depend on each other. Sectors in developing countries have, for example, traditionally focused on activities such as mining and agriculture, in contrast to manufacturing in developed countries. Under structural change, transformations take place in the relative proportions between sectors. Students are invited to submit thesis proposals that examine the role of structural change in development. Possible topic areas include:

• Global Value Chains: the impacts on development of low and high value sectors in developing countries.
• Labour, Skills and Gender: sectoral distribution of low-wage employment between male and female workers, and the role of education and training in labour market and intrahousehold outcomes
• Financialisation: impact of growing financial (service) sectors.
• Industrial and corporate restructuring: how company takeovers and mergers impact on industrial structures.
• The role of the state: how industrial sectors are shaped by governmental structures.

We welcome applications from students interested in using qualitative or quantitative methods (e.g. case studies and input-output analysis), combined with an enthusiasm for international political economy and critical theoretical thinking. Students will join a vibrant and growing community of academics and PhD students in the Open Political Economy (OPEG) Group at the OU.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

Potential supervisors

• Dr Julia Chukwuma
• Dr Jerome de Henau
• Dr Christine Laskaridis
• Professor Susan Newman
• Mr Alan Shipman
• Dr Roberto Simonetti
• Professor Andrew Trigg
• Dr Lesslie Valencia

Fees and funding

Some of our research students are funded via The Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership; others are self-funded.

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.

Links

• Economics at The Open University
• International Development and Inclusive Innovation
• Innovation, Knowledge and Development Research Centre