Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains – WDR 2020

Course

Facilitated e-learning

Other Partner

World Bank Group

World Bank Group – Open Learning Campus

Visit course page

Length: 5 weeks
Effort: 3-5 hours per week
Level: Introductory
Language: English
Venue: Online

Certificate: Yes
Price: $5

Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence, wherein poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries.

Sustainable Development Goals: Decent work and economic growth; Responsible consumption and production

Subject: Global value chains

Keywords: global trade; global value chains; industrial policy

About this course

Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has stagnated and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. These trends have only been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, threats to the model of trade-led growth have emerged. New technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce the demand for labor. And trade conflicts among large countries—exacerbated by conflict around COVID-19—could lead to a retrenchment or a segmentation of GVCs.

How can GVCs power sustainable and inclusive development? How can countries work together to ensure the benefits of GVCs are shared and sustained? How can the development of GVCs continue amid the COVID-19 crisis?

This MOOC gives participants an opportunity to explore how GVCs can further boost inclusive and sustainable growth, creating better jobs and reducing poverty. Economists from across the World Bank Group will discuss how GVCs impact a range of development issues. Participants will also benefit from using a global online platform, by networking with peers across the world, experimenting with digital visualizations about GVCs, and experiencing the interconnectedness of global development demands.

Target audience

This course targets Business and Management stakeholders.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

Evaluates the degree to which GVCs have contributed to growth, jobs, and reduced poverty—but also to inequality and environmental degradation.
Examines how national policies can revive trade growth and ensure that GVCs are a force for development rather than divergence.
Identifies inadequacies in the international trade system that have fomented disagreements among nations and provides a road map to resolving them through greater international cooperation.