HGO4601 – Economic geography: Institutions, evolution and sustainability transitions
Course description
Course content
This course deals with the question of how territorial (regional, national) economies change over time with particular attention to the intersection of industrial development with sustainability challenges and transitions as analysed in economic geography. A broad definition of ‘sustainability’ is applied that account for environmental, social and economic dimensions. The first part introduces students to core concepts and theories in evolutionary economic geography, while the second part zooms in on the role of institutions and agency in territorial industrial change. The third part introduces complementary perspectives on technological and sociotechnical system change, while the fourth part brings these approaches together with particular attention to how regional industrial development in general and sustainability transitions in particular are shaped by interactions of global processes with place-specific resources, institutions and agency including but not limited to policy. ?
Learning outcome
Knowledge
- evolutionary processes at play in territorial economies
- how these processes shape and are shaped by interactions between global and local forces
- economic, social and environmental sustainability challenges and theoretical perspectives on transitions
- Literature on sustainability transitions and green innovations in economic geography.
Skills
You will be able to:
- Provide a thorough account of and to discuss central concepts?in economic geography such as evolution, institutions?and systems
- Understand what industrial development paths are and factors that contribute to their extension, renewal or transformation
- Discuss the interrelatedness of economic, social and environmental sustainability challenges with industrial development paths
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General competence
You will be able to:
- Reflect on sustainability assumptions made in research, policy and practice
- Conduct theoretically informed analysis in your master thesis project
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.
This course is a part of the Master's program in Human Geography. Students with admission to other relevant master’s degree programmes can apply for admission as?guest students.
Master specialisation in didactics for social science in the Teacher Education Programme (Lektorprogrammet)?- please see the link for information regarding admission.
Recommended previous knowledge
The course builds upon?SGO2200 - Economic globalisation and regional development?and?SGO3200 - Environment and innovation.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with SGO4601 – Economic geography: Institutions, evolution and sustainability transitions (continued).
- 10 credits overlap with SGO4016 – ?konomisk geografi (discontinued).
- 10 credits overlap with SGO312.
Teaching
The teaching consists of lectures.
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Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
Three-day home exam
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you?withdraw from the exam?after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Examination support material
All exam support materials are allowed during this exam. Generating all or part of the exam answer using AI tools such as Chat GPT or similar is not allowed.?
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
If you are sick or have another valid reason for not attending the regular exam, we offer a postponed exam later in the same semester.
See also our information about resitting an exam.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.