Sustainable Development (EIB-E255M)

Fall 2026 · EIB E255M · Tufts University · 1.5 credits · Undergraduate

This module explores how the environment and human societies interact, and how policy can support economic development while protecting the environment. It focuses on the challenge of gathering reliable evidence and developing robust research methods in sustainable development. We will read recent empirical work that asks questions such as: How does climate change affect economic growth and agriculture? What are the effects of extreme environmental conditions — heat, floods, air pollution — on human well-being, learning, and productivity? How do firms, households, and individuals adapt to these conditions? What is the impact of environmental protection on development, and how do growth-focused policies affect the environment? The module is built around primary research papers rather than a textbook. A central aim is to teach you how to read empirical evidence critically — to understand where a credible estimate comes from, what it does and does not establish, and how to translate it into policy-relevant conclusions for a non-specialist audience. A second aim is to help you generate and develop original research ideas of your own. This is a discussion-based half-semester module. Each session pairs one or two papers; class time is spent unpacking the evidence and connecting it to a policy frame. The skills you build here — reading evidence, forming and defending judgments, and scoping a researchable question — are meant to transfer directly to careers in policy, research, and practice.

Course codes: EIB-E255M

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