CANCELLED!

ECON 468 Microfinance (Same as Economics 508) (Q)
This seminar examines savings, credit and insurance among the poor in developing countries. Topics include informal village financial institutions, credit constraints, group lending contracts (as pioneered by the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh), the role of subsidies, savings commitment products and insurance innovations for the poor. The course emphasizes information asymmetries (adverse selection and moral hazard). Readings will include current empirical and theoretical research in development economics.
Format: seminar. Evaluation will be based on a midterm, a series of short papers and a longer final paper.
Prerequisites: Economics 251 and 255. Enrollment limit: 19 (expected: 19). Preference will be given to senior majors and CDE students.
RAI