The Age of Sustainable Development" gives students an understanding of the key challenges and pathways to sustainable development - that is, economic development that is also socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
About this Course
Learner Career Outcomes
34%
32%
Skills you will gain
Learner Career Outcomes
34%
32%
Offered by

Columbia University
For more than 250 years, Columbia has been a leader in higher education in the nation and around the world. At the core of our wide range of academic inquiry is the commitment to attract and engage the best minds in pursuit of greater human understanding, pioneering new discoveries and service to society.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Course Materials
Information about the general course structure and reading list can be found here.
What is Sustainable Development?
Professor Sachs provides an overview of the challenges the world faces, and introduces the topic of sustainable development.
Inequality Around the World
Professor Sachs delves into the reasons for and the measurements of inequality between and within countries.
A Short History of Economic Development
Professor Sachs provides a history of economic development, starting with the Industrial Revolution and ending with the current state of modern economic growth.
The History of Inequality
Professor Sachs analyzes the intersecting roles of various factors that contribute to some countries advancing while others do not.
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM THE AGE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Very informative and detailed. Prof. Sachs covers all aspects of sustainable development in detail. Though the course was designed in 2013 hence does not cover the latest development to SDGs to date.
This course was perfect for those wanting to explore the world of development, broad enough to include all interlinked themes, with sufficient reading materials to spark one's specializing interests.
The course was very interesting and relevant but a lot of data is outdated, some links are not working or have been changed. I would advise to review the course according to the latest developments.
This is the best Coursera course I have taken for its breadth of content knowledge and also the clarify in which Prof Sachs taught and organized it. Truly meaningful and great learning experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
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