In this course, students will acquire knowledge about population mechanisms, with for final aim to give them some tools to understand the interrelation between population dynamics and other global changes.

The past and recent changes in the population will be covered, as well as the various demographic aspects contributing to these changes: mortality and health, fertility and migration. The importance of human capital, i.e. the skills and knowledge available in a population (education), will be detailed as a further aspect of the past and future population changes. We will give insights on the policies tailored to try and modulate all of these aspects, and reflect on their actual impact.

We will study various scenarios of future population size across countries, and the way the factors cited above could mitigate or reinforce the future trends, looking also at examples from the past. We will reflect on the challenges rising from changes in the population itself (fertility differential between the more and the less educated, mass migration, population ageing…). We will also address how major issues for the future (environment incl. climate change, economic growth…) are closely interrelated with population dynamics.

The students should

- gain knowledge on population change

- analyse texts on several topics related to population change and mechanisms and be able to reflect critically about them (debate sessions) 

Attendance to at least 80% of the lectures

Lecture courses, discussion (debates)

Weekly from March to June

Participation in debates (30%)

• reading and presenting one text
• participation and questions in the other debates

General participation to the course (10%)

Sitting exams (60%)

• 1-hour exam at mid-course (20%)
• 2-hours exam at the end of the course including mini-essay (40%)