During the last fifteen years, nations across the globe embarked on a historic transformation away from centrally planned economies to market-oriented ones. However, in the common pursuit for economic growth, these transition countries implemented widely different reform strategies with mixed results. With over a decade of empirical evidence now available, this new course examines this phenomenon that has pushed the discourse in a number of disciplines, requiring us to reconsider fundamental issues such as:

• the proper relationship between business, government, and the public interest
• the possible synergies and tensions between economic growth and equity
• how economic transition has reshaped cities

The premise of the course is that the core issue in transition involves institution-building and re-building in different contexts.