This book investigates the theories motivating and initializing sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies, integrating classical, neoclassical, and endogenous growth theories with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), synthesizing economic structuralism, dependency theory, and poverty trap frameworks to explore the transition from exogenous to endogenous growth models. The book explores the role of human capital, industrialization, and institutional reform.

Rejecting the dominance of mathematical modeling and regression analysis, the book returns to the roots of economic theorization, drawing on historical and contemporary scholarship to examine the structural constraints that hinder sustainable development. It critically assesses the applicability of early economic thought—from mercantilism and physiocracy to classical political economy—and modern growth paradigms to the realities of underdevelopment, resource dependency, and global inequality.

The book engages with the SDGs as both policy frameworks and aspirational targets, offering a grounded critique of their feasibility and implementation. It highlights the disconnect between global development agendas and the structural realities of low-income economies, arguing for a renewed focus on industrial modernization, human capital accumulation, and endogenous innovation.

Rich in interdisciplinary insight, this volume is written for scholars of development economics, international political economy, and sustainability studies, as well as policymakers and practitioners working in global development. It is particularly relevant for those seeking to understand the theoretical underpinnings of sustainable growth and the structural transformations required to achieve it.

Ararat L. Osipian is Founding Fellow of the New University in Exile Consortium at The New School, New York. He has held fellowships at George Washington University, George Mason University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the Institute of International Education. His research spans economic development, corruption, and institutional reform. Osipian is the author of Sustainable Economic Growth in Russia (Palgrave, 2023), Political and Economic Transition in Russia (Palgrave, 2019), and The Impact of Human Capital on Economic Growth (Palgrave, 2009).