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2022/2023

International Economy and Trade

Code: 101086 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500259 Political Science and Public Management OT 3 2
2500259 Political Science and Public Management OT 4 2
2503778 International Relations FB 2 2

Contact

Name:
Rosella Nicolini
Email:
rosella.nicolini@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

This course relies on the basic knowledge a student can get when completing the basic course "Political Economy," that is, an understanding of the principles of economics and a knowledge of the basic features of the changing world economy and international relations.

Objectives and Contextualisation

 
 
This course aims to provide an overview of the modern theories of international economics from an empirical and theoretical viewpont as well as the most adequate tools of analysis.

The first part of the course focuses on the international trade theory and basic monetary policies. The material covers the theory of the international trade from the beginning (Ricardo's theory) to the current state-of-the-art. The course also introduces students to current issues in trade theory, above all the ones associated with the role of trade policies for economic development and their impact at macro level.

The second part deals with the main problems associated with monetary transactions and international financial markets.

Finally, the course also provides information about international institutions involved in the decision making referring to trade policies.

Competences

    Political Science and Public Management
  • Applying the discipline's main theories and different fields to real practical and professional problems.
  • Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  • Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  • Distinguishing the discipline's main theories and different fields: conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and theoretical approaches underlying the discipline's knowledge and different areas and sub-areas, as well as their value for the professional practice through concrete cases.
  • Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  • Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  • Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  • Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  • Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  • Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  • Working autonomously.
  • Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
    International Relations
  • Analyse international society and its structure and understand its importance for real-life problems and professional practice.
  • Analyse the structure and operation of international institutions and organisations (political, economic, military and security, environmental, development and emergency aid) both in the universal and regional spheres, with particular emphasis on the European Union, from either real or simulated cases.
  • Apply knowledge of the structure and operation of international institutions to problems and/or practical cases, either real or simulated.
  • Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  • Identify the main theories of international relations and their different fields (international theory, conflicts and security, international politics, etc.) to apply them in professional practice.
  • Produce and prepare the presentation of intervention reports and/or proposals.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse and explain the functioning of the economy and international trade in the contemporary system.
  2. Analyse the operation of the main universal and regional institutions that intervene in international finance and trade.
  3. Analysing and explaining the economic dimensions behind public policies.
  4. Analysing the impact of structuring factors of the economy and international trade (institutions, policies, and actors).
  5. Arguing about the impact of international organizations on trade and international economy.
  6. Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  7. Assessing the role of the public sector as an economic agent.
  8. Critically arguing the operations of the institutions and economic actors.
  9. Critically evaluate the dynamics created in the interaction between the state and the market.
  10. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  11. Describe the dynamics of economic systems, their limits and potential and their political consequences.
  12. Describing the Spanish foreign sector: the dynamics of import/export, foreign investments in Spain and Spanish investments abroad.
  13. Diagnosing specific situations and economic problems.
  14. Efficiently describing forms of public intervention concerning the economic system.
  15. Explain the theoretical models of economics taking into account different historical studies.
  16. Explaining the consequences of a fiscal reform and changes on the government's tax issues.
  17. Explaining the main characteristics of the economic policies of western governments.
  18. Identify and analyse the roles of different actors, within and outside the state, in the operation of international economics and trade.
  19. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  20. Identify the problems faced by economic agents when making decisions in conditions of uncertainty, using different historical experiences.
  21. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  22. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  23. Make a historical analysis of current economic problems to better assess the evolutionary possibilities of economic systems.
  24. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  25. Produce and prepare the presentation of intervention reports and/or proposals.
  26. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  27. Reflecting on the proposals of current economic policies, in several fields (financial, fiscal, incomes policy, etc.) and several territories (World, Europe, Spain).
  28. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  29. Specifying the roles, dimensions and structure of the public sector in the economy.
  30. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  31. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  32. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  33. Use analytical tools for economics and international trade and apply them to different processes and case studies.
  34. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  35. Working autonomously.
  36. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.

Content

 
 
Trade theory of Ricardo. The theory of Heckscher-Ohlin trade and its evolution. The new trade theory in conditions of imperfect competition and its empirical application. The movement of factors and foreign direct investment. Trade policy and economic integration. Institutions worldwide trade: from GATT to the WTO; Gender dimension and institutions. Monetary problems and the system of international payments. International monetary crises. Some case studies on current empirical evidence.

Methodology

Recitation classes

Tutorials and seminars

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Autonomous 88 3.52 2, 4, 23, 1, 3, 18, 8, 6, 34, 5, 7, 10, 14, 12, 11, 13, 25, 15, 29, 16, 17, 26, 24, 20, 19, 21, 22, 28, 31, 30, 27, 32, 35, 36, 33, 9
Evaluation 8 0.32 37, 2, 4, 23, 1, 3, 18, 8, 6, 34, 7, 12, 11, 13, 15, 29, 16, 17, 20, 19, 21, 22, 28, 31, 30, 27, 32, 35, 36, 33, 9
Guided 15 0.6 8, 17, 24
Guided 35 1.4 4, 3, 8, 6, 5, 7, 10, 14, 12, 13, 29, 16, 17, 26, 24, 21, 22, 28, 27, 32, 35, 36

Assessment

 
 The final learning assessment is the weighted average of the following activities:

- 50% Final exam covering the material of the course that the professor will communicate in class (which will be the official day scheduled for the Faculty),
- 30% Midterm evaluation as the professor will explain in class,
- 20% Other assessment activities (exercises, reports, presentations...)

The final minimum grade to pass the course is 5. The final grade is the weighted average of the scores of all the activities proposed during the course.

If the final overall grade is lower than 3.5, the student must repeat the course next year.

Students with a final grade between 3.5 and less than 5 may take a retake exam. This assessment is organized by the Faculty during the session of exams.The retake exam grants maximum 1.5 points. If a student passes the retake exam, the final grade will be 5.

A student who does not perform any evaluative task is considered "not evaluable", therefore, a student who performs a continuous assessment component can no longer be qualified with a "not evaluable"

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final exam 50% 2 0.08 4, 3, 8, 6, 5, 7, 10, 14, 12, 13, 29, 16, 17, 26, 21, 22, 28, 27, 32, 36
Midterm evalution 30% 1 0.04 37, 2, 4, 23, 1, 3, 18, 8, 6, 34, 5, 7, 10, 14, 12, 11, 13, 25, 15, 29, 16, 17, 26, 24, 20, 19, 21, 22, 28, 31, 30, 27, 32, 35, 36, 33, 9
Other activites (exercises, reports, presentations...) 20% 1 0.04 6, 10, 26, 21, 22, 28, 32, 36

Bibliography

 

Basic reference:

Th. Pugel (2020): “International Economics”, Mc Graw Hill 

( e-book edition https://bibcercador.uab.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/1c3utr0/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781260568547)

 

Additional references:

Baldwin, R. and Ch. Wyplosz (2021): Economics of European Integration, 6th   Editions, Mc Graw Hill.

Rodrik, D. (2011): “The Globalization Paradox. Democracy and the Future of the World Economy”, Norton.

 

Further readings will be provided during the course.

 

 

 

Software

Basic software for editing documents (example Microsoft Word) or worksheet  (example Microsoft Excel).