Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
---|---|---|---|
4310025 Economics and Business Administration | OT | 0 | 2 |
Fundamentals of Economics and Business I
Fundamentals of Economics and Business II
Evaluation Methodologies:
The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the growing field of impact evaluation in economics. The course presents the main methodologies used to quantify the causal effect of policy interventions on outcomes, including randomized evaluations, difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity designs and natural experiments. These methodologies are assessed critically focusing on their weaknesses and strengths as well as focusing on their application in Stata. The course also offers an overview of the key debates in the design and implementation of a wide range of policies, and their impact on socially relevant issues such as tackling poverty, improving quality and access to education, regeneration of deprived areas, fostering employment.
Innovation Policies:
The course introduces students to the topic of innovation as a major force for economic growth and innovation policies aimed at promoting technological development and innovation. The goal of the course is to familiarize students with government policies to support innovation, to guide them through the empirical research on these topics, and let them explore interesting research questions on their own.
During the course, we study some general questions on innovation activities of firms, such as the link between R&D, innovation, and productivity, and the ways of organizing for innovation, in particular, knowledge sourcing strategies; we then discuss how government intervention, more specifically, patent protection, government funded R&D, and trade reforms, influences firms’ innovation output. We also review and discuss the empirical research on these topics.
Infraestructure Policies:
This course studies the economic aspects of infrastructures using the tools of economic analysis in deciding the optimal level of infrastructure provision, the role of public and private sector in their provisionand operation and shows the policy implications of the deregulation process that has taken place in infrastructure markets in recent years. The emphasis of the course is empirical, with detailed examples and case studies to show the economic consequences of alternative policy designs.
Evaluation Methodologies:
Methodology
Key challenges of estimating the causal impact of public policies
Examples of Policy Interventions to be reviewed
Innovation Policies
1. Introduction. Innovation and Economic Growth.
2. Economics of Innovation and Innovation Systems.
3. Innovation: Market Failures and Public Policies.
4. Innovation Policies: Design, Funding and Implementation.
4.1 Direct R&D grants
4.2 Intellectual property rights (IPRs).
4.3 Incentives for innovation: firms, universities and research centres.
4.4 Knowledge and technology transfer.
4.5 Pro-competitive policies.
5. Evaluation of innovation policies effectiveness.
6. Presentation and discussion of reference cases.
Infraestructure Policies:
1. Introduction: economic importance of infrastructures
Economic impact of public infrastructures: demand and supply effects, net and spillover effects, crowding out effects and distributive effects.
2. Infrastructures and economic growth
Models used to investigate the relationship between infrastructure and economic activity: Input Output Models, Econometric Models.
3. Decision-making on infrastructure provision
Cost Benefit Analysis and beyond.
4. Models of public-private infrastructure management
The problem of monopoly in infrastructure provision and the range of possible solutions. Public provision of infrastructures and reasons for privatization.
5. Infrastructure provision with private contracts and concessions
Private contracts. Infrastructure concessions and the renegotiation problem. Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).
6. Infrastructure regulation and competition
Infrastructure regulation: rate of return & price cap. Vertical unbundling and the introduction of competition. Regulation of liberalized infrastructures.
The activities that will allow the students to learn the basic concepts included in this course are:
1. Theory lectures where the instructor will explain the main concepts.
The goal of this activity is to introduce the basic notions and guide the student learning.
2. Problem Sets
In some subjects, a problem set which students will have to solve individually or in teams will be included in every unit. The goal of this activity is twofold. On one hand students will work with the theoretical concepts explained in the classroom, and on the other hand through this practice they will develop the necessary skills for problem solving.
3. Practice lectures
The aim of this activity is to comment on and solve any possible doubt that students may have had solving the problem assignment. This way they will be able to understand and correct any errors they may have had during this process.
4. Essay writing
In some subjects students will produce written essays on the topics proposed.
5. Tutoring hours
Students will have some tutor hours in which the subject instructors will help them solve any doubts they may have.
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.
Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Type: Directed | |||
Lectures with ITC support | 37.5 | 1.5 | 1, 10, 5, 7, 6, 8, 2, 3, 9, 11 |
Resolution of exercises | 37.5 | 1.5 | 1, 10, 5, 7, 6, 8, 2, 3, 9, 11 |
Type: Supervised | |||
Tutoring and monitoring work in progress. In-class presentations | 62.5 | 2.5 | 1, 10, 5, 7, 6, 8, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11 |
Type: Autonomous | |||
Study, Reading, Exercise solving, Essays writing, | 79.5 | 3.18 | 10, 5, 7, 6, 8, 2, 3, 9, 11 |
The module consists of a number of different subjects or parts taught by different professors. The final mark for the module will consist of the average of the marks of each subject within the module.
The module is considered successfully passed if:
the mark for each subject within the module is higher than or equal to 3.0 (in a 0 to 10 scale), and
the final mark for that module is higher than or equal to 5.0 (in a 0 to 10 scale).
IMPORTANT: In order to pass each subject, students must attend at least 80% of the lectures (special cases, with appropriate justification, will be considered individually by the professors together with MEBA coordinators).
If the module is not successfully passed, the MEBA coordinators will ask the student to re-take the exams for those subjects that, according to the coordinators and the professors opinions, may help the student to successfully pass the module.
If after the re-take exams the student successfully passes the module, her or his mark for that module will be upgraded accordingly, otherwise the previous grade will remain valid. Two restrictions apply for the results after retaking:
The calendar for the re-retake exams will be announced along with the grades report
The mark -between 0 and 10- for each subject will be computed by each professor based on his or her ow criteria and on the student's performance. As a general rule, 35% of the mark will correspond to the assessment of the continuous work of the student during the course, and 65% will consist of a comprehensive final examination. The duration and nature of the final examination is decided by each professor.
Final exams are compulsory. Re-take exams are only thought for those students having previously written a first exam and failed.
Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Exercises and essays | 35% | 24 | 0.96 | 1, 10, 5, 7, 6, 8, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11 |
Topic Exam II: Innovation Policies | 21.66% | 3 | 0.12 | 1, 10, 5, 6, 9, 11 |
Topic Exam III: Infrastructure Policies | 21.66% | 3 | 0.12 | 10, 5, 2, 9, 11 |
Topic Exam: Evaluation Methodologies | 21.66% | 3 | 0.12 | 1, 10, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 |
Evaluation Methodologies:
Basic Readings
1) Books:
2) Article Reviews:
3) Additional suggested references:
Innovation Policies:
There is no mandatory textbook for the course. This course uses a selection of articles, chapters and reports as required literature.Each lecture and task will contain required and suggested literature which will help the student to contribute with richer insights during the group meetings.
For Public Policies on Innovation these references will be used:
Infrastructure Policies:
Aschauer, D. A. Is public infrastructure productive? Journal of Monetary Economics 23, 177-200, 1989.
STATA