World Economics
Main language of instruction: Catalan
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish
If the student is enrolled for the English track then classes for that subject will be taught in the same language and also in Spanish.
Head instructor
Dr. Víctor POU - vpou@uic.es
Dra. Neus VILA - nvila@uic.es
Office hours
To agree with the student
One cannot pick up a newspaper or magazine without reading about something directly related to the word economy: Is the recovery going to take hold or will there be a double dip? What are central banks doing to regulate financial institutions and prevent the next crisis? Will the US dollar appreciate or depreciate against the yen and the euro? What is the effect of the macroeconomic environment on firm's internationalisation decisions and private business performance? How does it affect internal strategy-setting?
This course develops the analytical framework required for understanding these issues and their impact on business. At the end of the course you will be expected to assess critically how possible developments in the world economy will affect the economic environment and your businesses. You should finish the course with a clear understanding of the arguments for and against specific policies, and you should be able to analyse their effects on consumers, employees and businesses.
The course has two characteristics: firstly, it has an international slant. The vast majority of examples and case studies will deal with the international economy and multinational companies. Secondly, this course is extremely practical; concepts and models will only be discussed to the extent that they have a direct bearing on the understanding of real-life situations.
Macroeconomics 1, Macroeconomics 2
The overall objective of this course is to identify the main factors driving the performance of the world economy and its influence on the design of macroeconomic policies.
1. Globalization –Overview –Global Challenges
2. Indicators
3. Trade theories
4. International trade system - GATT/WTO
5. International monetary & financial system - WB, IMF
6. Multinationals
7. International courts
8. Economic integration stages - EU, USMCA, Mercosur, Asean
9. Economic groups - BRICS
10. Measuring cross-border economy activity - Balance of Payments
11. Influencers, social movements impact on world economics
12. How you can contribute to the world that you would like to see
Activities can be grouped into four major types: group presentations, sessions involving active class participation, practical sessions and individual or group work.
The second sitting (in June or July) will use the same criteria as the first one. Continuous evaluation marks will be ignored for the second-sitting examination.
Carbaughts R. J. (2007). International Economics. 11th Edition. Thomson South-Western.
Epping R. C. (2009). The 21-Century Economy. A Beginner's Guide. Random House, N.Y.
Hill, Charles W. L. (2011). International Business: Competing in the Global Market Place. McGraw-Hill.
Sharma, Y. K. (2007). Globalization, Privatization, and Market Economy. Aavishkar Publishers.