Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - Barcelona

World Economics

• code 10338
• course 2
• term Semester 2
• type OB
• credits 3

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
Lda. Dilara TOSU - dtosu@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.

• 22 - To be able to identify the nature and behaviour of producers, consumers and investors.
• 52 - To develop interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a team.
• 56 - To be able to create arguments which are conducive to critical and self-critical thinking.
• 67 - To be able to express oneself in other languages.
• 08 - To understand how leading world economies work, their institutions and interconnections.
• 09 - To identify emerging economies as well as the underdeveloped world, and to analyse applied growth policies.
• 10 - To identify long-term economic growth factors and understand the impact of globalisation.

1. Strategic analysis of corporate and government behaviour through homework and classroom activities.
2. Through written assignments, look for information, case studies and articles concerning countries' economies.
3. Identify of main globalisation drivers and their effect on countries' economy performance through written tasks.
4. Oral presentations of written assignments related to teamwork assignments.
5. Writing reports and presenting the main ideas obtained.
6. Final examination to assess overview of subject.
7. Individual exercises based on country and company reports.

1. Globalisation –Overview –Global Challenges 2. International Economy –International Multilateral Institutions –International Trade, Balance of Payments 3. Global Financial Crisis (2008) –Main Drivers and Macroeconomic Effects –Recovery Process in DM and EM 4. International Firm Strategy –Internationalisation Strategy and Entry Mode

Activities can be grouped into four major types: group presentations, sessions involving active class participation, practical sessions and individual or group work.

- Class participation and reading presentations: 30%

- Country report and term paper: 30%

- Final examination: 40%

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.