Course Syllabus

Course Description

This course aims at enhancing your understanding of globalization and European economies by encompassing various and unique topics:

• Globalization and deglobalization - we will delve into what that is and means from a European perspective and including recent developments like the "trade war". 
• European economic and political Integration - This segment will cover the goals, institutions, and policies of the European Union, shedding light on the process of integration - and party  disintegration - within the region.
• Export Finance and sovereign risk - This module will highlight the significance of export finance within the context of international trade. Particular focus will be on evaluating the political and economic landscape of a country through a sovereign risk analysis. We will explore how such analyses determine a coutry's appeal to financing institutions.

The course aims to actively engage students and facilitate their learning in an interactive and stimulating manner. In addition to conventional lectures, we will utilize various approaches, including field trips, interactions with guest speakers, collaborative group assignments, simulated negotiations, and educational excursions. Facilitating dialogue between students and instructors is a significant aspect of the course, fostering a space for critical reflection on the topics under discussion.

IMPORTANT: This course includes two Study Tours, partly during weekends. Don't make any private travel arrangements for February 7 and April 19, as you will be traveling with the course. 

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, students should be able to:

• To explain and discuss the forces driving international trade and (de-)globalization
• Understand key aspects of European Integration and the institutions of the European Union.
• Discuss the pros and cons of associated with advancing European integration
• Understand and evaluate the special circumstances relevant to Eastern European countries.
• Understands the basics of export finance principles. 
• Apply economic theory to evaluate country/sovereign risk.

We encourage you to assume responsability for your learning. Your teachers make an offer, but how much you will get out of it, depends on you. 

Faculty 

Course Requirements

This is an upper level economics class and requires that you have taken one semester each of micro- and macroeconomics at university level. Additionally, you must have taken one course in either intermediate or advanced macroeconomics.

Grading: see the table to the right.

We expect you to attend all classes and to be well prepared for class. The Canvas calendar contains the information you need for your preparation. If you can't come to class, we expect you to inform your teacher ahead of class. 

Readings:

You will be provided with readings for most of the classes. One book we will use a lot is 

• Globalisation and the International Economy, by Michael Hedegaard, Holger Sandte and David M. Rowe, 2nd edition, Copenhagen 2025.   E book: E-Book Globalisation 8_25.pdf 
• Chart pack: Charts globalisation-and-the-international-economy.pptx

Given the topic’s rapid development and to keep discussions relevant, articles, papers, blogs, videos etc. will be uploaded as supplementary information sources.

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

The use of electronic devices in class ...

... is only allowed for purposes related to this class like taking notes or searching information. Other use might impact your participation grade. 

On the use of AI tools: 

In this course, students are permitted to use AI tools, such as Chat GPT, for their academic tasks. However, be critical and acknowledge academic integrity by citing all usage of these tools in your work. Remember that your papers, presentations etc. always have to written by you, not by some AI tool. This follows the DIS Academic Honor Code that clearly states: “Submit your own work and never allow others (including Chat GPT or other AI) to write any part of your papers or exams.“ The information provided by AI tools can provide beneficial input for your tasks, but can never be your output. 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org