Scuola Universitaria Interdipartimentale in Scienze Strategiche (SUISS)

The course consists of traditional lectures. The course will also cover case studies aimed at reinforcing the students' knowledge, showing the impact on the real world and providing important elements of the historical background.

The course starts with an introduction about macroeconomics.

The first objective of the course will be that of providing macro foundations. Students will learn about national accounts, the market of goods, the financial markets, and the interaction between financial markets and the market of goods.

Then the open economy will be introduced

Students will learn to understand the relevant models of international trade, identify differences due to differing hypotheses and understand the distributive effects across countries, sectors and production factors. Students will understand the functioning of trade policies, theories in favour or against free trade. Students will be able to read papers, divulgative or specialized, and international organizations' reports dealing with trade policies adopted by different countries around the world. In sum, students will be able to analyze the most important issues in global trade and will have gained adequate understanding of the economic and political forces that drive the process of economic globalization, also with reference to more recent controversies related to low-wage and environmental issues. - They will have to develop independent judgment and criticism being aware of the complexity of economic phenomena and of the range of possible policy proposals. - After completing the course students will have acquired knowledge and competences for putting in context the polices implemented across Europe, with the support of the data. - Condition of success in learning is the ability to acquire good familiarity with the concepts , principles and economic phoenomena The knowledge of international markets and the understanding of macroeconomics phenomena are helpful to foster the access to the labor market (for instance, in international firms and international organizations) and to facilitate a proficient continuation in the university education system in the economic field.

Introduction about macroeconomics.

why macro

national accounts

value added

the market of goods

Financial Markets

Financial Markets and markets of goods

Introduction to the  Open Economy

Why do we trade?

Balance of Payments

International Investment Position

Foreign Demand

The Balance of Payments

The international Investment Position

Exchange rates: general overview

Exchange rate regimes: flexible and fixed exchange rates

The real Exchange Rate

Optimal Currency Areas

Trade and production factors

Trade policies: motivations

Tariffs and quotas

Cost-increasing measures

Other trade barriers

Theories of competitive advantages

Heckscher-Ohlin model 

Intra-industry trade

Portfolio investments

FDI

Inequality

The pricing of bonds

The Frenkel Cycle

The Dutch disease.

Traditional in-person classes, supported by materials (slides) provided by the teacher on Moodle.

A multiple choice test and two open questions. In the answers to open questions students must show they are able to present a topic and explain the possible solutions to a problem.

There are no such activities.