25751 - International Economics

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed at providing students that did not take International Economics in the First-cycle degree/Bachelor with some basic theoretical tools. In the part of the course devoted to international trade the focus is on what are the reasons explaining trade patterns among countries and what are the gains from trade. The most important instruments of trade policy are analyzed, and the costs and benefits of protectionist trade policies are assessed. Moreover, multinational enterprises organizational and production choices are explained, in order to understand their functioning. In the part of the course devoted to international monetary economics, the focus is on the mechanisms that determine the exchange rate between currencies, and on the relationship between exchange rates, money supply and interest rates

Course contents

International Trade Models (e.g., The Ricardian model, The Heckscher-Ohlin model, ...)

Trade policy

International monetary economics: Money, Interest Rates, and Exchange Rates.

Political economy of international trade: causes and consequences

Readings/Bibliography

"International Economics: Theory and Policy" Paul R. Krugman, Maurice Obsfeld and Marc Melitz. Editor: Pearson Education

If needed, references to additional teaching material (articles, reports, slides, etc.) will be provided in class.

A basic knowledge of math and microeconomics is a pre-requisite for attending the course.

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures and discussions in class.

Assessment methods

Written exam and group project presentation.

Teaching tools

Published material (papers and slides) on the Virtuale Platform.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Saia