84673 - Laboratory: Geopolitics, Finance for International Cooperation and instruments

Learning outcomes

Obiettivi formativi: the student will acquire the project design and capacity building skills in accordance with the sustainable development approach and the shared goals of the local and regional cooperation countries and public institutions. The student will debate the future scenarios of cooperation and the different paradigms of alternative development of basic need, of gender and sustainability.

Course contents

The course provides an introduction to political geography, geopolitics, the international financial architecture and trends especially useful in the field of international cooperation.

Moreover, the laboratorial part will enhance knowledge and practice on how to design and manage process, programmes and projects in the various field of international cooperation (country papers, strategy papers, elements on monitoring, structuring project proposals in international cooperation, indicators and assessments, budgeting and reporting, missions organisation, etc.). Both traditional (aid) and integrated (post-aid) approaches will be used.

The importance of the sustainable development paradigm, the bottom-up and local development approach will be methodologically central in conceptualizing actions.

Finally, students will develop knowledge and skills to debate the future scenarios of international cooperation and the different paradigms of development.

This course is structured in two main parts: (1) a theoretical and (2) an applied one. Overall, a thinking and learning lab atmosphere will be created with the aim of enabling students to acquire the basis to create, design and manage processes, programmes, projects in the various fields of international cooperation.

In particular, part (1) is going to introduce basic concept of political geography, geopolitics, the international financial architecture and the key issues and dynamics in the contemporary world. This to understand the various shades of the “developments” of the World and its Regions, to observe the relationships and contradictions among policies, instruments and reality.

• Lecture 1: Political geography, geopolitics and determinants in the “developments” of the World and its Regions;
• Lecture 2: The international financial architecture (institutions, fluxes, trends and financial centres) + Case studies
• Lecture 3: Financial systems for international cooperation, main impacts on development, new trends (Agenda 2030, post aid, financialization, etc.)
• Lecture 4, 5, 6: International cooperations typologies (for development, economic, European territorial, academic, cultural, political, industrial, environmental, military & peace keeping, etc.) and their policy instruments (principles, programmes, funds, practices, etc.) + Case studies

Part (2) is structured so as to be able to uderstand real world situations. Donors are organized, how to prepare and manage international cooperation programs and projects.

• Lecture 7 – How to prepare a tender, a task, an international mission. Actors, Roles, Tools and Watch-outs in international cooperation. – guided group works
• Lecture 8-9 – How to prepare a project. Actors, Roles, Tools and Watch-outs in international cooperation. – guided group works
• Lecture 10-11 – How to prepare a programme and budget support (i.e. background documents, country document, strategic papers, budget and financial instruments, performance indicators, etc. Actors, Roles, Tools and Watch-outs in international cooperation. – guided group works

The course will end with a lecture of analysis of trends, opportunities and weaknesses of international cooperation and its geopolitics.

• Lecture 12 – The trends in international cooperation geopolitics, finance and institutions

Readings/Bibliography

For a comprehensive chronological and thematic overview, students are required to study:

• DG BUDGET, 2017, A guide to EU Funds. 2017 edition. European Union, Brussels. (free on: https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/7d72330a-7020-11e7-b2f2-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-39311751 )
• DG BUDGET, 2014, A beginners guideline to EU Funding. European Union, Brussels. (free on: https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9eb0b343-aa5e-46b6-8cd4-4fc07dcaddea/language-en/format-PDF/source-search )
• DG BUDGET, 2015, EU budget at Glance. European Union, Brussels.(free on: https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/7472f901-0de2-4eee-bfa6-4373571146e1/language-en/format-PDF/source-39420457 )
• PARENTI F.M. E ROSATI U. (eds), 2016. Geofinanza e geopolitica, EGEA, Milano – ISBN 978-88-238-2212-2 (only chapter 2, 5, 6)*
• • cap. 2. GRANDI S., PARENTI F.M, L’evoluzione dell’architettura finanziaria globale istituzionale e le riforme possibili ed impossibili (pp. 29-46)
  • cap. 5 ROSATI U., I luoghi della finanza (pp. 75-100)
  • cap. 6 ROSATI U. Dinamiche geopolitiche (pp. 101-114)

• *English versions available upon request to the Lecturer

• DISPENSE/SLIDE

Instructions for non-attending students (non frequentanti): Non attending students are required to study the core texts above.

Teaching methods

Lectures are composed of classical/seminaries supported by PC-based presentations, case studies, maps and videos. Moreover, tutorial, simulations and working group sessions are going to be performed in the second part of the laboratory.

Assessment methods

Students who attend lectures (frequentanti) can prepare an essay and a presentation to be done and discussed in the final day of lectures. Essay titles will be announced as of the reach of the 6^th lecture.

Students who do not attend lectures (non frequentanti), or who do not prepare the above mentioned essay and presentation, will take a single written test in a regular exam session (prova totale). This written test is composed of 11 questions with closed answer or short open answers.

In special cases, an essay can be agreed with the lecturer.

Teaching tools

Pc, videos, slides, maps.

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Links to further information

https://www.facebook.com/groups/120925285236740/?source=create_flow

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Grandi