CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL FOR UNDERGRADUATES
ECONOMIC GLOBALISATION
Key Information
Module code
Taught during
Module workload
Module leader
Department
Credit
Level
Pre-requisites
Assessment
ISSU1022
Block Two: Monday 25 July – Friday 12 August 2016
45 teaching hours plus approximately 100 study hours
Dr. Lauge Poulsen
Economic Globalisation, Faculty of Social & Historical Sciences
0.5 UCL credits, 7.5 ECTS, 4 US
Level 1, first year Undergraduate
Standard entry requirements
Presentation (10%)
Final exam: 1,000-word written synopsis (20%) and 25-minute oral examination
(70%)
Module Overview
This course introduces students to the the law, politics, and economics of international trade and investment.
Week One
 International economic institutions
 Political economy of trade
 International trade policy
Week Two
 International trade disputes
 Trade and developing countries
 Political economy of foreign Investment
Week Three
 International investment policy
 The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement
 Excursion
Module Aims
This course introduces students to the most important drivers of economic globalization: international trade
and investment. Is international trade good or bad for the environment? Should developing countries attract
multinational corporations? What is the World Trade Organization, and why is it important? Why do countries
Please note that this module description is indicative and may be subject to change.
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negotiate so many regional economic agreements, and what are their effects? These are some of the topics
covered in the course through a combination of political, legal, and economic perspectives.
Teaching Methods
Lectures and seminars, student presentations, classroom debates, private reading and outlines/assignments,
and a visit to private consultancy specializing in trade and investment policy. Reading lists will be available
online via the UCL library site and the readings will be regularly revised and updated. Relevant materials and
forums will also be housed on the Moodle system.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, students will:
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Be informed about some of the most important legal and political institutions governing economic
globalization.
Have developed an understanding of the economics of international trade and investment.
Be able to critically assess the costs and benefits of the international trade and investment regimes for
governments, firms, and other stakeholders.
Have developed an understanding of some of the cutting-edge research in international political
economy
Assessment Methods
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Presentation (10%)
Final exam: 1,000-word written synopsis (20%) and 25-minute oral examination (70%)
Key Texts
This is mostly an article-based course. Students are expected to the required readings and encouraged to read
among the suggestions for further readings. Suggestions for background readings are also occasionally
provided.
The following three books on international economic history are recommended (but not required):
Clark, Gregory. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World (Princeton: Princeton University
Press).
Frieden, Jeffry. 2006. Global Capitalism: Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century (New York: Norton)
Yergin, Daniel and Jospeh Stanislaw. 2008. The Commanding Heights (New York: Simon and Schuster). [see
also the PBS documentary: pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights].
The following book on intellectual history is recommended (but not required):
Irwin, Douglas. 1996. Against the Tide: An Intellectual History of Free Trade (Princeton: Princeton University
Press).
Please note that this module description is indicative and may be subject to change.
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