Student guide Facoltà di Economia A.A. 2010/11

International financial markets are a powerful engine of both growth and disaster for the global economy. They facilitate the transmission of positive and negative economic shocks among nations and pose challenges and opportunities to firms and investors. Aim of the course is to let you master the mechanics and the economic rationale of the foreign exchange market, as well as to gain an insight about many current crucial issues concerning the international financial markets and their impact on the global economy.  

The course consists of two parts. The first part is structured according to the traditional lecture format (active participation is appreciated!) and will cover the topics of:

a)      exchange rate determination (equilibrium models and arbitrage model);

b)      exchange rate forecasting;

c)      exchange rate risk management;

d)      international portfolio investments.

The second part is run according to a workshop format. Students, divided in teams, will be required to engage in debates on crucial current international financial issues. Two teams will have to convince the rest of the class of the value of their argument. The rest of the class will have to challenge the arguments that are put forward and, at the end, will decide which team will have been more convincing. Both the debating team and the rest of the class are responsible to come to the debate well prepared. 

 

Students attending classes are responsible for the lecture contents (both slides provided and any supporting material they can find). Some material will be provided to jump start students in preparing for the debate, but they should not limit themselves to it. The whole course is structured to reward student for being proactive learners, not passive listeners.    

Students not attending classes will be responsible for the entire material of one of mainstream book on international financial markets to be agreed upon.

 

For students attending classes, grades are based on a closed book exam that will take place once completed the first part of the course. This grade will be marked up / down according to the outcome of the debates as decided by the public (i.e. your classmates) and in relation to the challenges the rest of the class will bring to the debaters as evaluated by the professor (me).

All other students should pass an oral examination covering the material outlined above.