Student guide International Program A.Y. 2006/07

The course intends to provide a global, inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural understanding of the economic realities and to enhance critical, comparative and strategic thinking of the students.

1.        Introduction (Dipak R. Pant)

 

1.1.    The economic systems (in historical and contemporary perspectives)

1.2.    Possibilities and limits of comparative approach to economic systems

 

2.              Selected system survey: the economy of the United States of America (Edward Liebow)

 

2.1     An overview of US economy

2.2.    Characteristic features of US economy (role of culture, history, geography…)

2.3.                   USA’s place and role in the world economy

2.4.         USA and its neighbouring economic systems (Canada and Mexico)

2.5.         Problems, challenges and future prospects of US economy and society

 

3.              Global thematic comparison: selected performance survey of national economies (Dipak R. Pant)

 

3.1.    Economic and financial sustainability (wealth creation, financial credibility, competitiveness, entrepreneurial spirit, economic freedom…)

3.2     Social sustainability (wealth distribution, human development index, genuine progress indicators…)

3.3.    Environmental sustainability (ecological footprint of nations and living planet index, natural resources management, environmental sustainability index…)

 

4.              Next economy: strategic foresight exercise (Dipak R. Pant)

Written work (home assignment) during the course and an oral exam at the end.

-         Gregory, P.R. & Stuart, R.C., Comparative Economic Systems, Houghton Mifflin, Boston/New York, 1999.

-         Pant, D.R., Armenia, the Next Economy: an Inter-disciplinary Future-view, LIUC/Crespi, 2002.

-         Harrison, L.E. & Huntington S.P. (eds.), Culture Matters:  How Values Shape Human Progress, Basic Books, New York, 2000

-         Reports of UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, IMF, OECD, Worldwatch Institute, World Resources Institute etc..

Miscellaneous hand-outs in the classroom and on the course web-site.