Applied International Political Economy

Course Description
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This course examines the relations between business, political institutions and non-governmental organizations – and how they shape the governance of international business. It is an advanced and specialized course that focuses on the research frontiers in selected topics within International Political Economy, with an emphasis on transnational dimensions and interactions.

The course covers a selection of key theoretical debates and their research-based empirical applications – in view of providing the tools for a nuanced understanding of real-world challenges and their possible solutions.

The course focuses on two main themes:
- The transnational governance of international business, with particular attention to the functioning of global value chains and global wealth chains;
- How international regimes and organizations seek to govern and impact international business, with particular focus on sustainability issues and finance.

The purpose of the course is to provide an in-depth understanding of theoretical and empirical debates and research results in these topics, and a solid foundation for engaging in independent research projects in the field of International Political Economy.

For those who do not have a previous foundation in IPE, the course includes two preliminary sessions that are explicitly designed to provide an introduction to the main tenets and thematic fields of the discipline. These sessions are also open to students who have taken IPE courses before, but feel they need a short refresher.