Italy

The course builds on the concepts of macroeconomics in an open economy to discuss the determinants of exchange rates and the consequences of exchange rate policies for output and prices in the short and long run. A brief history of the international monetary system also explains the establishment of the single European currency. Basic elements of European central banking are discussed and specific issues are dealt in more depth, mainly relating to recent monetary developments including the global financial crisis. The content of the course includes the following: the balance of payments and the foreign exchange market; a simple theory of exchange rate determination, in the short and in the long run; fixed exchange rates and foreign exchange intervention; monetary and fiscal policies with different exchange rate regimes; from Bretton Woods to the Euro: theory and experience of optimal currency areas; monetary institutions and strategies in the Euro area; the international financial crisis: monetary policies and financial stability; the coming future of the international monetary system: the dollar problem, the role of the euro, and the emerging importance of China's money and finance.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. This course is a survey of the history of the concepts and practice of war and peace from the Renaissance to the beginning of the nineteenth century. It primarily explores the main ideas, events, aspects, and trends related to the topics of the classes. First, the course examines the period traditionally known as the Renaissance. The course then focuses on ideas on human nature, war, and peace in early-modern Europe. The course demonstrates how the medieval cultural attitude towards war and peace was replaced during this period by a new concept, based around novel ideas on the nature of man shaped by social and political tensions caused by unprecedented challenges which threatened early-modern European societies. Finally, the course addresses questions concerning modernity such as why European cultures increasingly relied on science and reason instead of religion.

The course aims at analyzing the process of economic and political integration of European countries, through a theoretical, policy, and political perspective. European politics occurs in national capitals and in Brussels. Traditionally much of the disciplinary focus has either been on the European Union and integration or the national politics in the Member States. Increasingly, this failure to adequately explore how both levels of government interact reflects neither the state of European politics nor the cutting edge of research. The politics part of this course introduces students to a basic toolkit used by researchers of advanced democracies and international interdependence (including spatial models, veto players, two-level games etc.) to understand both domestic and EU-level politics in Europe in conjunction. The economics part of the course starts with a general overview of EU integration from the 1950s until today. It then moves to discussing the EU budget, with its sources of revenues and areas of expenditure. The main features of the Next Generation EU strategy are also extensively covered. This lays the foundations for studying the main policies currently undertaken by the European Union: competition, agriculture, cohesion, and international trade. The connection between economic and political dynamics is addressed, with specific attention to the link between globalization, Brexit, and the success of nationalist forces in Europe. A substantial part of the course is devoted to the Economic and Monetary Union: origins, architecture, and evolution over the Great Financial Crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. This course provides theoretical concepts and managerial tools to (a) understand and analyze the main models underlying organizational behavior and people management; (b) develop and increase critical skills in decision making through the analysis of the impact of theories; c) identify problem solving approaches through discussion of case studies. Furthermore, this course intends to develop and practice teamwork skills by examining complex situations, identifying common action plans, and coming up with solution during projects. The course consists of three main subjects. The first subject is on the individual in organizations. Topics in this section include: individual differences: personalities and skills; definition of personality; the big five model; the most relevant personality traits; personality assessment; the nature and relationship of values, attitudes, moods, and emotions; job satisfaction and potential consequences; motivation at work, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation; why people act the way they act, motivational theories; and goal setting, performance assessment, compensation, and career management as motivational tools. The second subject is on group and team processes. Topics in this section include: work groups; different kinds of work teams and the 5-stage development model; team characteristics and effectiveness; how to measure team effectiveness; team dysfunctional processes; and virtual teams. The last subject is on power, politics, and conflicts. Topics in this section include: sources of individual formal and informal power; politics as the exercise of power in organizations; conflict in organizations; sources of conflict in organizations; Pondy's model of organizational conflict; and tactics to handle conflict in organizations.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The aim of this course is to obtain a general understanding of physical properties of stars and galaxies. At the end of the lectures the student is familiar with the equations that regulate the internal structure of the stars, the sources of energy production, the structure of stellar atmosphere, and the formation theory of the spectral lines. Students acquire a general knowledge of morphological, structural, and dynamical properties of stellar systems (stellar clusters, galaxies). Hence, students acquire the necessary bases to understand the structural and evolutionary properties of stars and galaxies. The course discusses topics including :astronomical data and tools; celestial mechanics and the solar system; radiative processes; classification of stars and stellar atmospheres; stellar interiors; stellar evolution; fate of massive stars and stellar remnants; the interstellar medium; star formation; origin of the solar system and extra-solar planets; galaxies and galaxy clusters; and cosmology and large scale structure.

This course offers an introduction to Italian culture and Florence's rich history and traditions through a hands-on approach. Florence is a complex city with many identities. It is known as the cradle of the Renaissance, but its structure was shaped in the middle ages, in the 19th century, and in recent times. It is an international place, visited by tourists from all around the world, but still maintains a sense of pride in its own traditions. In the Culture section of this course, students explore the city through a series of on-site lectures, understanding its structure and its development through the centuries up to today, discovering the significance of its beautiful monuments and the scars left by its fascinating history. The Language component of the course provides students the tools and skills to navigate the city and complete tasks in real-life situations and specific contexts. Through small-group works they acquire basic communicative structures and learn to react effectively to authentic communicative situations.

This course explores the complexities of multinational financial management, ranging from the management of foreign currency exposures (to determine a subsidiary’s capital structure or to value an investment in a risky country) to the managerial and environmental considerations that make multinational financial decision-making so challenging. Financial decision making in the multinational setting requires a sound understanding of: 1) the extension of traditional finance considerations to a more complex global setting (i.e. Exchange Rate Effects, Global CAPM); 2) how institutional constraints can create obstacles and opportunities for multinational firms (i.e. Opportunities created by different markets); 3) the managerial objectives that can often limit the relevance of traditional financial objectives or institutional opportunities. The framework developed in the course suggests how to balance these three relevant factors: complex financial incentives have to be integrated with institutional obstacles and opportunities and aligned with managerial objectives. The goal then offers both a clear framework and a set of operative tools to understand the relationship between multinational firms and international financial markets. The whole structure of the course is applied, involves several real-world cases that are discussed in class, and is oriented to develop capabilities to understand and use international finance methodologies and practices used around the world. The course requires students to have familiarity with basic topics of corporate finance and a basic knowledge of concepts like risk, return, capital structure, and the CAPM as a prerequisite.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course is divided in two modules. The aim of the first module is to provide knowledge about vehicle dynamics. Theoretical and numerical approaches are discussed to this end, as tools that allow students to predict the performance of cars in terms of longitudinal dynamics, lateral dynamics, handling, comfort, and stability. The aim of the second module is to provide the theoretical basis and the practical skills required to design embedded hardware and firmware compliant with industrial standards (safety, interoperability, maintainability). In addition, model-based design and automatic code generation using Matlab/Simulink is considered.

This introductory foundation course for beginners investigates the various materials, skills, and expressive issues involved in drawing the city of Florence, its architecture, sculptures, and the human figure from the live model. Students explore a range of compositional issues such as figure/ground relationships, light and shade, perspective, line and shape, value and color, texture, anatomy, contrapposto, and design.  Students draw on site in the city of Florence as well as in the classroom. Both are used in conjunction with exploring diverse approaches to the learning of drawing fundamentals. Emphasis is placed on drawing from perception while focusing on different cultural conventions relating to space, perspective, the human figure, architecture, anatomy, and proportion. The course includes trips to on-site locations in the city of Florence: its piazzas, gardens, museums, as well as a visit to an artist studio. There are two versions of the FOUNDATIONS OF DRAWING: DRAWING IN THE CITY OF FLORENCE, a beginner level and an intermediate level, this course is the beginning level.

The focus of this course is on how managers can enhance and sustain superior business performance by making sound strategic decisions. The course covers analytical and conceptual models that help in the development of business strategy. The course is designed to expose students to fundamental and advanced topics in business strategy and enable them to analyze business situations from the point of view of the practicing general manager. General managers engage in identifying opportunities and threats in the competitive environment, developing and allocating critical resources, and interacting with competitors. They also identify opportunities for forming strategic alliances and plan how to create and capture value from alliances, especially when collaborating with competitors. The course also studies how managers should negotiate alliance agreements and manage the firm’s alliance portfolio. The course recommends students have prior knowledge in functional areas of economics, marketing, finance, and operations management as a prerequisite.