London School of Economics

Exploring advanced theories used to understand financial markets in the context of corporate borrowing and lending, students discuss financing frictions that differentiate the functioning of perfect and imperfect capital markets. They then build on these theories to understand security design and the process of security issuance in equity markets. By applying the course material students evaluate corporate risk management and hedging, understand the role of corporate control, and the interaction of control rights and cash flow rights.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues have attracted enormous attention from investors, regulators, and other stakeholders. This course introduces the concept of sustainability reporting and responsible investing. It evaluates the potential benefits of firms disclosing ESG information, as well as significant challenges to be overcome, including the risk of greenwashing. Students learn about existing and emerging ESG regulations and frameworks for ESG performance metrics. The course also explores how key capital market participants, such as asset managers, analysts, and banks, could incorporate ESG information into their investment decisions.

Students explore how women influenced and were influenced by the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, Decolonization, leftist movements in the 1960s, revolutions, authoritarian regimes and struggles related to gender, racial and LGBTQ+ equality. Through broad global, regional, and comparative analysis in lectures and in-depth historical study of key women, groups, movements or institutions, students explore different methodologies for examining history in the 20th and 21st century. The course’s geographical focus is the Americas, including the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, though there are also opportunities to explore comparisons and contrasts with other parts of the world including Britain, Europe, and Asia.

This course examines through three case studies how we should develop legal responses to the challenge of AI. Today AI is used by the police, other law enforcement agencies, and even by private citizens to build smart surveillance networks through the use of live facial recognition cameras and so-called “hot spot” policing. This has the potential to impact our privacy and personal data and risks bias and error in design and deployment. The use of AI in law enforcement is the first case study. The second, the deployment of AI in medical practice and treatment, raises questions of autonomy, consent, confidentiality, and liability. The third case study looks at how public authorities deploy AI in ways which impact all, including digital transformation of public administrative systems, the use of AI in the legal profession and the courts, and the deployment of AI at borders and to manage immigration. 

This course introduces a range of issues surrounding the dynamics of disputes and the advanced models of negotiation and mediation designed to aid in their resolution. The focus of the course, which draws on insights from a range of disciplines including law, anthropology, psychology, and economics, is on looking at contemporary dispute resolution theories across a range of settings. An important feature of the course is the way in which it examines the interface between theory and practice. Academic staff is joined by leading practitioners in exposing students to the everyday dynamics of negotiation and mediation.

This course helps students develop rigorous quantitative skills to measure market risks in modern financial institutions. It builds on student’s introductory understanding of probability and statistics and focuses on risk management applications. This course illustrates methodologies using real financial data and a number of computer-based workshops.

This course offers a concise introduction to the legal challenges relating to the international dimension of litigating commercial disputes, both before state courts and in arbitration. London being one of the most important centers for commercial litigation and arbitration in the world, the course focuses on the relevant English and European Union law, invoking experiences from other jurisdictions where useful. 

The course blends theoretical knowledge and practical skills, preparing students to understand and leverage AI technologies in various business contexts. The course begins with an insightful introduction to AI and Machine Learning, providing a solid foundation in AI concepts and terminologies. Discovering the evolution of AI and understanding the core mechanisms that drive machine learning and deep learning technologies provides the foundational knowledge to set the stage for more advanced topics. To dive deep into the realm of AI technologies and their applications in business, the course explores a wide array of AI technologies, including Natural Language Processing, predictive and prescriptive analytics, and demonstrates their practical applications.