London School of Economics

This course introduces students to the core philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, and ethics concepts needed to build better technology and reason about its impact on the economy, civil society, and government.

This course provides a foundation in political theory through the thought and texts of some of the most important political theorists. It covers major political theorists from the ancient Greeks to the 20th Century. Topics include theories of human nature, the origin of government and law, man's relation to society and the state, the basis of political obligation, the idea of social contract, the idea of social progress, the critique of capitalism, and questions about race and gender. Thinkers discussed usually include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, The Federalist, J S Mill, Marx, Nietzsche, Arendt, Fanon.

The course provides an overview of the main developments in monetary and financial history from 800 to the 18th century, taking the students from the simple beginnings of medieval European monetary history to the emergence of the complex financial arrangements characterizing the modern world. Historical developments in major European and non-European countries (England, Spain, Italy, France, Germany) are discussed and compared. The course introduces students to the main concepts of money and finance (commodity money, inflation and deflation, financial development, financial integration, monetary policy etc.).

This course offers an introduction to the financial decisions of firms, in particular capital budgeting; the financial decisions of households; the role of the financial system in the economy and the flow of funds; and causes and consequences of the recent financial crises.

This course provides the basis for understanding the current trends in international trade, including the growth of unilateralism and protectionist pressures and the crisis of the world trading system. 

Students explore cutting-edge research on climate politics and critically analyze various theoretical concepts and models, assess the advantages and drawbacks of different empirical approaches, and draw connections to core debates in international political economy and political science. Students gain familiarity with the frontier of climate politics scholarship, learn how to constructively critique academic work, and develop skills in designing and executing rigorous political economy research.

The course explores the major theoretical models of Political Economy and the available empirical evidence. Sample topics include social choice theory and preference aggregation; comparative electoral systems; political economy of income redistribution; turnout in elections; strategic and sincere voting; political parties; debates and communication; political agency models; citizen-candidate models; and empirical studies of political selection, representation and policy outcomes, bureaucracy, gender and politics, and conflict. Empirical studies will be mostly focused on developing countries.

Through this course, students gain access to research-led lectures and the latest scholarship to properly understand how digital platforms work and the roles they play in society. Students apply this knowledge to case studies to understand how platforms are shaped and where citizens might intervene in their governance. Students engage in debates to think about how to critically engage with technological power and to mitigate the social harms of platforms.

This course covers theories and processes of contemporary urban development from a critical political economy perspective, addressing urban problems and policy responses in our rapidly urbanizing world. The course examines what urbanization means to the state, to (global/domestic) businesses, and ordinary citizens, focusing on a selected set of key themes that are pertinent to the understanding of urban injustice. Such themes may include, but are not limited to, the understanding of the (social) production of unequal urban space, global circulations of urbanism, gentrification, displacement, and dispossession. Case studies are largely drawn from a diverse range of cities across the world, providing opportunities for students to contest urban theories that have largely been rooted in the experiences of the advanced economies.

This course offers a rigorous examination of the theory and practices relevant to brand management. Its core objectives are to provide an understanding of the important issues in crafting and evaluating brand strategies, to provide the appropriate theories, models, and analytical tools that enable managers to make well-informed brand management decisions, and to provide a platform for students to apply these principles.