Economics

This course provides a rigorous introduction to game theory, the mathematical study of strategic interaction. Designed for advanced undergraduates, it equips students with the tools to model and analyze strategic situations across disciplines such as economics, political science, and law. Students learn to formulate strategic situations as non-cooperative games in normal or extensive form; analyze classic games such as the prisoner’s dilemma, models of oligopolistic competition, and job market signaling; determine optimal strategies based on beliefs about others’ behavior; apply core solution concepts to predict strategic behavior, including Nash equilibrium, Mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium, Subgame-perfect Nash equilibrium, Bayesian Nash equilibrium, and Perfect Bayesian equilibrium.

This course studies Europe both as a collection of countries that exhibit varying political, economic, and policy patterns but face very similar problems at the turn of the millennium and as a political and economic unit that binds those European countries together and determines their collective responses to the challenges they face. It provides an understanding of capitalist diversity within Europe and the challenges faced by European integration in the past decade and a half.

The course follows a traditional chronological approach (from antiquity to the 1860s), providing an introduction to the development of major schools of thought. The emphasis is on understanding the historical, political, and cultural context that contributed to the emergence of economic doctrines. Neither a history of simple “ideas” nor a history of economic theories alone, this is a contextual history that seeks to explain how and why, in each era, different ways of thinking about economics took hold. It examines how three ages of thought follow on from and intermingle with one another: moral (conforming behavior to norms defining the good life); political (working for the prosperity and power of nations); and scientific (developing a rational explanation of economic behavior and phenomena).

This course presents the Chinese economy and its evolution over the last four decades from a macroeconomic perspective. The world's second-largest economy has several characteristics: it is opaque, constitutes a rare example of a hybrid capitalist system, and has undergone significant changes in recent years. In recent years, the Chinese economy has faced persistent internal imbalances that raise questions about the future changes to its growth model and, more broadly, the implications for its financial and trading partners. This course provides the essential tools for understanding the Chinese economy and its implications for international economic dynamics. 

This course introduces the economic analysis of environmental and natural resource issues using modern applied microeconomic methods. The course explores how economic principles can be applied to understand environmental problems, evaluate policy solutions, and analyze the sustainable use of natural resources. The course emphasizes applying economic theory to real-world policy questions, developing skills in policy analysis and evaluation, and exploring the intersection of economics and environmental stewardship. 

The first few weeks of the course covers classical topics in environmental and natural resources economics. The remainder of the semester focuses on contemporary issues such as environmental justice, climate change, sustainable development, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), and carbon neutralization economics with global applications. 

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. This course explores market design, auctions, negotiation strategies, and behavioral economics with a focus on real-world applications and practical experiments. Students gain insights into how markets function, learn negotiation techniques, and analyze human behavior in economic decision-making through hands-on experiments and class discussions. At the course completion, they are able to confront real-world business challenges with confidence and insight, armed with a robust skill set that combines theory, practice, and the science of human behavior.

Students learn about different auction types, their theoretical foundations, and practical implementations. Negotiations, another crucial component of market interactions, involve discussions to reach mutually acceptable agreements. The course covers various negotiation techniques and strategies to improve outcomes. Understanding market design, auctions, and negotiations is crucial for ensuring efficient and fair resource allocation, making strategic business decisions, and developing effective negotiation skills. Behavioral economics provides insights into human decision-making, helping to predict and influence behavior in market settings. This knowledge is vital for professionals in business and economics, policymakers, and individuals aiming to improve their negotiation skills and influence market dynamics. By the end of the course, students possess a robust skill set combining theory, practical applications, and behavioral insights, enabling them to confidently tackle real-world business challenges.

Topics covered in the lessons include: market design, auction theory, applications of auction theory, negotiation and bargaining, behavioral economics, cognitive biases and heuristics, behavioral economics in market design, real world applications and case studies. Prerequisite Knowledge: To successfully complete this course, students should have a foundational understanding of microeconomics, including concepts such as supply and demand, market equilibrium, and basic game theory. Prior coursework in introductory economics or business studies will help in grasping the more advanced topics covered in market design, auctions, and negotiation strategies. Additionally, an interest in behavioral economics and a willingness to engage in hands-on experiments and class discussions will enhance the learning experience.

This colloquium prepares students for writing their bachelor’s thesis by guiding them through research design, literature review, theory development, and academic writing. Students learn to formulate strong research questions, identify research gaps, and structure their projects effectively. Through discussions, workshops, and peer feedback, the course builds essential research and analytical skills for successful independent thesis work.

This course covers economic development in various regions of the world and introduces students to major development problems and policies, both domestic and international. Students explore and analyze models of economic growth, population growth, poverty, income distribution, urbanization and rural-urban migration, health, education, the environment, and international trade and finance, problems of debt burdens, foreign aid, and private and foreign investment. Topics include Economic Growth and Development, Growth Models, Poverty, Income Inequality and Development, Population Growth and Economic Development: Causes, Consequences, and Controversies, Rural and Urban Migration: Theory and Policy, Human Capital and Economic Development, Agricultural Transformation and Rural Development, The Environment and Development, Trade and Economic Development, The Policy Debate: Export Promotion, Import Substitution, and Economic Integration, Balance of Payments, Developing-Country Debt, and Macroeconomic Stabilization Controversy, Foreign Finance, Investment, and Aid: Controversies and Opportunities, and Finance and Fiscal Policy for Development.  

Prerequisite: Introductory economics 

This course covers processes and techniques that help corporate managers make financial decisions in an international setting. 

Instead of introducing fundamental international finance concepts in a simplified one-country setting, this course takes a global approach and studies different nations (with each their own currency) who interact politically, economically, and financially. 

Students examine qualitative and quantitative financial methodologies for making major financial decisions in the international business setting and learn to identify global issues and trends in both academic and practical areas of international finance.  

Prerequisite: Financial Management