International Studies

This course studies the global economy from a political perspective. Politics and policy choices have fundamental impact on global economic outcomes, and the course examined such issues as who are the winners, who are the losers, and how are the economic costs and benefits distributed. The course begins by examining the major analytical perspectives used in the study of international political economy (IPE). It then turns to the key substantive topics in IPE: international trade, global capital flows, economic crises, multinational production, and the transnational movement of people. The course also compares the relative performance of different national economies in the global economic system. Thereafter, focus is on two global issues with stark implications for human welfare: environmental degradation and world hunger. The course concludes by reflecting on the ethics and future of globalization.

This course discusses the configuration and reconfiguration of the contemporary world system and Latin America's place within it. It examines different perspectives of globalization mainly through the lens of sociology and anthropology.  Topics include: approaches, definitions, and emphasis on the meaning and impact of globalization; economic insertion of a world periphery, regional integration systems, and resources at stake in global exchanges; global flows-- migratory, religious, touristic; diffusion and use of digital technologies, new social movements, and the global city from the south.

This course provides students with a framework for understanding modern ideas in the theory of international trade, and to use this framework to analyze the major policy issues of world trade. Students study the key concepts of positive and normative trade theory and leading examples of recent empirical work on the pattern of trade and the effects of protection and preferential trading agreements.

This course explores Middle Eastern and African politics and society, with special focus on energy; natural resources; Islamic civilizations; geopolitical situations, and terrorism. The course also delves into the domestic and foreign policies of each state in the region, as well as their relations with each other.