International trade and economic development (2013/2014)

Learning outcomes

Development Economics (Prof. Eugenio Peluso)
This part of the course aims to provide an overview of the main aspects of economic development: a brief introduction to the problems of growth and the role of technological progress, the analysis of the distributional aspects and the mechanisms of accumulation of physical capital and human capital. The program will be completed by the analysis of the dual models and of the mechanisms of agglomeration pointed out by the New Economic Geography theory. The main objective will be to provide for students who aim at working in firms and public companies active on international markets, those useful tools for evaluating the opportunities offered by the various countries with which Italian companies interact, both as potential markets as possible production sites.


International trade (Prof. Riccardo Fiorentini)
This module deals with the recent evolution of the world economy and focuses both on patterns of regional integration and the links between financial crisis, global imbalances and income inequality.

The course will be taught in English

INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
1. Overview of development experiences
2. growth and technology
3. endogenous growth, history and expectations
4. inequality, poverty and growth
5. the dual model, international factor mobility and migration.
6. Agglomeration: the "New Economic Geography" explanation.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE
7. Financial crisis, globalization, development and income inequalities
8. Regional integration in the world economy

Textbooks:
R. Fiorentini e G. Montani (2012), The New Global Political Economy, Edward Elgar, ISBN 978-0-85793-404-8, capitoli 2,3,4
D. Ray: Development economics Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-01706-9, capitoli da 2 a 10.
Further readings will be suggested during the lectures

Written exam. Students may prepare short papers as a part of the exam