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International Economics

Code: 106193
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Mario Francesco Carillo
Email :
mario.carillo@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Knowledge derived from having taken the courses 'Introduction to Economics I and II': a general understanding of basic economic concepts and of the main features of the evolution of the world economy and international relations

Objectives

The main objectives of this course are:

- Learning about the structure and composition of current exchange flows and their historical evolution,

- Introducing analytical tools to be able to compute the proper indicators to interpret the political-economic implication of international exchange flows and, in general, the globalization process,

- Identifying the conditions of the internationalization process of firms and their production processes: value chains, outsourcing, offshoring,

- Recognizing and interpreting the exchange-rate policies of central banks and their impact on the intensity and direction of trade flows and trade relations,

- Acquiring knowledge about the international payment systems stemming from the different exchange-rate policies and their role in international financial crises since 1945.

- Analysing the effects of trade liberalisation on gender inequality in the labour market, with particular attention to wage and employment differences between men and women in contexts of trade openness.


 

Learning outcomes

  1. Work as part of a team and be able to argue own proposals and validate or refuse the arguments of others in a reasonable manner.
  2. Demonstrate capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  3. Organise work in relation to good time management and planning.
  4. Demonstrate initiative and the capacity to work autonomously when the situation requires.
  5. Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implement new projects, coordinate, negotiate and manage conflicts.
  6. Make decisions in situations of uncertainty and show an enterprising and innovative spirit.
  7. Identify classical and modern theories of international commerce and the associated empirical evidence.
  8. Recognise the determining principles in business internationalisation processes.
  9. Understand the main indicators of competitivity in countries.
  10. Identify the links that condition relations of international free trade and, in general, limit the globalisation process.
  11. Identify the determining factors in direct foreign investments and international migration as well as their socio-economic impact in the country of origin and destination.
  12. Relate theories and institutions to international trade regulation.
  13. Describe the international factor movement and analyse the corresponding markets.
  14. Interpret the economic facts of the contemporary world and the current situation of the global economy.
  15. Identify the characteristics o the economic and monetary integration process in Europe and its causes and consequences.
  16. Recognise the causes of economic crises and their impact on different sectors of activity and national economies.
  17. Identify the characteristics of patterns of economic growth in Europe in the second half o the 20th century.
  18. Understand the need for and effects of political and economic reforms carried out since the crisis of the Economic and Monetary Union and also those pending or currently in force.
  19. Analyse the impact of a change in resources on international trade, and incorporate the relationship between growth and international trade.
  20. Analyse the balance, in terms of welfare, of different commercial policies.
  21. Find trade patterns according to comparative advantages.
  22. Identify comparative advantages.
  23. Consider the impact of different commercial policies (fees, duties, subsidies, etc.) on international equilibrium.
  24. Convey the diversity of products with imperfect competition and returns to scale.
  25. Use of the available information technology and adaptation to new technological environments.

Contents

The main topics discussed in this course are:


a) Evidence about the international trade flows: current and past data. Introduction to the different tools and indicators to identify trade patterns. The structure of the National Account. Identification, interpretation and economic consequences of the different trade patterns. The Globalization process.


b) The determinants of trade patterns: theory and evidence.


c) The rise of FTA or custums unions: theoretical background and political implications. Institutions (FMI, WTO).


d) International mobility of factors: MNE and FDI. Value Chains. Gender dimension, international division of labor and migration.


e) The market of currencies and the exchange rates: basic concepts, exchange rate types and regimes


d) The international financial markets: the possible interventions in the exchange-rate market. The evolution of the international monetary systemn (The Gold Standard Era 1870-1914,The Bretton Woods Era 1944-1971, The Dollar crisis, The EMU and the EURO 1971 on). Capital flows and debt crises (Mexican crises, 1994-1995, Asian crises 1997, Russian Crises, 1998, Brazilian crisis 1999, Turksish crises 2001, Argentian crises 2001-2002.....). Cryotocurrencies.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Readings, assimilation of concepts, data and information treatment 80 3.2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Recitations and tutorials 45 1.8 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Follow-up activities 21 0.84 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20, 25

The teaching activities planned in this course will alternate:

- Recitation classes,

- Tutorials and seminars.

Students will be also required to carry out learning tasks (individually or in group) to produce reports or any other type of evidence (to be delivered) to assess the degree of assimilation of the different topics discussed in class.

 

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Final Exam 50% 1.5 0.06 15, 16, 18
Midterm exam 30% 1.5 0.06 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 22, 23, 24
Other activites (reports, presentations.....) 20% 1 0.04 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25

Continous evaluation

The final learning assessment is the weighted average of the following activities:


- 50% Final exam covering the material of the course that the professor will communicate in class.

- 30% Midterm evaluation as the professor will explain in class,

- 20% Other activities (reports, presentations,..)


While carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (in Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades as well as the date the revision will take place.

The final minimum grade to pass the course is 5. The final grade is the weighted average of the scores of all the activities proposed during the course.


If the final overall grade is lower than 3.5, the student must repeat the course next year.


Students with a final grade between 3.5 and less than 5 may take a retake exam. The retake exam will be a synthetic evaluation for all the material discussed in the course. This retake assessment is scheduled by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. If a student passes the retake exam (with 5 as a minimum grade), she/he will pass the course.

Students will obtain a “Not assessed/Not submitted” course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items. Therefore, a student who performs at least 30% of the continuous assessment components can no longer be qualified with a \"not evaluable\"

As a part of the evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded,andthe date on which such a review will take place.

Erasmus and exchange students who request to advance an exam must present a document from their home university justifying their request.


Single assessment

The request for a singleassessment implies to discard theoption to apply for the continuous evaluation option. Students can apply for the single evaluation through a form as established by the Faculty.

All part of the single assessment will be held on the same day as the final test of the continuous evaluation of this subject following of the calendar established by the Faculty.

The different parts of the single assessment and their weight in the final grade are:

- 30% written exam on parts a and b of this course program,

- 40% written exam on parts c, d and e of this course program,

- 20% Delivery of a research report and its presentation as the lecturer will inform to class.

The total (estimated) duration of the single assessment tests will be around five hours.


If a student undertakes any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will get zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will get a zero as the final grade for this subject.


Retake Exam

To be eligible for the retake exam, students must have previously been assessed in a set of activities that account for at least two-thirds of the total grade (CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT), or must have submitted all the scheduled assessments (SINGLE ASSESSMENT). With the approval of the degree coordination and the faculty, certain activities may be excluded from the retake process if, due to their nature, they are considered non-retakeable — provided they do not collectively exceed 50% of the final course grade and this has been clearly indicated in the Course Guide.

To participate in the retake exam, the course instructor may require students to have achieved a minimum average grade in the course. This required grade may not, under any circumstances, exceed 3.5.


Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as search for references or other information, text correction, or translations. The student must clearly identify which parts have been generated using this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. If the student fails to disclose the use of AI in any of the acitivity subject to evaluation will be considered a lack of academic integrity with a partial or total penalization for the grade of the activity.

Bibliography

Basic textbooks:

Krugman, Paul, Obstfeld, Maurice and Melitz, Marc (2022): "International Economics: Theory and Policy", 12th Edition, Pearson Global Edition (available online through the UAB Library)

Pugel, Thomas A. (2023): "International Economics", McGraw-Hill, 18th Edition (available online through the UAB Library)


Other references:

Beugelsdijk, Sjoerd, Brakman, Steven, Garretsen, Harry, Van Marrewijk, Charles and Murtinu, Samuele (2024): "International Economics and Business. Nations and Firms in the Global Economy", Cambridge University Press (paper edition available at the UAB Library)

Tugores-Ques, Juan (2006): "Economía Internacional", 6th Edition, McGraw-Hill (paper edition available at the UAB Library)

Feenstra, Robert C. and Taylor, Alan M. (2014): "International Trade", McGraw-Hill (paper edition available at the UAB Library)


Data Sources:

FMI (http://www.imf.org),

World Bank (http://www.worldbank.org),

European Union (http://www.europa.eu.int),

Euro (http://www.euro.eu.int),

World Trade Organization (http://www.wto.org),

OCDE (http://www.oecd.org),

ONU (http://www.un.org),

INE (http://www.ine.es/),

European Central Bank (http://www.ecb.int/home/html/index.en.html)

Other references will be suggested in class.

Software

Microsoft Excel (or similar)

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 50 English second semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 50 English second semester morning-mixed