Trending Topics en Economía: la cara y la cruz

General information

Type:	OP	Curs:	3	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	4 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
	Anna Laborda Coronil	Economía, Finanzas y Contabilidad	ESP

Prerequisites

Students need to have successfully passed the first year of the programme.

Previous Knowledge

Students need to be familiar with economic principles. In particular, they should have an intermediate level of mastery over macro and microeconomics.

Workload distribution

Workload distribution:
In-class hours: 21 hours
Tutorials for presentations: 9 hours
Independent study: 12 hours
Feedback: 3 hours

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM

This course addresses topics not included in other Economics courses taught throughout the programme. In addition, this course is analytical in focus; that is, it not only focuses on describing important economic events but, rather, it aims for students to understand these events, applying a theoretical economic base when analysing them. This course's contribution to the programme is thus twofold: address topics of interest and interpret them by means of theoretical anayses.
This programme also foments debate and class discussions.

Course Learning Objectives

This course has two key objectives:
1) Inform participants on some of today's most important economic problems
2) For students to learn to distinguish between analysing economic problems and merely describing them, thus successfully applying economic analyses when interpreting economic reality.

Competences

6. Strategic thought, systematic thought
16. Appreciation/understanding of diversity

6. Strategic thought, systematic thought

16. Appreciation/understanding of diversity

Relation between Activities and Competences

	6	16
Attendance and attitude
Session assignments

CONTENT

1. Natural resource, food and raw material markets Natural resource and raw material markets: importers and exporters; the ownership structure of said resources and exploitation rights; externalities; and socio-political implications. The focus may be on a given strategic material such as coltan, oil and biofuels or the food market. Once more, the topic should have the greatest economic-social impact at the time, and students should always attempt to find the most current and attractive topic.
2. Control over energy assets. Energy monopolies and oligopolies. Efficiency amongst natural monopolies. The possiblity of being self-sufficient. The Spanish "sun tax". The aim of this topic is to analyse energy markets, comparing different sources of energy, ranging from the renewable sources available today to more traditional sources (different types of thermal energy) and debating on the role that nuclear power plants still play. We will also debate on the existing business structure, with large energy producers and distributors, government subsidies, taxes and the strange and difficult-to-understand electric bill consumers end up paying. Is this a well-structured and efficient industry?
3. Current events related to one of the following: the job market, economic growth and income disparity, the effects of the recession on self-employed workers and SMEs, etc. We will adapt one of the topics to the current economic situation. For a global perspective, the aim is to address a topic in the macroeconomic area. It should also be an interesting topic related to economic problems affecting business activity and standards of living amongst Spanish households.
4. Cross-cultural issues This topic serves to end the course. We will attempt to take advantage of students' differing origins and their experiences with exchange programmes to create a cross-cultural debate which includes elements addressed in previous sessions and any other topic which might arise.

1. Natural resource, food and raw material markets

Natural resource and raw material markets: importers and exporters; the ownership structure of said resources and exploitation rights; externalities; and socio-political implications. The focus may be on a given strategic material such as coltan, oil and biofuels or the food market. Once more, the topic should have the greatest economic-social impact at the time, and students should always attempt to find the most current and attractive topic.

2. Control over energy assets. Energy monopolies and oligopolies. Efficiency amongst natural monopolies. The possiblity of being self-sufficient. The Spanish "sun tax".

The aim of this topic is to analyse energy markets, comparing different sources of energy, ranging from the renewable sources available today to more traditional sources (different types of thermal energy) and debating on the role that nuclear power plants still play. We will also debate on the existing business structure, with large energy producers and distributors, government subsidies, taxes and the strange and difficult-to-understand electric bill consumers end up paying. Is this a well-structured and efficient industry?

3. Current events related to one of the following: the job market, economic growth and income disparity, the effects of the recession on self-employed workers and SMEs, etc.

We will adapt one of the topics to the current economic situation. For a global perspective, the aim is to address a topic in the macroeconomic area. It should also be an interesting topic related to economic problems affecting business activity and standards of living amongst Spanish households.

4. Cross-cultural issues

This topic serves to end the course. We will attempt to take advantage of students' differing origins and their experiences with exchange programmes to create a cross-cultural debate which includes elements addressed in previous sessions and any other topic which might arise.

Relation between Activities and Contents

	1	2	3	4
Attendance and attitude
Session assignments

Methodology

The methodology applied in this course combines lectures with the students' search for information and their active participation in class, the latter consisting of presentations regarding the information found and debates on the topics addressed.

Class participation and debates are a part of this methodology.

ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN

Description	%
Attendance and attitude	30
Session assignments	70

Assessment criteria

Attendance: 30% of the final class mark is based on attendance. The percentage of classes attended by students will be weighted to calculate this mark. However, students must attend at least 60% of all classes. Students failing to attend this established minimum will receive a 0 as their corresponding mark on this component. This component also takes into account students' attitudes in the classroom, specifically in terms of: their respect for the setting, their classmates and faculty.

Session assignments: 70% of the final class mark is based on group presentations on each of the topics addressed. The assessment of this 70% comprises 3 elements: the document groups have prepared for their presentations; the quality and dynamics of the oral presentation by each member of the group; and peer evaluations by all group members.

Bibliography

Short bibliography:

None. We will work with current data, press articles and class notes.

Timetable and sections

Group	Teacher	Department
	Anna Laborda Coronil	Economía, Finanzas y Contabilidad

Trending Topics en Economía: la cara y la cruz (19BBA60005)