Globalization refers to the growing interdependence of the world’s economies, cultures, and populations brought about by cross-border trade in goods and services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information. In economics, globalization can be defined as the process by which businesses, organizations, and countries begin operating internationally. As with any change, globalization has winners and losers. It has led to increased living standards worldwide, benefitting society as a whole while harming certain groups. Understanding the relative costs and benefits may help alleviate problems while sustaining the wider payoffs. The aim of the course is to provide students with the conceptual and methodological tools to understand the reasons and implications of the globalization process. Besides basic theoretical instruments, the discussion will focus on the main trends in world trade, foreign investments, global production networks, and economic and spatial inequalities.

Teaching method: discussion on readings (agreed with students, according to their specific research interests), active learning

Assessment: a short critical essay (max 5 pages) on the topic delved during the course.