Instructors:
Dr. Saeed Khodaverdian
Event type:
Lecture + practical course
Displayed in timetable as:
Language of instruction:
English
Min. | Max. participants:
- | 81
Comments/contents:
This course discusses how political and economic aspects affect each other in the development process of countries. We begin with an overview of existing forms of government working out the advantages and disadvantages of each form. We use that knowledge in the first block of the course exploring why countries have developed to differently where some have become stable democracies whereas others have remained autocratic. In the second block of the course, we discuss the influences of several fixed characteristics of countries (e.g. geographical position) as well as the influence of some "major events" (e.g. colonialization) that have had significant long-term consequences for the development paths of the countries today. In the third block, we focus on "modern aspects” of politics and economics in affecting outcomes. Exercises with real-world data help to deepen the subjects of the lectures.
Although there is no pre-requisite for this course, basic knowledge in micro- and macro-economics is an advantage. The exercises will be discussed using EXCEL.
Learning objectives:
The course has three main objectives:
- First, it provides insights into the interplay of politics and economics in historical perspectives.
- Second, it demostrates how that interplay has formed the outcomes of today (concerning both the political and economic landscape).
- Third, it highlights the difficulties that are involved in policy-making.
Didactic concept:
Currently, the course is planned to be held in presence at the UHH. That means that we meet in class. The lecturer will present the subjects and students are encouraged to participate in the lecture contributing to a valuable discussion. Material (i.e. lecture notes) will be uploaded to STiNE ahead of time.
If the pandemic situation renders presence lectures impossible, the course will be held online (via ZOOM). In this case, students will be contacted ahead of time with detailed instructions how to enter the virtuell class-room.
Literature:
There are several optional readings for the subjects of this course. However, the teaching-style of the course is paper-based. This means that published research articles will be provided in advance of the lecture. The contents of the articles build the base for our discussions.
Additional examination information:
We plan a regular exam written in presence at the UHH. ONLY IF WE CHANGE TO ONLINE TEACHING, WE WILL HAVE A TAKE-HOME EXAM.
