ECON 351 - Contemporary Issues in International Finance and Economic Development

This course is required for both the international economics and development policy field and the international money and finance field and builds on the material covered in Econ 350 Global Money and Finance. It provides a useful precursor to the preparation of doctoral proposals. However, it will be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about important contemporary global financial issues. Amongst other things, the course covers: currency crises and financial contagion, monetary integration and disintegration, the choice of exchange rate regimes, currency wars, international capital flows and their volatility, the operations of the IMF, foreign aid, remittances and foreign direct investment, international debt, global macroeconomic imbalances, international reserves, international macroeconomic policy coordination, and the international financial ramifications of the COVID 19 pandemic. Throughout the course, there is an emphasis on using theoretical and empirical analysis to better understand the issues covered, but the course also examines the way in which political factors exert an important influence over the design of policy in international money, finance and development. By investigating selected topics in depth, and by being exposed to the extant research literature, students develop their ability to assimilate, discuss and criticize published leading-edge research.
Units: 4
Course Type: Seminar