ECON 2500 - International Trade & Investment Policy II

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2014

This is an introductory undergraduate course in international trade. The course covers the following standard topics: the main reasons for trade, trade patterns, trade and income distribution, FDI and immigration, trade policy instruments, WTO and the multilateral trading system, trade agreements. The course may also cover additional topics such as offshoring, trade and child labour, globalisation and environment.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ECON 2500
    Course International Trade & Investment Policy II
    Coordinating Unit Economics
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Incompatible ECON 2000
    Assumed Knowledge ECON 1004
    Assessment Typically, tutorial work, mid-term & final exam
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Tatyana Chesnokova

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to the theory of international trade as well as international trade policy and to demonstrate the relevance of the theory in the analysis of (a) existing patterns of international trade and what determines them, (b) the conduct of trade policy and (c) the economic implications of international trade and trade policy both for individual economies such as Australia and the wider international community. 

    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

    1 Understand the major reasons for international trade and be able to distinguish between them in terms of their assumptions and economic implications
    2 Be able to apply partial equilibrium models in analysing the economic effects of trade policy instruments such as tariffs, quotas, export subsidies
    3 Be familiar with the major recent developments in the world trading system, and be able to critically analyse key issues raised both by the current round of WTO negotiations and by the spread of regional trading arrangements
    4 Develop communications skills through the presentation of your work and interactions during tutorial sessions


    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1-4
    The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 1-4
    An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 1-4
    Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 1-4
    A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 1-4
    A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 1-4
    A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 1-4
    An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 1-4
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    John McLaren “International Trade”, Wiley, 2013
    Online Learning
    Lecture notes and tutorials will be made available through the course website on
    www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au.

    Some Useful Websites:
    WTO: http://www.wto.org 
    UNCTAD: http://www.unctad.org
    OECD: http://www.oecd.org
    International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development: http://www.ictsd.org 
    The World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org 
    Alan Deardorff’s Glossary of International Economics Terms:
    International Economics Terms
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Learning in this course is through lectures, tutorials, and personal study. The format of the teaching
    consists of two-hour lecture and one tutorial session per week.
    The lectures will provide you with the necessary understanding of the material to be able to solve the
    exercises you will be given during tutorials or exams.

    Tutorials represent an important learning component of the class. The tutorials consist of 11 weekly
    sets of problems. Students are expected to work through the assignments independently and
    prepare solutions to be discussed during the tutorial time. The tutorial questions will include problemsolving exercises, policy article discussions and exercises with spreadsheets on actual data.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Students in this course are expected to attend all lectures throughout the semester plus one tutorial class each week. In addition, the workload for this class is designed for 9 hours per week of independent study.
    Learning Activities Summary
    TOPICS
    Week 1 What is globalization?
    Week 2 Comparative Advantage
    Week 3 Trade and Politics
    Week 4 Returns to Scale
    Week 5 Trade and Resources
    Week 6 FDI and Outsourcing
    Week 7 FDI and Outsourcing
    Week 8 Migration
    Week 9 WTO
    Week 10 Tariffs, quotas and subsidies
    Week 11 Tariffs, quotas and subsidies
    Week 12 Trade and Environment; Trade and Labor Standards

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Mid semester test (30 %)
    Will be held in Week 7, in class.

    Tutorial Participation (10%)
    Students are expected to source materials for the answers to the tutorial problem sets themselves and in discussion with their classmates.
    Students are expected to discuss their proposed solutions during the tutorials. The tutors will be available to discuss the answers which students propose. Tutors in charge will assess student's tutorial participation.

    Final Exam (60%)
    There will be a 2 hour final exam. Please refer to
    http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/timetable.html
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Attendance is expected for all tutorials.
    Assessment Detail
    Test  will be held in Week 7 during lecture time. The duration of the test will be 50 minutes.

    The final exam will cover the full set of material developed in this course. This includes all materials from the lectures and other readings, as well as discussions and exercises considered in the tutorials.

    Cheating in Examinations and plagiarism in Related Forms of Assessment is a serious act of academic misconduct. Any incidence will be reported for disciplinary action.

    Any student failing to take the mid-semester test or attend tutorial must present a valid justification (medical, compassionate, or a valid University sanctioned representation) before any redemption points can be arranged.

    Legible hand-writing and the quality of English expression are considered to be integral parts of the assessment process. Marks will not be awarded in the final examination for answers that cannot be read.

    Please note that, following University policy, dictionaries are not allowed in School of Economics exams.

    Assessment marks prior to the final exam may be displayed on the course website. Students are encouraged to check their marks and notify the lecturer-in-charge of any discrepancies.
    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.