Course 2020-2021 a.y.

The course is divided in three modules:

1. A first module provides a critical discussion of long-run economic scenarios focusing on three main issues: economic growth models (with an application to the case of China), regional divergence with Europe (and the policies to contrast it), and labour markets.
2. A second module analyses in details the economics of the business cycle and the role of fiscal and monetary policies in shaping it, with a particular attention to the process of European integration.
3. A third module looks at the institutional and historical features of economic crises.

• Understand the drivers of countries' growth in the long run.
• Understand the dynamics of the labor market.
• Use basic macroeconomic models to forecast the possible evolution of the business cycle across countries.
• Recognize the impact on the business cycle of economic shocks and policy (fiscal and monetary) responses.
• Assess the implications of economic crises (Covid-19, finance) on countries, with a particular focus on the European Union.
• Assess the role of historical events and institutions in driving the current evolution of global markets.

• Apply the theoretical, empirical and historical tools developed in the course in order to grasp the essential features and evolution of global markets and their reaction to crises.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Online lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)

Guest speakers from international institutions provide their experience in the analysis of the problems studied during the course. Specific exercises help students gain a better working knowledge of the main economic models used throughout the course.

Partial Exam on Module I and II of the course (60%)

Group Assignment on Module III of the course (40%)

or

General Exam on the entirety of the course program

• C.J. JONES, Macroeconomics, Norton, 2013, 3rd Ed.
• M. AMATO, L. FANTACCI, End of Finance, Polity press, 2012.