Course 2026-2027 a.y.

1. Evolutions in the Paradigms on the Role and Nature of Public and International Organizations

• From traditional public administration to New Public Management and beyond
• The shifting boundaries between state, market, and civil society
• Evolving mandates of international organizations in a changing global order
• The rise of hybrid and networked governance models

2. Current Professional Challenges and Opportunities in National and International Organizations

• Career pathways for managers, economists, and policy experts across sectors
• Professional opportunities in public organizations, international bodies, NGOs, and at the business-government interface
• Key competencies and skill sets demanded by GIO-relevant employers
• Sustainability as an emerging professional frontier across public and private organizations

3. Current Geopolitical Trends and How They Affect National and International Organizations

• Major geopolitical shifts: multipolarity, great power competition, and regional realignments
• Geoeconomics: trade policy, sanctions, and industrial strategy as instruments of statecraft
• The impact of geopolitical fragmentation on multilateral cooperation and international institutions
• Global challenges — climate, health, migration, digital transformation — as drivers of institutional change

4. Acknowledging Diversity and Managing Effective Teamwork

• Working in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams
• Cross-cultural communication and inclusive leadership
• Conflict navigation and collaborative decision-making in diverse environments
• Soft skills for professional effectiveness in complex organizational settings

• Analyze the evolving paradigms governing the role and nature of public and international organizations, and evaluate the professional opportunities and challenges facing managers, economists, and policy experts working within public institutions, international organizations, and at the business-government interface.
• Identify and critically assess current geopolitical trends and explain how they reshape the mandates, strategies, and operational contexts of national, international, and private organizations.
• Demonstrate the interpersonal and collaborative skills — including cross-cultural communication, inclusive teamwork, and adaptive problem-solving — required to work effectively in diverse and complex organizational environments.

• Analyse trends in geopolitics, to interpret  the changes in the role of international and national organizations and to connect these to professional challenges and opportunities.
• Develop soft skills aimed at strengthening teamwork in diverse settings.

• Lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Individual works / Assignments
• Interaction/Gamification

The course combines complementary approaches designed to bridge academic knowledge with professional practice and develop both analytical and interpersonal competencies.

Guest Speakers A series of talks by GIO alumni working across public organizations, international bodies, NGOs, and the private sector offers students firsthand insight into diverse career trajectories, professional roles, and the competencies employers actually demand. Sessions are structured as open conversations rather than lectures, encouraging direct engagement and informed reflection on students' own career paths.

Interactive Activities and Simulations Team-based simulations replicate real-world professional scenarios — policy negotiation, institutional decision-making, cross-sector stakeholder engagement — requiring students to practice collaborative problem-solving, cross-cultural communication, and adaptive thinking.

Connecting Theory and Practice Across all formats, the course maintains a deliberate link between conceptual frameworks and the lived realities of working in the GIO space, encouraging students to apply course content to current events, organizational case studies, and their own professional interests.

Each year, details on the assignment are given at the beginning and at the end of the course. The assignment allows to reflect on the learning objectives based on both previous experience and professional aspiration.

Please not that attendance is mandatory. Should you be unable to attend the course, please send an email asap to the course responsible: aleksandra.torbica@unibocconi.it

Slides and materials are uploaded on the web-learning.