30372 - GLOBAL HISTORY

While this course has no prerequisites, students will benefit from prior knowledge in the area of international relations, international institutions, global business, macroeconomics, and economic development.

We live in a “global” world in the 21st century, characterized by global trade, global supply chains, global norms, and global institutions. But what does that mean, exactly, and how did we get here? This course examines two forces – sometimes in conflict and sometimes in concert – that shaped the global economy into its present form: global capitalism and global governance. Together, we will approach these forces through the lenses of their agents and institutions: thinkers, policymakers, firms, and business groups on the one hand, and international organizations, supranational institutions, global trade frameworks, and international laws and regulations on the other. By taking a long historical view, reading a wide variety of sources, and engaging in open discussion, students of this course can gain valuable perspectives for understanding the relationships between concepts like empire and trade, war and peace, business and regulation, economic growth and human rights, on a global scale.

• Political economy
• Economic systems
• International organizations
• Globalization and de-globalization
• Industrial revolutions and modernization
• Empires and decolonization
• Economic crises
• War and conflict
• Aid and development
• Economic integration
• Regulation and governance

This course is designed to help students understand the historical evolution of the global economy and the forces that have shaped it, namely global capitalism and global governance. By the end of the course, students should be able to: 

•       Define global capitalism and global governance 

•       Understand the dynamics of globalization and deglobalization

•       Identify key actors and institutions in the evolution of the global economy  

•       Examine challenges and opportunities through the lenses of business leaders and international policymakers/regulators

The lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments that comprise the teaching methods of this course aim to equip students with the skills to: 

•       Analyze primary and secondary sources carefully and critically 

•       Engage in active discussion about the themes they introduce 

•       Develop original, evidence-based arguments about the history of the global economy  

•       Apply knowledge of global history to contemporary debates about globalization, international cooperation, and international political economy 

• Face-to-face lectures
• Online lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Individual assignments
• Group assignments
• Interactive class activities on campus/online (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

This is an interactive course. Each of the four modules includes 2 business case discussions and 1 primary source analysis session. Especially in these sessions, the classroom will be “flipped,” meaning that students will lead the discussion and analysis. As a result, students are asked to come to class having completed all of the assigned readings and prepared to discuss course content, ask questions, and engage with the professor and their peers, while abiding by the University Honor Code (see below). At the same time, in recognizing the diversity of preferred learning modalities, students will have multidimensional opportunities to engage with course content by reading, writing, listening, speaking, visualizing, and discussing. 

This course is designed to be cumulative and is constructed in such a way that every student can succeed. Student acquisition of knowledge attained through assigned readings, lecture materials, and class discussions will be assessed in two primary ways: class participation and the acquisition of analytical skills will be evaluated through primary source analysis sessions, while understanding of assigned readings and lecture material will be assessed through in-class quizzes.

Non-attending students must complete a literature review essay on an assigned question related to the course content, citing both primary and secondary sources (50% of the overall course grade). After passing the review essay, they may register for the general exam (50% of the overall course grade).

The course syllabus will provide information about all teaching materials.