Course 2012-2013 a.y.

Go to class group/s: 31

CLMG (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - M (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - IM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - MM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - AFC (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - CLAPI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - CLEFIN-FINANCE (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - CLELI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - ACME (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - DES-ESS (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02) - EMIT (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/02)

Course Director:
CARLO ALTOMONTE

Course Objectives

The course applies the most recent theoretical and empirical developments in international economics to the process of European integration.

By the end of this course, students should be able to practically use advanced economic and statistical tools for the analysis and possible solution of the most relevant issues in economic policy currently discussed in the EU. To this aim, specific group assignments using actual data and special guests from the EU Institutions complement the course program.

Course Content Summary

The course is divided into four parts: 

• economic geography and cohesion
• economic integration and growth
• innovation policies and economic integration
• future developments of the EU in the post crisis context

Among the topics covered, the course in particular touches upon the following:

• theory of economic integration with heterogeneous firms
• micro-foundation and analysis of aggregate productivity
• new economic geography
• productivity spillovers from multinational companies
• structural reforms in the EU

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

Attending students  
Two take-home group assignments on the first three parts of the course, worth 60 per cent of total marks. A final written exam makes up for the remaining points.

Non-attending students
Individual essay, on a topic to be agreed in advance, on one of the first three parts of the course, worth 50 per cent of total marks. A final written exam makes up for the remaining points.

Textbooks

All the material for study is provided on the e-learning Space of the course in the form of slides or class notes based, among others, on the following articles:

• D. ACEMOGLU, P. AGHION, F. ZILIBOTTI, Distance to Frontier, Selection and Economic Growth, Journal of the European Economic Association, 4:37-74, 2006.
• P. KRUGMAN, Scale Economies, Product Differentiation and the Pattern of Trade, American Economic Review, 70:950-959, 1980.
• T. MAYER, G. OTTAVIANO, The Happy Few: the Internationalisation of European Firms, Bruegel Blueprint 3, 2007.
• M. MELITZ, The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocation and Aggregate Industry Productivity, Econometrica, 71:1695-1725, 2003.
• D. PUGA, European Regional Policies in Light of Recent Location Theories, Journal of Economic Geography, 2:373-406, 2002.
• M. MELITZ, G. OTTAVIANO, Market Size, Trade and Productivity, Review of Economic Studies 75: 295-316, 2008.
• B. SMARZYNSKA JAVORCIK, Does Foreign Direct Investment Increase the Productivity of Domestic Firms? In Search of Spillovers through Backward Linkages, American Economic Review, 94(3), 2004

Exam textbooks & Online Articles (check availability at the Library)

Last change 08/06/2012 12:49