International Political Economy

This seminar introduces students to international political economy (IPE) in four parts. The first part of the seminar first reviews the classical theoretical perspectives of IPE (realism and liberalism). Thereafter, the seminar discusses three selected topics of IPE in the three following parts. The first topic is the historical role of empires and colonialism in shaping the international economy, and the role of multinational corporations. The second topic is globalization and international development, in which students will critically analyze the phenomenon of “globalization,” the role of international development, and the phenomenon of petrostates. The third and last topic is the “green turn,” which refers to the increasing action to shift away from fossil fuels and polluting economic practices to tackle climate change.