MGX5730 - International trade policy - 2017

The unit will provide students with key insights regarding how trade policy is formulated, negotiated and implemented; the economic, social and cultural implications of international trade rules; the pattern of relationships that exists between trade policy and prosperity; and the implications of the global financial crisis for international trade policy. The unit focuses on the GATT/WTO System and Bilateral and Regional Trade Agreements.

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

1. assess the advantages and limitations of the multilateral trading system in terms of its decision making processes and its agreements (agriculture, services, intellectual property, etc.)
2. explain the recent surge of bilateralism and regionalism and assess the implications of this surge for the multilateral trading system
3. evaluate the opportunities and the limitations of formally linking human rights and environmental issues to the global trading system
4. judge whether the current global trading system treats trade liberalisation as a means to an end (the end being sustainable and equitable development) or an end in itself
5. evaluate the implications of the global financial crisis for the global trading system.

Within semester assessment: 60% + Examination: 40%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Dr Jagjit Plahe