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Unit of study_

ECON6016: Trade and Development

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit is designed to highlight the relation between trade and development from an institutional and structural perspective, with appropriate modifications of received general economic principles, theories and policies. It closely studies the integration process of traditional segment of a developing society into its modern counterpart in countries selected from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific regions. It examines role of the state and international institutions (like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization), rationale for trade, planning and market mechanisms in developing economies, and also socio-cultural preconditions and economic requirements for a market economy. It focuses on a wide range of developmental problems and issues (such as foreign aid, debt, investment, technology transfer) from both national and international points of view.

Unit details and rules

Unit code ECON6016
Academic unit Economics
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
ECON5001 or ECON5002 or ECON5040
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Syed Atif, syed.atif@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Final exam (Open book) Type C final exam Final exam
n/a
50% Formal exam period 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Presentation group assignment Seminar paper presentation
Presentation
20% Multiple weeks 10 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Tutorial quiz Tutorial quiz
Open-ended short quizzes
5% Multiple weeks 30
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
In-semester test (Open book) Type C in-semester exam In-class test
n/a
25% Week 08
Due date: 06 Oct 2021 at 14:00
1 hour
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
group assignment = group assignment ?
Type C final exam = Type C final exam ?
Type C in-semester exam = Type C in-semester exam ?

Assessment summary

Please note assessments are slightly different as compared to FASS Handbook. 

1x1hr Mid-semester test (25%), 1x2500wd Research paper and presentation (Group task) (20%), Tutorial quizzes participation (5%), 1x2hr Final exam (50%),

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to International Trade: Basic Concepts and Issues Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 02 Trade, Growth and Development Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 03 Trade, Development and Institutions Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 04 Trade, Development and Globalization Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Trade, Development, Poverty and Inequality Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 06 Trade, Development, Innovation and Technology Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 07 Trade, Development and Investment Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 08 Midterm Exam and Tutorial Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 09 Trade, Development, Foreign Aid and Debt Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 10 Trade, Development, Migration and Remittances Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 11 Trade, Development and Environment Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 12 Presentations Project (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 13 Presentations Project (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.
  • Tutorial Participation: Students will be required to complete at least 8 out of 10 quizzes to qualify for full participation marks for the tutorial quizzes

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

This unit is a fusion of International Trade with Development Economics and their application in the real world. Therefore, we will use multiple chapters from several texts combined with research papers and reports on trade and development. These texts will help students in developing a better understanding of material discussed in the lecture.

Also, it is strongly recommended that students with no background in internaitonal economics and growth theory familiarize themselves with the introductory texts before the classes start, e.g. first chapter from Krugman et al. (2012), Salvatore (2004) and Ray(1998). In addition to that, following will provide and overview of trade agreements:

“Understanding the WTO”, available on:
http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/utw_chap2_e.pdf

“International Trade: Free, Fair and Open?”, available on:
http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/trade/international-trade_9789264060265-en

This list is certainly not exhaustive. 
 

Texts (selective chapters)

Feenstra, R., & Taylor, A. (2017). International Trade. Macmillan Learning (available online at USyd Library website).

Krugman, P. R., Obstfeld, M., & Melitz, M. J. (2012). International economics: theory & policy (9th ed.). Pearson Addison-Wesley.

Ray, D., (1998), Development Economics, Princeton University Press (available online at USyd Library website).

Salvatore, D. (2004), International Economics (8th Ed.), John Wiley.

Todaro M., & Smith, S., (2012), Economic Development (11th Ed.), Addison-Wesley.

The list of prescribed readings will be dispensed through Canvas.

Meanwhile, please feel free to familiarize yourself with the following organizations and their research on trade and development. 

World Trade Organization: www.wto.org

World Bank on Trade: http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/trade

World Bank - General: www.worldbank.org/research/trade

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: www.oecd.org

International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development:  www.ictsd.org

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy: www.iatp.org/

International Trade Centre: www.intracen.org 

Food and Agriculture Organization: www.fao.org

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development: www.unctad.org

United Nations Development Programme: www.undp.org (see Human Development Reports)

United Nations Millennium Project: www.unmillenniumproject.org

Asian Development Bank: www.adb.org

African Development Bank www.afdb.org

Inter-American Development Bank www.iadb.org

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand economic, social, political, cultural, legal, commercial and business issues
  • LO2. apply fundamental theories and concepts in diverse and unpredictable environments
  • LO3. think critically about underlying theories, concepts, assumptions and arguments in trade and development related studies
  • LO4. communicate effectively in verbal, written and group discussions to a professional standard in practical day-to-day life.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

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