ECON6101: Semester 2, 2020

Units ECON6101 Semester 2 2020 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

ECON6101: Special Topics in Economics 1

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Study of a special topic in postgraduate Economics. Topics will vary from semester to semester according to staff availability and the presence of visitors. If taught in both semesters, the topic in Semester 2 will be different to that in Semester 1.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Economics
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	ECON5001 and ECON5002
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Hugh Harley, hugh.harley@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Open book)	Final exam Two-hour open book, comprising 3 essay questions	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
In-semester test (Open book)	In-class exam (type C) A 50 minute exam comprising a single essay question.	25%	Week 08 Due date: 19 Oct 2020 at 18:00	50 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment n/a	25%	Week 11 Due date: 02 Nov 2020 at 18:00 Closing date: 02 Nov 2020	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= Type C final exam ? = Type C in-semester exam ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found in the Canvas site for this unit.

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 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.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction and themes 1. Course objectives; 2. The global economy in 1000AD; 3. Key millennium themes and markers	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 02	Population, family and disease 1. Overview 1000 years of global population trends 2. Examine the Malthusian thesis and its impacts 3. Kinship as an economic force 4. Projections to 2100	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 03	Technology, energy, and growth 1. A primer on growth theory 2. Technology milestones over 1500 years 3. Energy vs innovation as drivers of growth	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 04	The corporation and consumer over 1000 years 1. Historical origins of the corporation 2. The role of the corporation in transitioning to global capitalism and explaining divergence 3. The long-run interplay between corporation and consumer	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 05	Capitalism and competition - the long view 1. What do we mean by capitalism and competition? 2. The emergence of capitalism and links to the industrial revolution 3. Modern, global capitalism in the 21st century	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 06	Money, finance and risk 1. Eastern and Western paths to banking 2. Crises, risk, and finance since the early modern era 3. Developments and outlook since WWII	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 08	China, Japan and SE Asia 1. China - Song Dynasty to mid-C19 2. China - C19 to today 3. Brief observations on Japan and SE Asia	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 09	India, Africa, and the Middle East 1. India up to until 1765 2. India: 1765 to present 3. Brief observations on Africa and Middle East	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 10	Europe - east and west since 1815 1. Pax Britannia and European development, 1815 to 1914 2. An overview of Russia economic history since 1861 3. The EU after 1945 and the impact of Brexit	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 11	The Americas since 1492 1. The Americas: 1492 to 1865 2. The Modern US Economy 3. Technology, media and the future	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 12	Australian economic history 1. Indigenous Australian economies pre- and post-1788 2. Key drivers of Australian economic growth in global context 3. Impact of recent developments on the future	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 13	Reflections on the future 1. Summarise key themes and their link to the future 2. The future of economies - opportunities and threats 3. Implcations for the tools of economic analysis	Seminar (3 hr)

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.

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

Readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library Reserve, available on Canvas. The lecturer can provide further assistance if required.

Learning outcomes

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.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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

LO1. Have a broad understanding of the long sweep of global economic history
LO2. Set current global economic issues in historical context and be able to discuss potential future developments in that context
LO3. Have an understanding of core economic theory principles
LO4. Consider both western and non-western perspectives on development
LO5. Understand Australian economic history in a global context
LO6. Manage, analyse, evaluate and use research materials efficiently and effectively.

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
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

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.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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