Outline

Overview

Study of a special topic in 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 of Semester 1.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Economics
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	((ECOS2001 or ECON2001) and (ECOS2002 or ECON2002)) or ((ECOS2901 or ECON2901) and (ECOS2902 or ECON2902))
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Adrian Blundell-Wignall, adrian.blundell-wignall@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Adrian Blundell-Wignall, adrian.blundell-wignall@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam	Final Exam	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
In-semester test	Mid Semester Exam #1 Take home short answer exam	30%	Week 09 Due date: 28 Apr 2020 at 14:00	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Written assignment Replaces presentation	20%	Week 09 Due date: 28 Apr 2020 at 14:00	1000 - 1500wd
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Mid Semester Exam – Short answer exam during lecture time

Presentation – Group presentation on a topic, 10-15 mins, with a question and answer session following the presentation

Final Exam – 2 hour final exam

Assessment criteria

he 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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Standard policy applies

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	Globalisation sets the background to the crisis	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 02	Financial Innovation and Basel Process	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 03	The Watershed year of 2004: The origins and causes of the crisis	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 04	Business models of banks and global contagion	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 05	Managing the Crisis: Exit and requirements of reform	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 06	Determinants of the riskiness of banks	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 07	Why bank separation must complement the leverage ratio	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 08	The current state of play: Basel 3 evolving towards Basel 4?	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 09	Current issues: forcing risks into shadow banking and emerging markets	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 10	The implications of Quantitative Easing and low interest rates	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 11	Fintech, Bigtech, Bockchain and the future of banks	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 12	Trade wars and Brexit issues	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 13	Review	Lecture (3 hr)

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

Globalisation and Finance at the Crossroads : The Financial Crisis, Regulatory Reform and the Future of Banking

By (author) Adrian Blundell-Wignall , By (author) Paul Atkinson , By (author) Caroline Roulet

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. 1. to understand the complex interactions between globalisation and finance.
LO2. 2. to understand the causes of the global financial crisis.
LO3. 3. to explain complexities of market based versus state-based economies in trade and investment.
LO4. 4. to analyse key financial instruments (such as derivatives and warrants) and their role in the crisis.
LO5. 5 to understand policies for dealing with financial crises and the key aspects of regulatory reform.
LO6. 6. to see how monetary and regulatory policies are forcing risks into shadow banks and pension sectors.
LO7. 7. to understand new elements shaping globalisation and finance such as: China's Belt and Road, quantitative easing in the West, Fintech, Blockchain, Brexit and trade-wars.

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.

This is the first time this unit is running

Additional information

Unit Description:

Globalisation and finance are evolving in unchartered directions. Two different economic systems began to clash from the early 2000s: one based on the principle of markets determining outcomes; the other based on the state playing the key role in the economy. This intersected with financial innovation and deregulation in market economies that allowed leverage to expand in new ways. Leverage rose—interacting with asset prices—and the response to the crisis has not solved the underlying problems.

Looking forward, risks appear to be being rolled into new sectors and regions. The aim of this unit is to explore these issues and to identify the interconnectedness of the factors involved. Students will gain insights drawn from recent developments in economic theory, finance, empirical research and regulation issues.

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

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

ECOS3020: Special Topic in Economics

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links