SEMINARS FALL 2009
HONR 228P Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities in a Globalized
World
Thursday 2 - 4:30 p.m.
Ambassador Susan Schwab, School of Public Affairs
Ambassador Susan Schwab is a Professor of Public Policy who recently
stepped down from the Bush Administration cabinet as United States Trade
Representative, the nation's top international trade strategist, negotiator
and spokesperson. This seminar is designed to address many of the contemporary
debates and questions surrounding globalization. Among the issues to be
explored:
-U.S. competitiveness in the global economy
-Development and the impact of globalization for the world's poor; the
role of China, India and other advanced developing countries
-Implications for the environment and climate change
-Impact of technology in bringing the world closer together and making
governance more challenging for dictators and democracies alike
-Implications of global integration on national security/geopolitics,
public health, culture, and immigration
-Issues related to public opinion, media/journalism, international institutions
Emphasis will be on learning about the issues and the challenges they represent, as well as understanding many of the policy choices faced by leaders and policymakers in response. The class will be expected to keep current with contemporary policy issues and options through publications like The Economist, and by tracking major events such as the G-20 Summit (September), APEC Summit (November), and the UN Climate conference (December). At least one prominent guest lecturer who is or has recently been engaged in policy-making related to these topics will serve as a guest lecturer for a class in College Park or in a DC field trip.
Required reading will include "Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy" by Pietra Rivoli and at least one other book, plus excerpts from others publications addressing the underlying economic/trade issues, the ethics of globalization, development and the alleviation of poverty, geopolitics and the rise of advanced developing countries.
Assignments and grading will involve significant reading, very short papers (including model "memos" targeted to decision-makers), development of a glossary of key concepts and terms that will be useful as students move into other fields of study, participation in class discussion and small group projects, class presentations, and possibly the occasional short quiz.
Since this is a new course, the Professor particularly looks forward to working with interested students to critique the readings and assignments to ensure that future iterations of the course are even stronger than the original.
CORE: Behavioral and Social Sciences [SB]
