This course examines the root causes, implications, regulatory reforms and prognosis for European Union and non EU countries financial sectors following the financial and currency crisis in 2010 which initially implicated Greece, but evolved into a larger European banking and market crisis. The course will focus on three main areas: EU and Eurozone political and economic environment; policies and politics: regulatory reforms; country specific analysis of major and minor institutions.
Prerequisites: the instructor's permission.
We will read large sections of Gramsci's
*Prison Notebooks*
and works of Foucault including
*Discipline and Punish*
,
*The History of Sexuality*
, and his lectures on security, governmentality and biopolitics. Alongside, we will read key authors such as Schmitt, Agamben, Laclau and Ranciere as well as some recent applications of Gramsci and Foucault in historical and anthropological analysis in order to shed light on contemporary issues of political power. Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Enrollment limit is 25.
Prerequisites: PHYS GU4018, or equivalent undergraduate solid state physics course
TBD
This course provides an introduction to computer-based models for decision-making. The emphasis is on models that are widely used in diverse industries and functional areas, including finance, accounting, operations, and marketing. Applications will include advertising planning, revenue management, asset-liability management, environmental policy modeling, portfolio optimization, and corporate risk management, among others. The aim of the course is to help students become intelligent consumers of these methods. To this end, the course will cover the basic elements of modeling -- how to formulate a model and how to use and interpret the information a model produces. The course will attempt to instill a critical viewpoint towards decision models, recognizing that they are powerful but limited tools.The applicability and usage of computer-based models have increased dramatically in recent years, due to the extraordinary improvements in computer, information and communication technologies, including not just hardware but also model-solution techniques and user interfaces. Thirty years ago working with a model meant using an expensive mainframe computer, learning a complex programming language, and struggling to compile data by hand; the entire process was clearly marked "experts only." The rise of personal computers, friendly interfaces (such as spreadsheets), and large databases has made modeling far more accessible to managers. Information has come to be recognized as a critical resource, and models play a key role in deploying this resource, in organizing and structuring information so that it can be used productively.
This course provides an introduction to computer-based models for decision-making. The emphasis is on models that are widely used in diverse industries and functional areas, including finance, accounting, operations, and marketing. Applications will include advertising planning, revenue management, asset-liability management, environmental policy modeling, portfolio optimization, and corporate risk management, among others. The aim of the course is to help students become intelligent consumers of these methods. To this end, the course will cover the basic elements of modeling -- how to formulate a model and how to use and interpret the information a model produces. The course will attempt to instill a critical viewpoint towards decision models, recognizing that they are powerful but limited tools.The applicability and usage of computer-based models have increased dramatically in recent years, due to the extraordinary improvements in computer, information and communication technologies, including not just hardware but also model-solution techniques and user interfaces. Thirty years ago working with a model meant using an expensive mainframe computer, learning a complex programming language, and struggling to compile data by hand; the entire process was clearly marked "experts only." The rise of personal computers, friendly interfaces (such as spreadsheets), and large databases has made modeling far more accessible to managers. Information has come to be recognized as a critical resource, and models play a key role in deploying this resource, in organizing and structuring information so that it can be used productively.
This course will introduce students to the global context of CSR through comparative business perspectives. After considering the theoretical frameworks for undertaking CSR activities the course will addresses a number of public policy issues facing globalizing companies through a series of case studies. Under examination is the manner in which business and ethical considerations have impacted upon different social, labor, and environmental challenges. We will be asking students to consider: to what extent such factors have been, and will be, part of the corporate strategy decision-making process; why companies are having to adapt (or not) to different pressures; and whether they might sometimes be going above and beyond the standards required by regulation.
Prerequisites:
PHYS W4021-W4022-W4023
, or their equivalents.
Fundamentals of statistical mechanics; theory of ensembles; quantum statistics; imperfect gases; cooperative phenomena.
Prerequisites:
PHYS W4021-W4022
, or their equivalents.
The fundamental principles of quantum mechanics; elementary examples; angular momentum and the rotation group; spin and identical particles; isospin; time-independent and time-dependent perturbation theory.
This course provides a comprehensive understanding of International Banking, defined as the cross-border provision of corporate and investment banking, retail commercial banking, and wealth management services. It combines the examination of the workings of the financial system with the analysis of real-world decisions by banks in response to geopolitical, economic, technological and regulatory changes at home and abroad.
This course is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn about the growing importance of human rights and their impact in the world today. Through an in-depth examination of the field of business and human rights students will gain an understanding of the existing and emerging international human rights framework relevant to business, learn ways in which business and human rights intersect, and be exposed to the range of methods and tactics being employed by human rights advocates and businesses to address their human rights impacts. By the end of the course, the student will have a firm grasp of the current business and human rights debates, and be able to critically evaluate the efficacy of applying human rights standards to corporations and the effect of corporate practices on human rights. Classroom discussion will include a review of trends in human rights; the development of human rights principles or standards relevant to corporations; human rights issues facing business operations abroad; the growing public demand for greater accountability; strategies of civil society advocacy around business and human rights; collaborative efforts between business and non-profit organizations; and other issues managers must deal with. Through guest lectures, students will have the opportunity to engage first hand with business managers and advocacy professionals dealing with these issues.
Attendance is mandatory in the first class session.
The word
archive
comes from the Greek word
arkheion
, a repository for official documents, and a place where the archons, the rulers, reside. Archives, then, are unequivocally associated with power and authority, at least in their original formation. But who and what is the archive for? What gets left out of the archive? What is the relationship between the archive and the public? What claims of authority and knowledge (scientific, historical, credible, provable) are made in the name of the archive? In this seminar we will attend to these and several other related questions as we interrogate the notion of the “archive” as a system of documentation, a (often national) official site where “research is conducted,” a depositary of affect and sentiments. We will also look at ways in which the archive is appropriated and the “order of things” is challenged. In this respect we will consider both interruptions of dominant archives and the creation of alternative archives. In addition to a theoretical reading list, we will engage with several artistic responses to the question of the archive including, literary texts, films, photography and dance.
Energy is a key input and a key business in economic development. The course first develops the current understanding of the economic development process, with a focus on the role of energy, and energy businesses and markets. Then we examine development problems and policies in resource dependent economies, middle income reforming economies, low income economies and conclude with a look at the interface between economic development and environmental protection.
With the world at 7.5 billion people and a current annual GDP of over US$70 trillion, human impacts on the environment have already reached dangerous levels. By 2050 there may well be 9 billion people and global GDP of more than US$250 trillion. The challenges of governance for sustainable development in a globalizing world are real and many, with growing demands for participation in decision making in every country. National governments must coordinate policy development and implementation with diverse actors -- businesses, local governments, regional / international institutions, and civil society organizations. The world urgently needs the practice of sustainable development to address the simultaneous challenges of ending poverty, increasing social inclusion, and sustaining local and planetary life systems.
,Leaders of 193 countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on September 25, 2015. The challenges of adopting the sustainable development agenda are many. Feasible pathways to long-term sustainability are complex, subject to technological and political uncertainties, and requiring substantial resources. Sound policy-making and effective execution in each country requires a long-term approach that integrates strategies vis-à-vis many development challenges, including institutional, financial, social and environmental. The broad goal of this course is to introduce students to sustainable development thinking and practice, and to examine the diversity of ways that select countries are meeting the challenges of sustainable development.
The course will acquaint you modern international capital markets. You can expect to learn a substantial amount of up-to-date detail and some useful theory. Specifically, we will survey global markets for credit, equity, foreign exchange, foreign exchange derivatives, futures, interest rate swaps, credit default swaps and asset backed securities. In each case, we will learn the highlights of payments and settlement, documentation, regulation, applications for end-users, related economic theory and pricing models. The class will cover options and asset pricing theory; however, the treatment will be informal and designed to help develop intuition. One lecture each will be devoted to international banking (with an emphasis on changing capital regulation), investment banks, and hedge funds.
Key question: How to harmonize the diverse objectives of private investors, public sector officials, multilateral institutions and other key actors in the development of international infrastructure projects. This course will examine the principles underlying global infrastructure investment and explore effective strategies to encourage development of facilities for transportation, water, energy, healthcare and education. The classes will focus primarily upon three or more specific case studies of recent projects. Subjects of examination will include Linha Quatro of the Metrô de São Paulo, the Kenya-Uganda Rift Valley Railway and the Guangdong Province water system. The projects will be examined from the perspectives of financial investors, industrial operators, creditors, including commercial banks and multilateral institutions, government policymakers and the public. Issues discussed will include risk allocation, delivery methods and the evolving cast of global investors.
Prerequisites: this course is intended for sociology Ph.D. and SMS students. No others without the instructor's written permission.
Foundational sources and issues in sociological theory: Adam Smith, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Simmel, Mead, Mauss, others; division of labor, individualism, exchange, class and its vicissitudes, social control, ideas and interests, contending criteria of explanation and interpretation.
The course will focus primarily on the knowledge and skills required to launch a social enterprise. The class will include an overview of Social Enterprises around the globe and will look at various enterprise models (for profit, non-profit) and their role in the broader market economy. Class time will focus on the analysis of Case Studies and the vetting of real social enterprise business plans. The course will center on a Group Project where teams of three (3) will work together to build a plan for launching their own, new Social Enterprise. In the process, students will learn how to define, design, market, sustain and scale their concept. At the end of the course, students will submit a formal business plan and budget and will present their plan to a panel of experts in the field.
This course surveys the physical and paper components of the global oil market. It focuses on the geological, economic, financial, institutional, and political factors and processes through which global oil prices are determined. · The course is only about oil - not about other energy or other commodities, though they may be discussed · The course is MARKET-focused. It does not deal with country development/planning, though it may be discussed in passing; nor does it deal with oil companies' financial statements and equity valuations.
Recent progress in control of atoms with lasers has led to creating the coldest matter in the universe, constructing ultra precise time and frequency standards, and capability to test high energy theories with tabletop experiments. This course will cover the essentials of atomic physics including the resonance phenomenon, atoms in magnetic and electric fields, and light-matter interactions. These naturally lead to line shapes and laser spectroscopy, as well as to a variety of topics relevant to modern research such as cooling and trapping of atoms. It is recommended for anyone interested in pursuing research in the vibrant field of atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics, and is open to interested students with a one year background in quantum mechanics. Both graduate students and advanced undergraduates are welcome.
Brief review of energy balance fundamentals. World energy outlook. Key uncertainties. Resource revolution. Energy efficiency, the hidden fuel. Electricity systems. Architecture of electricity markets. Thermal generation. Renewable energies. Learning curves. LCOE´s. Oil market: demand and supply, reserves, conventional and unconventional oil, energy from America, prices. Natural gas market: demand and supply, reserves, differences relative to oil markets. Resources to reserves: oil and natural gas. The renewable energies opportunity. Earth energy balance. Economics of climate change. Emissions scenarios. International climate negotiations. China´s energy challenge.
This course will explore economic and political models of policymaking; interest-group politics; the connections among expertise, knowledge, and policymaking; and the particular politics of policy issues that cross jurisdictions such as federalism and globalization. Many of the decisions we make and actions we take have profound environmental effects, yet we often fail to assess the systems of values underlying such actions. The class will introduce these issues in weekly case studies, where the economic and political concept will be highlighted for the case of a particular medium: fishery, forests, oil, water, etc) and also explore the limitations to such organizing principles.
The purpose of this course is to establish a core energy skill set for SIPA students and prepare them for more advanced energy courses by providing a basic language and toolset for understanding energy issues. Existing energy sources and the infrastructures that deliver them to users around the world are undergoing a period of rapid change. Limits to growth, rapidly fluctuating raw material prices, and the emergence of new technology options all contribute to heightened risk and opportunity in the energy sector.
Prerequisites: or the equivalent. Knowledge of statistical physics on the level of MSAE E3111 or PHYS GU4023 strongly recommended.
Crystal structure, reciprocal lattices, classification of solids, lattice dynamics, anharmonic effects in crystals, classical electron models of metals, electron band structure, and low-dimensional electron structures.