PD:Organització Econòmica Internacional

Teaching plan for the course unit

Català

Castellano

English

General information

Course unit name: International Economic Organization

Course unit code: 366731

Academic year: 2025-2026

Coordinator: Patricia Garcia-duran Huet

Department: Department of Economic History, Institutions and Policy and World Economy

Credits: 6

Single program: S

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 150

Face-to-face and/or online activities

	- Lecture with practical component	Face-to-face		45
	- Problem-solving class	Face-to-face		15

Supervised project

Independent learning

Competences / Learning outcomes to be gained during study

-	Ability to work in a team (capacity to collaborate with others and contribute to a common project, capacity to work in cross-disciplinary and multicultural teams).

-	Capacity to identify and understand economic institutions and how they work.
-	Understanding of and capacity to apply the economic and social regulatory framework and understanding of its effects.
-	Capacity to manage and allocate resources in the private and public sectors.
-	Understanding of the history and development of economic ideas and of current economic realities in different territorial settings.
-	Capacity to operate in global economic environments.

Learning objectives

Referring to knowledge

— Understand the network of global and regional international economic institutions established after the Second World War to support the international economic system.

— Identify both the static and dynamic aspects of the major international economic institutions in terms of their function as permanent mechanisms of international economic cooperation and integration.

— Relate current issues in international economic relations (trade, aid, the monetary system and systems of international payment, foreign debt) to the roles played by these institutions.

Referring to abilities, skills

— Develop rigorous skills of critical and self-reflective thinking.

— Strengthen analytical and synthetic abilities, fostering a global outlook and the capacity to translate theoretical insights into practical applications.

— Develop a proactive approach to knowledge acquisition, integrating new concepts and perspectives.

— Construct and communicate integrated, systemic analyses of international economic phenomena.

— Develop skills in gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing information to support informed decision-making and research.

Teaching blocks

1. International economic organizations in the context of international economic relations

2. Economic integration and the European Union

3. The World Trade Organization (WTO) and general issues in international trade

4. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the international monetary system

5. The World Bank Group, the United Nations and development cooperation

Teaching methods and general organization

The teaching of this course is grounded in an interactive and student-centred pedagogical approach, supported by a variety of learning instruments and materials.

General approach. The explanations and guidance provided by the lecturer, together with contributions from any support staff, are designed to help students engage with the topics through a broad range of sources—diverse and, where possible, plural in perspective. The principal aims are to stimulate intellectual curiosity about the subjects studied and to encourage students to develop and articulate their own informed conclusions.

Flipped classroom format. In most groups, students are required to collect relevant descriptive information before attending the first session of each thematic block (with the exception of the introductory block). This preparatory research will enable active participation in a classroom-based exercise or simulation. Engagement in this activity will constitute part of the continuous assessment.

Official assessment of learning outcomes

Continuous assessment

Continuous assessment requires students to complete four or five in-class tasks (the exact number to be specified by each lecturer at the beginning of the course). For grading purposes, the three or four best marks are taken into account. These tasks represent 40% of the final grade for the subject. In addition, students sit a final examination, accounting for 60% of the final mark, and consisting of three tasks similar in nature to those undertaken during the term in-class.

The repeat assessment examination adheres to the same format as that taken by students opting for the single mode of assessment.

Examination-based assessment

English-taught group. The single mode of assessment consists of three exercises based on case studies.

Other groups. The single mode of assessment consists of a written examination comprising 40 multiple-choice questions and two essay questions (or case-based questions). The multiple-choice section accounts for 60% of the final grade, and the essay or case questions for 40%. The multiple-choice section is eliminatory in nature. This means only students obtaining a minimum of 24 points on this section have their essay or case answers graded. Each correct answer in the multiple-choice section is worth 1.5 points, while incorrect answers incur a penalty of 0.5 points. Repeat assessment takes the same format as this examination.

Reading and study resources

Check availability in Cercabib

Book

Ian Hurd (2014) "International Organizations: Politics, Law, Practice". Oxford University Press

Catàleg UB

Richard Peet (2009) Unholy Trinity The IMF, World Bank and WTO, Second Edition

Catàleg UB
Versió en castellà (2004)

Gallagher, K. P. and Kozul-Wright, R. (2022). The case for a new Bretton Woods. Cambridge: Polity Press

Catàleg UB

Jacob Katz Cogan, Ian Hurd Ian, & Johnstone (2017) The Oxford Handbook of International Organizations. Oxford University Press, USA

Catàleg UB

Hornero, A. C. (2021). Economía internacional y organismos económicos internacionales. Editorial Centro de Estudios Ramon Areces SA.

Catàleg UB

Nieto Solís, J. A. (2005). Organización económica internacional y globalización. Los organismos internacionales en la economía mundial. Este no tiene editorial, está autopublicado con Amazon.

Catàleg UB

HAAS, Peter M.; HIRD, John A. (eds.) Controversies in globalization : contending approaches to international relations. Thousand Oaks : SAGE/CQ Press, cop. 2013

Catàleg UB

Thomas Oatley, International Political Economy, Pearson, 5th Edition.

Catàleg UB (7a ed., 2023)