Teaching


 

BUSH 608-602: Fundamentals of the Global Economy

Course Objective -

The primary objective of this core course is to gain a sold conceptual and analytical understanding of the forces behind globalization and its consequences for trade, finance, and business in today’s world economy.  The course will be focused on finding answers questions that have dominated debate in this area:  

  • What is comparative advantage? Is it a static thing? Can it be “created”? How?
  • Does openness to trade increase a country’s growth? Reduce inequality?
  • Does openness to trade in developing countries to reduce their poverty?
  • What causes foreign direct investment and outsourcing, and what does the future for the U.S. look like?
  • What do exchange rates do (sometimes they make my trips to India expensive) and why? Why is the “current account” important to any country in the world?
  • What causes financial meltdowns like the Asia crisis of 1998 and Argentina in 2002?  The United States in 2008?

 

Syllabus (.doc)

BUSH 625-600: International Trade

Course Objective -

This is an advanced elective course on trade theory and trade policy.  We will study the established models of trade (based on comparative advantage) as well as some new ones (geography, intra-firm trade, outsourcing).  Testing many of these models using state-of-the-art data is in essential part of this course.  There is a quantitative objective as well as qualitattive objective to this course.  On the quantitative side, the objective is to think analytically by breaking down theoretical models into their most essential parts, and learn how to test them.   On the qualitative side, the objective is to use cases to study how world trade organizations work, and why.

Syllabus (.doc)

 

BUSH 689: Finance for Development

 Course Objective -

The primary objective of this elective course is to gain a firm understanding of the basic concepts of modern Finance in the context of development and microfinance.  The course will be focused on these major questions:

  • How do we calculate and value cash flows? Why is that important in development finance?
  • What is risk? How is risk measured? How is it rewarded. 
  • How are assets valued? What is the value of a portfolio?
  • What is discount Rate? How is it related to risk?
  • What are Financial statements? What do financial ratios indicate about a firm’s health?
  • Why is private capital interested in microcredit? 
  • Why is it good/necessary for MFIs to attract private capital? 
  • What is collateralization and securitization and how are they important for development finance?
  • What is the role of markets and market efficiency? What if markets are absent or inefficient? Is there a role for government?
  • Macro-taxation as a source of micro-finance.

 

Syllabus (.doc)

 

BUSH 689: Capstone Projects

Course Objective -

The primary objective of this course is for students to produce a research product that solves a real-world problem for a client.  The course involves survey design, on-the-field implementation of the survey, and quantitative analysis.

  • 2006-07:  African Capacity Building for meat Exports: Lessons from the Namibian and Botswanan Beef Industries  SouthernAfricaBeef

 

  • 2007-08: 

(1) Does the Formal Beef Sector in Namibia have a Comparative Advantage? CA_Beef

(2) Must the Rural Beef Sector in Namibia Remain Informal? 

 

 

BUSH 689:  India’s Political Economy

Course Objective -

The primary objective of this course is to understand the internal and external political economy of India since its independence.  Part of the course is a 3-week study abroad.  

The next program is for December 2010 - January 2011.  BLOG_2007-08