Graduate Institute/UNITAR e-Learning Course on "Global Crisis: Governance Challenges and Ways Forward"

“Will the world go through another Great Depression as in the 1930s? If this can be avoided, what are the challenges?”

The economic crisis that started in the summer of 2007 has taken many forms and has led to an abundance of commentaries. As the complexity of the crisis can be disorienting, the goal of the course is to identify and explain the central aspects of the question.

The course will provide you with fundamentals background on the global economic and financial system that led to the current world crisis. What has failed and what were the political consequences? The unique approach of our two professors will go further to enrol you into a forward-looking debate: what can be designed as a model of economic governance for the future? Are we going the right way?
 
 

What will you obtain from this course?

Participants to this e-learning course will:
 

This e-learning course requires between 40 and 50 hours of study time spread over a four-week period.
  

Target Audience

 

This short-duration course is designed for senior and middle level professionals who wish to deepen their knowledge of the current state of economic affairs and develop new perspectives on the international economic and financial system.
  

Our courses are designed to provide you with crucial theoretical background, coupled with practical learning lessons. Leaders from governmental, corporate, and non-profit sectors around the world come to this platform to become informed on the policy debates presented by two renowned scholars, Prof. Cédric Dupont and Prof. Cédric Tille.
 

 

Click here to register

 

 

Course Structure/Outline

 

Module 1 will address fundamental issues that countries face when they engage in international economic exchange. Discussion will focus in particular on the choice of specific institutional designs in comparative perspective across time, space and issue area. It will look at the most difficult problems facing countries in the current global economy, particularly in this critical crisis time.

Module 2 will explain the root causes of the global crisis and propose solutions on how to fix it. It will start with a concise outline of the major event of the crisis and review underlying causes, stressing the impact of leverage in financial institutions. The second part will assess the potential policy remedies and evaluate the ones that have been implemented so far.

Finally, Module 3 will discuss future challenges and prospective scenarios for economic multilateralism. Will the world go through another Great Depression as in the 1930s? If this can be avoided, what are the challenges?

Participants’ dialogue will be encouraged as there is no single answer to this vital question. As you are from different professional backgrounds and geographical areas, you will be able to bring in your first-hand experiences and good practices in economic governance and decision-making.
 

Other Course related information

 

This course will be jointly conducted by Graduate Institute and UNITAR over the internet using UNITAR's e-Learning infrastructure for a four week period. Participants will require a minimum of 60 minutes of study each day. The course pedagogy will allow for three levels of interaction. At the first level, the participants will interact with the training content and reading material provided. At the second level, the participants will interact with each other through the online discussion board facility, sharing experiences, opinions and views, thereby giving the learning a contextual framework. At the third level, the participants will interact with a panel of seasoned experts on trade regulation and policy who will act as the course mentors. The mentors will not only moderate the course for its entire duration, but also provide feedback and discussion wrap-ups as well as respond to participant queries.

 

Graduate Institute/UNITAR online courses create a progressive learning environment in which participants have the flexibility to structure their own learning process and interact with peers and experts through the discussion board facility. Graduate Institute and UNITAR encourages the participants to network with each other both professionally and amicably, to establish contacts which further promote the dynamic nature of the learning experience.

 

The online course will be conducted in the English language.

 

 

Course Pedagogy

 

This course is designed as an online course in which participants will be primarily responsible for their own learning. Each lesson will consist of the following components:

 

1) Basic Reading Materials (Compulsory Reading Materials): these materials are intended to educate the participants about the basic concepts and principles applicable to the subject-matter of the lesson. It will include, where appropriate, sample materials. These materials will constitute the required reading materials for the lesson

 

2) Advanced Reading Materials (Optional Reading Materials): this will consist of optional reading materials for participants who wish to learn more about the topic than what is covered in the lesson.

 

3) External Links: This will refer the interested participants to additional books, articles, documents, and websites that deal with the issues raised in the lesson.

 

4) Glossary: A glossary of terms tailored to the online course will be provided to the participants and act as a learning support during the entire course.

 

5) Self-Assessments: At the end of each lesson there will be a set of quizzes for participants to answer. These self-assessments are designed to test the participant's understanding of the lesson. Participants are required to pass each self-assessment and obtain at least 80% or more passing grade in order to be eligible for a certificate of completion. All quizzes will need to be taken online.

 

6) Community Discussion Board: There will be a community discussion board available on which participants can post questions or comments that can be seen by the instructor and the other participants. This discussion board will be moderated by the course mentors and UNITAR. Structured discussion strings will be posted on a weekly basis.

 

All successful participants will be eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion from Graduate Institute/UNITAR by post mail upon completion of this online course.