Economics

Overview courses

• Introduction to Economics

  This course will introduce you to the fundamentals and basic tools of economic analysis. You will be invited to look at the world through the eye of the economist: seeing the world as one outcome of many possible alternative outcomes, as the result of many choices. You will investigate the trade-offs that underlie these choices, and recognize the pervasiveness of choice at every level from micro to macro. Using problem sets you will further develop your skills in using mathematical and graphical tools by applying them to stylized and real-world situations. Cases are an important part of the course, for illustrating economic principles but also to challenge you to use your newly acquired knowledge for better understanding.

• Economic Challenges

  Economic theories do not come out of thin air. Crucial for this course is the insight that economists, both in the present and in the past, respond to the social, political and economic circumstances of their time. Their theories and policy proposals are not always in agreement with each other, which gives rise to the emergence of different paradigms and competing schools of thought. Studying the development of economic thought in its historical context is an excellent way to appreciate the richness of economics as a scientific tradition. 

• The Economics of Crises

  Does a pandemic always translate in an economic crisis? And how should we manage climate change policies to prevent one? What if the financial system itself generates a recession, are the "evil" bankers the sole responsible? Or maybe you (yes you!) had a part in it too? We discuss these issues and learn how to evaluate macroeconomic policy making managing business cycles and economic crises.

• Choices, Inequality and Welfare

  In this course, you will learn to identify, analyze and evaluate policy options to economic problems in labor markets, social insurance, pensions, development, international trade, environment, and product market competition. You will be using problem sets and work on economic data to increase and deepen your understanding of a large number of microeconomic policy fields.

• Applying Economics

  This course combines the newly gained knowledge from the previous four courses. It develops your capability to independently analyse a policy issue, design a policy response, or evaluate a policy intervention of your choice from an economic point of view. You will learn how to motivate and formulate an appropriate research question and conduct economic literature-based research. This will result in a paper and a presentation. Active participation and peer review are core components of the course set-up.