Spring 2015: Business Trends in the Mid East

JSIS 487A | IBUS 490 
 SLN 15578 | 3 CREDITS
Tuesdays 1:30–3:20 p.m. , Savery 132
Instructor: Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

Course Description The purpose of this course is to introduce students to key trends that are reconfiguring the economic and business landscape in the Middle East. Focusing primarily on the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf, the course will combine public policy research with the academic study of how evolving state-business relations are influencing economic policy decisions and outcomes regionally and globally. Course Objectives Students will master a wide range of analytical techniques and practitioner tools to develop a set of transferable skills that generate academic research with policy impact. Interactive seminars will require students to critically assess course material and communicate key findings through a combination of essays, policy briefs, and case studies.

Training will be given on how to maximize the impact of policy writing and delivery by cutting through large masses of material to identify and highlight events, trends, and developments that are significant, particularly where there are important policy or other implications at stake. Evaluation Method Participants will be evaluated through a mixture of written work and class presentation and participation.

Each short policy brief and case-study class presentation will make up 15% of the course grade, a longer paper will count for 35%, and the quality of each student’s class discussion and presentation will make up the remaining 20%. Students are expected to submit their written work on time and grading penalties of 2% per day will be imposed for late submission and non-attendance without reasonable cause.