Business and Geopolitics

Course Number 1155

Associate Professor Jeremy Friedman

Fall; Q1; 1.5 credits
14 Sessions
Paper/Project

Educational Objectives

The goal of the course is to examine the ways in which firms not only react to the geopolitical environment, but actually shape it, including how they impact bilateral relationships, contribute to power shifts, and act as vectors for the promotion of values and ideologies. The course will consist of three modules. The first will look at historical examples of firms impacting geopolitics, especially relations between developed and developing countries. The second module will look at recent and contemporary instances of business and investment decisions that have geopolitical effects. The final module will focus on the US-China relationship, and look at how business is both impacting and being impacted by the struggle for hegemony currently underway.

Grading

Grading will be based on class participation (50%) and a 10-page research project to be completed by teams of four on a firm that faces a problem with geopolitical consequences.