economics, management and computer science

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Explain the basic facts about the relevant topics

Describe the theoretical links among mathematical objects

Explain in detail some selected topics of Linear Algebra.

Illustrate the structure of mathematical reasoning through examples.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Use selected basic computational techniques

Use definitions, theorems and mathematical reasoning to prove simple statements.

Argue about the correctness of statements using the theorems, definitions and techniques learned in class.

MISSION
This course covers advanced topics in Linear Algebra. Emphasis is given to mathematical reasoning.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Vector Spaces

Finite-Dimensional Vector Spaces

Linear Maps

Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

Inner Product Spaces

Operators on Inner Product Spaces

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The exam can be taken in two ways:

a single written test (100% of the final grade)

some individual written assignments during the semester (50% of the final grade) + an end of semester written test (50% of the final grade)

All tests and assignments consist of open-ended questions.

All questions test the student's knowledge and understanding of the basic facts about the relevant topics, their ability to recognize the links among mathematical objects and to use basic computational techniques. Moreover, the questions test the student's ability to use mathematical reasoning to prove simple statements and to argue about the correctness of other statements.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Linear Algebra Done Right

fourth edition 17 May 2024

© 2024 Sheldon Axler Sheldon Axler

Freely available online

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Deal with intermediate statistical and probabilistic tools that lie at the foundations of modern Data Science and Machine Learning applications.

Develop a multivariable thinking that is essential to understand and model large and complex datasets.

Identify drawbacks and merits of both the frequentist and the Bayesian approaches to statistical inference.

Profitably attend advanced courses in Probability and Stochastic Processes, Statistics and Machine Learning.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Tailor statistical models to specific experiments, with the aim of addressing estimation and hypothesis testing problems.

Study relationships among multivariate data, with the aim of drawing predictions and impacting decision-making processes.

Interpret the output of basic statistical procedures in view of actual applications to real data.

MISSION
Data Science has recently emerged as one of the most exciting interdisciplinary research areas both in academia and among practitioners. The unprecedented availability of data is setting a variety of theoretical and computational challenges for statistics and is, thus, fueling novel groundbreaking developments in the field. Researchers and professional data scientists who want to play a leading role in such a new scenario must definitely have a solid mastery of topics in Probability and Statistics.
The main aim of the course is to introduce students to more advanced topics in Probability Theory and Statistical Inference. The first part is devoted to investigating mathematical aspects of probability, with a special emphasis on multivariate distributions and limiting theorems. In the second part, students are guided through the methodological core of point estimation (both from a frequentist and Bayesian perspective) and hypothesis testing. These theoretical aspects are complemented by an in-depth presentation of elementary simulation and computational techniques that are routinely used within most popular statistical procedures.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Review of discrete and continuous random variables.

Moment generating function.

Random vectors.

Transformations of random vectors.

Simulation of random variables.

Laws of large numbers and the central limit theorem.

Parametric statistical models.

Parameter estimation: minimum variance and unbiased estimators, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods.

Hypothesis testing.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
1) The exam consists of either two partial written tests or of a single general written test. 2) In order to pass the exam one has to get at least 18/30, either as the mark of the general exam or as an average, with equal weights, of the two partial exams. In the latter case, in order to pass the exam, the minimum mark one has to get in any of the two partial exams is 15/30. 3) Those who pass the partial exam may take the second partial in any of the two subsequent exams' dates. 4) Students whose average mark of the two partial exams is no larger than 17/30 or have obtained a mark of 14/30, or below, in one of the two tests have to take the general exam. Both partial and general exams are written tests with exercises. They aim at assessing the students' ability to solve simple problems in Probability and Mathematical Statistics. They require the application of analytical tools and univariate and multivariate calculus techniques that have been taught during the course. The probabilistic component of the course will be also relevant for solving exercises related to Statistics. The first partial exam covers the part on Probability Theory of the program, while the second partial exam focuses on Mathematical Statistics topics. The general exam is on the whole program.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
F.J. SAMANIEGO,
Stochastic Modeling and Mathematical Statistics,
Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press, 2014.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Recognize discrete/continuous optimization problems and their class.

Express algorithms in vectorized form, e.g. leveraging numpy's broadcasting mechanism.

Master some intermediate programming patterns and paradigms, like interfaces and some functional programming.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Translate an optimization problem in mathematical terms.

Having identified the most suitable solution technique among the ones presented during the course, write the corresponding code.

Identify suitable parameters for heuristic optimization algorithms, based on the knowledge of their properties and exploratory analysis.

MISSION
The course focuses on a few fundamental numerical optimization techniques, which are explained and analyzed during the theory parts, and on learning how to translate them effectively into efficient Python code. In doing so, students learn programming patterns which go beyond the most basic ones, and more generally how to translate between theory and code while taking into account considerations of computational efficiency and coding best practices. Besides the value of the theoretical knowledge per se, which has immediately useful application in a wide range of contexts, this is a fundamental step for students. They acquire the necessary skill set for working autonomously in real-life scenarios, in the context of data analysis and its use in decision-making.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Introduction to Python's Numerical and Scientific libraries (numpy, scipy, matplotlib...). This is a must for real-life data analysis and numerical computing in Python.

Randomized algorithms: Monte Carlo methods for sampling and numerical integration, and the Simulated Annealing optimization algorithm. This is a simple heuristic optimization strategy with wide applicability. Also, it allows the demonstration of the interface programming pattern.

Non-linear programming: Basic techniques for continuous optimization in the non-linear case: first- and second-order methods in one dimension, later extended to the multi-dimensional case. The "gradient descent" strategy is of particular importance in modern-day machine learning. Also, it allows the demonstration of the use of multi-dimensional tensors in efficient numerical programming, and familiarizes the students with the use of libraries.

Dynamic programming: A wide range of discrete problems can be solved elegantly and efficiently by this "implicit enumeration" general scheme. This is an algorithmic pattern, and students learn from examples to recognize the applicability of this technique. This is a valuable general skill, and this particular case is extremely useful in practical settings. The coding techniques involved offer many opportunities to demonstrate how to write efficient numerical algorithms, and how to implement a general pattern adapting it to a particular situation.

Data structures: Organizing data in specific structures can improve the efficiency of certain algorithms, such as sorting and searching. As an example, we are going to study and fully implement a Binary Search Tree.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
There will be a single exam, consisting in a series of programming assignments to be done using the Spyder software, followed by some brief questions that cover the more theoretical parts of the course. The programming part is intended to assess basic coding knowledge, coding/debugging skills, the ability to translate an algorithmic idea into code, or to come up with simple adaptations of previously-studied strategies to new problems. The theory part is intended to assess basic theoretical knowledge/understanding, and the ability to reason about the extension of algorithmic ideas to new situations. The exam grade is determined based on an overall assessment rather than by assigning points to each individual part, and it will take into account the overall performance of the class. During the mid-term break, we will also assign a small individual project, that will contribute in small part to the final grade.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Textbook:

CORMEN, et al.,
Introduction to algorithms and data-structures,
McGraw Hill.

Other references:

Handouts, slides, example codes, exercises will be provided.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Define and explain the fundamental concepts and goals of econometrics.

Identify appropriate econometric methods for analyzing economic relationships.

Recognize and assess the assumptions underlying linear regression and related models.

Apply econometric reasoning to evaluate the validity and reliability of empirical analyses.

Interpret and critically discuss empirical results in a given economic problem.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Apply econometric methods to analyze economic relationships.

Use econometric software (R) to perform empirical analyses.

Evaluate the validity and interpretation of estimation and testing procedures.

Assess the statistical and economic significance of empirical results.

Communicate empirical findings effectively.

MISSION
This course is an introduction to econometrics, that is, to the statistical methods used to give empirical content to economic relationships. This course has two goals. The first is to provide students with the tools to evaluate econometric analyses critically and logically. The second is to enable them to analyze datasets methodically and comprehensively using econometric methods.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The following outline is preliminary and will be adapted based on the needs of the course:

What is econometrics and why is it useful?

Economic questions, data analysis, and causality

Linear regression

Linear predictors

Inference

The classical regression model (including multivariate regression)

Internal and external validity

Panel data

Further topics in regression analysis

Nonlinear regression functions

Binary choice models

Instrumental variables

6. Introduction to program evaluation: experiments and quasi-experiments

7. (Time permitting) Prediction with many regressors and big data

8. Introduction to time series and forecasting

We will review probability and statistics as needed throughout the course. Relevant topics include:

Random variables, probability distributions, and densities. Expectations. Multivariate

distributions, conditional distributions, and independence. Special distributions: Bernoulli, Normal, Chi-squared, F, and
t
.

Large sample theory.

Estimators and their properties. Confidence intervals and hypothesis testing.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students will be evaluated on the basis of the following components:

Written Examinations (90% of the final grade). Students can choose between two assessment options:

Taking the first and second partial exams, weighted 40% and 60%, respectively.

A single comprehensive final exam, accounting for 100% of the grade.

Class Assignment (10% of the final grade). Students will prepare a written report on an empirical paper or econometric problem, demonstrating their understanding and critical reflection on the course material. Evaluation may include group presentations during class.

Problem sets will be assigned throughout the term for practice but will not be graded. Students “
fuoricorso
” (those who have not completed their study plan within the standard period) must take the ongoing academic year's written exam.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Lecture slides will be posted on the course website. Slides are designed to be self-contained when complemented by regular class attendance.

Recommended textbooks (optional, earlier editions are also acceptable):

James H. Stock & Mark W. Watson (2019).
Introduction to Econometrics
(4th ed.). Pearson.

Jeffrey M. Wooldridge (2025).
Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach
(8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Massimiliano Marcellino (2016).
Applied Econometrics: An Introduction
. Bocconi University Press.

Students are strongly encouraged to read along with
Stock & Watson
, as a substantial portion of the course material is based on this textbook.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

State and use the basic results of statistical inference for data analysis.

Distinguish and characterize the following basic machine learning problems: regression, classification, clustering, dimensionality reduction.

Describe the basic conceptual ideas, strengths, and limitations of the different learning algorithms for the settings above.

Evaluate the main trade-offs such as overfitting, and computational cost vs accuracy.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Implement end-to-end machine learning pipelines and rigorously evaluate their performance.

Demonstrate the ability to cope with real-world data analysis and problem solving (managing, preprocessing and analyze real datasets).

MISSION
Machine learning is an exciting and fast-moving field of computer science with many applications such as computer vision, speech recognition, biology and medicine (e.g., predicting protein-protein interactions, predicting proteins’ 3D structure), finance, and many consumer applications such as recommending music and movies, and drive autonomous cars. This course provides an introduction to the theoretical foundations and practical algorithms of modern machine learning.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Basics of optimization

Supervised learning: linear regression, logistic regression, kernel methods, SVM, decision trees, ensemble methods

Neural Networks and backpropagation

Bias-variance tradeoff, model selection

Unsupervised learning: Principal Component Analysis, hierarchical clustering, k-means

Basics of Reinforcement learning

Implementing Machine Learning Pipelines with sklearn

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The final exam consists of a written general exam, with an optional hands-on project.

The written exam is mainly aimed at testing the learning of the concepts, methods and techniques illustrated in the course and their correct understanding. The hands-on project is mainly functional to assess the ability to apply such techniques to real data.

There are two options to pass the exam:

Option 1
: final exam for the whole 31 points. It will consist of questions (closed & open answer) and exercises to be answered on paper. The final exam is closed-book.

Option 2
: final exam (same rules as above) + ML project

The theory part consists in exercises and questions to be answered on paper. This contributes to 70% of the final grade.

The project consists in programming code to solve a real ML problem, to be developed individually or in small groups and described through a written report, which is evaluated by the instructors. This contributes to 30% of the final grade.

In order to pass the exam with Option 2, students must achieve a passing grade in both the theory and the project part (that is, at least 18 points out of 31 in each part). If the student is sufficient in both parts, then the grade is computed as 0.7 X + 0.3 Y, where X and Y are the scores obtained in the final written exam and in the project, respectively.

The written exam is the same regardless of whether or not you participate in the challenge

There is going to be one ML project for each edition of the course. If you participate in the project and obtain a passing grade, you can keep such grade and cumulate it with a final exam done in later sessions (it can be used up to the September session of the same year in which you did the project)

The written exam is used to asses the "knowledge and understanding" learning objectives. The project is used to asses the "applying knowledge and understanding" learning objectives.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The course mostly relies on the following two books (both available online for free):

Lindholm, A., Wahlström, N., Lindsten, F., & Schön, T. B. (2022).
Machine learning: a first course for engineers and scientists
.

James, G., Witten, D., Hastie, T., Tibshirani, R., & Taylor, J. (2023).
An introduction to statistical learning: With applications in Python
.

Other useful references:

C.M. BISHOP (2006).
Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning
.

T. HASTIE, R. TIBSHIRANI, J. FRIEDMAN (2009).
The Elements of Statistical Learning: Data Mining, Inference, and Prediction.

Slides and/or notes
summarizing the contents presented in class are provided.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Understand how the main macroeconomic variables are defined and measured.

Illustrate the determinants of the main macro variables prevailing in an economy.

Explain the effects of monetary, fiscal and structural policies

Understand the role of economic policies in responding to shocks.

Identify and describe the main economic mechanisms lying behind the most relevant political issues

Recognize how the effects of policies and shocks differ depending on the exchange rate regime in place.

Describe the interactions between developments in financial markets and changes in a country's macroeconomic equilibrium.

Identify the causes and potential consequences of the sustainability or unsustainability of public deficits and debt.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Apply the knowledge acquired during the course to evaluate the macroeconomic environment faced by the firm or organization they join after graduation.

Search for, understand and interpret the main macroeconomic data, making comparisons, evaluations, and basic predictions.

Predict the impact of central banks' decisions on the likely evolution of the key macro variables.

Assess the impact of fiscal policy announcements and interventions on the likely evolution of the key macro variables.

Compare the performance of different economies.

Apply the theories and analytical tools studied in the course to understand major macroeconomic challenges faced by policymakers.

Critically evaluate economic forecasts and views on the state of the economy as presented in the media and published reports.

Use macroeconomic analysis to support a wide range of business decisions (such as pricing, portfolio management, investment, or hiring) throughout their professional careers.

MISSION
The course provides students with the knowledge needed to understand the functioning of the economy as a whole. It investigates the determination of main aggregate variables - such as gross domestic product, price level, unemployment rate, interest rate, and exchange rate - that play a major role in shaping the environment in which households, firms, and other economic agents operate.
Throughout the course, students will become familiar with current macroeconomic events, analyzing them from an international perspective. The course will equip students with the tools needed to understand and evaluate macroeconomic aspects, interpret fundamental aggregate data, and comprehend news and debates on current macroeconomic policies.
Particular emphasis will be given to the understanding of policies (fiscal, monetary and commercial) used to stabilize and stimulate the economy.
CONTENT SUMMARY

National Income Accounting

The goods market: composition of GDP, equilibrium output, investment, and saving

Financial markets: demand and supply of money and monetary policy

Macroeconomic equilibrium and macroeconomic policies in the short run

Labor market, unemployment and inflation

From the short to the medium run

The role of expectations in the financial and real markets

The open economy: saving and investment, the exchange rate, trade policies

Fiscal policy and government debt

The determinants of economic growth

The economic crises and policy responses

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment of whether the student has achieved the intended learning outcomes above is conducted through complementary methods:

Two written partial examinations (each with a weight of 50%). Eligibility to each of the exams requires a minimum attendance of 80%, calculated on the number of hours taught in class until the date of the exam. Students failing to pass either of the two partial exams will have to take a general exam.

The written exam consists of open questions and multiple-choice questions. Questions may require students to provide definitions, perform calculations, discuss comparative statics results, comment on true-or-false statements, and apply the analytical tools developed throughout the course, including in seemingly novel contexts. The purpose of the exam is to assess whether the student can employ the analytical tools developed throughout the course, even in seemingly novel contexts, as well as formulate coherent and logical reasoning using the economic concepts studied in class.

To pass the exam, the grade on each written exam has to be at least 18/30.

Group assignment: part of the final grade is based on a group assignment with a final presentation. The aim of the group assignment is to develop students’ teamworking skills and multicultural attitudes, leadership skills, as well as to improve their capacity to write formal reports and to present effectively. Students will be asked to evaluate their groupmates’ contribution to the group project. Detailed information on the assessment will be provided during the first week of the course.

Additional points may be awarded through quizzes throughout the course. Their aim is to help students keep up with the lectures and to allow the instructor to make sure students are not falling behind. They are thus strongly encouraged and rewarded accordingly.

Note, the grades for the group assignment and quizzes will be valid until September 2027.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students are required to take a written final general exam, which accounts for 100% of the final grade.

Non-attending students may only take the comprehensive final examination. The assessment consists of a written examination covering the entire course syllabus. Students are expected to prepare independently using the required readings and the study materials indicated by the instructor.

The written examination consists of a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Questions may require students to provide definitions, perform calculations, discuss comparative statics results, comment on true-or-false statements, and apply the analytical tools developed throughout the course, including in seemingly novel contexts.

The examination places emphasis on students' ability to study independently, integrate concepts across different parts of the syllabus, and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the course material. Students are therefore expected to engage critically with the assigned readings, apply the analytical tools developed throughout the course materials and formulate clear, coherent, and logically sound economic arguments.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

O. BLANCHARD, A. AMIGHINI, F. GIAVAZZI,
Macroeconomics - A European Perspective
, Pearson Education Limited, 2021, Fourth Edition.

G. FERRAGUTO,
Macroeconomics - Problems and Questions
, Egea, April 2020, 7th edition.

Class material, additional exercises and other readings will be made available during the semester on the course website on Bboard.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Illustrate and explain how investors make portfolio allocation decisions and how assets are priced in financial markets.

Illustrate and explain how firms set their financial strategies, including capital budgeting (which investments to make), capital structure (how to raise capital), and payout policy (how to return profits to shareholders).

Describe and summarize the extent to which the leading finance theories really work in the data and in the real world (including AI).

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Apply capital budgeting techniques to evaluate investment projects and capital allocation decision.

Compute cost of capital and choose financial structures for investment projects.

Solve portfolio allocation problems.

Evaluate market efficiency.

Understand current innovations in finance (e.g., AI in finance).

MISSION
During the last 40 years, the financial services sector has grown enormously. This growth is apparent whether one measures the financial sector by its share of GDP, by the quantity of financial assets, by employment, or by average wages. By 2020 the financial services sector contributed 16 percent to the world GDP, compared to less than 5 percent in 1980 and about 2 percent in 1950. Workers in the financial sector have benefitted impressively from this growth: in 1980, the typical financial services employees earned about the same wages as their counterpart in other industries; by 2017, employees in financial services earned on average twice as much. Attracted by high wages, graduates of elite universities flock into the financial services industry. But how does finance create so much value for society? The course mission is to analyze the main principles of finance, namely: Valuation and Capital Allocation; Risk, Return, and Diversification; Market Efficiency and Behavioral Finance; and Financial Structure: Equity and Debt.
CONTENT SUMMARY
· Valuation of Stock and Bonds

· Capital Budgeting

· Asset Prices and Asset Returns

· Mean-Variance Analysis and Portfolio Diversification

· Equilibrium in Financial Markets: The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)

· Market Efficiency and Behavioral Finance: Definitions and Empirical Tests

· Financial Structure and the Value of the Firm

· Options

· Finance and AI

Oral individual exam [Partial exams, General exam]
Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The students can take one optional partial exam (end of March) based on first half of syllabus and must take one general exam based on the full syllabus. Thus, there are two possible cases:

Case 1: student took both partial and general exam. Then the final grade will be the maximum of

a) A combination of the student’s grade on the partial (weight of 40%) and the general exam (weight of 60%), and

b) A 100% weight on the general exam (the grade of the partial exam is valid for one academic year)

Case 2: student did not take the partial exam. Then the final grade will be the grade of the general exam (weight 100%).

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

I. WELCH, Corporate Finance, 4th Edition (downloadable for free at http://book.ivo-welch.info/read/).

In addition, I post on Bboard class notes, assignments, and additional readings to complement the textbook.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Get the following competences:

Big Data ingestion and management.

Data preparation and cleaning.

Machine learning algorithms application.

Machine learning model evaluation.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Improve his skills to manage and to take advantages of the huge availability of data nowadays produced by a great variety of sources.

MISSION
The course provides an overview of data management architectures and analytics procedures aimed at organising, describing and modeling Big Data (structured and unstructured). The contents of the course covers both technical aspects of data management / analytics and topics related to analysis managerial evaluation (how to translate the outputs into meaningful business insights).
CONTENT SUMMARY

Introduction to data management and analytics.

Data management architectures: relational databases (OLTP, Data warehouse and SQL language).

Data management architectures: Big data and NoSQL databases (distributed file system, Hadoop, Spark and Data Lake concept).

Data analytics: Data understanding and data preparation.

Data analytics: Models and statistical techniques applied to Big Data.

Regression and classification trees.

Ensemble methods (random forest and boosted trees).

Logistic regression.

Supervised Artificial Neural Networks.

Data analytics: Models' performance evaluation.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The course evaluation will be based both on a group assignment (to be developed during the course and submitted before the end of the lessons; 60% of the final grade) and on an individual final written exam (40% of the final grade). The final exam covers mainly (but not only) the data ingestion and management topics, the assignment mainly the data analysis topics and i twill be developed using the visual programming software proposed during the course lessons. The group assignment will have a peer evaluation to assess the contribution of every group member. The maximum number of members per group is 6.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

ACITO F.,
Predictive Analytics with KNIME
, Springer 2023

P. WILTON, J. W. COLBY,
Beginning SQL
, Wrox, March 04, 2005.

N. DASGUPTA,
Practical Big Data Analytics
, Packt Publishing, 2018.

Teachers' slides.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Express a decision problem with the language and tool of decision theory.

Express strategic interaction and strategic reasoning with the language and tools of game theory.

Recognize the basic economic applications of the theory.

Define and describe the different solution procedures provided by the theory.

Identify their limitations and applicability.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze economic situations as decision problems and games.

Predict behavior in economic situations by solving the game and decision problems that represent them.

MISSION
The analysis of decision making is at the heart of economics. Decision can be studied in isolation, taking as given the environment faced by the agent, or in interactive situations, where such environment comprises the decisions of other agents. Decision theory focuses on the study of a single agent. Game theory extends this analysis to the study of interacting agents. All economic theory relies on the methods of decision and game theory. A familiarity with these methods is thus necessary to achieve a thorough theoretical understanding of economic phenomena. The course provides a rigorous introduction to the mathematical tools and the conceptual aspects of the theory of decision and games, with a focus on algorithmic solution procedures.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Preferences, utility, and rational choice.

The consumer: choice and demand.

Choice under risk and uncertainty.

Exchange economies.

Introduction to interactive decision theory. Static games.

Rationalizability: the algorithm of iterated dominance.

Pure strategy Nash equilibrium, interpretation, existence, derivation.

Mixed strategy Nash equilibrium, interpretation, existence, algorithmic solution.

Games with incomplete information: rationalizability and Bayesian equilibrium.

Dynamic games: strategic form, rational planning.

Iterated weak dominance, backward and forward induction algorithms.

Subgame perfect equilibrium.

Repeated games.

Dynamic games with asymmetric or incomplete information.

Perfect Bayesian equilibrium in signaling games: pooling and separation.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The written exam aims at verifying whether:

The student understood the theoretical concepts taught in the course.

They are able use them to prove theoretical results covered in the program (or minor variations thereof), and to solve specific decision problems and games.

Specifically, the exam comprises two parts:

Proof of one of the theoretical results (theorem) covered in the program, or a minor variation of such results to verify the ability to proceed logically from assumptions to conclusions.

Solution of some decision problems or games according to the concepts and procedures taught in the course.

Important: attending and non-attending students are identical. The material, the workload, the requirements, and the evaluation based on problem sets and exams will be identical for each student.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
1. Slides.

2. Textbook:
Models of Microeconomic Theory by
Martin J. Osborne and Ariel Rubinstein, 2020 (free pdf version available online).

3. Strategy: An Introduction to Game Theory (Third Edition) by Joel Watson, 2013.

4. Other materials will be posted during the semester.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify an incomplete information environment.

Distinguish between moral hazard and adverse selection.

Define a game that models the interaction under consideration.

Illustrate a contract that alleviates the underlying conflict of interest.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Derive or compute equilibria of economic mechanisms.

Design optimal selling mechanisms in various environments.

Construct a contract that aligns incentives.

Identify whether a matching algorithm is stable.

Propose a matching algorithm that satisfies certain criteria.

Critically asses a strategic interaction and model it.

MISSION
The course provides an introduction to the theory of incentives and contracts which has become an indispensable part of economics since its inaugural steps in the 1960s. Students are introduced to fundamental tools of theory accompanied with applications and examples varying from spectrum auctions to college admissions. The course aims at developing abstract strategic thinking needed for understanding many economic environments and situations.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Welfare concepts:

Welfare,

Efficiency.

Adverse Selection:

Market for Lemons,

Signaling,

Screening.

Moral Hazard.

Asymmetric Information in Financial Markets:

Asymmetric Information in Credit Markets,

Financial Contracting.

Auctions:

Selling a Good.

Introduction to Auctions,

Revenue Equivalence,

Optimal Auction Design,

Multi-Unit Auctions.

Prediction Markets.

Matching:

One-to-one Mathcing,

National Resident Matching Program,

Assignment Problems,

Kidney Exchange.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The students’ assessment is based on written exam(s).

The written exam(s) consists of exercises and open questions aimed at assessing students’ ability to apply the analytical tools illustrated during the course.

Students can take a partial written exam and the final written exam at the end of the course. In this case, the weight is 50% for the partial exam and 50% for the end of term exam. Alternatively, students can take a written exam that accounts for 100% of the final grade.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
There are no mandatory textbooks for the course. Students will be provided with lecture notes/slides and the list of further readings that can help with studying.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Recognize and select the most suitable frameworks to describe Information Systems in organisations.

Map the implementation steps of a new ICT solution in an organization.

Be aware of the managerial skills and tools to introduce and manage ICT in organisations.

Understanding social, economic and technical implications of I.S. decisions.

Identify possible trends in the ICT industry which might affect specific industries or supply chains.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Describe Information Systems in one organization as well as its components and specificities.

Propose an adoption agenda of new technologies taking into account their technical, organizational, competitive, financial and risk implications.

Develop a business case for an ICT project.

Suggest countermeasures to face potential resistance to adopt ICT or to change company’s and individual routines.

Monitor critical technology trends for an industry or a company and suggest exploration efforts to prepare its possible adoption.

MISSION
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) represent the backbone of several industries and companies, ranging from financial services to manufacturing.
ICT have both changed the key operations and processes of organisations and suggested new ways to design their strategies. Today’s innovation is strongly rooted in the ICT infrastructure and solutions.
This course aims at giving the students theoretical lenses to describe Information Systems in organizations, as well as at providing them with tools to assess I.S. completeness and fit to the selected organisation.
Understanding technology and its components is important, but even more imagining its implications for businesses and for nonprofit organisations.
After attending this course the students are able to assess the relevance of new technologies for digital transformation, with a financial, organizational and social perspective. This means to be aware of the organizational factors hindering or easing ICT adoption.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course focuses on ICT supporting businesses and not for profit organisations, and explores both ICT usage (via case studies and guest speakers) and architectures.It is structured in three main modules:

Frameworks to describe and assess Information Systems (I.S.).

The process of introducing ICT in organisations.

I.S. decisions.

Security in Information Systmes

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes the student assessment is based on three main components:

Pass or fail individual technology test.

Group assignment (30% of the final grade) designed for the purpose of verifying the student ability to:

Identify and analyze the challenges imposed by ICT on industries or organisations.

Apply the appropriate frameworks learnt in class.

Develop a business case for a specific innovation project.

Work on a team and organize and present effectively the relevant outcomes.

Final written exam (70% of the final grade), based on a mix of multiple-choice and open questions related to the reference book, which aims to assess the student’s learning level of the theoretical models and the main concepts, methods and tools shared in the course as well as the clarity of written communication.

The attendance is measured by the specific app available to all students. To take the exam as an attending student, an attendance rate equal to or higher than 75% must be reported.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Written exam, (100% of the finale grade) based on a mix of multiple-choice and open questions related to the reference book and papers. The written exam aims to assess the student’s knowhow about the theoretical models and the main concepts, methods and tools detailed in the book as well as the ability to analyze some implications related to them and to use a clear communication style.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

K.C. LAUDON, J. LAUDON,
Essentials of MIS
, Global Edition, New York University (selected chapters).

Case-studies discussed in class and uploaded on the e-learning platform.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

K.C. LAUDON, J. LAUDON,
Essentials of MIS
, Global Edition, New York University (all chapters, cases included).

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

• Translate a marketing problem into an analytics question
• Prepare and explore marketing data in Python
• Segment and position customers and products
• Build and interpret predictive models for customer decisions
• Analyze pricing, promotion, and campaign effects
• Apply text and generative-AI methods to marketing
• Communicate analytical findings as marketing recommendations
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze and interpret customer decisions using panel data.

Analyze customer profitability and brand equity.

Prioritize customers and select appropriate actions across different segments.

Analyze firm marketing decisions (e.g., advertising) and measure its performance.

Analyze consumers and firm decisions in online contexts.

MISSION
In today’s data-rich and AI-enabled economy, firms increasingly rely on data about markets, products, competitors, and customer behavior to guide strategic marketing decisions. These decisions span areas such as pricing, advertising, targeting, customer acquisition, customer retention, positioning, and performance measurement. At the same time, recent advances in machine learning and generative AI are reshaping how firms analyze data, understand consumers, automate marketing processes, and support managerial decision-making.

This course equips students with the analytical tools and methodological frameworks needed to transform data into actionable marketing decisions, with hands-on implementation in Python. Students will learn how to apply analytical methods, machine-learning tools, and generative AI capabilities to concrete marketing problems, while developing the judgment needed to assess when and how these tools can support, improve, or complicate managerial decision-making. The course adopts a marketing-application perspective rather than a purely technical one.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Course topics:

This list is tentative - some topics may be modified or added on the syllabus.

1. Foundations — what marketing analytics is for; the value framework (value to the firm, the customer, and society); the marketing data landscape (transaction, customer, digital-trace, and text data); etc.
2. Acquire — who to go after. Customer segmentation, positioning and perceptual mapping, and listening to markets through text (reviews, social) and AI-mediated discovery.

3. Convert — what makes customers buy. Response and choice models, recommendation systems, and pricing and promotion analysis.
4. Grow — making customers more valuable. Customer lifetime value, cross-sell and up-sell targeting, and the use of generative AI for personalization.
5. Retain — keeping customers. Churn modeling, customer-value management, and text analytics on complaints and feedback to diagnose why customers leave.
6. Measure — did any of it work. Experiments and A/B testing, plus quasi-experimental methods for when experiments are not possible.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes, the students’ assessment is based on the following main components:

*Group Assignment (40%)

Designed to assess students’ ability to identify marketing problems, analyze customer or firm decisions using panel data, and propose actionable solutions. Students will apply

selected methods and tools from the course to real-world marketing analytics challenges, gaining hands-on experience in problem-solving and data interpretation.

*Written Exam (50%)

The exam includes a mix of open- and closed-ended questions aimed at evaluating students’ understanding of consumer data analytics, customer management principles,

and their ability to apply analytical methods to various marketing scenarios.

*Class Participation (10%)

Active engagement in class discussions, exercises, and case analyses contributes to the participation grade.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Written Exam (100%)

The exam includes a mix of open- and closed-ended questions that covers all chapters of the text book. The exam aims to assess students’ understanding of the mechanisms of consumer data analytics as well as principles of customer and marketing management.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Lecture notes

Hand-outs

Recommended Reference:

Hwang & Burtch - Machine Learning and Generative AI for Marketing: Take your data-driven marketing strategies to the next level using Python, Packt Publishing, 2024 (selected chapters)

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Textbook for non-attending students:

Peter C. Verhoef, Edwin Kooge, and Natasha Walk (2016),
Creating Value with Big Data Analytics: Making Smarter Marketing Decisions
, Routledge; ISBN-10: 9781138837973; ISBN-13: 978-1138837973

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
After the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the basic accounting concepts and key accounting principles;
• Understand the overall general accounting process from which the individual financial statements arise as well as the relation between accounting data and the underlying economic events generating them.
• Understand the rationale for the different accounting methods and the measurements that underline financial statements;
• Awareness of the judgement involved and discretion allowed in accounting choices and estimates.
• Recognize key elements in financial statements and analyze them for making investment, credit and other evaluation decisions.
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
  After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Apply the double entry system to report accounting transactions as prescribed by general accounting rules (mainly by U.S. GAAP);
• Use accounting terminology to represent business transactions.
• Read and prepare basic financial statements.
• Analyze the accounting information presented in financial statements and apply effective analytic skills and tools to make business decisions or solve problems.

MISSION
Accounting is the language of business as it measures economic activity for decision-making. Financial statements are a key product of such measurement process and they play a key role in the communication between the company and business parties. External information users, such as investors, financial analysts and banks, use accounting information disclosed in financial statements to make their decisions and evaluations. Given that, it is important to understand key accounting concepts and principles according to which financial statement are prepared.
The mission of this course is to provide the basic skills necessary to understand, prepare and analyze financial statements helping students become informed users of financial statements.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The most important topics that will be covered during the course are the following:

• General accounting: double entry and accrual accounting systems basics
• Accounting representation of operating (i.e., revenues, accounts receivable, cost of goods sold and inventories) and investing activities (i.e., property, plant and equipment as well as intangible assets).
• Accounting representation of transactions relative to debt, bonds, equity and dividend payment.
• Accounting representation of investment in other corporations.
• Preparation of financial statements (balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement);
• Basic analysis of financial statements to assess firms’ performance and financial position.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students:

The students can choose between two options:

The first option is to take two written exams. Each partial exam represents 50% of the final grade. Hence, the final grade is an equally-weighted average of the two partials. In order to pass the exam, the student has to pass each partial. The first partial will cover the first part of the course and will be based on a mix of open questions and exercises. The exercises will require the preparation of journal entries and income statement. The second partial will also be based on a mix of open questions and exercises. In this case exercises will require the preparation of journal entries, cash flow statement , balance sheet as well as financial statement analysis. The purpose is to verify: i) student’s learning level of the main concepts showed in the course; ii) student’s ability to apply fundamental accounting principles and prepare main financial statements; iii) student’s ability to read and analyze financial statements in a critical way.

The second option is to take only a final written exam. The final written exam is a combination of the two partials described above. Hence, it is based on a mix of multiple choices and exercises relative to topics covered in class where computations and open questions are combined.

In addition, during the course tests to get additional points will be scheduled. As practice and continuous study are fundamental to properly learn and digest accounting concepts, the goal of the tests is to incentivize students to study on a regularly basis and identify potential gaps in their preparation. The additional points will then be added to the final grade.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non attending students:

The assessment of non-attending students is entirely based (100% of the final grade) on the final written exam, which has the same content as the one applied to attending students.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The main course material, for both attending and non-attending students, is:

• Financial Accounting, International Edition, Libby, Libby, Short. McGraw-Hill, (latest edition).

The textbook is not mandatory but highly recommended. In addition to the textbook, slides, teaching handouts and other materials (i.e., academic articles, newspaper articles, exercises and useful links, etc.) will be provided during the course. Students will need to refer to the Blackboard platform.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Develop
a solid legal understanding of the principles of EU environmental law and the concept of sustainable development

Understand
the complexity of environmental challenges and the role of law in addressing them

Analyse
the main regulatory tools and strategies used to tackle environmental problems within the European Union

Apply
legal concepts to key areas of EU environmental law, including nature conservation, environmental assessments, industrial emissions, and climate change

Understand and critically assess
the interactions between public authorities, markets, and private actors in shaping environmental governance

Understand
how legal frameworks influence corporate behaviour, public policies, and sustainability strategies

Develop
key transferable skills, including teamwork, critical and analytical thinking, and problem-solving (in particular through case studies and class projects)

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Students will be able to:

Discuss
how public authorities address environmental issues within the EU legal framework

Critically assess
the evolving role of companies and their capacity to address environmental and social harms

Understand
the role of relevant stakeholders, their preferences, and the ways in which they can influence EU environmental law

Locate, read, and analyse
EU and domestic environmental legislation and case law

MISSION
The course addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary societies, including the need to reduce human impacts on the planet, tackle climate change, and reconcile environmental protection with economic development. In this sense, it lies primarily within the domain of law while engaging with broader public policy debates on sustainability.
The course aims to provide students with a solid understanding of the European legal and policy frameworks governing environmental issues, with particular emphasis on the principles of EU environmental law and the main regulatory tools used to address environmental challenges. It introduces the key areas of substantive EU environmental law—such as nature conservation, environmental assessments, industrial emissions, and the regulation of chemicals—while highlighting the interactions between public authorities, markets, and society. A dedicated module focuses on climate change regulation and climate litigation.
Designed primarily for students who intend to work in business, public institutions, or international organisations, the course equips them with the analytical tools necessary to understand how legal frameworks shape corporate behaviour, public policies, and sustainability strategies. It also provides the foundational knowledge for more advanced study in environmental compliance and sustainability, particularly with regard to the growing role of private actors in the green transition.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course examines the legal frameworks governing environmental protection and climate change within the European Union, with particular attention to the role of administrative law in addressing contemporary environmental challenges.

From this perspective, the course will cover the following main topics:

The main characteristics and evolution of environmental law

Core principles of European environmental law (e.g. precaution, prevention, polluter pays, sustainable development)

Regulatory techniques for environmental governance: command-and-control, market-based, and information-based approaches

Protection of nature and biodiversity under EU law

Regulation of key sectors, including industrial emissions, environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA), and the regulation of chemicals

Climate change regulation and climate change litigation

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The exam consists of a case study accompanied by several (3–4) open-ended questions. Students are required to apply theoretical concepts to a practical scenario. This format allows the assessment of knowledge (understanding of legal principles), skills (analysis and problem-solving), and abilities (application of theory to practice and structured legal reasoning). This format is available only during the first two exam sessions.

From the third session onwards, the exam will consist of 2–3 open-ended questions not based on a specific case, together with multiple-choice questions.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
J. van Zeben, A. Rowell, A guide to EU environmental law, 2020, University of California Press, ISBN-10 0520295226.

Other materials and selected readings will be indicated at the beginning of the course and will be available online.

Notes will be provided with slides.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Explain
what current AI systems (large language models, machine learning, and AI agents) can and cannot do at a level sufficient for managerial and strategic decisions.

Distinguish
between the principal AI approaches (supervised and unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, and LLMs) and between open-source and proprietary model strategies and their competitive implications.

Estimate
unit economics of AI using knowledge on cost structures, data center, token and compute pricing, market concentration, and value-chain disruption.

Illustrate
how AI reshapes management across levels of activity — the individual, teams, startups, established organizations, markets, and the broader economy.

Identify
the organizational, strategic, and competitive consequences of AI adoption for both new ventures and established firms.

Recognize
the regulatory, geopolitical, and ethical context shaping AI use, including the EU AI Act, industrial policy, and the changing future of work.

Summarize
the frameworks used to evaluate AI tools and generative outputs, including human-in-the-loop assessment, A/B testing, and ROI measurement.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Use
prompt engineering and AI workflows to multiply personal productivity in writing, analysis, presentation design, and professional communication.

Apply
AI tools to career strategy (including job search, CV and cover-letter optimization, interview preparation, and professional networking) in a labor market reshaped by automation.

Deploy
AI to support team collaboration, consensus formation, negotiation, and cross-cultural coordination, including the orchestration of multi-agent AI systems.

Build, design,

and validate
an AI-native venture, using AI for ideation, customer discovery, prototyping, and rapid experimentation at machine speed while leading agentic teams.

Build, design,

and validate
AI-powered, market-facing pipelines for sales, marketing, pricing, and customer development, and document their process and results.

Design
an AI-augmented strategic and organizational analysis for a real company and generate actionable recommendations.

Formulate
an evidence-based policy proposal addressing how AI can improve a country's economic competitiveness.

Evaluate
AI-generated outputs critically, taking responsibility for their accuracy, bias, and originality (transversal: critical judgment).

Communicate
project outcomes persuasively to expert audiences and provide constructive feedback to peers (transversal: communication and teamwork).

MISSION
This course teaches students to apply artificial intelligence across every level of management activity, from managing themselves to managing teams, ventures, organizations, and markets. Unlike courses that focus on the technical foundations of AI or on AI in a single domain, this course adopts an “Inside-Out” structure that progressively expands the scope of AI application: beginning with the individual, moving through teams and startups, extending to large organizations and markets, and concluding with AI’s role in the broader economy.

The course is designed for future managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals who will work alongside AI throughout their careers. It is not a computer science course. Students will not build neural networks or write production code. Instead, they will learn to use AI tools fluently and strategically — to make better decisions, build ventures faster, design organizations more effectively, and navigate an economy being reshaped by artificial intelligence.
CONTENT SUMMARY

• Explain what current AI systems can and cannot do, and evaluate AI tools for specific management tasks
• Use prompt engineering and AI workflows to multiply personal productivity in writing, analysis, and communication
• Apply AI to career strategy, job search, networking, and professional development in a disrupted labor market
• Use AI tools to improve team collaboration, consensus formation, negotiation, and cross-cultural coordination
• Accelerate the entrepreneurial process, from idea generation through hypothesis testing, prototyping, and scaling, using AI at every stage
• Analyze how AI changes organizational structure, decision-making, knowledge management, and competitive strategy
• Deploy AI for market-facing activities: sales, marketing, market research, and customer development
• Critically assess AI’s impact on labor markets, geopolitics, regulation, and the philosophy of management
• Build a portfolio of real-world projects demonstrating applied AI competence to future employers and collaborators

Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
For attending students: Class participation and individual project deliverables.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
To be communicated at the beginning of the course.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
To be communicated at the beginning of the course.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
To be communicated at the beginning of the course.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
· Explain how machine learning can be used to answer new questions in the social sciences

· Describe different machine learning methods and their application

· Recognize potential applications of machine learning in real-world data

· Illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of different machine learning methods in various contexts

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
· Analyze the results of state-of-the-art economic research

· Evaluate the validity of machine learning application

· Assess how sensitive results are to the choice of machine learning algorithm

· Critically weigh different machine learning algorithms against each other

· Discuss how machine learning is broadening the fields of social science research.

· Hypothesize about future applications of machine learning

MISSION
The course aims to introduce students to state-of-the-art machine learning methods in economics. The course will discuss how economists have incorporated machine learning techniques to tackle novel research questions. The course will centre around the discussion of recent empirical economics papers that have employed machine learning models. At the end of the course, students should have obtained a better understanding of how machine learning can be applied to real-world settings and which new insights can be generated with it. The course also highlights common challenges that arise when machine learning models are applied to social science research.
CONTENT SUMMARY
1.
Introduction: AI in Economics and Social Sciences

2.
Applications of Supervised Machine Learning

a) Understanding and Predicting Demand

b) Evaluating Workers' Performance

c) Forecasting Civil Unrest

d) Machine Learning and Causality

3.
Applications of Natural Language Processing

a) Introduction: Natural Language Processing

b) Analysing Central Bank Communications using Topic Models

c) Measuring Knowledge Flows using Text Similarity

d) Evaluating Bias in Text using Text Embeddings

e) Determining Media Slant and Ideologies

f) Quantifying Hate Speech and Free Speech in the Age of Social Media

g) LLM Application in Economics

4.
Applications of Computer Vision

a) Assessing Economic Growth using Night Lights

b) Understanding Image Characteristics Using Computer Vision

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The evaluation of attending students is based on an in-class group presentation (1/3) and a general exam (2/3). The general exam is open-book and centered on a research proposal that students prepare in advance. The proposal may cover any type of AI application to social science research questions.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The evaluation of non-attending students is based exclusively on a general exam. The exam is closed-book and consists of open-ended questions assessing students' knowledge of the papers and topics discussed in class.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials are announced before the start of the course and indicated or uploaded to the Bboard platform.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe how modern AI assistants work, what they reliably do well, and where they fail (hallucination, absence of real-time data, limits of causal reasoning).
• Identify the components of an effective prompt and the principles of iterative refinement.
• Recognise the main classes of analytical tasks AI tools can support: data cleaning, aggregation, visualisation, text analysis, web research, and workflow automation.
• Explain how reusable AI capabilities — custom Skills, automated pipelines, multi-agent workflows — are structured and when each is appropriate.
• Outline the ethical, validation, and disclosure obligations that govern professional AI use.
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
  At the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Clean, analyse, and visualise real quantitative and qualitative datasets with the support of AI tools.
• Conduct structured web research and fact-check AI-generated claims against primary sources.
• Critically evaluate AI outputs for accuracy, bias, and reliability, and refine prompts to improve performance.
• Build reusable analytical assets — custom Skills and automated pipelines — that scale individual productivity.
• Design AI-assisted workflows that take a business question from problem formulation to actionable recommendation.

MISSION
The rapid emergence of capable AI assistants is reshaping what entry-level analysts, marketers, economists, and researchers are expected to do. Tasks that once consumed hours — cleaning data, surveying the literature, drafting reports, building first-pass visualisations — can increasingly be delegated to AI tools, shifting the human value-add toward problem formulation, critical evaluation, and communication. This evolution makes the ability to direct AI systems competently and responsibly one of the most consequential professional skills of the coming decade, and one that is not adequately covered by traditional programming or analytics courses.

The course addresses this gap by treating AI not as a novelty, a black box, or a substitute for analytical judgement, but as a high-leverage instrument that — when used critically — multiplies what a single analyst can accomplish across the full arc of a business or research project. Within the broader education programme, the course complements existing quantitative methods, marketing analytics, and economics courses: it equips students to apply those methods at greater speed and scale, to interrogate AI-generated output with the same rigour they would apply to a junior collaborator's work, and to communicate AI-supported insights to business audiences in a credible, defensible manner.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course is organised around four connected macro-topics, each building directly toward the intended learning outcomes.

1. Foundations of AI-assisted work. What current AI assistants can and cannot do; setting up an AI working environment; the Read–Think–Act workflow for delegating real tasks; prompt engineering fundamentals (specificity, output-format control, iterative refinement); project-level configuration through structured instructions and reusable prompt libraries. (Supports: workflow design; prompt refinement.)

2. Data analysis and visualisation with platform data. Reading, inspecting, and cleaning real-world datasets (missing values, duplicates, formatting); aggregation and comparison across groups and over time; principles of chart design, storytelling, and dashboards; sentiment analysis and theme extraction from user-generated text; structured web research and fact-checking; experiment design, bias audits, and the distinction between correlation and causation. (Supports: quantitative and qualitative analysis; visualisation and report generation; critical evaluation of accuracy and bias.)

3. Computational social science applications. Digital platform economics (network effects, multi-sided markets, market concentration); AI and the future of work, including task-level automation exposure and labour-market implications; analysis of online discourse (sentiment, frames, stance, temporal dynamics); an integrative case study combining data, stakeholder context, and policy synthesis into a professional brief. (Supports: end-to-end analysis from problem formulation to actionable recommendations; translating results into strategic decisions.)

4. Advanced workflows and the professional toolkit. Designing reusable analytical capabilities (custom Skills); building automated research pipelines that combine multiple tools and data sources; coordinating parallel AI workflows on a single research question; study design, ethics, validation habits, AI disclosure, and assembling a personal toolkit for AI-augmented work that students can carry into internships and full-time roles. (Supports: workflow automation; professional communication; responsible AI use.)

Each macro-topic is delivered through short lectures, structured hands-on exercises, and a semester-long group project in which students apply the full workflow — from problem formulation through analysis, validation, and presentation — to a topic of their choice.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

Participation: 30%

Engagement in class, completion of in-class exercises.

Assignments and Project: 30%

A set of individual or group assignments throughout the course.

Final Exam: 40%

Written exam on both conceptual knowledge and applied skills developed in the course.

(Students need to more than 75% all sessions in person to be qualifed as attending students)
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Assignments and Project: 50%

Final individual project

Final Exam: 50%

Written exam covering both conceptual knowledge and applied skills developed in the course.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Lecture slides and Jupyter notebooks prepared by the instructor.

Selected academic papers, reports, and practitioner articles on AI and market research.

Links and documentation for LLM / AI tools and APIs used in class.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Recognize and understand the main algebraic structures.

Understand the topological perspective and become familiar with basic topological concepts.

Understand the fundamental algebraic structures associated with topological spaces.

Know the main results related to continuous maps, their topological properties, and applications to fixed-point theory.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Compute algebraic invariants such as homology groups in simple cases.

Analyze the geometric and topological structure of data.

Apply homology theory techniques to explore and understand data structures.

Use fixed-point theorems and multivalued maps to formulate and solve mathematical problems in applied contexts.

MISSION
Many relevant achievements in the analysis of data and in the theory of economic and computational models have their origins in topological and geometric results involving algebraic and combinatorial techniques.

Topology is that branch of mathematics which deals with qualitative geometric information and studies the essential properties of shapes, in particular those that are independent of any particular representation in coordinates and are invariant for continuous deformations. In order to deal with shapes, simplified combinatorial representations are constructed through processes such as triangulation. The intuitive idea is that one can try to distinguish or perhaps even characterise shapes based on the occurrences of patterns within a space: they are described by algebraic objects that allow for computations.

Particularly prominent applications are fixed point theorems, game theory equilibria, persistent homology for the study of forms and data.

This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts and aims at making elementary topological and algebraic methods more easily accessible. It presents a number of relevant results in algebra, combinatorics and geometry, and provides the necessary background in algebraic topology, explaining their main applications.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Fundamentals of Topology and Algebra

Topological spaces and basic operations

Continuity

Connectedness and compactness

Basic notions of group theory

Foundations of Algebraic Topology

Homotopy and retractions

Graphs and simplicial complexes

Simplicial homology, Euler formula

Basic notions of singular homology

Applications

Sperner Lemma and Brouwer’s Fixed Point Theorem

KKM theory and fixed-point theorems for multivalued maps. Applications to general equilibrium and game theory

Persistent homology in data analysis: Čech and Vietoris–Rips complexes, barcodes, and interpretation of the results

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Partial Exams:
Students may opt to take two written exams—one at the midpoint of the course and one at the end. The final grade will be the average of the two scores.

General Exam:
written exam at the end of the course that contributes to the overall assessment.

Each written exam includes both simple problem-solving exercises and open-ended questions related to the theoretical results discussed in class.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Lecture notes of the course

M.A. Amstrong:
Basic topology.
Springer, 1983.

M. Manetti:
Topology.
Springer, Cham, 2015.

K. Parthasarathy:
Topology. An introduction.
Springer 2022.

Further references:

J. Matousek:
Using the Borsuk-Ulam Theorem, Lectures on Topological Methods in Combinatorics and Geometry.
Springer, 2008.

H.Edelsbrunner, J.L. Harer:
Computational Topology. An Introduction.
American Mathematical Society, Providence, 2010.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

State computational, combinatorial, and probabilistic phenomena behind classical algorithmic results

Describe classical algorithmic techniques used to solve problem in the discussed computational models

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Translate real-world problems into formal representations that can be addressed using algorithmic techniques.

Apply classical algorithmic techniques to solve algorithmic problems

Implement algorithms in Python with the help of AI

MISSION
Algorithms shape the modern world, influencing nearly every aspect of our lives.

This course explores the fundamental ideas of algorithmic theory that have led to elegant and powerful solutions to a wide range of computational problems.
In this course, students will have hands-on experience with implementing these ideas with the assistance of AI. Students will also develop strong theoretical foundations in algorithmic thinking and problem solving, drawing on techniques from theoretical computer science, discrete mathematics, and probability.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Solving problems using Discrete math and probability techniques

Randomness: an unexpected computational resource

Noise is your friend: processing private data and planning for unknown future

Big data processing: can a single machine analyze whole internet?

Improving algorithms with Machine Learning

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Written exam (70% of the final grade) consists of open and closed answer questions aimed to assess theoretical understanding of key concepts in algorithmic theory, ability to formulate complex computational problems, ability to describe the main algorithmic techniques covered.

Individual assignments (30% of the final grade) consist of 3 programming assignments to implement algorithms and solve sample algorithmic problems.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The textbooks are communicated prior to the start of the course.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Characterize the common features of alternative investments and their markets.

Identify the specificities of different alternative asset classes.

Understand the benefits (e.g., return enhancement and/or risk diversification) and pitfalls of adding alternative investments to a reference portfolio.

Understand how different alternative asset classes are affected throughout economic cycles and across different macroeconomic scenarios.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Measure risk/return profile of alternative assets and build up optimal portfolios by using both traditional and non traditional asset classes.

Assess and choose among different alternative assets by using both qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Measure basic hedge funds performance in different market conditions.

Advise a potential client on how to incorporate alternative investment in his/her portfolio according to his/her investment objectives and risk tolerance.

Think critically, interact with their peers and defend their position.

MISSION
Since the 2008 financial crisis, alternative investments have become an increasingly important component of portfolio allocation strategies, driven by demand for non-traditional asset classes offering diversification and return benefits. Their growth has evolved across different interest rate cycles and within an environment characterized by heightened uncertainty — from the pandemic to recent geopolitical tensions — as well as by the energy transition and the expansion of AI. Building on these premises, the course provides students with an in-depth understanding of the main alternative asset classes used by private and institutional investors, and of their response to different market scenarios. The course focuses on both liquid alternative investments, such as hedge funds, and illiquid investments, including private equity, private debt, real estate, and passion investments. These asset classes are examined with reference to their characteristics, investment strategies, risk-return profiles, and contributions to portfolio diversification and performance. The course also addresses emerging trends reshaping the industry, including the growing role of AI in investment management. By combining theoretical foundations with market applications and industry perspectives, the course equips students with the analytical tools needed to understand and critically assess the evolving landscape of alternative investments. This course is part of the CIVICA Bachelor Engage Track.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Main topics and asset classes covered:

What are alternative investments? Definitions and key characteristics

Hedge funds and liquid alternatives: investor typologies and regulatory framework

Illiquid alternatives: private debt

Illiquid alternatives: private equity and venture capital

Illiquid alternatives: real estate and infrastructure

Illiquid alternatives: passion investments (art and other collectibles)

Liquid and illiquid alternatives: digital assets

Alternative assets: the transformative role of AI

Asset allocation plans: why alternative assets matter in portfolio construction

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

Assessment combines an individual written exam based on multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with group work (written report and presentation).

MCQs assess students' understanding of alternative asset classes, portfolio diversification, economic scenarios, and investment concepts.

Group work and presentations evaluate the ability to apply qualitative and quantitative tools to assess alternative investments, construct portfolios, formulate investment recommendations, and demonstrate critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills.

Details on attendance rule, groupwork assignment, and exam structure will be provided at the beginning of the course and made available in B-Board.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Assessment consists of an individual written exam based on multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The exam assesses students' understanding of the characteristics of alternative investments, the specificities of different asset classes, portfolio diversification, and the impact of macroeconomic conditions, as well as their ability to apply key concepts and analytical tools to portfolio allocation and investment decisions.

Details on attendance rule and exam structure will be provided at the beginning of the course and made available in B-Board.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Required readings, PowerPoint slides used in class, and any additional material are made available in Bboard.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Module I:

Explain how money is created and clarify the role of cryptocurrencies and digital currencies.

Understand the relationship between inflation and the balance sheet of banks and central banks.

Illustrate the role of fiscal policy in shaping the architecture of Europe.

Identify the causes and consequences of the current era of low interest rates.

Describe the tools of macroeconomics with an empirical application.

Module II:

Understand income and wealth inequality, the forces generating them, and the extent to which policy intervention can affect them.

The module includes an empirical documentation of the facts and a synthesis of the mechanisms generating them.

Module III:

Present empirical evidence on the long-run growth process and discuss its outcomes.

Suggest some determinants of long-run growth and discuss their relevance, focusing on the role of technology and human capital accumulation.

Clarify the relationships between long-run growth and the business cycle and draw some policy lessons.

Module IV:

Know the building blocks of the flow approach to labor markets and connect it to macro and micro data.

Understand how labor market outcomes affect, and are affected by, the aggregate economy.

Understand the links between labor markets and fiscal and monetary policies.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Apply the knowledge acquired during the course to understand some relevant contemporary economic issues and evaluate the likely future evolution of our economic environment, in the short and the long run.

In particular, students will be able to:

· Predict the impact of central banks' decisions on the likely evolution of interest rates, aggregate output, aggregate demand, etc.

· Predict the impact of fiscal policy announcements and interventions, and of other shocks, on the same variables.

· Evaluate and compare the economic forecasts and views on the state of the economy made available on the internet and in other media and utilize the results of such analysis and comparison in the economic decisions (pricing decisions, portfolio choices, business investment, hiring decisions, and the like) they are soon called to make in their work environment.

· Assess the impact of labor market policies on the aggregate economy and predict the impact of business cycles on labor market outcomes in the aggregate and in the cross section.

MISSION
The course mission is to introduce students to a number of economically relevant real-world questions and challenges and try to address them with the help of modern macroeconomic tools, concepts and perspectives.
The course's structure is divided into four modules. The first module tackles important aspects of monetary and fiscal policy in the light of the recent macroeconomic events. The second one focuses on inequality, at the national and international level, and on its economic causes. The third one deals with long-run growth, our understanding of its determinants, and the relationship between short-run fluctuations and long-run trends. The last one focuses on the labor market from a macroeconomic perspective, highlighting how labor market outcomes affect, and are affected by, the aggregate economy.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Module I (prof. Perotti):

Part I: Topics in monetary policy

I.1: How money is created. The tools of central banks: Conventional and unconventional monetary policies. Central bank policies to disinflate the economy

I.2: Inflation and the balance sheet of banks and central banks

1.3: The Modern Monetary Theory: what is new, what is different?

I.4: Cryptocurrencies and digital currencies

Part II: Fiscal policy

II.1: Austerity vs. stimulus: what do we know (if we know something)?

II.2: How do we evaluate the sustainability of fiscal policies?

II.3: The fiscal policy response to the pandemic and the energy crisis in US and Europe: a comparison

Part III: The architecture of Europe

III.1: The architecture of Europe: mutual insurance vs. redistribution, with an application to the Greek crisis. Eurobonds and the NextGenEU

III.2: An era of low interest rates? Safe bonds.

Module II (prof. Nicola Pavoni):

Lesson 1: Global Inequality and its evolution over time

Lessons 2 and 3: Inequality Across Nations

• The neoclassical production function
• Development and growth accounting

Lesson 4: Inequality within nations: Determinants of individual Income and Wealth inequality

Lesson 5: Introduction to Income and Wealth Taxation: shall we tax the superrich?

Lesson 6: Automation and Artificial Intelligence and their Implications for Inequality: Shall we tax Robots?

Module III (prof. Marco Maffezzoli):

· Long-run growth (2 lectures)

1. Economic growth in the long run: convergence or divergence?

2. The determinants of long-run growth.

· Human capital accumulation and technological progress (2 lectures)

1. The role of human capital: some facts.

2. Technological progress: issues and future prospects.

· Business cycles and long run-growth: unifying the analysis (2 lectures)

1. Empirical evidence on hysteresis.

2. Sources of hysteresis and policy implications.

Module IV (prof. Antonella Trigari):

We discuss issues belonging to the field of macro-labor, with a focus is on the recent Pandemic recession, but also extending to earlier business cycles. We cover selected themes among the following.

Theme I: Flow approach to labor markets and use of micro data

We introduce the “flow approach” to labor markets, the modern approach to unemployment building up from the flows of workers and jobs. We emphasize that its richness captures important implications of labor market mechanisms for macro and allows for a productive use of micro data on labor markets.

Theme II: Labor markets and monetary policy

We take a labor market perspective on inflation and monetary policy. We discuss: i) why Janet Yellen - the Fed chair from 2014 to 2018 - developed the “Yellen’s labor market dashboard”, guiding the Fed toward reaching the goals of maximum employment and price stability; ii) why the 2019 review of the Fed strategy emphasizes that maximum employment is a broad-based and inclusive goal; iii) whether Covid-era inflation can be explained by fiscal and monetary policies (aka demand) operating through the overheating of the labor market; iv) the extent to which inflation is conflict and the notion of wage price spirals.

Theme III: Inequality and monetary policy

We discuss the links between monetary policy and (labor market) inequality and do it around three themes: i) the distributional effects of monetary policy; ii) how inequality changes the transmission channels of monetary policy; iii) optimal monetary policy with inequality.

Theme IV: Pandemic labor markets and fiscal policies

We cover selected features of pandemic labor markets: i) the role of demand vs. supply shocks, sectoral aspects, and labor market reallocation; ii) the Great Resignation; iii) work from home; iv) the alternative approaches of "insuring the worker" (the US approach with temporary layoffs and UI benefits) vs. "insuring" the job (the EA approach with job retention schemes).

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes, the assessment process is based on a written examination (100% of the final grade)

The written exam consists of exercises and/or open questions, aimed at assessing students’ ability to:

· Apply the analytical tools illustrated during the course.

· Solve economic models and explain their implications.

· Identify the economic effects of monetary and fiscal policies.

· Describe the interactions between financial markets developments and changes in economic equilibria.

The exam also consists of short statements (true or false) to discuss, aimed at assessing students’ ability to:

· Precisely define the main economic variables and concepts.

· Articulate economic reasoning.

· Correctly apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course.

Students can take a partial written exam that covers Module I-II and complete the written exam at the end of the course, covering Module III-IV. In this case the weight is: 50% for the partial exam (Module I-II) and 50% for the end of term exam (Module III-IV). Alternatively, students can take a final written exam, on all Modules, that accounts for 100% of the final grade.

For non-attending students assessment is based on the written exam (either two partial exams or one final written exam with the same content and weight distribution of those applied to attending students).

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Module I:

Lecture notes provided before each class

TBA

Module II:

· Lecture Notes

· Chancel and Piketty: Global Income Inequality, 1820-2020: The Persistence and Mutation of Extreme Inequality (Journal of the European Economic Association, 2021)

· Weil. Economic Growth, Chapter 1, 7, 13, 14. Addison-Wesley, 2014.

· Piketty: `Capital in the 21st Century,’ Harvard University Press, 2014.

· C. Jones: `Pareto and Piketty: The Macroeconomics of Top Income and Wealth Inequality,’ (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2015)

· Saez Zucman. `Wealth Taxation: Lessons from History and Recent Developments’, AER Papers and Proceedings, 2022.

· Scheuer and Slemrod: `Taxing our Wealth’, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2021.

· Scheuer: `Taxing the superrich: Challenges of a fair tax system’ UBS Center Public Paper #9

· Acemoglu and Restepo: `Automation and New Tasks: How Technology Displaces and Reinstates Labor.’ Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2018.

· Lu and Zhou. A review on the economics of artificial intelligence. The Journal of Economic Surveys, 2021.

Module III (preliminary):

· Jones (2016): The Facts of Economic Growth, Handbook of Macroeconomics, Vol. 2

· Tamura et al. (2019): Economic growth in the long run, Journal of Development Economics, 137

· Johnson and Papageorgiou (2020): What Remains of Cross-Country Convergence? Jounal of Economic Literature, 58(1)

· Bloom et al. (2020): Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find? American Economic Review, 110(4)

· Deming (2022): Four Facts about Human Capital, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 36(3)

· Abraham and Mallatt (2022), Measuring Human Capital, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 36(3)

· Acemoglu and Johnson (2023): Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, MIT Press

· Cerra et al. (2023): Hysteresis and Business Cycles, Journal of Economic Literature, 61(1)

· Fatás (2019): Fiscal Policy, Potential Output, and the Shifting Goalposts, IMF Economic Re-view, 67

Module IV (preliminary):

· Lecture slides

· Articles and papers of different nature: articles from the press; scientific papers; review papers; policy papers.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Understand the connection between simple random variables and more elaborate and realistic stochastic processes.

Formulate and analyse probabilistic models based on Markov chains and counting processes.

Understand the principles of stochastic simulation and Monte Carlo algorithms.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Translate real-world situations involving randomness and uncertainty into probabilistic models.

Exploit the tools of probability theory to answer relevant questions, such as: what is the equilibrium distribution of a specific stochastic system? What is the probability of a certain outcome?

Use software to simulate the evolution of probabilistic systems. Design simple Monte Carlo algorithms for computational purposes.

Apply stochastic processes to model and solve real-world problems commonly occurring in diverse fields, such as business, industry, economics, finance and data science.

MISSION
Stochastic processes are the natural tool to model real-world phenomena involving randomness and uncertainty. They offer a power mathematical framework to analyze complex problems in a variety of applied areas, ranging from business and industry to economics, finance, social sciences, biology and computer science. Moreover, the use of stochastic processes (and related probabilistic techniques) to build advanced statistical models is central to the ongoing data science revolution.
The aim of the course it to provide students with a basic understanding of the probabilistic models and techniques underlying the most widely used classes of stochastic processes. The main focus is on modeling aspects, which are completed by a description of some popular algorithms for simulation. Mathematical concepts are integrated with real-world applications and examples and illustrated through simulations. At the end of the course, students will have bridged the gap between their elementary probability skills and the knowledge required to understand and use basic models based on stochastic processes.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Conditional probabilities and conditional expectations.

Introduction to stochastic processes and Markov chains.

Discrete-time Markov chains: Chapman-Kolmogorov equation, Classification of states, Limiting properties, Applications (e.g. stochastic models, sequential testing, website ranking).

Introduction to Stochastic Simulation, Simulation techniques and Monte Carlo methods.

Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms, Computational applications.

Counting processes and the Poisson process, Continuous-time stochastic processes, Examples and modeling applications.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The core assessment for all students, both attending and non-attending, consists in a written exam. The aim of the exam is to verify both the students’ understanding of the theoretical material (e.g. ability to provide definitions and characterizations of some noteworthy stochastic process), and their capacity to apply the theory for modeling or computational purposes (e.g. ability to identify appropriate models for a given situation and use them to answer specific questions).

Additionally, throughout the course
4 individual assignments
will be made available. Assignments submitted before the deadline are marked and can grant
up to 3 bonus points
in the final score for the module.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
S.M. ROSS,
Introduction to probability models,
Academic Press, 2014.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Accounting and Institutional Foundations

Describe the role of accounting information as a structured representation of firm behavior, governance, and communication with markets.

Identify the principal sources of information asymmetry in financial reporting and explain their implications for investors, auditors, and regulators.

Distinguish between the informational content of quantitative financial data and unstructured qualitative disclosures.

From Econometrics to Machine Learning

Explain the conceptual transition from traditional econometric frameworks to machine learning approaches in empirical accounting research.

Distinguish between supervised and unsupervised learning paradigms and identify appropriate use cases for each in accounting and finance.

Describe the main criteria for model selection and explain how predictive performance is evaluated and validated.

Dynamic and Event-Based Models

Explain the principles of survival analysis and describe how time-to-event data differ from standard cross-sectional or panel observations.

Identify the main applications of multi-state models in the study of corporate transitions and organizational events.

Functional and Robust Statistical Methods

Describe the concept of functional data and explain when functional data analysis is preferable to standard multivariate methods.

Explain the rationale for robust statistical methods and identify settings in accounting and finance where standard estimators are likely to underperform.

Natural Language Processing and Text Analysis

Distinguish between dictionary-based, topic model, and embedding-based approaches to text analysis and explain the assumptions underlying each.

Describe how NLP techniques can be applied to corporate disclosures to extract signals about firm behavior, strategy, and risk.

Explain the concept of word embeddings and summarize how language models represent semantic meaning.

Generative AI and Frontier Methods

Describe the architecture and operating principles of large language models and identify their principal capabilities and limitations.

Recognize the main ethical and methodological risks associated with the use of generative AI in data-driven research and professional practice.

Summarize the current and emerging applications of generative AI in accounting, auditing, and financial analysis.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Accounting and Institutional Foundations

Interpret financial statements and qualitative disclosures to assess firm behavior, governance quality, and information environment.

Evaluate the empirical relevance of accounting signals in a given institutional or regulatory context.

From Econometrics to Machine Learning

Apply machine learning pipelines to real-world accounting and financial datasets, from data preparation and feature engineering through model training and evaluation.

Select the appropriate statistical or machine learning method for a given research or policy question, justifying the choice against plausible alternatives.

Construct and interpret model performance diagnostics, distinguishing between in-sample fit and genuine out-of-sample predictive ability.

Dynamic and Event-Based Models

Apply survival analysis techniques to study the timing and determinants of corporate events such as default, auditor switching, or executive turnover.

Interpret hazard rates and survival curves in an economically meaningful way, connecting statistical outputs to institutional explanations.

Functional and Robust Statistical Methods

Apply functional data analysis tools to longitudinal accounting data, extracting meaningful patterns from curve-valued observations.

Implement robust estimation methods when faced with heterogeneous distributions or outlier-contaminated datasets typical of financial data.

Natural Language Processing and Text Analysis

Process and analyze large corpora of corporate disclosures using dictionary-based, topic model, and embedding-based NLP pipelines.

Construct text-based measures of firm narrative, sentiment, or strategy and integrate them into empirical accounting research designs.

Critically assess the validity and reliability of NLP-derived measures, recognizing their assumptions and potential sources of bias.

Generative AI and Frontier Methods

Employ generative AI tools to support data analysis, code development, and interpretation of empirical results in a responsible and methodologically aware manner.

Evaluate the outputs of large language models critically, identifying hallucinations, inconsistencies, and domain-specific limitations.

Transversal Skills

Collaborate effectively in a team to design and execute an end-to-end data analytics project, managing task allocation, version control, and collective presentation of results.

Communicate complex analytical findings clearly and concisely to audiences with varying levels of technical background, both in written reports and live presentations.

MISSION
Data is now the primary lens through which accounting phenomena are observed, interpreted, and contested. Accounting information is among the most structured and economically consequential data produced by modern organizations — yet extracting actionable insight from it increasingly demands computational methods that go well beyond traditional econometrics. As labor markets shift decisively toward profiles combining domain expertise with analytical capability, theoretical knowledge alone is no longer a differentiator. This course equips students with the quantitative and computational tools to interrogate accounting data rigorously — from machine learning and survival models to NLP and generative AI — building the applied skills that define the next generation of researchers, analysts, and decision-makers in accounting, finance, and the broader social sciences. The result is a researcher and practitioner profile that is genuinely rare — one that can move fluidly between the economic substance of accounting information and the algorithmic methods needed to extract it at scale.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Accounting and Institutional Foundations

The role of accounting information as an economic and social signal.

Financial statement analysis and its empirical applications.

Information asymmetries, governance, and disclosure in institutional contexts.

From Econometrics to Machine Learning

Review of standard empirical methods in accounting research: panel data and regression frameworks.

Supervised and unsupervised machine learning: principles, model selection, and evaluation.

From prediction to inference: interpreting ML outputs in an institutional context.

Dynamic and Event-Based Models

Survival analysis and time-to-event modeling in accounting and finance.

Multi-state models for studying transitions and corporate events.

Functional and Robust Statistical Methods

Functional data analysis for longitudinal and curve-valued observations.

Robust statistics and depth-based measures for handling heterogeneity and outliers.

Natural Language Processing and Text Analysis

Dictionary-based inference and sentiment analysis of corporate disclosures.

Topic modeling for large-scale narrative analysis.

Word embeddings and language models for semantic representation.

Generative AI and Frontier Methods

Large language models: architecture, capabilities, and limitations.

Applications of generative AI in accounting, auditing, and financial analysis.

Responsible use of AI in data-driven decision-making.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

One
group assignment
consisting of a technical report and an in-class presentation,
representing 80% of final grade
. Students apply the methods covered in the course to a realistic dataset or case of their choice, verifying their ability to implement, evaluate, and communicate a data-driven solution — directly assessing the applying-knowledge and transversal (teamwork, communication) outcomes. The in-class discussion also allows the instructor to verify individual understanding through follow-up questions.

One final multiple-choice written exam representing 20% of final grade, verifying students' acquisition of the core theoretical and conceptual knowledge covered in the course.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

One
individual assignment
consisting of a technical report and a pre-recorded video presentation,
representing 60% of final grade
, submitted to the instructor for review. This verifies the same applying-knowledge outcomes as the group assignment, adapted to an individual format since non-attending students do not take part in in-class discussion.

One final multiple-choice written exam representing 40% of final grade, verifying the same theoretical knowledge outcomes as for attending students; the higher weight compensates for the absence of an in-class discussion component.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Main source

Slides, handouts, code, and data made available by the instructor on the course platform prior to each session.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT FOLLOWS IS A LIST OF ADDITIONAL AND OPTIONAL TEXTBOOKS. SOME OF THEM ARE FREE RESOURCES.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Natural Language Processing and Text Mining

J. SILGE, D. ROBINSON, Text Mining with R: A Tidy Approach, O'Reilly. Freely available at
https://www.tidytextmining.com
.

E. HVITFELDT, J. SILGE, Supervised Machine Learning for Text Analysis in R, O'Reilly. Freely available at
https://smltar.com
.

Machine Learning

G. JAMES, D. WITTEN, T. HASTIE, R. TIBSHIRANI, An Introduction to Statistical Learning with Applications in R, Springer. Freely available at
https://www.statlearning.com
.

Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models

J. JURAFSKY, J. MARTIN, Speech and Language Processing, 3rd ed., freely available at
https://web.stanford.edu/~jurafsky/slp3
.

Robust Statistics

R. MARONNA, R. DOUGLAS MARTIN, V. YOHAI, M. SALIBIÁN-BARRERA, Robust Statistics: Theory and Methods (with R), 2nd ed., Wiley. Available here: https://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/33513/1/Ricardo%20A.%20Maronna_2006.pdf

Deep Learning and Generative AI

F. CHOLLET, Deep Learning with R, Manning Publications.

Survival Analysis

E. VITTINGHOFF, D. GLIDDEN, S. SHIBOSKI, C. MCCULLOCH, Regression Methods in Biostatistics, Springer. — Accessible treatment of survival and multi-state models with applied examples.

Advanced readings

T. HASTIE, R. TIBSHIRANI, J. FRIEDMAN, The Elements of Statistical Learning, Springer. Freely available at
https://web.stanford.edu/~hastie/ElemStatLearn
.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

• understand the microfoundations of decision making under uncertainty
• use generative AI tools to make these decisions
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
• make strategic decisions under uncertainty
• use generative AI tools to support these decisions

MISSION
The goal of this course is to teach students to make decisions under uncertainty and use AI tools to support thee decisions. The course is open to students with technical and non-technical backgrounds. The content will be differentiated depending on the background of the student to bring everyone up to speed with the use of generative AI for strategic decision making in firms and organizations more generally. Students with technical background may be asked to code tools and analyze data. Students with less advanced technical background may be asked to assess strategic management decisions and design the underlying logic so that the underlying process of these decisions can be coded. Ultimately, the goal of the course is to teach all students to learn the microfoundations of strategic decisions and how AI tools can support these decisions. The course will make extensive use of available AI-agents and tools from the ION Management Science Lab.
CONTENT SUMMARY

• Strategic decision making: a framework
• Use of AI tools
• Practical applications of generative AI in strategic management

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The exam consists in a standard format of questions weighted in such a way that the students can totalize up to 31 points. For attending students some of the questions can ask to discuss projects carried out in class during the course.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The exam consists in a standard format of questions weighted in such a way that the students can totalize up to 31 points. For non-attending students there will be of course no option to discuss projects carried out in class during the course.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Class notes
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Class notes. All the relevant material will be available in blackboard.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze the Role of AI in Public Service Innovation
: Understand and critically assess how AI drives innovation in public services, enhancing service delivery in sectors such as healthcare, education, and urban development.

Communicate AI Concepts Effectively
: Articulate complex AI concepts, findings, and recommendations clearly and effectively to diverse audiences, including stakeholders and decision-makers within public organizations.

Critically Engage with AI's Broader Impacts
: Engage critically with discussions on the broader implications of AI, including stability, predictability, explainability, and the role of AI in data-driven societies.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Evaluate Ethical

and Social Implications of AI
: Examine and articulate the ethical, legal, and social impacts of AI technologies on privacy, employment, and societal norms, demonstrating an understanding of data ethics and algorithmic bias.

Implement AI Technologies in Practical Settings
: Gain hands-on experience through case studies, on-site visits, and interactions with AI applications in real-world environments, developing practical skills in integrating AI tools and methodologies.

Use Analytical Frameworks to Drive Decision-Making
: Employ comprehensive frameworks to assess organizational needs, set strategic priorities, and facilitate decision-making processes tailored to the unique contexts of public organizations.

These outcomes aim to equip students with a robust set of skills and knowledge to navigate and influence the evolving landscape of AI and innovation within the public sector and broader society.

MISSION
This course emphasizes the pivotal role of data and innovation in transforming society, with a deep dive into the implications of data utilization and technological advances. It highlights the transformative power of AI in fostering innovation and societal change. Starting with an overview of innovation in service systems, with a particular focus on public services, the course offers a comprehensive curriculum that explores the foundational principles of AI technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing. Students will investigate how these innovations drive significant changes across various public sectors, including healthcare, urban development, education, arts and culture, and the operations of international organizations. Enhancing the learning experience, the course will feature guest speakers from diverse fields, providing firsthand insights into the challenges and successes of AI implementation. Additionally, case studies will be integrated throughout the course to offer real-world contexts for the concepts discussed, and on-site visits to organizations actively utilizing AI will give students practical exposure to the dynamics of AI in action.
The course aims to equip students with the knowledge, analytical frameworks, and practical skills to:
•Develop strategies that enhance service efficiency and value, particularly in the public context;
•Create innovative solutions to societal issues using AI and Machine Learning.
CONTENT SUMMARY

This course, taught by Maria Cucciniello from the Department of Social and Political Sciences and Omiros Papaspiliopoulos from the Department of Decision Sciences, is designed to prepare students to manage innovation and effectively utilize AI within the service system and the public sector. Covered topics include:

Exploration of the Innovation Ecosystem in Public Services
: This module would provide a detailed overview of the current landscape of innovation within public services, exploring different types of innovations ranging from technological advancements to process improvements and service delivery models. It would also analyze the impact of these innovations on service efficiency, effectiveness, and public value creation.

An analytical framework for assessing needs, setting priorities, and facilitating decision-making:
to implement innovation processes tailored to a public organization's specific context. This part of the course would introduce students to a comprehensive framework designed to assess organizational needs and readiness for innovation. It would include methods for setting strategic priorities and making informed decisions to tailor innovation processes to the unique contexts of public organizations. This framework would be supported by real-world case studies and interactive sessions where students can apply these concepts in simulated environments.

Data, Models and Algorithms:
Overview of foundational concepts and comparatives: statistics vs machine learning, data science vs AI, data modelling vs algorithmic modelling, predictive modelling vs policy evaluation, structural vs predictive models, augmented vs artificial intelligence.

Overview of learning and algorithms
: This part will focus on types of learning: supervised, unsupervised, semi-supervised, self, reinforcement, active and connections; Types of predictive models: high-dimensional linear models, decision trees, neural networks; Causal inference, intervention analysis and policy evaluation; Experiments and Big Data; Use of machine learning for policy evaluation.

Predictability-Explainability-Stability
: Reproducibility crisis in Science; Stability of Machine Learning algorithms: illustrations and risks; The explainability-predictability frontier

Data and Algorithms in the Society
: Role of data: data as a phenomenon, "end of theory", data journeys, data to the public; Algorithmic bias: how and why, algorithms and inequality, people analytics; Adoption of AI by decision makers

Exploring AI's Societal Impact:
focus on the ethical, legal, and social implications of AI technologies, examining their effects on privacy, employment, and societal norms. Students will engage with current case studies to critically analyze how AI is reshaping social expectations and behaviors. Key topics include data ethics, algorithmic bias, and the balance between innovation and regulation.

Innovation in Practice
: Focus on how AI is driving innovation across various sectors, enhancing productivity and addressing complex challenges. This part of the course explores practical applications of AI in healthcare, and urban planning, education and arts and culture among others. Students will learn about the integration of AI tools in real-world scenarios, evaluating both successes and limitations, and the skills necessary to implement AI solutions effectively.

Future Trends in AI
: Investigate the cutting-edge developments and emerging trends in AI, assessing their potential impacts on future societal and technological landscapes.

Enhancing the learning experience, the course will feature guest speakers from diverse fields, providing insights into the challenges and successes of AI implementation, and on-site visits to organizations actively utilizing AI will give students practical exposure to the dynamics of AI in action. Additionally, during the course, through discussions and project-based learning, students will explore speculative scenarios and prepare for the evolving roles that AI might play in shaping our world.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The final grade will be determined by weighting grades for the following components:

Active Participation (10%)

Students are expected to actively participate in class activities and other interactive components of the course.

Participation will be assessed based on engagement, discussion contribution, and peer collaboration.

Group Work, Presentation, and Discussion (40%)

Students will work in groups to complete a project related to the course topics.

Grading will be based on the quality of the research, the clarity of the presentation, and the ability to facilitate a meaningful discussion.

Final Written Exam (50%)

The final exam will consist of open and/or closed answer questions designed to test students' knowledge and understanding of the course material.

The exam will cover all topics discussed throughout the course, including fundamentals of innovation and AI concepts for the public service context, case studies of AI in various sectors (i.e. healthcare, urban development, education, arts and culture) and the societal impacts of AI technologies.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Reading List: The required readings will be available on Blackboard.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Understand the principles, methodologies, and professional standards governing auditing and assurance services.

Analyze the reliability and quality of corporate financial information and financial statements.

Apply audit methodologies and procedures to the main business cycles and accounting areas.

Evaluate internal control systems and identify relevant audit risks.

Interpret audit evidence and formulate professional judgments based on the results of audit procedures.

Develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills in addressing practical auditing issues.

Work effectively in teams and communicate audit-related findings in a professional context.

MISSION
In a complex and continuously evolving economic environment, the statutory auditor plays a crucial role in enhancing market and investors’ confidence in the quality and reliability of financial information. The aim of the Auditing and Assurance Services course is to provide an understanding of the professional methodologies and the legal and economic issues related to auditing activities.

The course examines the function of auditing and its future developments, the ethical principles governing the auditing profession, the methodologies and techniques used to assess the substantive reliability of the financial statements of industrial and commercial companies, and the audit evidence supporting the auditor’s opinion. The course also explores the impact of digital tools, data analytics, and artificial intelligence applications on auditing activities, as well as the evolving role of auditors in providing assurance on non-financial and sustainability reporting.

A strong emphasis is placed on the analysis of methodological and practical solutions to significant and recurring auditing issues. The course also includes the discussion of several case studies aimed at linking theoretical concepts with professional practice.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending Students – Assessment Method

The final assessment consists of a written examination. The written exam may be taken through two mid-term tests, provided that a passing grade is achieved in both assessments.

In addition to the final examination, students are required to complete three assignments.

The final grade is determined as follows:

2 short assignments, accounting overall for 20% of the final grade;

1 more comprehensive assignment, accounting for 20% of the final grade;

1 final written examination, accounting for 60% of the final grade.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Not attending Students – Assessment Method

The final assessment consists of a written examination. The written exam may be taken through two mid-term tests, provided that a passing grade is achieved in both assessments.

The final examination accounts for 100% of the final grade.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Reference Textbook and Additional Materials

The main reference for the course is:

Livatino, Auditing: Principles, Methods and Applications, EGEA, 2022 (chapters 1-14 and chapter 25).

Additional teaching materials are available on the course website, including:

course slides;

solutions to incidents and exercises discussed during classes.

Further Reading

For further study and additional insights, students are encouraged to consult the International Standard on Auditing (ISA).

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

• Illustrate and explain financial decision-making and markets in a psychologically more realistic way than classic finance
• Illustrate and explain how experiments can inform market participants, practitioners, and policymakers
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
• Apply a psychologically more realistic view on financial decision-making and markets
• Design, run, and analyze experiments studying financial decision-making and markets

MISSION
Some of the most consequential economic decisions people make over their lifetimes are related to investments. Those decisions largely determine their financial situation later in life. Yet, people seem to make systematic investment mistakes – even if these mistakes are associated with large costs. Retail investors in the US and Europe generally hold under-diversified portfolios and invest in costly financial instruments; many people trade too actively while others forego substantial equity returns by not participating in the stock market at all.

How investors make decisions is determined by human emotion, biases, and cognitive limitations of the mind in processing and responding to information. This can lead investors stick to bad decisions despite mounting evidence that they were wrong; like a gambler chasing losses.

Most importantly, some of the mistakes mentions can be observed in trading behavior of professional / institutional investors as well.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Part 1
Introduction

·
Behavioral finance: How investors and markets behave

·
Experimental finance: Principles of designing experiments in finance

Part 2 Current topics and applications I

·
Nudging: Save more tomorrow

· Financial communication to clients

·
Testing the value of financial advice

Part 3 Hands-on experiments (designing, running, and presenting in groups)

Part 4 Current topics and applications II

· Exploring market bubbles

· Explaining trading behavior

· Understanding bank runs

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The students can take one optional team assignment and must take one general exam based on the full syllabus. Thus, there are two possible cases:

·
Case 1: student took both team assignment and general exam. Then the final grade will be the maximum of

a)
A combination of the student’s grade on the team assignment (weight of 40%) and the general exam (weight of 60%), and

b)
A 100% weight on the general exam

Note, the grade of the team assignment is valid for one academic year.

·
Case 2: student did not take the team assignment. Then the final grade will be the grade of the general exam (weight 100%).

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

I post class notes and additional readings.

In addition, the textbook can complement students' understanding: Statman, Meir (2017).
Finance for Normal People: How Investors and Markets Behave
. Oxford University Press.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Formulate a computational model to solve business and management problems.

Appreciate the principles and the solution algorithms of linear programs at the basis of dedicated software for their application.

Distinguish the wide range of business problems whose solution is supported by computational models.

Recognize the challenges posed to quantitative methods by large dimensionality and big data and identify the corresponding technological solutions.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Organize information to build a quantitative model in line with the input posed.

Translate a business problem into a corresponding computational modelling frame.

Use dedicated software in order to obtain quantitative information.

Interpret solutions derived from implementing the chosen model in order to make optimal decisions.

Analyze quantitative models with sensitivity analysis tools to obtain "managerial insights".

MISSION
The scope of this course is to offer participants a thorough exploration of business analytics and of how computational modelling can be combined with big data to achieve given industry goals. In a well known communication to the European Parliament on 2 July 2014, the European Community evidenced the need of training a generation of managers who know how to combine information derived from data into models to support decisions. In fact, in recent years, the data driven revolution is changing the way in which institutions and corporations make decisions. We are heading towards industry 4.0. The great availability of data, the increased computing and information technology capabilities are creating new jobs and changing the way in which companies operate. The February 2018 report of the UK Government Office for Science highlights that computational modelling is a source of competitive advantage for corporations.
In the first part of the course, participants are exposed to the fundamental theoretical and methodological basis, analyzing relevant quantitative and mathematical methods. In the second part, students are exposed to industry case studies. With the participation of field experts, students will discover how innovative methods based on big data and information technology allow us to solve modern industrial problems.
CONTENT SUMMARY

The Principles of Machine Learning.

Formulation of quantitative models via Linear Programs.

The symplex method, Duality.

Sensitivity Analysis.

Network Type Problems.

Big Data and Lasso: The Dantzig Selector.

Industry 4.0 and Descriptive Analytics: Business Case studies.

These case studies are discussed and solved in the presence of guest lecturers from several international leading companies.

Oral individual exam [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment will be written in the form of: Assignments plus Final Respondus test. Students can take the exam in the following form, mode A or mode B at their choice.

Mode A: There will be one two intermediate assignments concerning the first part of the course, one assignment concerning the second part of the course, and a final general exam through the Responds platform.

The first two assignments concern the material explained first part of the course. They consist of a series of quantitative questions in closed form. Students solve mathematical problems divided into open-ended numerical questions and multiple-choice (or multiple-answer) questions.
The first assignments wish to test student's ability to formulate a computational model to solve a given business problem and their understanding of the principles of the solution of linear programming problems.

The third assignment concerns the material explained in the second part of the course. It consists of closed-form/multiple-choice questions concerning the methodological aspects of the case studies and the material developed in the second part of the course. Students will be tested on their knowledge of the business problems illustrated in the second part of the course and on their ability to recognize the challenges of the use of quantitative models to solve such problems.

In Mode B students take a unique final assignment on the entire course program. This assignment is, virtually, the union of the assignments in Mode A.

With the assignments, students will also be tested on the dedicated subroutines developed for the course and implemented in the software Matlab.

All students will then be required to take a final Respondus test, which will test their knowledge of the entire course program, through multiple-choice/multiple-answer questions. The Respondus exam is closed book.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

R.J. VANDERBEI,
Linear Programming
, Springer Series in Operational Research and Management Science, 2014, Fourth Edition, ISBN 978-1-4614-7629-0.

F.S. HILLIER and G.J. LIEBERMAN,
Introduction to Operations Research
, Second Edition, 2001.

Notes and slides provided by the teachers.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify and describe the specific features that set China’s national business environment apart from Western business models;

Identify and distinguish different characteristics of business management associated with different organizational players;

Explain the context-specific relationship between local institutions, organizational behavior, and company performance.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze inter-regional differences in China’s business environment;

Assess the relative advantages of different types of business ownership and management across local business contexts and industrial sectors;

Identify and assess critical drivers of company success and failure in business management across different institutional settings in China;

Organize complex teamwork tasks;

Communicate theoretical and practical challenges of business management in China in writing and in oral presentations.

MISSION
Since the start of economic reforms in 1978, China has grown to the second largest economy in the world. The country’s rise has altered global supply chains, export and import relations, and global capital flows. In spite of China’s pervasive influence on almost all walks of life, China’s distinct business environment combining market elements with state control remains poorly understood. This is not only a limitation for those aiming for prospective careers in multinational companies operating in China. It is also a crucial limitation for those who will be competing with Chinese companies or will be representing suppliers, customers, or investors of Chinese companies.

This course builds a comprehensive understanding of what it means to do business in China and with Chinese corporations. The course offers in-depth knowledge of the specific incentives and constraints defined by China’s unique political, economic and legal business environment. Building on this macro-framework, the course then continues to explore a variety of different kinds of organizations (ranging from state-owned firms to private and foreign firms) and their distinctive characteristics of business management.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course takes a multi-layered, institutional approach that links firm level strategies in a variety of different organizational forms with the embedding macro-environment and coordination mechanisms at the meso-level. The course consists of three modules:

The Macro embeddedness of business in China

Market and non-market behavior

Firm strategies

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes the student assessment is based on three main components.

1. Reflection papers

One individual assignment (15% of the final grade) designed to present the students with an opportunity to:

Reflect on specific features that distinguish China’s national business environment from Western contexts;

Identify and distinguish different characteristics of business management associated with different organizational players;

Explain the context-specific relationship between local institutions, organizational behavior, and company performance.

2. Team project

The team project (35% of the final grade - 10% for classroom presentation and 25% for final case) will focus on one company case (chosen by the team) to explore and assess the fit between ownership, management and institutional setting. With this project, students demonstrate their ability to:

Analyze inter-regional differences in China’s business environment;

Assess the relative advantages of different types of business ownership and management in specific local business contexts and industrial sectors;

Identify promising business strategies reflecting the specific company environment;

Organize complex teamwork tasks;

Communicate theoretical and practical challenges of business management in China in writing and in oral presentations.

3. Written exam

The final written exam (50% of the final grade) is based on a mix of multiple-choice and open (short-answer) questions. The purpose is to verify that the students master the underlying theoretical concepts and methods presented in the textbook and the additional class material. The exam will also show, whether students are able to draw and communicate relevant practical inferences from what they have learned.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The final written exam (100% of the final grade) is based on a mix of multiple-choice and open (short-answer) questions. The purpose is to verify that the students master the underlying theoretical concepts and methods presented in the textbook and the additional class material. The exam will also show, whether students are able to draw and communicate relevant practical inferences from what they have learned.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Nee, V., & Opper, S. Capitalism from Below: Markets and Institutional Change in China. Cambridge (MA): Harvard University Press.

Burt, R.S. & Opper, S. Strong Bridges: Trust beyond Structure. Oxford University Press.

Articles and case material uploaded on the e-learning platform. For detailed information check the course content and schedule.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Students will acquire:

Knowledge of the basic dynamics of the climate system and the main drivers of greenhouse gas emissions.

Understanding of the economic implications of climate change, including its nature as a global stock externality.

Understanding of the role of economic activity in generating emissions and of technological change in mitigation.

Familiarity with the main tools used to analyze environmental decisions, including cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Understanding of the structure and role of Integrated Assessment Models and the concept of the social cost of carbon.

Knowledge of the main market-based policy instruments for addressing externalities.

Understanding of the current state and key challenges of international climate negotiations.

Students will also develop the ability to critically assess the application of economic tools, particularly cost-benefit analysis, in the context of climate change.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

Analyze the economic drivers of greenhouse gas emissions and evaluate the effectiveness of alternative mitigation strategies.

Apply cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness frameworks to assess environmental policies and investment decisions.

Interpret outputs from integrated assessment models and use them to inform policy and strategic choices.

Evaluate climate policy instruments (e.g. carbon pricing, regulation, subsidies) in terms of efficiency, distributional impacts, and feasibility.

Assess the implications of climate policies for firms, governments, and international actors.

Analyze the structure and dynamics of international climate negotiations and identify key constraints to cooperation.

Formulate and communicate policy recommendations clearly and in a structured manner, both in writing and orally.

Work effectively in teams to address complex, multidisciplinary problems related to climate change.

Incorporate climate-related considerations into decision-making in professional and everyday contexts.

MISSION
Climate change is one of the central economic challenges of our time. It is a global and intertemporal externality, involving uncertainty, distributional conflicts, technological change, and collective action problems. Understanding climate change therefore requires students to revisit core economic concepts—efficiency, externalities, welfare aggregation, intertemporal choice, risk, and public goods—from a more applied and policy-oriented perspective.
The course examines the role of economic activity in driving climate change and the contribution of economic analysis to the design, evaluation, and comparison of climate policies. It introduces students to key tools used in climate and energy policy, including integrated assessment models, cost-benefit reasoning, mitigation scenarios, innovation dynamics, and the economics of international climate agreements.
The course contributes to the undergraduate program by strengthening students’ ability to apply economic reasoning to complex real-world problems. It combines theory, empirical evidence, policy applications, and interactive activities, helping students develop analytical skills relevant for public policy, sustainability, finance, international relations, and business strategy. As an Engage Course within the CIVICA Bachelor Engage Track, it also encourages students to connect academic knowledge with civic and policy challenges.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course is structured around three main blocks, moving from the foundations of climate change to policy design.

The first part
introduces the climate challenge from an economic perspective. It covers the scientific and empirical basis of climate change, including the sources and distribution of greenhouse gas emissions, and the key features of the energy system and the energy transition.

The second part f
ocuses on economic analysis. It examines climate damages, mitigation options, and technological change, and introduces the main tools used to evaluate environmental decisions, including cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis. It also addresses core conceptual issues such as intertemporal choice, social aggregation, and the role of the social planner. Students are introduced to integrated assessment models and the concept of the social cost of carbon, as well as valuation methods for market and non-market impacts.

The third part
turns to policy. It analyzes environmental policy instruments, the design and evaluation of climate policies, and the challenges of international environmental agreements and collective action.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
To qualify as an Attending Student
, students must attend at least 75% of all classes (including asynchronous components), complete all mandatory online tests on time, and actively participate in group work and in-class activities.

Assessment is based on two group assignments (60% of the final grade) and individual written exam(s) (40%).
A minimum score of 18/30 in the written exam
(s) is required to pass the course.

Assignment 1 – Policy Memo (30%)

Students work in groups to prepare a short policy memo and present it in class.

The written memo is evaluated on clarity, structure, use of evidence, and consistency of the policy recommendation. The in-class presentation and discussion (oral defense) assess students’ ability to justify their arguments, respond to questions, and critically engage with alternative viewpoints.

Particular emphasis is placed on the oral defense, as it provides a direct test of students’ understanding, their ability to reason under scrutiny, and their capacity to distinguish their own analysis from AI-generated content.

Assignment 2 – One-Minute Video (30%)

Students work in groups to produce a short video explaining a policy issue or concept from a specific perspective.

The assignment focuses on strategic communication and framing. Each group is assigned a perspective (not disclosed to the class) and is required to construct a coherent narrative consistent with that perspective. Videos are viewed and evaluated by peers, who are asked to infer the underlying position and assess the clarity and consistency of the message.

Written Exam(s) – Mid-Term + Final or General Final (40%)
Students are assessed individually on their understanding of the course material, including key concepts, analytical frameworks, and policy tools. The exam structure ensures both knowledge of core content and the ability to articulate and connect economic arguments.

Bonus Point

Students may earn additional points as follows:

+1 point
for completing all mandatory asynchronous content and tests on time.

+1 point (video assignment)
based on the alignment between intended and perceived message:

groups are rewarded if their assigned perspective is correctly identified by a meaningful but not excessive share of the class (i.e. neither too low nor too high recognition rates),

students who correctly infer the underlying perspective of other groups’ videos are also rewarded.

These incentives are designed to encourage consistent engagement and careful construction and interpretation of policy narratives.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Not Attending Students take the final written general exam.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Main Book:

C. KOLSTAD,
Intermediate Environmental Economics: International Edition,
OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, 2011, 2nd edition, number 9780199732654.

The Bboard online syllabus contains all the hyperlinks to the material below:

W. NORDHAUS,
Why the Global Warming Skeptics Are Wrong,
The New York Review of Books from the March 22, 2012 issue.

R.A. MULLER,
The Conversion of a Climate-Change Skeptic
, The New York Times, Published: July 28, 2012.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/climate-change/special-issue/

http://www.rollingstone.com/topic/climate-change

J. HANSEN, L. NAZARENKO, R. RUEDY,
et al., Earth's Energy Imbalance: Confirmation and Implications
, 2005, Science 308, 14.

IPCC 5th
Assessment Report. Technical Summary, Working Group 1
(If the link does not work go to http://www.climatechange2013.org/ and click on the summary for policy makers) http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/september/global-warming-hiatus-091715.html.

IPCC 5th
Assessment Report. Summary for Policy Maker, Working Group 3
(If the link does not work go to http://mitigation2014.org/ and click on the summary for policy makers) http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/carboncalculator.

IEA,
Energy, Climate Change and the Environment.

D. FULLERTON, R. STAVINS,
How Economists See the Environment,
Nature, 395:6701, 1998.

G. HARDIN,
The Tragedy of the Commons
, Science, 162:1243-48, 1968.

S.J. DUBNER, S.D. LEVITT,
Freakonomics: Not-So-Free Ride
, The New York Times Published: April 20, 2008.

KAHNEMAN,
et al., Experimental Test of the Endowment effect and the Coase Theorem
, The Journal of Political economy, 1990.

IPCC 4th AR
Climate Change 2007: Working Group III:
Mitigation of Climate Change, (Chapters 2.4 and 2.6).

NORDHAUS,
Economic aspects of global warming in a post- Copenhagen environment,
PNAS, 2010.

T. SCHELLING,
Intergenerational discounting,
Energy Policy 23, 395-401, 1995.

STEFRI KELMAN, C
ost-Benefit Analysis: An Ethical Critique,
from AEI Journal on Government and Society Regulation (1981) PP. 33-40.

A.P. KIRMAN,
Whom or What Does the Representative Individual Represent?,
Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 6(2), pages 117-36, Spring, 1992.

P. KRUGMAN,
Building a Green Economy,
The New York Times, April 7, 2010.

R.S.J. TOL,
The Damage Costs of Climate Change Toward More Comprehensive Calculations
, Environmental and Resource Economics 5, 353-374, 1995.

Discussion of Burke, Hsiang, and Miguel,
2015.

N. STERN,
The economics of climate change – The Stern Review,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007.

L. CLARKE,
et al., International climate policy architectures: Overview of the EMF 22 International Scenarios,
Energy Economics, pagg.S64–S81, 2009.

S. PACALA, R. SOCOLOW,
Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with Current Technologies,
Science, 2004. http://cmi.princeton.edu/wedges/.

W.D. NORHAUS,
Integrated Economic and Climate Modeling,
Cowles Foundation Discussion Paper No. 1839, December 9, 2011.

P. KRUGMAN,
Building a Green Economy,
The New York Times, April 7, 2010.

J. CHAFFIN,
Emissions trading: Cheap and dirty, Financial Times,
http://www.robertstavinsblog.org/

S. BARRETT,
Self-Enforcing International Environmental Agreements
, Oxford Economic Papers, Vol. 46, pp. 878-894, 1994, https://www.climateinteractive.org/programs/world-climate/.

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Conoscere i principali strumenti di comunicazione di marketing e le varie fasi della progettazione di una campagna di comunicazione

Conoscere come definire gli obiettivi e valutare i risultati della comunicazione di marketing

Comprendere il processo creativo di una campagna di advertising

Conoscere i soggetti coinvolti nella gestione della comunicazione di marketing e il loro ruolo nelle diverse attività

Capire come l'A.I. sta trasformando il mondo della comunicazione di Marketing

CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Riconoscere le peculiarità dei diversi strumenti di comunicazione e identificarne il ruolo strategico per l’azienda (e.g. abbinare gli obiettivi di comunicazione di marketing con il tool di comunicazione più idonea);

Ottenere una consapevolezza più ampia della comunicazione di marketing e del suo ruolo nella costruzione della notorietà e dell’immagine di marca

Essere in grado di valutare la creatività e il ruolo che ricopre nella efficacia comunicativa

Utilizzare l'A.I. per realizzare un progetto di comunicazione

MISSION
Come sta cambiando il mondo della comunicazione? Molti dichiarano morto e sepolto lo spot da 30 secondi, i marketer sono alla costante ricerca di nuovi modi per comunicare con i clienti e il numero di mezzi a disposizione per comunicare continua a crescere e cambiare. Occorre dunque abbandonare i manuali di comunicazione di marketing e procedere d’intuito?
L’obiettivo del nostro corso è quello di fornire ai partecipanti un quadro di riferimento per affrontare, con un approccio manageriale, le decisioni chiave nell’ambito delle attività di comunicazione di marketing oltre che comprendere e capire di più sulle direzioni che la comunicazione di marketing sta prendendo oggi.
Verranno affrontate le modalità per fare comunicazione, per pianificare e valutare le diverse iniziative in termici strategici ma anche esecutivi. A conclusione del corso si sarà acquisita familiarità con metodi e modalità per fare comunicazione di marketing oltre che con la terminologia utilizzata in questo campo, per essere in grado di applicare quanto appreso nel valutare la potenziale efficacia delle strategie e tattiche di comunicazione.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO
Il corso è strutturato come di seguito specificato:

· La comunicazione integrata di marketing e il suo contributo alle strategie di branding;

· L'industria della comunicazione: agenzie, centri media, editori e concessionarie, istituti di ricerca.

· Gli obiettivi della comunicazione di marketing;

· Pubblicità: la creazione della campagna e la strategia creativa;

· Promozioni al consumatore;

· Il packaging come strumento di comunicazione

· Pubbliche relazioni e sponsorizzazioni;

· La valutazione della attività di comunicazione

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students are those who actively participate in the group project and attend the group tutoring sessions. Peer evaluation can be applied only upon explicit request from the group.

The final evaluation comprises:

1. Written final exam (70% of the total grade)

The written exam will have: multiple choice questions in order to measure the understanding of the theoretical knowledge on marketing communication tools and integrated marketing communication; open questions, mainly short-open questions, will measure the students' applied knowledge related to adoption of different marketing communication strategies.

2. Group project: report and final presentation (30% of the total grade)

This group project will allow to measure the students understanding of theoretical knowledge and their capabilities to apply it in a real and specific industry for a specific brand.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The exam will consist in a written examination on all chapters of the book (exluding chapters 3, 10 and pages from 387 to 394) and will not include cases/examples/guest lectures that have been presented in class.

1) The written exam (100% of the total grade) is aimed at verifying the ability to apply the knowledge students learned when studying the teaching material. Specifically, the written exam will have multiple choice questions in order to measure the understanding of the theoretical knowledge on marketing communication tools and integrated marketing communication. There will be also some open questions, mainly short-open questions, that will measure the students' applied knowledge related to the adoption of different marketing communication strategies.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI

TESTO D'ESAME:

P. De Pelsmacker; M. Geuens; J. Van den Bergh
,
Marketing Communications: A European Perspective,
Prentice Hall; 7th Edition (per i soli capitoli indicati nel syllabus dettagliato)

SLIDE DELLE LEZIONI e materiali aggiuntivi pubblicati su BB

STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI
P. De Pelsmacker; M. Geuens; J. Van den Bergh,
Marketing Communications
:
A European Perspective,
Prentice Hall; 7th edition (tutto il libro)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Describe Investment banks, hedge funds and private equity funds operations;

Explain how the above intermediaries offer and price their services;

Identify the synergies between different businesses and the advantages in offering them separately or as part of a package,

Illustrate the functioning of the tools they apply when performing their activities;

Identify the methoological limitations of the above tools and the implications on the relationships with the clients.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze the tools that investment banks and private equity funds employ when they advise their clients/define their acquiring strategy and choose the appropriate ones

Plan an acquisition and an LBO by drawing up the various steps it encompasses

Apply the techniques depicted in the course to evaluate the most appropriate behaviour

Simulate the possible results under various scenarios hypothesis

MISSION
The crisis of 2007-2008 highlighted the role of non deposit taking institutions in providing funding to the economy and the lack of an adequate regulation of their operations. From the 1990s Investment banks and other financial firms had been able to structure an alternative credit system – i.e. the “shadow banking” system - allowing those in need to obtain financial resources and savers to access profitable investments. At the same time, as the above institutions did not take deposits, they had been able to avoid the legal constraints that banks had to face in order to protect depositors. The absence of a proper regulatory framework fostered the making of the crisis. The crisis made clear that understanding in detail the shadow banking systems institutions' operations and the risks that they entail in order to address them properly is crucial in order to avoid future financial mayhem. This understanding is also the mission of the course.
At the heart of the shadow banking system there are investment banks (IBs). Besides their traditional role as advisors in M&A transactions, IBs provide sponsorship, services and funding. On top of that, they supply liquidity to financial markets through trading and asset management activities. Hedge funds and private equity funds compete with IB for business but also operate thanks to IB's services. The course will explain the above institutions' operations and organizational features also using cases discussion.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course describes the ways in which financial intermediaries such as investment banks create value through their advisory and capital deployment activities. The first (and main) section is specifically devoted to investment banks, depicting their organizational structure and the services they offer in the security issuance, M&A, sales and trading, research and wealth management businesses. The second part deals with hedge funds, private equity funds and focuses on LBO deals valuation. Cases discussion will be used to have the students undestand the complexities of the intermediaries' operations.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Even though attendance is not required, phisical presence is required for both the peer evaluation activities and the group assignment presentation. The students can choose not to participate to the above activities but in that case their maximum grade, that will only depend on the outcome of the general exam is capped to 28/30.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Even though attendance is not required, phisical presence is required for both the peer evaluation activities and the group assignment presentation. The students can choose not to participate to the above activities but in that case their maximum grade, that will only depend on the outcome of the general exam is capped to 28/30.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
“Investment Banking, Hedge Funds and Private Equity”, by David P. Stowell, 4rd edition, 2023, Academic Press, Elsevier Inc. is the reference book. Lectures slides will be provided as well.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course student will have learned the conceptual and theoretical framework surrounding valuation issues and the practical tools to address such topics in real-life situations. Course participants will benefit from:

The analytical application on how to prepare and interpret discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis in a variety of contexts.

Knowledge and comprehension on how to prepare a comparable valuation analysis.

Understanding how to apply the above analysis and comparison of the outcomes of these analytical approaches.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify the most appropriate methods and approaches to a valuation, based on its final purpose.

Apply the different company valuation methods consistently and make reliable assumptions.

Choose the most suitable database as well as determine which key features should be adopted in the implementation of the identified methods.

Prepare a valuation memorandum compliant to international valuation standards.

MISSION
The course aims at providing students with the conceptual and theoretical framework surrounding valuation issues and the practical tools to address such topics in real-life situations. The main methodologies of corporate valuation are analyzed and the approaches commonly used by practitioners (financial analysts, investment and merchant banks, consulting firms) are critically discussed. Examples focus on corporate valuation issues using DCF, stock market and deal multiples completed by industry-specific as well as case-specific valuation techniques.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Introduction: users and uses of valuation; general approaches and specific methods;

Financial analysis and cash flows for valuation;

Business planning and financial modeling;

Discounted cash flows valuation models. The link between value, leverage and growth;

The weighted average cost of capital;

Multiples valuation. Theoretical determinants and market estimates;

Scenario analysis and Monte Carlo simulations;

Valuation issues in mergers & acquisitions;

Valuation issues in rights issues;

Climate issues in finance.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

The assessment will combine the Attending Written Exam and the Group Assignment:

Attending Written Exam: awarding up to 25 points;

Group Assignment: awarding up to 6 points. The Group Assignment score is valid in any exam date in the current academic year (it doesn't expire in case of multiple attempts).

Students can be assessed as an "Attending student", provided they can actively participate in the Group Assignment.

The Course is passed if the final grade (Assignment + Final Written Exam) is ≥18.

A final mark of “30 cum laude” will be assigned to students who reach a final grade equal to 31.

The exam lasts 60 minutes and it will be structured as follows:

13 multiple choice questions, either based on theory or on quick calculations. Each question is worth 1 point and has only 1 correct answer out of 4 possible choices. No penalty is assigned to a wrong pick.

2 short theoretical essay question, worth 3 points each.

2 short problems, worth 3 points each.

It is a closed-book test and no formula sheet is allowed. Students are allowed a basic scientific calculator (i.e. no calculator that has an internal storage or that allows symbolic and NPV calculations). The test will be issued on campus, on the student's personal computers, via the Respondus Lockdown software. The interface for the essay questions and the short problems will be plain writing; no access to Microsoft Excel will be available.

The details of the Group Assignment will be published before the midterm break on Blackboard.

Students that do not participate in the Group Assignment will be awarded a zero score in it but they will still be able to sit the Attending Written Exam and gain its portion of the final mark (maximum grade 25/30).

The Group Assignment score is valid in any exam date in the current academic year.

Repeating students that successfully completed an Assignment in the past academic years have the option (i.e. not the obligation) to keep their past Assignment score (Group or Individual Assignments). Considering that in the past the assignment awarded a different score, it will be proportionately converted. To opt for this possibility, please email [email protected] before the first exam session you intend to sit.

The Final Written Exam is aimed at assessing the students’ understanding of the key theoretical concepts covered in the course and their ability to apply them to short problems. The Group Assignment is aimed at assessing the students’ ability to apply in a context simulating a real-life setting the valuation methods and their application process discussed in the course, to interpret the results obtained, and to present and discuss them in a clear and structured way.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The Non Attending Written Exam lasts 70 minutes and will be composed by:

the identical Final Written Exam paper, described above (25 points);

6 additional multiple choice questions, exclusively based on the “Eligible Students Readings” uploaded on Blackboard. Each question is worth 1 point (i.e. 6 points total) and has only 1 correct answer out of 4 possible choices. No penalty is assigned to a wrong pick.

These questions are intended to test the students's understanding of the research questions and conclusions of the Independent Readings, which focus and deepen on an empirical standpoint the topics discussed in the course.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
The Attending Written exam will be based on the following textbooks and materials:

Handouts and files uploaded on Blackboard;

Corporate Valuation: Measuring the Value of Companies in Turbulent Times; by M. Massari, G. Gianfrate, L. Zanetti, Wiley, 2016;

Corporate Valuation Workbook, 2nd Edition; by A. Ghezzi & L. Zanetti, Egea, 2022.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The Non-Attending Written exam will be based on the following textbooks and materials:

Handouts and files uploaded on Blackboard, including papers for Non-Attending students study;

Corporate Valuation: Measuring the Value of Companies in Turbulent Times; by M. Massari, G. Gianfrate, L. Zanetti, Wiley, 2016;

Corporate Valuation Workbook, 2nd Edition; by A. Ghezzi & L. Zanetti, Egea, 2022.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course students will be able to:

• identify the fundamental purposes and principles of European criminal procedure;
• be familiar with the main actors developing fundamental rights protection standards in Europe, such as the Court of Justice and the ECtHR;
• master the relationship between national and supranational levels in the European context;
• identify the fundamental instruments of mutual legal assistance in criminal matters in the European Union;
• be familiar with the functioning of the main EU Agencies active in the contrast of particular types of serious crimes;
• be able to relate the concepts learned to practical cases.
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
  At the end of the course students will be able to:
• develop a practical knowledge of how European and global institutions work;
• evaluate the effectiveness of both fundamental rights protection standards and procedural instruments aimed at combating particular types of serious crimes as established at the supranational level;
• work in a team in a constructive way and develop a critical way of reasoning;
• apply learning outcomes to current procedural issues through the analysis of real case studies;
• identify new legal challenges in the realm of transnational criminal procedure.

MISSION
The growing internationalization of economic activities, including illicit conducts, has brought a more significant cross-border dimension to the investigation and prosecution of crimes, and therefore criminal and procedural law scholars are urged to adopt a broader view. Moreover, international agreements and the courts established thereby have created a multi-layered system of sources and rights impacting also purely national criminal actions. In particular, the ECHR as interpreted by the Strasbourg Court and European Union law as interpreted by the Court of Justice have significantly affected national criminal law and must be applied and taken into account by state courts, judges and prosecutors, making a thorough understanding of foreign and supranational rules and principles essential. In this sense, in the last three decades criminal procedure has increasingly acquired a transnational dimension.
Given this framework, the mission of this course is to examine, on one hand, the affirmation of fundamental rights protection through the lens of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and the ECHR and, on the other, the emergence of different procedural instruments of cooperation between States based on the principles of mutual recognition and legal assistance. Moreover, the course will focus on one of the most significant developments of transnational criminal procedure: the creation of EU Agencies committed to the contrast of serious crimes with a cross-border dimension.
CONTENT SUMMARY
After an introduction to the criminal procedure (legal families; scope of criminal trial; adversarial and inquisitorial systems; parties and judge: roles, power, duties), the main topics of the course will be the following:

• Basic notions on sources of European criminal procedure (European Union and Council of Europe);
• Basic notions on the role of the European Court of Human Rights and of the European Court of Justice;
• Purposes and principles: human rights protection, mutual recognition and mutual trust;
• Protection of fundamental rights:
  ne bis in idem
  , right to a fair trial,
  habeas corpus
  ;
• Mutual legal assistance: European Arrest Warrant, European Investigation Order, police cooperation;
• EU Agencies for the contrast of particular types of serious crimes: Europol, Eurojust, EPPO.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students who decide to take the exam as attending students are required to attend at least
75%
of the classes. The assessment for attending students is structured to measure the acquisition of the intended learning outcomes. The overall grade is derived from the following components:

1.
Mid-term Written Exam
(10 points of the final grade): this exam will consist of open-ended questions that test students’ understanding of fundamental principles and theories in criminal procedure. It focuses on theoretical knowledge and the application to basic case scenario;

2.
Group Assignment
(8 points of the final grade): groups of students will be asked to analyze a specific case or a legal issue, which they will present to the class. This assessment aims to evaluate the students’ teamwork skills, their ability to apply learned concepts to real-world or hypothetical legal problems, and their capability to critically assess and articulate the implications of criminal procedure principles. Each group has to write a final 5 pages essay on the case study dealt with;

3.
Written Exam
(12 points of the final grade): the written exam will consist of open-ended questions that test students’ knowledge of the principles and Institutions of European criminal procedure and their ability to apply those principles to practical situations.

4.
Continuous Assessment
(1 point of the final grade): students may be awarded up to 1 additional point on the basis of their continuous engagement throughout the semester, including active participation in class discussions and interactions during guest lectures.

Alternatively, attending students may choose to take a final written exam, which will count for 100% of the final grade, covering the entire course content. It will consist of open/closed-ended questions, aimed at assessing the students’ understanding of the principles and Institutions of European criminal procedure and their ability to apply them in the discussion of a specific legal issue.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment method for non-attending students is based on a final exam in written form, which will count for 100% of the final grade, covering the entire course content. It will consist of open/closed-ended questions, aimed at assessing the students’ understanding of the principles and Institutions of European criminal procedure and their ability to apply them in the discussion of a specific legal issue.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials include class slides, the judgments and documents examined during the semester and other selected readings. Attending and not attending students will also be required to study selected chapters

of the textbook: K. Ambos, P. Rackow (eds.),
The Cambridge Companion to European Criminal Law
, Cambridge University Press, 2023.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

• Become familiar with the cultural dimensions of international relations and security studies from a critical perspective;
• Identify the main theoretical and practical fields to which IR and culture can intersect;
• Evaluate and compare different theories and case studies within the field of culture, soft power, cultural diplomacy, museum diplomacy, music, and the protection of cultural heritage;
• Analyse cultural aspects and materials in the field of security and IR.
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
• Develop analytical and critical skills thanks to group debates both within each institution and between the two institutions;
• Develop analytical written communication skills in the field of IR and culture;
• Present and discuss a case study in the field of IR both in-group and individually through in-class presentations;
• Work in group at distance with students and professors from the partner university.

MISSION
This 48-hours joint course delves into the intersection of culture and International Relations through an innovative and cooperative model between Bocconi University and Sciences Po. Its main objective is to offer a critical and comprehensive perspective on International Relations by analysing the role played by culture – in its broad sense – at international, European and global level.

On the one hand, it will examine the role of art, cultural heritage, museum and music in shaping international relations and the security agenda. This will permit to focus on soft power, cultural diplomacy and international security in a comparative analysis based on various historical and contemporary case studies. On the other hand, it will analyse the cultural, visual and acoustic dimensions of International Relations through thought-provoking and innovative methodologies.
CONTENT SUMMARY
As part of CIVICA Engage programme, this course will be conducted in hybrid mode by two professors at Sciences Po in Paris and Bocconi University in Milan with the purpose of engaging students from both institutions in a collaborative work at-distance.

The “Bocconi University” module (12 hours), taught by Dr. Pagani, will study the notion of cultural, heritage and museum diplomacy by investigating the role of museums, cultural institutions and cultural practices in influencing interstate relations. This will enable to study how different actors – states, international, multilateral, regional and non-governmental organizations – use culture in its many forms for various foreign policy purposes.

The “Sciences Po” module (12 hours), taught by Prof. Ramel, will examine the role of music in different historical and political contexts, from the Cold War to the contemporary age, as well as the way in which images and cultural artefacts enable to represent and analyse IR.

The third module, (24 hours) taught by Dr. Pagani exclusively for Bocconi students, will permit to deepen the main concepts of the course though the analysis of case studies, interactive in-class group works and guest lectures offered by professionals.

Part 1 – Joint Bocconi University and Sciences Po

Session 1 – INTRODUCTION

Bocconi University Module - THE USES OF CULTURE IN IR

Session 2 – Security and Cultural Heritage: a new nexus?

Session 3 – Heritage diplomacy: the role of multilateral organisations (UNESCO, ICCROM, ALIPH)

Session 4 – Heritage diplomacy: the role of States

Session 5 – Museum diplomacy

Session 6 – The International politics of restitution

Sciences Po Module - ACOUSTICS AND IMAGES AS CULTURAL ARTEFACTS FOR ANALYSING IR

Session 7 – Music and diplomacy: an overview

Session 8 – Comparing musical diplomacies from the Cold War to Post-Cold War

Session 9 – Silence in IR: another acoustic dimension

Session 10 – Representing the diplomats: a way to decipher foreign policies

Session 11 – Visualising threats: the role of images in IR

Session 12 – CONCLUSION

PART 2 – Bocconi University only – CULTURE AND IR IN PRACTICE

Session 1 – Introduction and group work organisation

Session 2 – The invention and uses of soft power

Session 3 – The evolution of the international normative framework on the protection of cultural heritage

Session 4 – Protecting cultural heritage for peace - Guest lecture

Session 5 – The European Union’s cultural diplomacy

Session 6 – Hard, soft or sharp power? - Case study on China

Session 7 – Case studies from Central Asia and the Gulf countries

Session 8 – The role of UN peacekeeping missions in cultural heritage protection– Guest lecture (prof. Mathilde Leloup, Université Paris 8)

Session 9 – Case studies from Africa

Session 10 – Indigenous peoples’ cultural diplomacies - Case studies from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand

Session 11 – The protection of cultural heritage in contexts of conflict and emergency – Guest lecture

Session 12 – Conclusion and final debate

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

• A
  partial written exam
  (1h30): (30%) aimed to test the students’ ability to critically analyse a topic of the course.
• I
  n-class group presentation
  (30%) aimed to assess the students’ skills to present and discuss a case study or a topic related to the course. Each group will be composed of students from both institutions, encouraging teamwork and organization skills. Each student belonging to the same group will receive the same mark. If a student fails to attend her/his group presentation, she/he will receive an individual mark of zero for this part of the course’s assessment. This will not affect the mark of the group members who deliver the presentation.
• A
  final written exam
  (2h00): (40%) aimed to assess students’ knowledge on the course, as well as their critical and analytical skills.
  NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
  Final written exam
  (2h00): 100%.

This exam will permit to assess students’ knowledge on the entire course (sessions and reading materials) as well as their critical and analytical skills.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Part 1 – Joint Bocconi University and Sciences Po

Session 1 – INTRODUCTION

Required reading

Suggested reading

Roland Bleiker, Aesthetics and World Politics, London, Palgrave MacMillan, 2009 (Chapter 1 : p. 18-47).

Bocconi University Module - THE USES OF CULTURE IN IR

Session 2 – Security and Cultural Heritage: a new nexus?

Required reading

Russo, A., and S. Giusti. 2018. “The Securitisation of Cultural Heritage.” International Journal of Cultural Policy 25 (7): 843–857. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2018.1518979

Suggested reading

Giusti, S. 2026. The ‘warization’ of cultural heritage: the case of Ukraine. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2026.2641564

Session 3 – Heritage diplomacy: the role of multilateral organisations (UNESCO, ICCROM, ALIPH)

Required reading

Winter, T. 2015. “Heritage Diplomacy”. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 21(10), 997-1015.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2015.1041412

Suggested reading

Čeginskas, V. L. A., and T. Lähdesmäki. 2022. “Introduction: Reflecting on Heritage Diplomacy.”

International Journal of Cultural Policy 29 (1): 1–8.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2022.2141730

Session 4 – Heritage diplomacy: the role of States

Required reading

Foradori, P., S. Giusti, and A. G. Larmonica. 2018. “Reshaping Cultural Heritage Protection Policies at a Time of Securitisation: France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.” The International Spectator 53 (3): 86–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2018.1467161

Suggested reading

Pagani, C. 2025. Embedding the protection of cultural heritage into a security agenda: China’s and Russia’s heritage diplomacy. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2025.2599799

Session 5 – Museum diplomacy

Required reading

Grincheva, Natalia. 2020. Global Trends in Museum Diplomacy. Post-Guggenheim Developments. London: Routledge.

Suggested reading

Pagani, C. 2017. Exposing the Predator, Recognising the Prey: New institutional strategies for a reflexive museology. ICOFOM Study Series [Online], 45 |, Online since 06 February 2018. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/iss/341; DOI : 10.4000/ iss.341

Paumgartner, N.T., Raphael Zingg, R. 2018. The Rise of Safe Havens for Threatened Cultural Heritage. International Journal of Cultural Property. 25:323–346. doi:10.1017/S0940739118000188.

Session 6 – The International politics of restitution

Required reading

Barkan, E. (2001). The Guilt of Nations: Restitution and Negociating Historical Injustices. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, selected parts.

Suggested reading

Sarr, Felwine, & Savoy, Bénédicte (2018). "The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage. Toward

a New Relational Ethics",
https://www.unimuseum.unituebingen.de/fileadmin/content/05_Forschung_Lehre/Provenienz/sarr_savoy_en.pdf

Savoy, Bénédicte. (2022). Africa’s Struggle for Its Art: History of a Postcolonial Defeat (S. Meyer-Abich, Trans.). Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press.

Sciences Po Module - ACOUSTICS AND IMAGES AS CULTURAL ARTEFACTS FOR ANALYSING IR

Session 7 – Music and diplomacy: an overview

Required reading

Rebekah Ahrendt, Mark Ferrugato, and Damien Mahiet, eds. Music and Diplomacy from the Early Modern Era to the Present, eds. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). (Introduction)

Suggested reading

Oliver Urbain, ed. Music and Conflict Transformation : Harmonies and Dissonances in Geopolitics. London : Tauris, 2007.

Session 8 – Comparing musical diplomacies from the Cold War to Post-Cold War

Required reading

Danielle Fosler-Lussier “Cultural Diplomacy as Cultural Globalization: The University of Michigan Jazz Band in Latin America.” Journal of the Society for American Music 4 (2010) : 59-93.

Suggested reading

Michael Jung, Frédéric Ramel, « The Barenboim Case: How to Link Music and Diplomacy Studies», Arts and International Affairs , 3, 2, Summer 2018. doi: 10.18278/aia.3.2.5

Session 9 – Silence in IR: another acoustic dimension

Required reading

Le Breton, Sensing the World, Bloomsbury Academic, 2017 (extracts).

Suggested reading

Sophia Dingli, Thomas N. Cooke, eds., Political Silence. Meanings, Functions and Ambiguity, London & New York : Routledge, 2019 (introduction).

Session 10 – Visualising threats: the role of images in IR

Required reading

Lene Hansen, "How Images make World Politics: International Icons and the Case of Abu Ghraib." Review of International Studies 41.2 (2015): 263-88.

Suggested reading

William Callahan, Sensible politics : visualizing international relations, Oxford, Oxford Univeristy Press, 2020.

Session 11 – Representing the diplomats: a way to decipher foreign policies

Required reading

Quentin Skinner, “Lorenzetti: the artist as a political philosopher’ In Quentin Skinner (ed.), Proceedings of the British Academy, Volume 72: 1986. pp. 1-56 (1987).

Suggested reading

Roland Bleiker, Visual Global Politics, London & New York: Routledge, 2018.

PART 2 – Bocconi University only

The list of reading materials will be indicated in December 2026

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Describe the main forms of international conflict, cooperation, and political violence

Recognize the importance of empirical evidence and quantitative analysis in the study of International Relations;

Describe major datasets and indicators commonly used in contemporary International Relations research;

Interpret patterns and trends in international political behavior using empirical evidence.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Read, understand, and discuss empirical research in political science and International Relations

Develop analytical and written communication skills in the field of International Relations

Use and interpret basic datasets and empirical indicators relevant to global politics;

Compare alternative explanations for international political outcomes using empirical evidence;

Apply data-driven reasoning to the study of war, political violence, international institutions, and global cooperation.

MISSION
This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to International Relations through a strongly empirical and data-driven perspective. Combining classical themes in global politics with contemporary quantitative approaches, the course examines the causes and consequences of conflict, cooperation, and international governance.

Students will engage with major debates in International Relations while learning how scholars use data to study interstate wars, civil conflicts, terrorism, military interventions, international organizations, alliances, and global political behavior. The course emphasizes the interpretation of real-world evidence and introduces students to the datasets and empirical tools commonly employed in modern political science research.

By integrating substantive knowledge with analytical reasoning, the course develops students’ ability to critically evaluate international events, interpret quantitative evidence, and understand how empirical research informs policy and academic debates in world politics.
CONTENT SUMMARY
This course introduces the empirical study of International Relations and global conflict through a series of thematic modules.

Interstate wars and rivalries

Civil wars

Non-state conflicts and organized political violence

Terrorism and political violence against civilians

Human rights violations and repression

Demonstrations and protests

Military coups

Military expenditure

Nuclear weapons and deterrence

Military interventions and peacekeeping operations

External military support and foreign assistance in conflict

International treaties

Military alliances and foreign policy alignment

International organizations

International trade and foreign aid

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

A group essay and presentation (25%) aimed to asses the students’ skills to conduct empirical research in IR and present their findings

A written exam (75%) aimed to test the students’ ability to critically analyse a topic of the course, on the basis of all sessions and reading materials.

An extra point for class participation

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

An indiviudal essay (25%) aimed to asses the students’ skills to conduct empirical research in IR and present their findings

A written exam (75%) aimed to test the students’ ability to critically analyse a topic of the course, on the basis of all sessions and reading materials.

An extra point for class participation

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The course materials will consist of journal articles

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify the main sources of uncertainty and depict a well-structured approach to decision-making

Learn how to identify future scenarios and update the beliefs attached to them

Learn how to use and apply data in realistic business contexts

Improve their ability to diagnose business problems, offer appropriate solutions, and generate innovative opportunities.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Adopt a more structured approach to identify the sources of uncertainty, imagine different actions to be implemented under possible future scenarios

Assess what data would be useful to make a more informed decision

Adopt a proper language to describe decisions and distinguish strategies, scenarios, and outcomes

Analyze data in business contexts approaches for choosing appropriate metrics and analytical methods

Derive business insights and predictions from data, elaborate and interpret data to inform quality decision-making

MISSION
We live in an era of business uncertainty: adopting a more rational approach to decision-making and integrating a data-driven analysis in firms' decision-making processes can have profound effects. In this light, the course provides an overview of the process of using data to inform firms' decision-making process and validate a course of action before committing to it.
This course aims to improve the student's ability to make decisions in business by leveraging a structured approach based on theorizing about possible future scenarios and implementing data-driven actions. The first part focuses on theoretical aspects of decision-making, while the second part focuses on data-driven analysis and interpretation of data from a business point of view. Through concrete and practical applications, students will learn how to diagnose business problems, offer appropriate solutions, and generate innovative opportunities.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course focuses on the best practices that a firm can adopt to make rational decisions, namely:

A structured course of action to make more rational decisions

A language to describe decisions and distinguish strategies, scenarios, and outcomes

Models and statistical techniques:

Structured descriptive statistics

Linear regression model

Prediction analysis

Applications and real cases using statistical software (Python)

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment for attending students will be based on three main components:

In-class participation (10% of the final grade) aimed at testing the student's ability to interact in a multicultural environment and to think critically through contributions given to the class discussion.

Group assignment (40% of the final grade) designed for the purpose of verifying the student's ability to:

Analyse decision problems and identify the main elements, namely the possible strategies, outcomes, and scenarios

Analyse data by applying the techniques learned in class to address decision problems

Work on a team to deliver a clear and articulated answer to real-world business decisions

Final written exam (50% of the final grade), based on questions related to the topics covered in class, aims to assess the student's learning level of the methodologies and concepts discussed during the course.

Attendance will be recorded. To take the exam as an attending student, an attendance rate equal to or higher than 75% must be reported.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment for not attending students will be based on a written exam (100% of the final grade) based on questions related to the topics covered in class, which aims to assess the student's learning level of the methodologies and concepts discussed during the course.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Slides and selected papers.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Slides and selected papers.

Supplementary reading:

Peterson, M. (2017). An introduction to decision theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Selected chapters. (For Part 1)

Hill, R. C., Griffiths, W. E., & Lim, G. C. (2018). Principles of econometrics. John Wiley & Sons. Selected chapters. (For Part 2)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Become familiar with some of the key issues related to economic development in low-income countries and poverty alleviation.

Have learned about how human capital and the quality of institutions may affect economic development.

Understand how imperfections in labor or credit markets may hinder economic development and what kinds of policies may be effective in improving the functioning of these markets in developing countries.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Discuss some of the key challenges related to economic development in low-income countries.

Interpret and think critically about evidence on the effectiveness of various development policies implemented in low-income settings.

MISSION
This course provides an introduction to the study of development economics. The central aim of the course is to present key theoretical models and related empirical evidence that shape our thinking of economic interactions and policy-making in developing countries. The course begins by giving an overview of growth theory in order to identify potential drivers of economic growth and to provide a benchmark for analysing the role of market imperfections. The course then analyzes markets and institutions in developing countries, with a focus on how they have developed to make up for market imperfections in developing countries. In particular, the structure of labor and credit markets in developing countries is introduced with a view towards understanding how imperfections in these markets affect the lives of the poor and the economy at large, and shape economic policy-making. The course will also explore issues related to education and gender in development, with a particular focus on the methodology of field experiments to provide insights into these topics. The course has a strong applied focus. For each topic, simple theoretical models are introduced to derive testable predictions, followed by a review of the empirical results and their implications for policy.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Introduction: Facts about Development and Growth

Growth via Factor Accumulation

Inequality and Growth

Foreign Aid, Development and Corruption

Impact Evaluation

Education

Gender and Ethnicity

Informal Institutions

Financial Markets and Microcredit

Private Sector Development and Entrepreneurship

Labor Markets

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes, the students’ assessment is based on a written examination (100% of the final grade). The written exam consists of exercises and open questions, aimed at assessing students’ ability to apply the economic models presented during the course and to

interpret and critically discuss the evidence on the effectiveness of various development policies implemented in low-income settings
.
Students have to take a general written exam covering the entire course material (no partial exams).

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching in the course is done mainly from journal articles. The reading list and lecture notes are posted on the Agenda you@B. The following textbooks are used throughout the course:

D. RAY,
Development Economics,
Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.

A.V. BANERJEE, E. DUFLO,
Poor Economics
, Public Affairs, 2011.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
The course is designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the digital economy.

Specifically, this course will empower you to:

Develop a strategic vision for navigating the digital landscape

Identify and seize emerging digital opportunities

Enhance customer engagement and build a strong digital presence

Drive innovation and stay ahead of the competition

Effectively manage and optimize digital business operations

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
This course will provide students the opportunity to work on a field project by developing a digital strategy initiative directly conceived and designed together with the management team of a key player in the digital world. This player is involved in both the initial kick-off of the project and the final presentation of the outputs in the classroom by the student teams. The project must focus on specific areas of digital business, which are presented in detail at the start of the challenge in the classroom. The project is evaluated by the company and the course instructor. The teams proposing the best project will have the opportunity to present them to the top management team at the company's headquarters. The field project is a real-world application of the skills and knowledge learned in the course. It is useful for verifying the students' ability to apply the knowledge developed during the course, to create a coherent digital strategy project and to be able to present it effectively to top managers.

MISSION
Digital Strategy Course: Navigating the Evolving Digital Landscape for Business Success

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses face both immense opportunities and significant challenges.
The pervasiveness of digital channels and artificial intelligence is reshaping the business landscape, giving rise to innovative business models and transforming the way companies interact with their customers.
The Digital Strategy course delves into the intricacies of this dynamic environment, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to navigate these transformative changes and thrive in the digital era.
This course aims to deepen the evolution of policies and strategies for interaction with the market and innovation in the field of the digital economy. The main emerging business models and their management principles are analyzed, with reference both to players present exclusively online, whose main objective is to use the network to directly create value, as well as to companies that use the Web and mobile technology to enhance and complete their traditional activities, according to an intrinsically integrated strategic approach. In this perspective, the most recent developments in content management, gamification, AI, and digital products will be explored.
CONTENT SUMMARY
You will gain a comprehensive understanding of:

The Impact of Digital and AI on Business: Explore how digital technologies and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing business models, customer engagement, and innovation processes across industries.

Emerging Business Models in the Digital Economy: Analyze the key characteristics and principles of emerging business models in the digital economy, including purely online ventures, platform-based businesses, and data-driven models.

Digital Strategy Formulation and Implementation: Learn how to formulate and implement effective digital strategies aligned with business objectives, considering factors such as market trends, customer needs, and technological advancements.

Omnichannel Strategies and Social Media Engagement: Master the art of omnichannel strategies to seamlessly connect with customers across various digital touchpoints. Leverage social media to enhance customer engagement, foster user-generated content, and build brand loyalty.

Innovation Management in the Digital Age: Develop strategies to foster innovation in the digital era, leveraging data analytics, open and collaborative innovation to drive continuous improvement and competitive advantage.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

Field Project: 30%

Final Exam: 70%

Field Project: 30%

This project involves developing a digital strategy initiative in collaboration with a key player in the digital industry. Students will work with the company's management team to design and implement the project. The project will be evaluated based on its coherence, effectiveness, and presentation. The top teams will have the opportunity to present their project to the company's top management team.

Final Exam: 70%

The exam is offered in two formats: two partial exams or one final exam. The exam will consist of both open-ended and multiple-choice questions. The questions will assess students' understanding of the concepts, models, and cases discussed in class.

Students can also earn up to 2 additional points by actively participating in class and completing an optional individual assignment that leads to Google certification.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students will be assessed solely based on a final written exam. The exam will consist of both open-ended and multiple-choice questions covering the subjects presented in the course texts and materials. The questions will primarily assess students' understanding of the concepts, methods, and tools presented in the course materials and their ability to apply them correctly.

Exam Format:

Open-ended questions: These questions will require students to explain concepts, analyze case studies, or apply course material to real-world scenarios.

Multiple-choice questions: These questions will assess students' knowledge of key terms, facts, and concepts.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

E. PRANDELLI, G. VERONA,
Digital Human Enterprise
, EGEA, Milano, 2020.

Handout.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

E. PRANDELLI, G. VERONA,
Digital Human Enterprise
, EGEA, Milano, 2020.

Sebastien RONTEAU, Laurent MUZELLEC, Deepak SAXENA, Digital Business Models: The New Value Creation and Capture Mechanisms of the 21st Century, De Gruyter, 2022.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Understand the dimensions of gender gaps.

Explore the determinants of gender gaps.

Analyze policies to favour female occupation policies to promote female empowerment in business and in politics.

Understand why diversity is important in organizations.

Explore gender stereotypes.

Analyze what women/minorities can do to be more successful in organizations and what organizations do to manage diversity more effectively.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Interpret the existence and the dimensions of gender gaps.

Assess the determinants of gender gaps.

Evaluate and discuss policies to favour female occupation policies to promote female empowerment in business and in politics.

Interpret why diversity is important in organizations.

Assess gender stereotypes.

Evaluate and discuss what women/minorities can do to be more successful in organizations and what organizations do to manage diversity more effectively.

MISSION
The concept of diversity is central in modern societies. Differences of gender, age, nationality, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, religious beliefs, political ideologies are a key value for societies, economies and organizations. Diversity is receiving a growing attention in strategic policy and business agendas.This course addresses the main arguments to understand why diversity is key for policy-making and organizations, focusing in particular on the gender dimension. It also discuss the more effective measures to promote diversity. After an introduction, the course is organized in two parts, which develop the socio-economic-policy and the management perspective respectively.
The main goal of the course is to understand and discuss topics related to the economic value of gender equality and how to promote it in public policy and in organizations. The course promotes discussion in class based on data, respectful of each other and the topic. We learn and grow from each other, as well as from the course content.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course is divided in two parts: Policy and Management.

First part: the policy dimension. This part of the course covers the following concepts:

Gender equality: an overview of the gender gaps, dimensions, scenario, based on data.

Labor market and the family: the role of maternity, fertility, intrahousehold bargaining power as determinants of the gender gaps.

Psychological and socio-psychological factors which determine the gender gaps.

At the root of gender gaps: the role of gender culture, at individual and firm level.

Theories of discrimination and non-neutrality in selection.

Policies to favour female occupation.

Policies to measure female empowerment in business and in politics. A special focus on gender quotas.

Second part: The management dimension. This part of the course covers the following concepts:

Introduction to diversity management in organizations: why diversity is important? What types of diversity?

Understanding and exploring gender stereotypes.

Effects of gender status on women's own behavior in organizations and on others' attitudes and behaviour towards women in organizations.

Intergroup (non-gender) relations and stereotypes (main theories).

Effects of minority status on their own behaviors and other's behaviors towards them in organizations.

What can women/minorities do to be more successful in organizations.

What can organizations do to manage diversity more effectively in organizations.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The written exam is 100% of the grade. The exam contains multiple choice questions and open questions on the program.

Students can take two midterms (50% of the grade each) or one general exam (100% of the grade)
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The written exam is 100% of the grade. The exam contains multiple choice questions and open questions on the program.

Students can take two midterms (50% of the grade each) or one general exam (100% of the grade)

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students attend at least 50% of the classes

For the first part of the course the teaching material is the book: Profeta, P. Gender equality and public policy. Measuring progress in Europe (2020) Cmabridge University Press

For the second part of the course there are the following readings

NPR (2010). Defining diversity: beyond race and gender. In the special series “Diversifying the American Workplace”. URL:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122327104
)

McClintock, E. A. (2014). A comparison of male and female homemakers.
Psychology Today. URL:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/its-man-s-and-woman-s-world/201401/happy-homemakers

Rudman, L. A., & Glick, P. (2008). Understanding gender (chapter 1).
The social psychology of gender.
New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Catalyst (2005). Women “take care” and men “take charge”: Stereotyping of US business leaders expose. URL:
http://www.catalyst.org/system/files/Women_Take_Care_Men_Take_Charge_Stereotyping_of_U.S._Business_Leaders_Exposed.pdf

Rudman, L. A., & Glick, P. (2008). Content and origins of gender stereotypes (chapter 4).
The social psychology of gender.
New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Rudman, L. A., & Glick, P. (2008). Descriptive and prescriptive stereotyping (chapter 5).
The social psychology of gender.
New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Babcock, L., & Laschever, S. (2003). Introduction.
Women don’t ask: Negotiation and gender divide
. Princeton University Press. URL:
https://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/i7575.pdf
.

Gilbert, D. (1994) Women acknowledge presence of workplace discrimination; rarely believe it applies to them.
The University Record.
URL:
http://www.ur.umich.edu/9394/Feb07_94/15.htm

Pew Research Global Attitudes Project (2009). Opinions of ethnic and religious minorities. URL:
http://www.pewglobal.org/2009/11/02/chapter6-opinions-of-ethnic-and-religious-minorities/

Ellemers N. & Haslam S.A. (2011).
Social identity theory. In: Van Lange P.A.M., Kruglanski A.W., Higgins E.T. (Eds.),
Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology
. London: Sage Publications. 379398.

Sidanius, J., & Pratto, F. (2011). Social dominance theory. In: Van Lange P.A.M., Kruglanski A.W., Higgins E.T. (Eds.),
Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology
. London: Sage Publications. 418338.

Turner, J. C. & Reynolds, K. J. (2011). Selfcategorization theory. In: Van Lange P.A.M., Kruglanski A.W., Higgins E.T. (Eds.), Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology. London: Sage Publications. 399-417.

NPR (2008). Race perception in the workplace. URl:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98462207

Sheppard, L. (2019). Attractive businesswomen viewed as less trustworthy 'femmes fatales'. American Association for the Advancement of Science. URL:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/201903/wsu-abv032119.php

Roulstone, A., & Williams, J. (2014). Being disabled, being a manager:‘glass partitions’ and conditional identities in the contemporary workplace.
Disability & Society
,
29
(1), 1629.

Mitra, S., & Kruse, D. (2016). Are workers with disabilities more likely to be displaced?.
The International Journal of Human Resource Management
,
27
(14), 15501579.

Pingitore, R., Dugoni, B. L., Tindale, R. S., & Spring, B. (1994). Bias against overweight job applicants in a simulated employment interview.
Journal of applied psychology
,
79
(6), 909.

NPR (2010). Career coaches help minorities on way to the top. In the special series “Diversifying the American Workplace”. URL:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122576958

Kulik, C., & Roberson, L. (2008). Diversity initiative effectiveness. In A. P. Brief (Ed.),
Diversity at Work
. Cambridge University Press

Wallis, H. & Robb, S. 2012. Workplace discrimination prompts 'whitened' job applications. BBC News. URL:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-20608039

Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L. (2007). Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership.
Harvard Business Review,
85, 6371. URL:
https://hbr.org/2007/09/womenand-the-labyrinth-of-leadership#

Ely, R., & Roberts, L. M. (2008). Shifting frames in teamdiversity research. In A. P. Brief (Ed.),
Diversity at Work
. Cambridge University Press

Singletary, S. L., & Hebl, M. R. (2009). Compensatory strategies for reducing interpersonal discrimination: the effectiveness of acknowledgments, increased positivity, and individuating information.
Journal of Applied Psychology
,
94
(3), 797805.

Bauer, T. & Erdogan, B. 2012. Chapter 2.2. Demographic Diversity. In the “An Introduction to Organizational Behavior”. Creative Commons. URL:
http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/anintroduction-to-organizational-behavior-v1.1/s06-02-demographic-diversity.html

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The material is indicated in blackboard

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course students will be able to:

• Be familiar with the structure and internal logic of international contracts
• Know the legal and practical function of key clauses commonly used in international contracts, including operative, boilerplate, governing law, and dispute resolution clauses
• Now the guiding principles of contract review, including the comparison of contractual formulations, the detection of ambiguities and inconsistencies, and the evaluation of drafting alternatives
• Understand the role of digital tools and AI-assisted systems in contemporary drafting practice, and critically evaluate their usefulness, limits, and professional implications
• Develop professional skills relevant to legal practice, including legal writing, problem-solving, teamwork, oral presentation, and client-oriented reasoning
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
  At the end of the course students will be able to:
• Apply the core techniques of international contract drafting
• Use legal and commercial reasoning in drafting contractual clauses, considering the structure of the transaction and the parties’ respective interests
• Select and adapt precedents, model clauses, and standard templates to the specific features of cross-border contractual arrangements
• Review contractual texts critically, identifying drafting weaknesses, ambiguities, inconsistencies, and clauses that may create legal or commercial risk
• Propose and justify alternative drafting solutions considering risk allocation, enforceability, negotiation strategy, and transactional priorities
• Use digital and AI-assisted tools in a professionally responsible manner to support contract drafting and review, while critically verifying outputs and preserving independent legal judgment

MISSION
The course aims to introduce students to the methods, techniques and professional approach required for drafting international contracts in contemporary legal practice.
Lectures will examine how international contracts are negotiated, structured and revised in cross-border transactions, by combining legal analysis with practice-oriented exercises, and are designed to familiarize students with the drafting activity in an international context.
Particular attention will be devoted to choices that parties make in the drafting moment, such as the definition of the law applicable to the agreement, inclusion of boilerplate provisions, standard clauses and dispute resolution system.
The course will also address the impact of digital transformation on transactional legal work, including document automation and the increasing use of AI systems by law firms and legal departments. Students will be encouraged to critically assess the opportunities and limitations of such tools, while maintaining methodological rigor, professional judgment, and drafting accuracy.
The course is structured in two main parts: the first one focuses on the founding elements of international contract drafting; the second one addresses advanced issues, including contract review, clause analysis, drafting technologies, AI-assisted tools, and recent developments in legal practice.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Part I – Foundations of International Contract Drafting

1) Notion and structure of international contracts

2) Law applicable to the contract (national legal systems, international law, soft law)

3) Negotiation: pre-contractual instruments and pre-contractual liability

4) Standard forms

5) Representations and warranties

6) Hardship and force majeure

7) Penalty clauses and liquidated damages

8) Boilerplate clauses

9) Dispute resolution in international contracting

Part II – Contract Drafting and Emerging Technologies

10) Online negotiation and contract formation

11) AI-assisted contracting and legal drafting technologies

12) SaaS, cloud services and digital services agreements

13) Cloud computing contracts: EU Model Contractual Terms

14) UNCITRAL Model Law on Automated Contracting

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students are required to take two partial exams: partial and end-of-semester. Each of them consists of multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions. The program of each partial exam will be announced in class. The evaluation weighting is the following: -40% partial exam; -50% final exam; 10% attendance and participation in individual and group assignments.

In order to qualify as attending, students are required to have attended at least 75% of the classes prior to each exam.

Students failing to pass either of the two partial exams are required to take a general exam, consisting of multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions. The program of the general exam will be announced in class. The evaluation weighting is the following: -90% general exam; -10% attendance and participation in individual and group assignments.

The partial exams and the general exam are aimed at assessing students’ knowledge and understanding of the structure and internal logic of international contracts, the legal and practical function of key contractual clauses, and the guiding principles of contract review, including the identification of ambiguities, inconsistencies and drafting alternatives. They are also intended to assess students’ ability to apply the core techniques of international contract drafting, to use legal and commercial reasoning in drafting contractual clauses, and to review contractual texts critically.

Attendance and participation in individual and group assignments are aimed at assessing students’ ability to apply drafting and contract review techniques to practical exercises, to select and adapt clauses and precedents to specific cross-border contractual arrangements, to propose and justify alternative drafting solutions, and to work collaboratively while discussing legal and commercial choices in a clear and structured way.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students are required to take a general exam at the end of the course. It will consists of multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions.

The general exam is aimed at assessing students’ knowledge and understanding of the structure and internal logic of international contracts, the legal and practical function of key contractual clauses, and the guiding principles of contract review. It is also intended to assess students’ ability to apply the core techniques of international contract drafting, to identify drafting weaknesses, ambiguities and inconsistencies, and to propose legally and commercially sound drafting solutions.

The program of the general exam for non-attending students is indicated in the section on teaching materials for non-attending students (see below).

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students are responsible for the teaching materials discussed in class and available on the Bboard platform.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students are responsible for the following materials:

• Larry A. DiMatteo, International Contracting. Law and Practice (5th edn, Alphen aan den Rijn, 2022):

Chapters from 2 (included) to 7 (included)

Chapters 12 and 14.

• Pietro Sirena, 'The Contracting Parties' Choice of European Soft Law: Its Validity and Limitis', available on the Bboard platform.

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Identificare gli elementi principali che caratterizzano la struttura e la dinamica evolutiva del settore della previdenza complementare ed assicurativo.

Riconoscere la rilevanza delle variabili finanziarie, economiche, politiche e sociali nelle logiche manageriali delle imprese che operano nel campo della previdenza e delle assicurazioni.

Distinguere gli aspetti essenziali per la gestione e distribuzione di prodotti previdenziali ed assicurativi

Comprendere le sfide competitive e le opzioni strategiche a disposizione delle imprese che operano nel settore in un contesto di forte evoluzione

Leggere i cambiamenti demografici in ottica di possibili soluzioni di welfare privato e pubblico

Conoscere il ruolo dei vari player previdenziali ed assicurativi

CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Svolgere un’analisi del settore della previdenza complementare considerando le opportune variabili macroeconomiche

Analizzare il posizionamento dei player in coerenza con gli scenari socio economici e identificare le opportunità e minacce strategiche e punti di forza e di debolezza

Valutare il gap previdenziale e identificare le opportune scelte di allocazione del risparmio in ambito previdenziale, in riferimento a diversi target di consumatori

Utilizzare indici, strumenti e concetti appresi per valutare casi specifici in ottica economico/finanziaria

Identificare nuove linee di sviluppo per i profili di allocazione efficiente delle risorse in considerazione dele nuove tendenze evolutive: sostenibilità e tecnologia

MISSION
L’obiettivo del corso è l’analisi dell’evoluzione del sistema previdenziale ed assicurativo caratterizzato da anni dalla necessità di policy che trovino una soluzione al tema del finanziamento della longevità e della riduzione dell’importo delle prestazioni.
Durante il corso saranno identificate le modalità con le quali il legislatore italiano e quello europeo hanno cercato di rispondere alle sfide legate all’invecchiamento della popolazione alla evoluzione dei mercati, alle necessità di vita delle nuove generazioni ed alla integrazione tra Welfare pubblico e privato. Del sistema pubblico si analizzeranno le principali caratteristiche economiche e giuridiche e l’approccio usato nelle scelte politiche che si sono susseguite nel tempo. Seguirà l’analisi delle forme di previdenza complementare siano essi fondi o prodotti assicurativi declinandone le differenze rispetto ai tradizionali strumenti finanziari e mettendo in evidenza gli aspetti di management, finanziari, fiscali, normativi che li caratterizzano. Aspetti di attualità come l’intelligenza artificiale e la sostenibilità saranno considerati per il ruolo che svolgono e potranno svolgere in prospettiva nel settore. Una parte speciale sarà dedicata al settore assicurativo per comprenderne il ruolo nel settore previdenziale e più in particolare le logiche manageriali e di gestione dei rischi.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO

Evoluzione del sistema previdenziale ed assicurativo ed integrazione tra settore pubblico e privato

Le forme di previdenza complementare: origini e attuali configurazioni: le fonti istitutive, il sistema di governo, il loro posizionamento competitivo

I player previdenziali: differenti tipologie di fondi

Il finanziamento delle forme di previdenza complementare e l’investimento delle risorse

Offerta dei fondi: finanziamento, gestione finanziaria, prestazioni, servizi, trasparenza, fiscalità

La vigilanza del settore previdenziale ed assicurativo

Management: marketing e comunicazione nell’ottica della trasparenza e del servizio di consulenza alla clientela dei prodotti previdenziali ed assicurativi

Previdenza complementare del pubblico impiego: profili specifici

IA e sostenibilità come leve di innovazione nel settore

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI
Al fine del superamento dell'esame il materiale di studio è costituito da:

dispensa "La previdenza complementare e obbligatoria in Italia" disponibile in Egea (versione sia cartacea che online);

Dispensa "Profili economici e normativi del settore assicurativo" a disposizione nel sito del corso (bboard);

Durante le lezioni sarà distribuito del materiale di supporto a cura dei docenti o di coloro che hanno effettuato una testimonianza.

NB: LE SLIDES SONO UN MERO MATERIALE DI SUPPORTO, DI AUSILIO ALLA COMPRENSIONE DELLE SPIEGAZIONI IN AULA E DEL MATERIALE DIDATTICO. PER TALE MOTIVO NON RIPETONO PEDISSEQUAMENTE IL CONTENUTO DEI MATERIALI DIDATTICI.
STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI
STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI

Dispensa "La previdenza complementare e obbligatoria in Italia" disponibile in Egea (versione sia cartacea che online)
escluso il capitolo sui dipendenti pubblici
,

Dispensa "Profili economici e normativi del settore assicurativo" a disposizione nel sito del corso (bboard);

Durante le lezioni sarà distribuito del materiale di supporto a cura dei docenti o di coloro che hanno effettuato una testimonianza.

Il libro"I Fondi Pensione del Pubblico Impiego", Egea, 2023
esclusa l'appendice e i capitoli 4 e 5
.

NB: QUALORA PER LO STUDIO SI UTILIZZASSERO ANCHE LE SLIDES SI RICORDA AI NON FREQUENTANTI CHE ESSE SONO UN MERO MATERIALE DI SUPPORTO PENSATO PER I FREQUENTANTI, DI AUSILIO ALLA COMPRENSIONE DELLE SPIEGAZIONI IN AULA E DEL MATERIALE DIDATTICO. PER TALE MOTIVO NON RIPETONO PEDISSEQUAMENTE IL CONTENUTO DEI MATERIALI DIDATTICI.

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Descrivere la struttura e l’evoluzione dei principali settori del sistema dei media.

Identificare le caratteristiche economiche e i modelli di business delle imprese dei media nei diversi ambiti (video, audio, testuale, digitale).

Riconoscere il ruolo delle tecnologie digitali e dell’intelligenza artificiale nelle trasformazioni dei media.

Distinguere le diverse tipologie di contenuti e canali di distribuzione e le relative logiche di funzionamento.

Descrivere le principali sfide competitive e le dinamiche strategiche delle imprese che operano nel settore dei media.

CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Analizzare casi e situazioni relative alle imprese dei media, applicando i concetti e i modelli studiati.

Interpretare le trasformazioni dei diversi settori dei media alla luce dei cambiamenti tecnologici e di mercato.

Confrontare diversi modelli di business e strategie adottate dalle imprese nei vari ambiti (video, audio, testuale, digitale).

Valutare le implicazioni delle innovazioni tecnologiche, inclusa l’intelligenza artificiale, per le imprese e i mercati dei media.

Utilizzare in modo appropriato indici, strumenti e concetti impiegati nel settore dei media.

MISSION
Ogni giorno leggiamo notizie online, ascoltiamo musica in streaming, guardiamo video sulle piattaforme digitali e interagiamo sui social media. Nella società dell’informazione, i mezzi di comunicazione di massa rivestono un ruolo fondamentale, plasmati da dinamiche economiche, tecnologiche e sociali. Dietro questi contenuti operano mercati e imprese le cui strategie ne definiscono caratteristiche e modalità di fruizione.

Focalizzando l’attenzione sui diversi settori del sistema dei media, il corso analizza la varietà e le specificità delle imprese che vi operano, esaminandone le logiche economiche e manageriali, i modelli di business e i fattori critici di successo.

Particolare attenzione è dedicata al ruolo delle piattaforme digitali e dei social media, all’impatto dell’intelligenza artificiale nella produzione e diffusione dei contenuti e alle trasformazioni dei modelli editoriali. Il corso affronta inoltre temi quali la diffusione di disinformazione e fake news, il ruolo dei media come strumenti di propaganda e le loro relazioni con la politica e le dinamiche tecnologiche.

In questo contesto, i media emergono come settori strategici non solo dal punto di vista economico e tecnologico, ma anche per i loro effetti sociali e politici. L’obiettivo del corso è fornire agli studenti strumenti analitici per comprenderne il funzionamento e interpretarne le dinamiche competitive e istituzionali.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO

Il sistema dei media

Struttura ed evoluzione storica dei principali settori

Caratteristiche dei mercati e delle imprese dei media

Modelli di finanziamento e di offerta (servizio pubblico, commerciale, a pagamento)

Contenuti video

Televisione lineare

Piattaforme di streaming video on-demand

Produzione e distribuzione dei contenuti audiovisivi (film, serie, programmi televisivi, sport) e mercato dei diritti

Contenuti audio

Radio tradizionale (lineare)

Piattaforme di streaming audio (musica e podcast)

Produzione e distribuzione dei contenuti audio e relazioni con l’industria discografica

Contenuti testuali

Quotidiani (versioni cartacee e digitali)

Riviste (versioni cartacee e digitali)

Attori digitali nativi

Social media

Tipologie di piattaforme e modelli di business

Raccolta dati, pubblicità e monetizzazione

Relazioni con i media tradizionali

Intelligenza artificiale e media

Ruolo dell’AI nella produzione, distribuzione e personalizzazione dei contenuti

Automazione e nuove forme di creazione mediale

Implicazioni per imprese, mercati e utenti

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI

Perretti F. e Basaglia S. (2024).
Economia e Management dei Media
(seconda edizione). Egea.

Casi aziendali, accessibili tramite la versione digitale del libro di testo.

Slide del corso rese disponibili sulla piattaforma online.

STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI

Perretti F. e Basaglia S. (2024).
Economia e Management dei Media
(seconda edizione). Egea.

Casi aziendali, accessibili tramite la versione digitale del libro di testo.

Abramson J. (2021).
Mercanti di verità. La grande guerra dell'informazione
. Sellerio.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
On completion, students understand the channels through which firms shape legal outcomes—such as lobbying, coalition building, agenda setting, and strategic litigation—and the mechanisms by which legal instruments alter incentives and competitive dynamics. They are able to interpret and evaluate decisions and cases by recognising the underlying economic reasoning and empirical evidence, and they can articulate how rules affect pricing, innovation, entry, collusion, mergers, and abuses of dominance.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Students apply the course concepts through assignments and presentations built around real cases and contemporary policy debates, culminating in evidence‑based written work and in‑class discussion. The assessment structure emphasises the practical use of the frameworks taught in class to analyse concrete market and regulatory outcomes.

MISSION
The course examines the two‑way relationship between firms and the legal environment: how companies influence the production of laws, regulations, and enforcement guidelines, and how those rules in turn shape firms’ conduct, market structure, and performance. By the end of the term, students will be able to map this full policy cycle and to construct arguments and evidence that integrate legal and economic perspectives.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Part I develops the Strategy Beyond Markets toolkit to understand corporate strategies toward regulators, legislators, courts, and public opinion, using cases such as Rosia Montana, crypto regulation, Airbnb, coalition building, gray‑area business models, and influence over regulators.

Part II applies law‑and‑economics to competition policy and sectoral rules, covering the general antitrust framework, cartels, mergers, abuses of dominance, damages and passing‑on, and regulatory topics in digital and electricity markets, with case studies including the Vitamins and Trucks cartels, Asda/Sainsbury, Dow/DuPont, Bayer/Monsanto, Sprint/T‑Mobile, and AT&T/Time Warner.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students follow all the assignments.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non attending students just take exams.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The course is based on instructor notes and a curated selection of academic and policy readings aligned with each topic. Recommended references include Nicola Persico’s Strategy Beyond Markets and complementary materials on competition policy and recent case analyses. These readings support the case‑driven approach of the second part of the course and are closely connected to the lectures.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

• Estimate several measures of Economic Inequality and Poverty.
• Select the most appropriate measure of Inequality/Poverty according to the research question, the context or the type of data.
• Identify advantages and disadvantages of each measure of Inequality/Poverty.
• Distinguish between different types and definitions of Economic Inequality.
• Describe trends and the main determinants of Economic Inequality.
• Summarize the available empirical evidence on Inequality and Poverty.
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
• Discuss the extent and dynamics of Economic Inequality and Poverty based on normative theory and empirical evidence.
• Compute and compare different measures of Inequality/Poverty.
• Use and interpret income distribution functions.
• Analyze and discuss academic research papers and empirical evidence on Inequality and Poverty.

MISSION
The measurement of inequality and poverty, their trends and their determinants are central questions in economics and the social sciences, with renewed relevance after the financial crisis and the great recession and in light of debates on the top 1%, technological change and equality of opportunity. The mission of this course is to introduce students to the main approaches to the measurement of inequality and poverty, to their main trends at the global level, and to their fundamental determinants. For each topic the course discusses the relevant theoretical framework, the main measurement issues, and the available empirical evidence, drawing on recent academic literature and research papers. The course is particularly targeted to students who plan to enroll in a Master or Ph.D. program, while welcoming students from all degrees and backgrounds willing to get exposure to the academic literature on these topics.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Trends in Inequality and Poverty:

• Inequality, the financial crisis, and the great recession.
• Global trends in inequality and poverty. Measurement Tools:
• Measurement: the need for criteria; the transfer principle and other criteria for evaluating inequality measures.
• Income distribution functions: Pareto, Normal and Log-normal.
• Partial ordering methods: stochastic dominance and the Lorenz Curve.
• Complete ordering methods: the Gini index.

Inequality:

• The top 1%: capital in the XXI century.
• The remaining 99%: technology, skills, education, job polarization, robots and the rise of earnings inequality.
• Political inequality.
• Intergenerational inequality: where is the Land of Opportunity? Measurement of intergenerational income elasticity, rank-rank regressions, and the Great Gatsby curve.

Poverty:

• Measurement: poverty measures and social stratification.
• Anti-poverty policies: optimal design of cash benefits.
• Universal Basic Income in Advanced Countries.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes, students have two assessment options available, based on the student’s preference. The same assessment methods apply to attending and non-attending students.

· Option 1 – Written exam only, worth 100% of the final score. The written exam consists of exercises, closed questions and multiple choice questions aimed at assessing students’ ability to estimate several measures of Economic Inequality and Poverty and to select the most appropriate measure according to the research question, the context or the type of data, as well as their ability to analyze and discuss the extent and dynamics of Economic Inequality and Poverty based on normative theory and empirical evidence.

· Option 2 – Written exam worth 70% of the final score plus an in-class group presentation of a given research paper worth 30% of the final score. The written exam has the same characteristics and assessment objectives as in Option 1; the presentation assesses whether students develop adequate skills to read, analyze and discuss academic research papers on Inequality and Poverty.

· If the presentation score ends up being below the score in the written exam, then the written exam is worth 100%. By deciding to present, students can therefore only improve the score obtained in the written exam and are not penalized if the presentation score is lower.

· Under both options the written exam can be taken either as two partial exams or as one comprehensive exam. The weights are:

o Option 1: 50% for each of the two partial exams, or 100% for one comprehensive exam.

o Option 2: 35% for each of the two partial exams, or 70% for one comprehensive exam, plus 30% for the presentation.

· Knowledge of STATA is not required and students are not tested on their STATA knowledge.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment methods for non-attending students are the same as for attending students.

· The written exam consists of exercises, closed questions and multiple choice questions, with the same content and assessment objectives as for attending students.

· The written exam can be taken either as two partial exams or as one comprehensive exam. The weights are:

· Option 1: 50% for each of the two partial exams, or 100% for one comprehensive exam.

· Option 2: 35% for each of the two partial exams, or 70% for one comprehensive exam, plus 30% for the presentation.

If the presentation score ends up being below the score in the written exam, the written exam is worth 100%.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
There is no textbook for this class. All methodological issues are covered in detail in the classnotes P. PINOTTI, Tools for the Analysis of Income Inequality and Poverty, uploaded on Bboard. The course is also based on academic research papers uploaded on Bboard. The slides used for lectures are uploaded on Bboard and are compulsory study material for the course.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Illustrate the different hypotheses on the role of geography, institutions, and culture for economic development.

Illustrate the role of religion (and religiosity) for accumulation of human capital and economic growth.

Recognize how local culture and institutions can foster/hamper the flow of innovative ideas and scientific production.

Describe how migration may affect economic progress.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Critically compare the different hypotheses on the role of geography, institutions and culture for economic progress.

Evaluate the consequences of religion (and religiosity) for economic development across time and space.

Assess how local culture and institutions impact the flow of innovative ideas and scientific production.

Critically discuss the patterns of migration and assimilation and their role for economic progress.

MISSION
How do institutions and culture affect economic outcomes? This course examines competing hypotheses on the role of geography, institutions, and culture for long-term economic growth and cross-country differences in economic outcomes. It also studies the role of religion (and religiosity) for accumulation of human capital and economic progress. Finally, the course analyzes how cultural distance may affect migrants’ assimilation and it studies how local culture and institutions shape technological progress and inflows of innovative ideas.
CONTENT SUMMARY

The Role of Geography for Economic Growth and Development

The Role of Institutions for Economic Growth and Development

The Role of Culture for Economic Growth and Development

The beginning of modern economic growth: geography, institutions, and culture

The Interaction between Culture and Institutions

Flows of Technology and Flows of Ideas

The Economics of Religion

Diversity, migration, and assimilation

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

a. Midterms + Presentation

The final grade will be based on 3 components:

Midterm exam: 50% of the grade (max. grade: 28/28)

Final exam: 50% of the grade (max. grade: 28/28)

In-Class Presentation: 0-4 points (
mandatory
)

b. General Exam + Presentation

The general grade will be based on 2 components:

General exam: max. grade: 28/28

In-Class Presentation: 0-4 points (
mandatory
)

Content of midterms/ general exam: material discussed in class and compulsory readings only.

Format: Multiple choice and open questions.

The presentation points are valid for all students taking the exam by September 2025, i.e, in the sessions of May, June, and September. Students taking the exam after September 2025 will lose the presentation points and will have to opt for
(2) via general exam only
.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The final grade will only be based entirely on the general exam.

The max. grade is 31/30

Content: material discussed in class,
compulsory, and
suggested
readings.

Format: It will include both multiple choice and open questions.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The entire teaching material is available on the Blackboard.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Develop a fundamental understanding of measure theory and integration.

Understand the basic structure of Hilbert spaces, the use of scalar products, and of orthonormal systems and expansions.

Acquire essential knoledge of functional spaces and functional analysis.

Know the basic properties of periodic signals and the trigonometric basis, understand the meaning of Fourier expansion, reproduce basic series expansions, and describe their convergence properties.

Understand Fourier transform, its inversion, and its link with Fourier series and Laplace transform.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Manipulate complex numbers and power series in the complex plane.

Compute Fourier series expansions of simple signals.

Use Fourier series expansions for solving differential equations with periodic solutions.

Estimate the behavior of the Fourier coefficients.

Compute the Fourier/Laplace transform of simple signals.

Interpret the Fourier transform and its behavior.

Use simple relations between a function and its Fourier/Laplace transform.

MISSION
The course will provide the basic foundations of Fourier Analysis, introducing also a few elementary notion of complex analysis and some fundamental tools for signal theory.

Complex analysis deals with complex functions of a complex variable and enlights remarkable links between complex differentiability, power series in the complex plane, and harmonic functions. Its main results are particularly important to understand power series (which lie at the core of functional calculus for linear operators), and the Laplace and the discrete Zeta and Fourier transforms.

Fourier analysis is one of the most powerful tools to analyze functions and it is the basic building block of signal theory. Starting from Fourier series dealing with periodic signals, which can be interpreted as an orthonormal decomposition in Hilbert spaces, its range of applications is considerably expanded by the Fourier and the Laplace transforms, which cover the case of general signals. The course is meant to round up an adequate undergraduate preparation in Mathematical Analysis and to give students a hint on more advanced issues, that find surprising and remarkable applications in several theoretical and applied fields.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Complex formalism

Complex plane, polar coordinates

Exponential function, Euler formula

Power series, complex derivative

Review of Measure Theory

Measurable spaces

Lebesgue integral

Convergence Theorems (monotone, Fatou’s Lemma, dominated convergence)

L^p spaces, convolution

Hilbert spaces

Hilbert base, Parseval identity

Riesz representation

Complex Hilbert spaces

Fourier series

Fourier decomposition of periodic functions

convergence of Fourier series, derivatives, and regularity

Applications: heat and wave equations, isoperimetric inequality

Fourier transform

Parseval identity

Fourier inversion formula

Derivatives and regularity

Examples and applications: Heisenberg uncertainty principle, Poisson summation formula, sampling theorem

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Partial exams
consist of two written exams, one at the midpoint of the course and one at the end. The final grade is calculated as the average of these two scores.

General exam:
written exam at the end of the course that contributes to the overall assessment.

Each written exam comprises five exercises with multiple bullet points covering all the presented material.

A total of 34 points will be assigned, with scores above 34 receiving the maximum grade. The exam evaluates the acquisition of basic knowledge and problem-solving abilities. The exercises vary in difficulty, with the first three emphasizing fundamental concepts and accounting for 25 out of 34 points, while the last two require more problem-solving and critical thinking, accounting for the remaining points.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Lecture notes of the course

Steven Krantz:
A guide to complex variables
. The Mathematical Association of America, 2008

Elias Stein, Rami Shakarchi:
Fourier Analysis, an introduction.
Princeton University Press, 2002

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Define key concepts in econometrics, for instance “econometric model”; “random sample;” “ceteris paribus;” “counterfactual;” “causal effect;” “exogeneity/endogeneity;” “homoskedasticity/heteroskedasticity;” “restricted/unrestricted model;” “finite-sample/asymptotic bias;” “omitted variables bias;” “dummy variable trap.”

Explain key differences and links between distinct but related econometric concepts, for instance “econometric model and estimation method;” “population and sample;” “population parameter, estimator, and estimate;” “correlation and causal effect;” “error term and residual;” “point estimate and confidence interval;” “significance level and critical value;” “proxy variable and instrumental variable.”

Recognize different types of econometric data among: cross sections, time series, pooled cross sections, and panel/longitudinal data. Explain their differences and similarities.

State the assumptions of the classical linear regression model and explain their roles within the Gauss-Markov Theorem. Name and discuss the main consequence(s) of the failure of each assumption, illustrating with specific microeconomic examples or applications.

Describe different ways of deriving and interpreting the OLS estimators (estimates) for the parameters of a linear regression model, among: Minimizing the sum of the squared residuals; Method of moments & Sample analog principle; Maximizing the likelihood function.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different econometric strategies used to identify and estimate causal effects, including: Differences-in-Differences; First differences; Instrumental Variables.

Interpret the empirical findings reported in published applied research, including regression tables, identification strategies, and the connection between economic theory and the corresponding estimation.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Apply simple and multiple regression analysis to quantify relationships among economic variables of interest and to test simple and joint hypotheses about such relationships.

Assess the statistical and economic significance of estimated relationships among economic variables.

Perform simple analysis of bias to assess whether estimated relationships among economic variables may be interpreted as ceteris paribus (causal) effects and, if not, to assess the likely direction of the bias.

Interpret and critically assess empirical findings presented by others based on regression analysis of economic data.

Incorporate dummy variables and their interactions into regression analysis to test stability of regression parameters across different groups or time periods.

Choose and apply the appropriate econometric strategy among those covered in class (e.g., Differences-in-Differences, First Differences, Instrumental Variables) to quantify causal effects among economic variables, taking in to account the characteristic features of the application and of the available data.

Evaluate the causal effects of policy interventions/programs using simple econometric tools such as Differences-in-Differences or Instrumental Variables methods.

Work collaboratively in a small team to design, conduct, and present a short empirical analysis on real data, communicating findings clearly to a non-specialist audience.

Conduct empirical analysis of real economic data using R, including data import, descriptive statistics, regression estimation, hypothesis testing, and presentation of results in standard table and graphical formats.

MISSION
Econometrics is the art of taking a theoretical economic model and placing it into a statistical framework where data is used for the purposes of prediction, measurement, and/or testing of economic theory. One of the most popular statistical frameworks in econometrics is the linear regression model. It has been (and continues to be) the most common starting point in econometric studies. Knowledge of the linear regression model and its extensions is essential for doing empirical work in economics, business, and other social sciences. The main goals of this course are: (i) to give students a working knowledge of the most important aspects of the linear regression model; (ii) to provide students with basic tools needed to understand and critically interpret empirical research conducted by others as well as to plan and conduct their own empirical analyses using economic data. The key concepts of the underlying statistical theory are covered, but major emphasis is placed on application of the theory from a practical standpoint. As much as possible, each main topic is paired with a published empirical study and a hands-on analysis of that paper's dataset, so theory and application are introduced together. As part of the course, students also receive an introduction on how to conduct empirical analysis of economic data using R, an open-source statistical programming environment.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Introduction to econometrics. (What is Econometrics?; Steps in empirical economic analysis; The structure of economic data; Causality and the notion of ceteris paribus in econometric analysis)

Simple regression model. (Definition; Multiple ways of deriving the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimates; Properties of OLS in any sample of data)

Multiple regression analysis: Estimation. (Motivation for multiple regression; Mechanics and interpretation of OLS; Expected value and variance of OLS estimator; Gauss-Markov Theorem and Efficiency of OLS estimator)

Multiple regression analysis: Inference and heteroskedasticity. (Distribution of OLS estimator in finite samples)

Confidence intervals; Tests of simple and multiple hypotheses about population parameters)

Multiple regression analysis: OLS asymptotics. (Properties of OLS estimator in infinite samples)

Multiple regression analysis with qualitative information: Dummy variables. (Use of dummy explanatory variables and their interactions to the aims of incorporating qualitative or ordinal information in regression analysis and of performing tests of hypothesis and policy analysis involving comparisons of groups. Dummy dependent variables and the linear probability model)

Pooling cross sections across time: Simple panel data methods. (Differences-in-Differences; First Differencing)

Instrumental variables (IV) estimation and Two stages least squares (2SLS)

[Time permitting] Limited dependent variable (LDV) models with binary dependent variables. (Logit and Probit; Maximum Likelihood Estimation)

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students participate in the collaborative group video project, which accounts for 15% of the final grade.

Grading is based on two possible routes:

Route A — Partial exams: First partial written exam (50%) + Second partial written exam (50%) = 100%

Route B — General exam: Single written general exam (100%) = 100%

The two partial written exams and the general written exam all consist of a mix of open questions, multiple-choice questions, and applied exercises. They test students' understanding of the main microeconomic principles covered in the course, including consumer and firm decision-making, competitive equilibrium and market failures, market power, externalities and public goods, asymmetric information, and platform competition; their ability to analyze how different competitive conditions affect market outcomes; and their ability to apply microeconomic reasoning to contemporary economic challenges, including those raised by the digital economy. The general exam covers the entire course program.

The students can get up to 1 extra point for participating in the group video project, which is conducted in teams of 4–5 students. Each team selects a topic from a curated list of digital economy themes, develops a short (max 3/4-minute -- length to be decided in class) video presenting their analyses of an applied econometric problem from a list of possible datasets, and submits the final video for the in-class "Oscar Night" session. The project assesses students' ability to apply rigorous econometric concepts to economic questions, to work collaboratively in a small team, and to communicate the resulting analysis clearly to a non-specialist audience.

Evaluation combines the assessment of the analytical content of the work and peer evaluation of the videos during the Oscar Night session.

The Oscar Night grade is available only for students passing either both partial exams or the final exam by the end of the academic year.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The main course material for both attending and non-attending students is:

J.M. WOOLDRIDGE,
Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach
(2012 or any subsequent edition).

The slides of the course, problem sets, and additional support material are uploaded to the BBoard platform of the course.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
The objective of this course is to introduce the main econometric methods and techniques used in empirical finance. This is an ambitious task that brings together different type of knowledge: finance theory, statistics, programming. You learn how to use software, to specify, estimate and simulate model of financial data to be used for asset allocation, risk measurement and risk management. The course is designed to give opportunities. The decision of how many opportunities to take and how to take them is left to course participants.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Apply econometric techniques to study returns both in the time-series and in the cross section.

MISSION
The objective of this course is to introduce the main econometric methods and techniques used in empirical finance. This is an ambitious task that brings together different type of knowledge: finance theory, statistics, programming.
You learn how to use software(s) to specify, estimate and simulate model of financial data to be used for asset allocation, risk measurement and risk management.
The teaching strategy is based on providing inputs (learning opportunities) to students that are supposed to active elaborate them to produce their knowledge. The course is designed to give opportunities. The decision of how many opportunities to take and how to take them is left to course participants. The final assessment is designed to evaluate the solidity of the foundation in the relevant tools for financial time-series modelling achieved by the students at the end of the course.
CONTENT SUMMARY
After going over `The introduction to the course’ lecture, we address the following:

Basic knowledge in finance, statistics, probability.

Introduction to programming.

Returns: definitions, interpretation; measurement; data collection; analysis.

Modeling and Simulating Returns.

Estimating Linear Models of Returns.

Interpreting Regression Results.

TBA.

High-order risk sources.

The detailed schedule will be issued on Bboard and will be updated day-by-day to reflect what
done in class.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The final grade of attending students will be a weighted average of:
-- homeworks (they will count for 20%) ;
-- in-class quiz (provided in the middle of the semester);
and
-- final exam.
Students will be expected to go over an In-class Quiz in the middle of the semester. This quiz may count for 20% of the final grade if the student performs better in the quiz than in the final
exam. Otherwise, I just give zero weight to the quiz and shift this 20% to the final exam. The final exam counts for 60%--or 80% if the performance in the final is better than in the quiz. This scoring scheme gives a lot of insurance to students (Have a bad day on the day of the quiz? No worries, perform better in the final and I will discard your Quiz with poor results).

This computation of the grade applies to students taking the exam in
December or January
. In all other cases, the final grade will depend solely on the performance in the final exam.

There is no difference between attending and non-attending students concerning both teaching methods and expectations. All relevant materials and homeworks are delivered online through Bboard. All homeworks can be submitted online. Hence non-attending students can deliver their HWs as attending students. Their final grade will be a weighted average of both their homeworks (20% weight) and their final exam (80% weight). This computation of the grade applies to students taking the exam in December or January. In all other cases, the final grade will depend solely on the performance in the final exam (100% weight). Hence a non-attending student who takes my exam in December or January without having delivered the homeworks has a final score computed as: 20%*0 +80%*exam performance. A non-attending student taking the exam before or after the summer break get 100%*exam performance.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

MAIN BOOK:
“
Introductory Econometrics for Finance
” by Chris Brooks, 2nd Edition

J. COCHRANE
,
"Asset pricing. Revised Edition". (only 2 chapters)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

undesrtanding how ecomimic theory can help policymakers to to design environmental and energy policy

verifying how the current policies can promote the deployment of renewable technologies

understanding how environmental policies can promote the safeguard of the natural environment

checking the impact of environmental policies on the economic activity

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

how to design environmental taxation

how to design an emissions trading scheme

how to assess the different schemes of RES subsdies

analyse the connection between environmental and energy issues

MISSION
The European Union explicitly states that “since economics is about to deal with scarce resources, it can often be useful when tackling environmental problems”. This statement comes from a precise observation. The ability of the natural environment to dispose the waste of anthropogenic activities (keeping unchanged degree of regeneration) is not infinite (downstream “scarcity”). This kind of “scarcity” justifies to use the tools of the economic theory to face environmental problems. In this regard, two circumstances should be adequately emphasised. Firstly, today the most important (at least perceived) environmental problem is climate change due to the anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide. Secondly, more than 80% of carbon emissions are due to energy production and consumption. As a consequence, fighting climate change requires to adequately study the interaction between energy and environmental issues with the aim to understand how to mitigate global warming through (but not only) the decarbonisation of energy supply. The analysis of this interaction is the principal mission of this course.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course is divided into three parts.

1. The first part focuses on the concept of sustainability distinguishing between environmental economics and ecological economics. The different typologies of sustainability will be described together with the concept of ecological footprint. In addition, great attention will be payed to how the economic theory can help policymakers to design environmental policies.

2. The second part introduces the main energy markets (crude oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power and renewable energy). Great attention is dedicated to the perspectives of deployment of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), their competitiveness and the possible supporting mechanisms (quantity, pricing and hybrid supporting mechanisms).

3. The third part analyzes policies and instruments to reduce or internalize environmental externalities at different scales. The main global frameworks for global sustainability, starting from the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, will be considered with a focus on their implementation. The UN Conventions on Climate Change and on Biodiversity constitute the framework for climate adaptation and mitigation and for biodiversity and nature protection. Instruments to mitigate emissions, enhance resilience and safeguard ecosystems will be assessed. Global and national-scale policies will be analyzed and a focus on subnational policies will also be considered. General theory will be supported by analysis of specific policies and instruments.

Class 1. Introduction: economic theory, energy and environment (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 2. Carrying capacity, ecological footprint and human development index (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 3. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 4. From theory to policy: environmental taxation (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 5. From theory to policy: emissions trading (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 6. Climate change and energy supply (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 7. Energy markets and prices: crude oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power; renewable energy (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 8. Renewable technologies (hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, marine): basic technical issues (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 9. Electricity market and RES competitiveness: market parity (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 10. Supporting policy of RES deployment: feed-in and quantity mechanisms; hybrid mechanisms (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 11. Electricity market and RES competitiveness: grid parity and supply parity (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 12. In class group assignment (Instructor: Gullì; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 13. Environmental externalities and policy instruments for their mitigation and internalization (Instructor: Croci; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 14. The Agenda 2030 for sustainable development (Instructor: Croci; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 15. Mitigation policies under the Paris Agreement (Instructor: Croci; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 16. Carbon pricing: schemes and rules (Instructor: Croci; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 17. Climate adaptation policies (Instructor: Croci; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 18. Nature and biodiversity protection - ecosystem services (Instructor: Croci; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Class 19. Urban sustainability (Instructor: Croci; lecture notes provided by the instructor)

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Written exam plus in class collaborative group assignment

Written exam: 80%

Assignment: 20%
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Only written exam

Weight: 100%

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Lecture notes provided by the instructors

Additional readings uploaded to Blackboard lesson by lesson

Damian M. and De Paoli L. (2017), Climate change: Back to development, Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment, 3

Integrative:

Pearce D. K. and Turner R. K., 1990, Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment, The Joan Hopkins University Press
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Lecture notes provided by the instructors

Additional readings uploaded to Blackboard lesson by lesson

Damian M. and De Paoli L. (2017), Climate change: Back to development, Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment, 3

Integrative:

Pearce D. K. and Turner R. K., 1990, Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment, The Joan Hopkins University Press

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
B2 Level - (post intermediate) general

Knowledge

Students will acquire a good level of grammar and syntax as well as a fairly wide vocabulary that will enable them to be independent users of English language and deal with non-familiar and quite complex topics.

B2 - Livello intermedio superiore general

Conoscenze

Lo studente avrà acquisito conoscenze grammaticali - sintattiche e un range lessicale di buon livello che consentono autonomia di espressione e comprensione anche relativamente ad argomenti non familiari e di una certa complessità.
CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
communicate at a B2 level - (post intermediate) general English level.

Skills

Students will be able to write clear, well-structured and detailed texts; reports, letters,emails, on complex topics, showing understanding of conventions, controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices ; to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers possible without strain for either party; to be clear and detailed when speaking and explaining view points, giving the pros and cons of various options.

B2 - Livello intermedio superiore general

Capacità di applicare conoscenze

Lo studente sarà in grado di produrre un testo chiaro e dettagliato; reports, letters, emails, su una gamma di argomenti, di comprendere le idee principali di testi articolati su argomenti sia concreti sia astratti. Sarà in grado di interagire con una certa scioltezza e spontaneità che rendono possibile un dialogo naturale con i parlanti nativi senza sforzo per l'interlocutore, esprimendosi in modo chiaro e articolato su molteplici argomenti e riuscirà a spiegare i pro e i contro relativi a varie opzioni.

MISSION
The course aims at providing level B2 (post intermediate) general (see CEFR framework) knowledge and skills required to pass the Bocconi internal exam.

Fornire le conoscenze e competenze previste per il livello B2(intermedio superiore) general del quadro di riferimento europeo (CEFR) necessarie ai fini sia del superamento dell’esame interno Bocconi.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO / CONTENT SUMMARY
The duration of the course is one semester (2nd semester of 1st year) (48 hours + exam).

The main topic areas covered during the course include: Team Building, Communication, Building Relationships, Management Styles, International Marketing, Success.

(Details in the course syllabus)

L’insegnamento è nel secondo semestre del 1° anno (48 ore di didattica + prova).

Il programma affronta le seguenti macro-tematiche principali in modo da consentire di raggiungere il livello B2 general (in termini di grammatica, sintassi e vocabolario) attraverso situazioni concrete e contestualizzate: Team Building, Communication, Building Relationships, Management Styles, International Marketing, Success.

(Per dettagli consultare il programma d’aula)

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING STUDENTS
ALL THOSE WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO A CLASS AND ATTENDED AT LEAST A 75% OF THE TOTAL COURSE HOURS ARE CONSIDERED ATTENDING STUDENTS

The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certifications.

The mark is expressed out of 30.

Student can sit the attending exam after the end of the teaching period.

In addition, continuous assessment will be applied over the semester. For further details please refer to the course syllabus.

SONO CONSIDERATI STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI TUTTI COLORO CHE SONO ASSEGNATI ALLA CLASSE DI DIDATTICA A FREQUENTINO ALMENO IL 75% DEL MONTEORE DEL CORSO.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi.

L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove frequentanti a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica.

Inoltre, è previsto continuous assessment nel semestre di didattica. Per informazioni dettagliate consultare il programma d’aula.

STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI / NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
ALL THOSE WHO ARE NOT ASSIGNED TO A CLASS OR ATTENDED LESS THAN A 75% OF THE TOTAL COURSE HOURS ARE CONSIDERED NON ATTENDING STUDENTS

The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certifications.

The mark is expressed out of 30.

Student can sit the non-attending exam after the end of the teaching period. For further details please refer to the course syllabus.

SONO CONSIDERATI STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI TUTTI COLORO CHE NON SONO ASSEGNATI ALLA CLASSE DI DIDATTICA O CHE FREQUENTINO MENO DEL 75% DEL MONTEORE DEL CORSO.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi.

L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove non-frequentanti a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica. Per informazioni dettagliate consultare il programma d’aula.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials are the same for both attending and non-attending students; namely:

Cotton, Falvey, Kent,
Market Leader Upper Intermediate, student’s book + Workbook (Practice Files) - 3rd Edition,
Pearson Education Limited

NICHOLAS, THOMPSON.
Writing Skills for Business Students
. Egea

Blackboard Materials: Teacher’s own personal materials and authentic materials where appropriate

Sono previsti gli stessi materiali didattici per studenti frequentanti e non; in particolare:

Cotton, Falvey, Kent,
Market Leader Upper Intermediate, student’s book + Workbook (Practice Files) - 3rd Edition,
Pearson Education Limited

NICHOLAS, THOMPSON.
Writing Skills for Business Students
. Egea

Blackboard Materials: Teacher’s own personal materials and authentic materials where appropriate

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
B1 Level - (intermediate) general

Students will be able to understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matter.

They will be able to communicate on topics which are familiar or of personal interest.

CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...

express themselves with sufficient vocabulary in predicatable and familar situations

Can initiate, maintain and close communications on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.

MISSION
The course aims at providing support for the main curricular course (in the second semester). It is aimed at students with a B1 (intermediate) level (see CEFR framework) in order to enable them to take the main curricular B2 (post intermediate) to pass the Bocconi internal exam from the end of the first year.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO / CONTENT SUMMARY
The duration of the course is (24 hours) in Year 1 , Semester 1. There is no exam.

The main topic areas covered during the course include reviewing relevant grammar, business vocabulary pertinent to the main B2 curricular course topics and an introduction to emailing, report writing and making presentations.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
There is no exam

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

TBC with Egea - more details will follow

Materials provided by course Professors

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Define a business idea and a startup.

Recognize the key features of a viable business idea.

Recognize the different approaches to developing a business idea into a startup.

Illustrate the key steps in developing a business idea through the lean startup approach.

Illustrate the main elements of the Business Model Canvas.

Explain the logic behind the development of the main elements of a Business Model.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify a business idea and frame it into a structured business model.

Individually present your initial business idea.

Discuss your business idea with others and create a team to develop it.

Brainstorm elements of the business model within your team.

Apply the lean startup approach to develop your initial business idea.

Perform the different stages of the customer development process.

Perform a Power Pitch of your developed business model.

MISSION
The mission of this course is to provide real world, experience-based learning on what it’s like to actually start a new business. The main objective is to allow participants to directly experience the earliest phases of an entrepreneurial startup process. Focus thus is on concept building and testing. In this course participants are asked to actively engage in developing the initial business idea, but also in talking to potential customers, suppliers, partners, and competitors, as they confront the chaos and uncertainty of how a real startup actually emerges from the entrepreneurs’ efforts.
CONTENT SUMMARY

What is a business idea and how it emerges.

What is a startup.

Different approaches to developing a business idea into a startup.

The lean startup approach.

The business model canvas.

Customer development.

The Power Pitch.

Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

Course Project

The major course project is a teamwork aimed at performing the first stages of development of a business startup. Attending participants are asked to autonomously form teams around their own business ideas, or tasks proposed by the entrepreneurial teams of existing startups selected by the instructor. As a team, participants are asked to work on their project and deliver a final “power pitch” of the business idea they developed. This final presentation (and the related set of slides), determines the evaluation of the group assignment, but during the final presentation each member of the group has to present and participate actively to the discussion. Participants self-organize both individual roles and group activities to be carried out within the team.

Individual

each attending student is asked to individually provide a written “Peer Feedback” on the final presentation of another team.

Class participation in the form of online forum discussions. These will be evaluated on quality of content.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students are assessed through a final written exam. The final written exam includes 3-6 open questions on the teaching materials for non attending students.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Course materials on the course web-learning platform.

Course materials handed in class.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

D.F. KURATKO,
Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice
, South-Western, CENGAGE Learning, 10th Edition (or later). Textbook to be confirmed. Please refer to the detailed syllabus in the blackboard platform.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify Key Pillars of a Business Model in Fashion
: Understand the core components of fashion business models, such as the value proposition, value chain design, revenue model, and governance structure. Examine how these pillars interact and adapt to drive strategic and business model innovation.

Analyze Drivers for Growth in Fashion
: Evaluate the strategies that enable growth in the fashion industry, including brand and line extensions, vertical integration, international expansion, and the increasing importance of sustainability as a competitive advantage.

Understand the Importance of Intellectual Property (IP) Protection in Innovation Management
: Learn how IP protection supports innovation in fashion

Recognize the Impact of Strategic Choices on Economic and Financial Success
: Assess how decisions in product design, marketing, go-to-market strategies, and value chain design influence a brand’s economic performance and financial sustainability, emphasizing the interconnectedness of strategy and execution.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Evaluate Entrepreneurial Potential
: Reflect on and assess their personal strengths, skills, and mindset to determine their readiness and potential to succeed as entrepreneurs.

Assess Strategic Options for Long-Term Competitive Advantage and Growth
: Analyze and evaluate strategies that leverage branding, retail development, operations to sustain competitive advantage and economic/financial performance.

Design and Develop Business Plans
: Learn to create detailed business plans that integrate creative idea, market analysis, operational strategies, and financial projections.

Present and Defend Business Concepts and Plans
: Effectively articulate and justify their business concepts and plans to a professional audience, receiving constructive feedback and demonstrating their ability to address questions and challenges.

MISSION
The course offers an experiential learning approach to develop the critical skills needed for success in today's business environment, particularly in designing and planning innovative business models. The unique blended format is designed to integrate face-to-face and online activities so that they reinforce, elaborate on, and complement one another. With a strong focus on the fashion and retail industries, the course integrates key topics such as sustainability and technology, ensuring relevance to current market dynamics.
Students will learn how to create their start up using a proprietary simulation software that enables a structured as well as hands-on approach, combining creative ideas with competitive, legal and financial considerations. This action-oriented learning is especially valuable when tackling complex, multifaceted subjects like business model innovation and entrepreneurship in mature industries.
Through the online simulation, students gain immediate insights into the outcomes of their decisions, experiencing firsthand the challenges of balancing competing priorities and adapting to a constant flow of information provided by professors. The learning experience is further enriched by the collaboration of external guest speakers and a startup accelerator, providing real-world perspectives and practical insights into fashion innovation and entrepreneurship.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Key topics covered in the course include:

Pillars of Business Models in Fashion
:
A deep dive into the foundational elements of fashion business models, including value creation, distribution channels, revenue streams, and cost structures unique to the industry.

Entrepreneurship in Fashion
:
Insights into the entrepreneurial mindset and tools required to succeed in the dynamic fashion industry.

Drivers of Strategic and Business Model Innovation
:

Sustainability
.

Technologies

Customers

Product Offerings

Business Planning
:
Comprehensive training in creating business plans that align creative vision with financial and operational goals. Students will learn how to craft strategies that integrate market research, competitive analysis, and risk assessment to ensure feasibility and scalability.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The evaluation for attending students is structured as follows:
70% group-based
(the outcome of the FAST business plan simulation) and
30% individual
, assessed through a written test.

Students are evaluated on the following criteria:

Individual Test (30%)
:

Demonstration of knowledge about various business models in the fashion industry.

Understanding of growth strategies (brand extension, internationalisation, vertical intergration) and case studies.

Insight into the key drivers of sustainability and innovation within the fashion sector.

Group Assignment (70%)
:

The ability to conceptualize and define an innovative entrepreneurial idea with appropriate protection strategies.

The ability to design a coherent and profitable business model tailored to the entrepreneurial idea.

Strategic decision-making skills for global expansion and ensuring business economic and environmental/social sustainability.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The evaluation is entirely based on a
written individual test
(100%), comprising a mix of multiple-choice/answer formats. The test is designed to assess the following:

Understanding of Business Model Innovation
: Knowledge of the concept, supported by relevant examples from the fashion industry.

Insight into the Creative Process
: Familiarity with creative processes in symbol-intensive companies and approaches to intellectual property (IP) protection in innovation.

Digital Transformation Impact
: Ability to evaluate how digital transformation influences business models in the fashion sector.

Fashion Supply Chain Dynamics
: Understanding of how supply chains operate in the fashion industry.

Sustainability and Investment Evaluation
: Awareness of how investors assess the viability and profitability of sustainable business models.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Course handouts and supporting materials communicated as the course starts and uploaded on Blackboard
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Course materials for non attending students available or indicated on Blackboard at the course start

S.Saviolo, Borney G.M. "The branded supply chain", Bocconi University Press, 2021 (selected chapters: 1-4-5-6-8-9)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Define and distinguish the principal forms of market failure that give rise to environmental problems

Explain the Coase theorem and the role of property rights in addressing environmental externalities

Illustrate how different policy instruments work, and select the appropriate instrument in theory and real-world practice

Describe the design, evolution, and empirical performance of the EU Emissions Trading System

Recognize the distributional incidence of environmental policies

Describe the main methods used by economists to value the environment

Explain the concept of climate change as a global stock externality and describe the determinants of the social cost of carbon

Explain how economists measure the economic costs of environmental change

Describe the main financial instruments and explain how they tell us information about the environment

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Compute and compare the welfare effects of alternative environmental-policy instruments in a specified setting

Critically assess evaluations of environmental policies

Construct a reasoned policy recommendation, supported by economic theory and empirical evidence

Evaluate environmental-policy claims encountered in the media, political discourse, and corporate communications

Communicate environmental-policy analysis effectively in writing and orally to mixed audiences

Work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams to address a real-world environmental-policy problem

Examine environmental and climate-related risks and opportunities arising in corporate strategy, sustainable finance, and ESG, and apply economic reasoning to evaluate them

MISSION
Is there such a thing as too little pollution? How much are the Dolomites worth? Why is it cheaper to fly to Paris than to take the train? What should we be willing to pay to avoid two degrees of global warming? Are "green" bonds really green?

Environmental challenges --- climate change, air and water pollution, biodiversity loss, resource depletion --- sit at the centre of contemporary economic policy, business strategy, and political debate. This course equips students with the analytical tools economists use to diagnose environmental problems and to design, evaluate, and contest the policies aimed at addressing them. It bridges classical environmental economic theory with the frontier of empirical research and the national and international policy agenda. The course enables students to read environmental-policy debates with economic rigour, to interpret empirical evidence on environmental policies, and to produce reasoned arguments about contested choices. The course contributes to the mission of forming graduates who combine analytical depth with engagement on substantive policy questions of the twenty-first century.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Introduction to environmental economics and foundations: welfare economics, externalities, public goods, and common-pool resources

Property rights and the Coase Theorem

Pollution-control policy instruments: command-and-control standards, Pigouvian taxes, and tradable permits

The EU Emissions Trading System

Instrument choice under uncertainty

Distributional impacts, incidence, and environmental justice

Valuing the environment

Stated-preference methods

Revealed-preference methods

Climate change

The social cost of carbon and integrated assessment models

The frontier of empirical climate-damage estimates

Climate finance, transition risk, and green bonds

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
As an Attending Student you are assessed through a written policy memo, an oral presentation, a written exam, and active participation. Each component verifies a specific subset of the intended learning outcomes, across knowledge, applied skills and transversal abilities.

Written policy memo (individual/collaborative work) - 30%
You write a short, structured policy memo that frames an environmental-economic problem, applies the relevant analytical tools, and recommends a course of action. Depending on class size, this is completed either individually or collaboratively in groups.

→
This verifies that you can construct a reasoned policy recommendation supported by economic theory and empirical evidence; that you can illustrate how policy instruments work and select the appropriate instrument for a real-world setting; that you can communicate environmental-policy analysis effectively in writing to mixed audiences; and --- when completed in groups --- that you can work collaboratively in teams to address a real-world environmental-policy problem.

Oral presentation in class (individual/collaborative work) - 15%
You present the memo to the class and instructor and respond to questions. Depending on class size, this is delivered either individually or as a group.

→
This verifies that you can communicate environmental-policy analysis effectively orally to mixed audiences, that you can defend analytical and instrument-selection choices under questioning, and confirms command of the underlying concepts on which the analysis rests.

Written exam - open and/or closed answer questions, general exam - 50%
A written individual exam covering the full course, combining closed-answer items that test breadth of knowledge with open-answer questions and exercises that test applied reasoning.

→
This ensures you grasp the foundational knowledge, economic concepts and policy tools of environmental economics, and verifies that you can apply them.

Active class participation - 5%
Assessed through contributions to in-class exercises, discussion of papers, and engagement with the in-class activities and games.

→
This verifies that you can critically assess evaluations of environmental policies and evaluate environmental-policy claims encountered in the media, political discourse and corporate communications, and that you can apply economic reasoning interactively in simulated decision settings.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Written exam - extended version, open and/or closed answer questions, general exam - 100%
Not Attending Students are tested individually through an extended version of the final written exam, which adds further questions and exercises covering the material Attending Students are assessed on through the policy memo, presentation and in-class activities. It mixes closed-answer questions, open-answer questions and exercises.

→
This ensures you grasp the foundational knowledge, economic concepts and policy tools of environmental economics, and verifies that you can apply them. The extended written format assesses, in written form, the same learning outcomes that Attending Students demonstrate through project work and in-class activities.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Main textbook:

• Charles Kolstad,
  Environmental Economics
  , Oxford University Press, 2nd edition (2010)

Recommended (optional):

• Daniel J. Phaneuf & Till Requate,
  A Course in Environmental Economics: Theory, Policy, and Practice
  , Cambridge University Press (2016).
• Nathaniel O. Keohane & Sheila M. Olmstead,
  Markets and the Environment
  , Princeton University Press, 2nd edition (2016).
• A reading and listening pack (distributed via Blackboard), including research articles, policy documents, podcast episodes, blogs, videos

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course students will be able to:

Estimating inputs for portfolio optimization

Run index model regressions

Estimate and interpret alpha and beta

Understand multi-factor models in applications

Understand public and private markets

Understand sustainability and ESG investing

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Manage individual wealth Understand what they like to further understand in the context of asset management Apply portfolio optimization models Do performance evaluation

MISSION
The course aims at developing students’ understanding of equity portfolio management tools. The methodology is applied, with frequent examples using real financial data. Basic knowledge of financial markets and instruments is a pre-requisite of the course. The course does not deal with portfolio optimizations models and term structure models.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The index model and the Capital Asset Pricong Model:

an applied perspective

The theory of expcted return determination and the APT

Anomalies and factor investing

Performance evaluation

Value determination and empirical pricing

Risky arbitrage

Market efficiency

Private assets

Sustainable investing

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
written exam based on multiple choice questions

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Beltratti, A., Financial markets and investments, 2024, EGEA

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Recognize how the international trading systems works, and the role the EU plays v.s. other countries (US, China,...).

Identify the working of the main policies shaping the EU markets (agriculture, competition, cohesion, green transition).

Describe the evolution of monetary and fiscal policies across the euro area.

Discern the response of the EU to the pandemic and the geopolitical evolutions, and its implications for the future of the EU integration process.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Assess the main drivers of the business environment in which firms operate when dealing with the European markets.

Design appropriate company strategies in order to successfully operate in the EU market.

Compare policies across EU member states.

Understand how the EU is evolving in light of the geopolitical changing environment.

MISSION
With 20 per cent of the world GDP, a unified market of around 500 million inhabitants, and the second most diffused currency in the world, the euro, the European Union is a key player in international markets. Understanding the origin, rationale and evolution of its policies is thus of paramount importance in order to design optimal corporate strategies for those firms operating in, or dealing with, the EU markets, as well as to assess the evolution of its Member States.
CONTENT SUMMARY

The first part of the course explores the economic and policy aspects of the process of European integration, analysing the economic consequences of trade liberalization (customs unions, free trade areas), the liberalization of capital flows (Single market), and the co-ordination of economic policies (economic union). The policy elements behind this evolution (trade policy, competition policy) are analysed in parallel.

The course then moves on in studying the main expenditure policies currently undertaken by the European Union (agriculture, cohesion) and financed via the EU budget, and their developments in terms of the green transition.

The final part of the course is devoted to the analysis of the Economic and Monetary Union, and the response to the pandemic with the creation of European debt instruments.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Partial exams & assignment The first partial written exam is worth 40% of the final mark. It covers the theoretical models on economic integration developed in the first part of the course, as well as the other topics covered until the date of the first partial, with a mix of open questions and MCs. A group assignment (max 4 students), worth 30% of final marks, in the form of a short essay allows you to explore in detail one of the relevant policy issues currently discussed across the EU, and its implications for civic society. The group assignment will be carried out during the second part of the course. The second partial written exam is worth 30% of final marks. It covers the remaining topics of the course (not covered in the first partial and in the assignment), with a mix of open questions and MCs. General Exam The general exam covers the entirety of the course programme, with a mix of open questions and MCs.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

In order to provide updated materials for a fast evolving subject as the process of European integration, the main materials of the course are provided via lecture notes (slides) uploaded on the course webpage.

Companion materials can be found in a special book titled '
European Economic Polic
y' and created specifically for this course by McGraw Hill, by integrating materials of other existing textbooks. The textbook can be purchased in hard copy from the EGEA bookshop.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify the main IP rights in the EU (copyright, patents, databases, trade secrets) and their functions in technological and data-driven contexts.

Describe how digital technologies, software, algorithms, and AI pose new challenges for IP and data law.

Explain the key concepts of EU data and information law, including data as input/output and basic regulatory principles.

Summarize the main legal issues that arise in technology-sector business models concerning data, information, and innovation.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Apply core IP and data law concepts to simple practical scenarios involving digital technologies and AI.

Spot recurring legal issues in the operations or business models of technology companies.

Analyze how rules on data, information, and IP affect the development or use of specific technologies.

Develop basic legal arguments to address issues related to data governance, software, algorithms, and AI.

MISSION
In today’s digital economy, the creation, use, and regulation of intangible assets—such as information, data, and technology—play a central role in shaping markets and societal interactions. Intellectual property law influences how innovation and creativity are protected and commercialized, while IT law governs online communication, data processing, platform responsibilities, and emerging technologies such as AI.

The mission of this course is to introduce students to the legal frameworks that underpin these developments and to equip them with the tools needed to understand how law interacts with business practices and technological change. By combining private-law and public-law perspectives, the course contributes to the program’s objective of preparing students to critically analyze legal issues that arise in contemporary global markets.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Foundations of EU IP Law: subject matter and features of copyright, patents, databases, and trade secrets.

Digital Challenges for IP: platform liability, AI-generated creations, and IP issues in software and algorithmic environments.

Foundations of EU Data Law: concepts of data, information, and technology; data as input and output of digital processes.

Regulation of Data in the Digital Economy: data ownership, access, sharing, protection, and governance in technological markets.

AI, Data and Information Law: legal challenges arising from AI systems; data and IP implications of automated decision-making and machine learning models.

IP and Data Law in Business Models: identification of typical legal issues faced by technology companies and emerging digital businesses.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
In order to assess the achievement of the intended learning outcomes, the evaluation for attending students is based on two components:

Written exam (70% of the final grade)
.

The exam includes open-ended and multiple-choice questions aimed at verifying students’ ability to identify and explain the legal principles of European IP and data law, to recognize the main challenges posed by digital technologies, and to apply basic legal reasoning to issues involving data, algorithms, software, and AI.

Group presentation (30% of the final grade)
.

Working in small groups, students research the IP and data law issues faced by a selected technology company and deliver an in-class presentation. This component allows instructors to assess the ability to spot legal problems in real-world contexts, to organize legal analysis coherently, and to communicate findings clearly and effectively.

Attendance of at least 75% of the lectures entitles students to be considered attending and to participate in the group assignment. Attending students may nevertheless choose to take the full written exam.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
For non-attending students, assessment is based on a
written exam that counts for 100% of the final grade.

The exam includes open-ended and multiple-choice questions designed to evaluate the student’s ability to describe the key principles of European IP and data law, to summarize the main legal challenges raised by digital technologies, and to apply the relevant concepts to simple problem-based scenarios.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
For this course, t
here is no required textbook
. All essential readings— including judicial decisions, academic articles, policy documents, and selected case law—will be uploaded on the Bboard platform prior to the relevant classes. Additional materials may be provided during the semester to reflect new developments in the relevant fields.

Students who wish to explore specific topics in greater depth may consult optional readings suggested throughout the course; these are not required for the exam. Any updates or changes to teaching materials will be communicated promptly to ensure accurate information for students and for library and Course Reserve services.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Describe the main methodological approaches used in experimental economics and psychology, including laboratory experiments, field experiments, and randomized controlled trials.

Explain how randomization and experimental control enable causal inference in the social sciences.

Identify the key results of classic experimental games (ultimatum, dictator, public goods) and discuss their implications for cooperation, fairness, altruism, and reciprocity.

Recognize the main theoretical frameworks used to interpret experimental evidence on social norms, signaling, and social image.

Summarize recent experimental findings on the effects of social media on well-being, mental health, news consumption, and political polarization.

Distinguish between taste-based and statistical theories of discrimination, and between explicit and implicit forms of bias.

Describe the experimental evidence on political behavior, including voting, media exposure, cross-cutting contact, and the role of education and information in shaping political attitudes.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Critically read and evaluate empirical research papers in experimental economics and psychology.

Distinguish credible causal claims from purely associational or correlational evidence when assessing empirical work.

Identify the strengths, limitations, and potential threats to validity of a given experimental design.

Formulate an original research question that can be meaningfully addressed through an experiment.

Design the core elements of an experimental study, including sample, treatment conditions, outcome measures, and identification strategy.

Apply experimental reasoning to real-world problems in policy and business, including those related to social media, discrimination, and political behavior.

Communicate empirical results clearly and persuasively, both in written form and through oral presentations.

Work effectively in a team to develop, execute, and present a research project.

MISSION
Over recent decades, experimental methods have reshaped economics and the broader social sciences. By allowing researchers to establish causality and test behavioral hypotheses in controlled laboratory and field settings, experiments have produced influential and policy-relevant findings, from classic results on cooperation, fairness, and altruism, to recent evidence on social norms, social media, discrimination, and political behavior.

The course contributes to the Bachelor's program by exposing students to the methodological toolkit of experimental economics and psychology, and by showcasing how these methods have been applied at the research frontier. Students will learn to read and evaluate experimental papers, distinguish credible causal claims from associational evidence, and appreciate the interplay between theory and experimental design. The course also offers an interdisciplinary perspective bridging economics and psychology, and encourages students to think creatively about how experiments can be designed to answer new questions, skills valuable both in academic research and in data-driven roles in industry and policy.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course is organized around two macro-blocks.

Foundations of experimental social science:

Evolutionary perspectives on human behavior.

Methods for establishing causality in the social sciences: laboratory experiments, randomized field experiments, and quasi-experimental approaches.

Early landmark experiments in economics — ultimatum, dictator, and public goods games — and what they reveal about cooperation, fairness, altruism, and reciprocity.

Modern applications of experimental economics:

Social norms and signaling:

how norms shape individual behavior, status goods, misperceived norms, and the role of social image in information transmission (e.g. political correctness).

Social media:

experimental evidence on the effects of platform use on well-being, mental health, news consumption, political polarization, and the emergence of collective traps.

Discrimination:

field-experimental methods for documenting bias (e.g. audit studies in the labor market), taste-based vs. statistical theories, implicit stereotypes, and interventions based on contact and integration aimed at reducing discrimination.

Political behavior:

experimental studies of voting, media consumption and cross-cutting exposure, censorship, and how history education shapes political ideology.

Each topic is taught through seminal and recent research papers, emphasizing the link between the substantive question, the underlying theoretical framework, and the experimental design used to test it.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
ATTENDING STUDENTS

The final grade is determined on a 100-point scale as the weighted sum of two components:

Team assignment with in-class oral presentation — 40%

General written exam with open-answer questions — 60%

Collaborative Works / Assignment + Evaluation of oral presentation in class (40% — continuous assessment)

Students self-organize into groups of two or three and work on a team assignment devoted to an experimental study. Each group either (i) proposes an original research question and produces a structured review of the relevant literature, or (ii) proposes an original research question and designs a full experiment to address it. The output is delivered as a 25-minute in-class oral presentation in the last weeks of the course, followed by Q&A with the instructor and peers. All members of a group receive the same grade on this component.

This assessment verifies students' ability to formulate meaningful research questions, engage critically with the experimental literature, design (or plan) an experiment rigorously, collaborate effectively in a team, and communicate empirical ideas clearly to an informed audience — directly targeting the "applying knowledge and understanding" outcomes of the course.

General written exam — open-answer questions (60% — general exam)

The final exam is an individual written exam of 60 minutes. It consists of open-answer questions combining quantitative and non-quantitative content drawn from the lectures and assigned research papers. Questions are designed to test students' understanding of the methodological foundations of experimental economics and psychology, their knowledge of the key results covered in class, and their ability to reason critically about experimental designs and causal claims.

This component primarily verifies the "knowledge and understanding" outcomes of the course, as well as the student's ability to apply experimental reasoning to new settings.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

The assessment scheme for non-attending students mirrors that of attending students, with the single difference that the oral presentation is delivered remotely via Zoom rather than in class. The final grade is determined on a 100-point scale as the weighted sum of two components:

Team assignment with oral presentation via Zoom — 40%

General written exam with open-answer questions — 60%

Collaborative Works / Assignment + Evaluation of oral presentation on Zoom (40%)

Non-attending students work (individually or in groups of two or three, following the same rules as attending students) on a team assignment devoted to an experimental study. The assignment takes one of two forms: (i) an original research question with a structured review of the relevant literature, or (ii) an original research question accompanied by a full experimental design. The output is delivered as a 25-minute oral presentation held on Zoom with the instructor, followed by Q&A.

This component verifies students' ability to formulate research questions, critically engage with the experimental literature, design experiments rigorously, and communicate empirical ideas clearly — targeting the "applying knowledge and understanding" outcomes of the course.

General written exam — open-answer questions (60%)

Non-attending students sit the same written exam as attending students: an individual written exam of 60 minutes consisting of open-answer questions combining quantitative and non-quantitative content drawn from the lectures and assigned research papers. The exam verifies the "knowledge and understanding" outcomes and students' ability to apply experimental reasoning to new settings.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The course does not rely on a single textbook. Teaching materials consist of:

Lecture slides
, which are the main source of course material. Slides are posted on the Bocconi Blackboard site after each class.

Research papers
, which constitute the backbone of the lectures. The full list of required readings is provided in the syllabus and will be made available on Blackboard. Students are expected to read the assigned papers; mathematically involved theoretical sections can be read at a high level rather than in detail.

Book chapters
, used occasionally to complement specific topics. The relevant chapters will be uploaded to Blackboard in advance of the corresponding class.

All teaching materials will be distributed through the course's Blackboard site. Any additional or updated readings will be communicated to students during the semester via Blackboard announcements.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Define a family business and describe the different types of family firms.

Recognize the unique performance requirements and capabilities of the family form of business organization.

Illustrate the main tools for analyzing controlling families and family businesses.

Recognize the specific needs that family firms have in the areas of family management, ownership, governance and business management.

Explain the specific needs that family firms have in relation to leadership succession.

Explain the specific needs that family firms have in terms of conflict management.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Apply the most common tools for analyzing controlling families and family businesses.

Identify different types of family firms.

Draw a genogram of a controlling family from available data and assess it.

Analyze the structure of a family firm’s board of directors, advisory board, and family council.

Simulate discussions that regularly happen within family meetings, family shareholders meeting, and boards of directors.

Identify the most common types and sources of conflict in family firms.

Formulate possible solutions to conflict situations occurring in family firms.

Write an academic paper or case, individually or in a small team, on specific family firm topics.

MISSION
Family firms - firms that are owned, managed and controlled by a family, or a limited number of individuals – represent the vast majority of all firms, and major contributors to a country’s employment, GDP, wealth, and business knowledge.
This course aims at developing students’ skills in analyzing the specific features of family firms, assessing their key problems and opportunities, and creatively proposing strategic and organizational solutions.
The course is targeted to the next generation of controlling-family members, to students who may be willing to start their career in a family or private firm, and to those who plan to consult or provide professional services to family-controlled companies. Understanding the unique features of these firms is essential to develop a successful leadership career in such organizational settings or, more broadly, to understand the strategic logic of family-controlled competitors, suppliers, and customers.
Participants are challenged to improve their personal skills in the areas of communication, conflict resolution, diagnostic assessment, solutions finding, and writing academic papers or case-based materials.
This highly interactive course includes active simulations, role plays, videos, guest speakers, and real-case discussion. The final course assignment requires students to develop either an academic paper, or a teaching case, individually, or in small teams.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Key features and presence of family firms in Italy and worldwide.

Key values and principles behind the success of the family-firm system.

Tools for analyzing the family, the family business, and for assessing their viability.

Strategic choices of family firms.

Ownership values and roles in family firms.

The role of non-family managers and CEOs.

The role of boards of directors and advisory boards in family firms.

Succession in leadership positions and training future leaders.

Conflict management and communication in family firms.

Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

Individual or team project: the major course project is to prepare a “Family Business case” on a family business issue. Topics include those discussed in class or any other that is approved in advance by the instructor. The teaching case can be completed by individuals or in teams of up to 2 members.

Individual project: each attending student is asked to individually provide a written “Peer Feedback” on the draft sections of other participants’ final assignment.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students are assesses through a final written exam. The final written exam includes 3-6 open questions on the materials for non attending students indicated in the course program.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Course materials on the course web-learning platform.

Course materials handed in class.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

T. ZELLWEGER,
Managing the family business. Theory and practice,
Edward Elgar, 2017.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Apply a structured and coherent fundamental analysis of financial statements

Being able to link financial decision to strategy

Understanding how financial performances and targets are deployed through control mechanisms

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Built the fundamental ratios in term of profitability, solvency and liquidity

Read the evolution of ratios linking it to the firm strategy

Integrate financial measures with KPI

Better understand the process of target setting and valuation of managerial performance

MISSION
The Course intends first to develop students’ skills in understanding, analyzing, and interpreting financial statements. Conceptually, the course emphasizes that producers and users of financial statements have different objectives and informational needs. At the same time, the course is applied in that it teaches students how to analyze actual financial statements data to make informed business decisions and assessments. The course assumes a good command of basic financial accounting topics, but the first sessions will be devote to create a common language on financial reports and financial measures (accounting based, market based, ESG based). Second this course is designed to broaden and deepen students’ conceptual and technical understanding of accounting as it is used for management purposes.
The emphasis in the course is on financial controls, which provides the dominant form of control in the vast majority of decentralized organizations. This module provides support in business decisions, evaluation of organizational performance, or in evaluation of others (and/or be evaluated) using financial and non-financial information.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The couse will focus on the following:

UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FUNDAMENTAL ANALYSIS : measuring liquidity, solvency, profitability and growth

TOWARDS A MORE COMPLETE ANALYSIS: impact of a growth strategy, value based performances, ESG measures

MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL MECHANISMS

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND INCENTIVE SYSTEMS

MYOPIA PROBLEMS AND UNCONTROLLABLE FACTORS

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The evaluation of
APT
(Active partecipation track) students will be based on:

· 2
Group assignments

(GA)
(one for each part of the course) receiving a maximum of 10 points in total (6 points for the first assignment + 4 points for the second one); groups will be created at the beginning of the course. Group assignments consist in a case study to be prepared with your classmates and delivered within the due date. Only the second GA will be presented at the end of the course. The participation to both GA is necessary to stay in the APT. Detailed information will be uploaded on blackboard.

· 4
Individual assignments

(IA)
delivered during the course (2 for part1 and 2 for part2). Each IA will consist of 8 multiple choice questions to be solved in 12 minutes and will be delivered on-line through blackboard platform. No registration is required, and you can do the test at home. Each IA allows a max of 8 points. At the end of the course, students that have collected from 18 to 25 points) will receive 1 bonus point on the final grade; students that have collected more than 25 points will receive 2 bonus points. To keep the APT status, you need to participate to 3 out of 4 IAs.

· The
Final Exam
. Time allowed: 75 minutes.

Max points collectable with final exam for APT Students: 20.

You are considered APT if you partecipate to Group and individual assignments according to what mentioned above. The attendance recording is just for statistical purposes, but you are warmly invited to attend.

APT students will have the following advantages:

• Better learning
• Better support in workload management
• Less questions in the final exam, more time available to answer each question
• A higher possible final grade (10+2+20= 32)

To achieve 30 cum laude, you have to total at least 31 points.

The gained status of APT student will be valid till February 2027. In case of failing to pass an exam (or withdrawal), the points for the assignments will still remain valid until last useful date.

The final exam will be in class and on paper. Bring a calculator for quantitative exercises.

Attention:

• The enrolment for the exam is unique for attending and non attending students;
• Tell to the exam supervisor when papers are distributed if you are an attending or non attending student.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The evaluation of
NPT
(Normal parteciapation track) students will be based, only, on the final exam. Time allowed: 75 minutes. All questions need to be answered and will be graded a maximum of 31 points.

NPT students will be allowed to test their preparation participating to Individual Assignments, but the points gained will not be considered for the final grade.

The final exam will be in class and on paper. Bring a calculator for quantitative exercises.

The final exam will be in class and on paper. Bring a calculator for quantitative exercises.

Attention:

• The enrolment for the exam is unique for attending and non attending students;
• Tell to the exam supervisor when papers are distributed if you are an attending or non attending student.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
First Part: Financial Analysis

Teaching materials (slides and readings) both for in class activities than home activities will be uploaded on Blackboard Platform

Check Blackboard daily for class announcements and lecture notes/homework assignments.

Suggested readings for the First part (not mandatory):

· R. Libby/ P. A. Libby/F. Hodge: Financial Accounting

· Miroglio F., Basic Principles of managerial accounting, Chapter 1: "From financial to managerial accounting"

Second Part: Performance Measurement

K.A. MERCHANT, W.A. VAN DER STEDE, Management Control Systems: performance measurement, evaluation and incentives, 2017, 4th edition, ISBN-13: 9781292110554 (print) / 9781292110585 (PDF) / 9781292181875 (ePub)

Teaching materials (slides and readings) both for in class activities than home activities will be uploaded on Blackboard Platform

Check Blackboard daily for class announcements and lecture notes/homework assignments.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
1. understand the relevance of financial markets for financing

2. understand the relevance of financial markets for investing activities

3. understand opportunities associated with stock and bond investing for portfolio diversification

4. learning information about long-run risk and return of main asset classes

5. acquiring knowledge of risk measurement and prediction

6. understand the differences between conditional and unconditional return distributions

7. understanding knowledge of bond pricing

8. learning the main tools of bond portfolio management

9. understanding the mechanics of portfolio optimization
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
1. start investing in a rational way

2. distinguish rational and non-rational behavior in vesting

3. basic pricing of stocks and bonds

4. build diversified portfolios

MISSION
Introduction to financial markets from the point of view of asset pricing with a focus on equity market and bond market, developing tools that are relevant for investing and portfolio choice. The mission is to make students aware of the power of financial markets and at the same of the investment opportunities open to retail and institutional investors
CONTENT SUMMARY

• introduction to financial markets
• understanding data and measuring long-run risk and return
• conditional and unconditional returns distribution
• risk modeling
• preference description and mean-variance utility function
• behavioral finance
• basics of bond pricing
• managing bond portfolios
• basics of portfolio diversification
• the Markowitz model

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
final written exam

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Financial markets and investment, textboo, Andrea Beltratti, 2025, EGEA

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze data on banks and other intermediaries through regression analysis

Describe the characteristics of the banking and insurance businesses (what do banks and insurance companies do? which is their core business?).

Identify the main drivers of banks' funding, credit, and investment decisions.

Understand the role and effects of monetary policy through the banking system

Recognize the most prominent risk factors and how these risks are measured and managed.

Explain how the regulatory framework affects banks and insurance companies.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Assess and interpret facts relevant to financial institutions in the real world.

Examine banks’ and insurance companies’ behavior and identify the main drivers of their performance.

Assess and measure banks’ and insurance companies’ performance (e.g. profitability, liquidity, asset quality, capitalization).

Identify and measure the main sources of banks' risks (e.g., exposure to interest rate risk).

Discuss the benefits and flaws of financial institutions regulation as well as hypothesize the main potential effects of new set of rules.

Understand the frontier of academic research on financial intermediation

MISSION
The landscape of financial institutions today is increasingly data-driven and the regulatory framework has dramatically changed since the 2008-09 global financial crisis. In light of these changes, the course focuses on the main issues faced by banks, other intermediaries and insurance companies over the last two decades. There is a strong emphasis on data and statistical applications of theoretical models on financial intermediation. These include funding and investment strategies as well as risk management and performance measurement, together with the rise of new types of financial institutions such as FinTech and non-bank lenders.
CONTENT SUMMARY

The banking industry today: players, strategies, and regulation.

Theory and data about Financial Crises

Old and new forms of intermediaries: Securitization

Liabilities management: deposits and capital

Banking business and risk management: credit risk, interest rate risk, market risk.

Monetary policy implementation and transmission

The rise of Non-banks and FinTech

The insurance industry today: players, strategies and regulation.

Insurance process and insurance premiums. Risk and capital management for insurers.

Financial statement analysis and performance measures in insurance.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students are evaluated on a closed books, closed answers individual written exam (two partials exams or one general exam, at their choice). The rules set out in the "Guides to the University" apply to sitting/registering for partial exams. The exam gauges students’ ability to: recognize different aspects of banks and insurance companies activity, e.g., the specificities of their business models; identify the drivers of banks’ funding and investment strategies; spot the main sources of risks, and how these risks are measured and managed. Exam questions are structured to assess multiple skills: qualitative and critical abilities (e.g., by selecting the option that better reflects bank regulators’ view point on a given matter) as well as quantitative skills (e.g., by measuring banks’ exposure to certain risks).
A group work based on data analysis and (possibly) a short presentation are also part of the assessment.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Selected chapters from Anthony Saunders, Marcia Cornett and Otgo Erhemjamts (2024), "Financial Institutions Management: A Risk Management Approach", eleventh edition, McGraw-Hill. Selected chapters are included in the "Management of Financial Institutions (cod. 30148)" textbook Paolo Colla and Filippo De Marco (hard copy available at Egea Bookshop).

Additional material (readings, slides and teaching notes) available in Bboard.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Define some fundamental concepts in finance, such as leverage and securitization.

Understand how financial frictions can impact macroeconomic variables, such as income and employment.

Illustrate the causes of financial crises and explain how financial shocks propagate to the whole economy.

Explain the effects of monetary and fiscal policies, including the unconventional policy tools, such as forward guidance and quantitative easing.

Analyze the key elements of a sovereign crisis, such as the one recently experienced by European countries, and the macroeconomic implications of lockdowns, such as those recently experienced by all major economies.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Use some fundamental concepts in finance, such as leverage and securitization, which are likely to be very useful in their career.

Apply the knowledge acquired during the course to evaluate the consequences of a financial crisis for the firm or organization they join after they graduate.

Predict and assess the response of the central bank and the government to a major downturn caused by a financial crisis.

Evaluate and compare the economic forecasts and views on the state of the economy made available in the internet and other media.

Use such analysis in many of the decisions (pricing, portfolio, business investment, hiring, etc.) they are soon called to make throughout their working career.

MISSION
The key lesson economists have learnt from the financial crisis is that there is an essential need to integrate macroeconomics and finance. This course emphasizes the importance of credit and financial market imperfections for economic activity and the conduct of monetary and fiscal policy. Particular relevance is given to the causes and the consequences of financial crises and to the conventional and unconvetional tools that policy-makers can use to stabilize the economy.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Financial crisis I. Introduction, causes, implications and historical perspective.

Financial crisis II. The role of structured finance.

Financial crisis III. The bank-run view. The model of Diamond and Dybvig.

Leverage, financial intermediaries, and securitization.

Asset prices and net worth. The financial accelerator.

Credit market imperfections. Household deleverage and the Great Recession.

Unconventional monetary policy, theory and evidence.

Liquidity traps. The role of fiscal policy.

The European sovereign crisis.*

Macroeconomic implications of lockdowns.*

• It time allows it.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment of whether students have achieved the learning outcomes of the course is carried out through a written final exam. The exam consists of exercises and open questions. The goal of the exam is to verify that:

students can analyze, critically and indepedently, the models presented in class;

students can effectively employ the analytical tools taught in the course;

students can understand the economic forces behind the models and provide intuition for the main results;

students have a solid understanding of the main topics covered in the course.

In addition to the written exam, students are given four problem sets throughout the course. Problem sets are optional, but students are strongly encouraged to take them. Problem sets have the same goal as the written final exam. In addition, they are a very effective tool to ensure that students remain on track with the lectures, without falling behind during the semester. They are also a great way to foster interactions among students (group work is allowed).

Students have the option (only in the first exam sessions) to count the grade obtained on problem sets towards the final grade. More precisely, students can choose that the final grade is computed as the average between the total grade obtained on the best three problem sets (with weight 30%) and the grade on the final exam (with weight 70%). Alternatively, students can choose to disregard problem sets; in that case, the final grade will be given only by the grade on the final exam.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
There is no single textbook for this course. The instructor uses different sources, including lecture notes, slides, and other handouts, which are made available on the course website on Bboard. Students may find it interesting to read the following books (however, note that these books are not required):

P. KRUGMAIN,
The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008
, Norton & Company.

R.G. RAJAN,
Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy,
Princeton University Press.

G.B. GORTON,
Slapped by the Invisible Hand: the Panic of 2007
, Oxford University Press.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify the quantitative models and methods for pricing financial assets.

Identify the quantitative models and methods for portfolio formation in order to mitigate risk.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Build a portfolio of bonds that minimizes interest rate risk (immunization).

Build a portfolio of stocks (w/o and with constraints) that is optimal in the mean-variance sense.

Build a portfolio of options that allows to profit from future movements in the underlying asset's value.

MISSION
The course provides the technical skills for implementing asset pricing and investment models with Excel. Students are equipped with the basic operational tools to understand financial markets and employ the modelling abilities developed via sample applications to build their own models. Coursework mainly focuses on functions already embedded in the worksheet as well as on procedures designed to solve specific problems. The course concentrates on the application of several theoretical models for financial valuation, optimal portfolio choice and performance evaluation.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Tools: introduction to Excel (array, financial and statistical functions) and add-ins (Solver and Data Analysis).

Mean-variance portfolio choice: efficient frontier with and without shortselling constraints.

Bonds: duration, immunization and the term structure of interest rates.

Stocks: CAPM, beta estimation and the security market line; APT and multi-factor models.

Options: binomial model, lognormal distribution and Black-Scholes model.

Further topics: event study, style analysis.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Written exam consists of open-ended questions/exercises aimed to assess students' ability to apply quantitative methods to the pricing of financial assets and to portfolio formation for both hedging/risk mitigation (e.g. bond portfolio immunization, mean-variance optimization) and speculation (e.g. directional and non-directional options strategies) purposes. Detailed format: closed books 60 minutes.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

S. BENNINGA,
Financial Modeling
, MIT Press, 2022, 5th Edition.

Lecture slides and Excel spreadsheets uploaded on Blackboard as the course progresses.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

• Refine their knowledge and understanding of complex accounting choices;
• Identify potential accounting issues that can undermine reliability of financial statements and negatively affect outsiders’ assessment of firm business.
• Identify and assess the linkages between accounting choices and financial statement analysis
• Interpret firms’ accounting choices and their impact on outsiders’ evaluation of the firm.
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
• Run a critical analysis of financial statements where accounting and comparability issues are acknowledged at the moment of computing and interpreting traditional profitability, activity, liquidity and solvency ratios as well as assessing cash flows generated by the company.
• Perform an accounting analysis to detect potential cases of manipulation of financial statements.
• Apply the acquired technical knowledge and analytical skills to advise investors, banks and any other stakeholder interested in the company as well as accounting standard setters and regulators.
• develop up-to-date applied knowledge of fundamental valuation techniques by analyzing the valuation implications of a wide variety of financial reporting issues in a critical manner

MISSION
Financial statements provide relevant and reliable information about the business operations of a company and stakeholders use this information to make their economic decisions. Given that, accounting information plays a crucial role in the allocation of resources in the economy. However, financial statements are affected by the subjectivity and the discretion that accounting standards leave to financial statement preparers. Such accounting discretion can impair the trustworthiness of the financial statements and the extent to which they truly reflect firm’s business activities. As a result, stakeholders can make incorrect choices with negative implications for the overall economy. Hence, it is crucial to understand the accounting choices that firms can make and their impact on financial statement analysis.
The aim of the course is to help students becoming “sophisticated users” of financial reports. The course is designed to develop students’ ability to interpret and use financial accounting information for investment purposes, combining financial statement analysis and the accounting-based valuation framework.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The most important topics that will be covered during the course are the following:

• Financial statement and cash flow analysis that stakeholders run to assess the goodness of their investment in the firm.
• Accounting analysis to identify earnings management instances as well as accounting frauds.
• Credit risk assessment (bankruptcy models)
• Equity analysis (DCF and multiples)
• M&A valuation methods
• Critical accounting issues for valuation (e.g., revenue recognition, accounting for inventories, accounting for tangible and intangible assets, accounting for leases, segment reporting, transactions in foreign currency)

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The students can choose between two options:

The first option is to take two written exams. Each partial exam represents 50% of the final grade. In order to pass the exam, the student has to pass each partial. Both written exams will be based on a mix of multiple choices and exercises. The first partial assess students’ knowledge and understanding of ratio analysis, accounting analysis and credit risk assessment. The second partial evaluates student’s ability to apply theoretical concepts. Specifically, students are students are expected to apply accounting standards and assess their impact on financial ratios, cash flows and earnings management measures. The purpose of both partials is to verify: i) student’s knowledge and understanding of the main concepts and methods shared in the course; ii) student’s ability to identify potential accounting issues and iii) apply their analytical reasoning and critical thinking at the moment of analyzing the consequences of accounting choices on investors’ assessment of the firm.

The second option is to take only a final written exam. The final written exam is a combination of the two partials described above. Hence, it is based on a mix of multiple choices and exercises relative to topics covered in class where computations and open questions are combined. The second option is to take only a final written exam. The final written exam is a combination of the two partials described above. Hence, it is based on a mix of multiple choices and exercises relative to topics covered in class where computations and open questions are combined.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment of non-attending students is entirely based (100% of the final grade) on the final written exam, which has the same content as the one applied to attending students.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The main course material, for both attending and non-attending students, is:

• Palepu K. G., P. M. Healy, and E. Peek (2019), Business Analysis and Valuation: IFRS Edition (Cengage Learning), 5th edition.

In addition to the textbook, slides and other materials (i.e., academic articles, newspaper articles, exercises and useful links, etc.) will be provided during the course. Students will need to refer to the Blackboard platform.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

Understand the main forces driving digital innovation and financial transformation.

Identify and explain the key domains of FinTech and their technological, economic, and regulatory drivers.

Analyse the evolution of the FinTech market and articulate the main emerging trends and transformations in the sector.

Outline and evaluate the major challenges and opportunities that FinTech companies and incumbent financial institutions will face in the coming years.

Recognise how digital platforms and ecosystems are reshaping business models and customer relationships in financial services.

The course is structured into four main modules designed to:

Understand
the fundamentals of the banking business and the current FinTech landscape — including industry drivers, key product areas (money and payments, lending, investments), and future industry trends.

Develop
a comprehensive understanding of market structure and digital transformation — including supply-demand dynamics, value chains, and the roles of incumbents and new entrants.

Explore
real-world cases of financial technologies to understand how innovation is transforming the customer banking experience.

Build
a forward-looking perspective to interpret the new competitive frameworks and strategic challenges of the financial services industry.

By the end of the course, students will have:

Acquired a conceptual and applied understanding of how digital transformation is redefining competition and value creation in financial services.

Developed the ability to critically assess FinTech innovations and their strategic implications.

Gained exposure to best practices from digital industries and learned how financial institutions are adapting to new competitive rules.

Strengthened their interdisciplinary and critical thinking skills, enabling them to:

Identify the main forces of financial transformation.

Explain the origins and drivers of the FinTech phenomenon.

Evaluate the features transforming financial services.

Discuss the impact of FinTech on financial markets and institutions.

Reflect on the consistency of FinTech business models and the role of digital ecosystems.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

Analyze the structural transformations occurring in the financial sector and their implications for industry participants.

Assess the impact of key environmental forces — such as technological innovation, regulation, and competition — on the strategies and performance of both banks and FinTech companies.

Evaluate the social and economic role of FinTech firms within modern financial systems.

Examine and compare the resilience and sustainability of different FinTech business models under changing market conditions.

Conduct independent research and critical reviews of academic and professional literature in the field of banking and FinTech, identifying and evaluating relevant insights for managerial and strategic decision-making.

Apply theoretical and empirical knowledge to real-world case studies, learning from the experiences of leading financial and technological organizations facing digital transformation challenges.

MISSION
As digital transformation reshapes global finance, understanding FinTech has become essential for future leaders and professionals aiming to operate in an increasingly innovation-driven environment.

The banking industry is undergoing a profound and continuous transformation. Financial digital technologies — including Open APIs, cloud computing, advanced algorithms, and Big Data — are reshaping the landscape of financial services, alongside evolving regulations and increasing competitive pressure.
FinTech companies and financial technologies are both at the forefront of this change, driving innovation and creating new services, structures and business models. As a result, the industry is moving toward broader ecosystems that connect diverse and interdependent players across multiple sectors.
In this dynamic environment, FinTechs, traditional financial institutions, and Big Tech firms are all redefining how value is created and delivered to customers.

This course aims to offer an interdisciplinary understanding of how FinTech is transforming various segments of the financial industry — from payments and lending to investment and wealth management.

Students will explore how market conditions and competitive dynamics are evolving and interacting with each other.
They will also explore regulatory frameworks and the key managerial implications for businesses, stakeholders, and the industry as a whole.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course provides students with professional knowledge and analytical tools to understand and manage the ongoing transformation of the financial services industry. It adopts a dual analytical perspective, addressing both professionals working within banks (particularly retail and private institutions) and FinTech companies, as well as students interested in developing their own FinTech ventures.

It is also intended for those who, for professional or academic reasons, collaborate with financial institutions as external partners — such as consultants, private equity and venture capital professionals, and technology providers.

The curriculum offers a comprehensive view of the banking industry's evolution, fostering a solid understanding of how banks and FinTechs are reshaping the sector, redefining competitive dynamics and introducing new challenges and opportunities.

The course is structured around major vertical areas — payments, lending, investments, and neobanking. Each area is examined through a detailed analysis of the market landscape and business models, exploring their evolution from current practices toward future configurations.

Through this learning path, students will gain insight into strategic frameworks, industry economics, and applied technologies, while understanding how competition and innovation are transforming business structures and customer expectations.

The course combines theoretical foundations with practical applications and adopts an interdisciplinary and interactive approach.

It aims to develop students’ critical thinking, strategic decision-making, and entrepreneurial capabilities.

Teaching methods include case studies, guest lectures from industry experts, and class discussions on emerging topics.

Active participation is strongly encouraged and constitutes an essential part of the learning process.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students may choose the
attending
status, which provides a distinct learning experience and an alternative evaluation structure.

The final grade is based on the following components:

Group assignments (55%)

• Students will complete two group projects, each with a different weight, focus and specific evaluation criteria. Together, they account for 55% of the final grade. The assignments are designed to assess students’ ability to:

apply the tools and methodologies learned during the course;

collaborate effectively within a team environment;

organise, synthesise, and present results clearly and professionally.

Final written exam (45%)

• The final assessment consists of open-ended (essay-style) questions aimed at evaluating the student’s overall understanding of key concepts, analytical frameworks, and managerial implications discussed during the course.

Detailed guidelines and grading criteria will be provided during the first class session.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The final grade is based entirely on an individual written exam covering the topics included in the syllabus.

The final assessment consists of open-ended (essay-style) questions aimed at evaluating the student’s overall understanding of key concepts, analytical frameworks, and managerial implications as per the syllabus.

Additional instructions will be provided during the first lesson in class, and on the course platform.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Book: Omarini A., 2019
, Banks and Banking: Digital Transformation and the Hype of Fintech. Business impacts, new frameworks and managerial implications
, McGraw-Hill publisher

The book is available in both a paper and an ebook version.

Other relevant materials (articles, cases, class notes, news articles, slides) are posted on the Bboard and/or handed out in class.

Further details will be provided during the first lesson in class and on the course platform.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Book: Omarini A., 2019,
Banks and Banking: Digital Transformation and the Hype of Fintech. Business impacts, new frameworks and managerial implications
, McGraw-Hill publisher

The book is available in both a paper and an ebook version.

Other relevant materials (articles, cases, class notes, news articles, slides) are posted on the Bboard.

Further details will be provided during the first lesson in class and on the course platform.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Recognize the key elements of fiscal policies.

Identify the role that fiscal policies can play in affecting macroeconomic developments.

Discuss concerns about public debt sustainability in the Euro zone.

Evaluate the role that fiscal policy can play to support economic activity.

Describe the impact of fiscal institutions such as: fiscal rules, medium-term fiscal programs and spending reviews.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze macrofiscal trends.

Interpret technical reports of international institutions on fiscal developments and risk.

Argue the validity of specific estimation and testing methods of fiscal imbalances and risks.

MISSION
With the return to fiscal policy activism in the aftermath of the 2008-09 global economic and financial crisis, the interest in the role that fiscal policy can play in affecting macroeconomic developments has been revived. At the same time, the surge in public debt-to-GDP ratios in most advanced economies, together with some public debt market crises especially within the Euro area, have raised concerns about public debt sustainability. This course allows students to understand the constraints set on fiscal policy by the need to ensure the sustainability of public debt, the role that fiscal policy can play within those constraints to support economic activity, and the institutions that can strengthen fiscal policy credibility, including fiscal rules, medium-term fiscal programs and spending reviews. Case studies are used to illustrate these issues.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Definitions of fiscal sustainability, fiscal solvency, the government intertemporal budget constraint, no-Ponzi game condition:

Public debt ratio dynamics.

Definition of public debt sustainability.

Empirical approached to assessing fiscal sustainability.

Ensuring fiscal sustainability.

Empirical approaches to assessing debt sustainability.

Entitlement debt.

Public debt and money.

Public finance data.

Main macrofiscal trends in the last ten years.

Lowering public debt.

Fiscal policy and growth:

Fiscal policy and short-term growth.

Fiscal policy and long term growth.

Fiscal Institutions:

Fiscal rules.

The SGP.

Medium-Term Fiscal Frameworks.

Fiscal Transparency and Fiscal Councils.

Spending reviews.

Fiscal Issues for subnational governments and fiscal federations.

Public financial management: the budgetary process, preparation, execution, reporting, key budget documents, fiscal risks.

The budgetary process: key documents and timing.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students will complete group assignments as part of Your Final Course Grade. Students must receive a pass (at least 18/30) on both the assignment evaluation or the final written exam to pass the course. A breakdown of the grading structure will be provided in the detailed course syllabus.

Open-ended questions in the final exam are mainly aimed at testing the learning of the concepts, methods and tools illustrated in the course material and their correct understanding. Group assignmennts are mainly functional to assess the learners' application skills of the knowledge learned as a result of studying the course material and their "soft" presentation skills.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students must receive a pass (at least 18/30) on the final written exam to pass the course. The final written exam for non-attending students comprises 100% of the course final grade.

Open-ended questions in the final exam are mainly aimed at testing the learning of the concepts, methods and tools illustrated in the course material and their correct understanding.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students who attend will work in groups to prepare and deliver a presentation. Each group will submit presentation slides and a supporting report. Although initial readings are provided, students are encouraged to expand upon the reading list to enrich their presentations. Final grades for attending students will be calculated as an equally weighted average of their presentation and written exam scores.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Evaluation for not-attending students will be based solely on their written exam performance.

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...
ragionare sui problemi di carattere fiscale che riguardano le imprese, le società e i gruppi, nella gestione sia ordinaria sia straordinaria, oltre che nella dimensione transnazionale.
CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...
risolvere i problemi tributari che riguardano le imprese, le società e i gruppi, con un’applicazione meditata delle regole e dei principi generali che governano la fiscalità.

MISSION
A fronte dell’irruzione, nell’ultimo decennio, dell’economia digitale, il corso si propone di fornire agli studenti:

(1) una preparazione di base sui profili costituzionali e attuativi dell’imposizione tributaria, soffermando l’attenzione in modo particolare su: (i) le forme di prelievo che interessano la generalità dei contribuenti; (ii) la tassazione del reddito d’impresa e dei gruppi societari;

(2) una panoramica generale sui principali risvolti fiscali della digital economy, come, ad esempio: (i) le pratiche di pianificazione fiscale aggressiva (c.d. base erosion and profit shifting) da parte delle multinazionali, rese possibili grazie al progressivo disallineamento progressivo tra lo spazio – oggi virtualmente sconfinato – dell’economia e la delimitazione dei confini delle sovranità statuali; (ii) la tassazione dei robot; (iii) la tassazione degli influencer; (iv) l’adozione di applicativi di intelligenza artificiale per il contrasto all’evasione fiscale.

Le lezioni, rifuggendo dalla mera teoria, saranno svolte con un approccio casistico (anche attingendo dalla giurisprudenza e dalla prassi) in guisa da sviluppare la capacità di ragionare sui problemi e di risolverli con un’applicazione meditata delle norme e dei principi generali che governano la materia.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO
I principi costituzionali in materia tributaria.

I rapporti fisco-contribuente nell’attuazione delle imposte.

Il sistema tributario italiano: il quadro d’insieme.

La tassazione delle imprese e delle società.

Elementi di tassazione internazionale e strategie di pianificazione fiscale.

Lezioni monografiche sui principali fenomeni fiscali dell’economia digitale.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI
STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI

AA.VV., Fondamenti di diritto tributario, Cedam, 2024: i capitoli da studiare saranno indicati a lezione.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

define data analysis methodology

carry out basic data warehousing to represent, visualize and transform data

build, train and evaluate machine learning models and algorithms

Integrate machine learning with uncertainty quantification and basic causal inference

develop models, algorithms and code

understand the fundamental machine learning methodologies

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

apply appropriate data analysis methodologies

choose appropriate machine learning algorithms and evaluate their performance

produce measures of uncertainty associated with the statistical learning

carry out causal inference using appropriate assumptions and algorithms

develop and adapt Python code for all the above tasks

MISSION
The purpose of the course is to bring Bocconi at the international forefront
of undergraduate education in Social Sciences by providing a hands-on
training on the foundations of Data Science especially targeted to people that are less exposed or even unaware of this material. The course is based on Jupyter notebooks using Python implementations on a Google-colab environment that requires no installations from the student. The code needed to carry out all analyses is provided in the notebooks. Case studies also involve text and image data. The course has three main components, as outlined below. At the end of each component there is a data project that students do jointly with the instructor. There is also a more substantive project based on a real application from the industry. There will also be an associated competition via the Bocconi Data Science Challenges Platform.
CONTENT SUMMARY
For a video presentation of the course objectives, deliverables and the overall student experience see here:

http://datasciencebocconi.github.io/foundations.html

Part A: The basics
+ Intro to course and case studies
+ (Less) Basic Python programming
+ Basic data management and visualization with Python
+ Messy data and feature engineering

Part B: Predictive modelling
+ Fundamentals: supervised learning and optimization
+ Lasso regression
+ Classification
+ Representational learning: trees, bagging and boosting

Part C: Causal inference and machine learning
+ Elements of causal inference

+ Predictive models for causal inference with observational data

Part D: Projects

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

22/31 of the mark is on the basis of group projects

9/31 of the mark is based on an individual final exam

The student (attending or not) should submit the projects within the deadlines specified in the blackboard announcements otherwise their submission will be invalid.

For non-attending students it is their responsibility to join/create groups for the group assignement, and individual submission for a group project will also be invalid

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
0. Videos distributed before the course
1. Jupyter notebooks
2. Lecture notes

Suggested references:
0. Art of Statistics
https://www.amazon.it/Art-Statistics-Learning-Data/dp/0241398630
This is an excellent book for understanding modern Statistics and it can serve as a preparation before starting the course

The following three books can be used to understand deeper the machine learning methods we will cover

1. Elements of Statistical Learning
https://www.amazon.it/Elements-Statistical-Learning-Inference-Prediction/dp/0387848576/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=54230735724&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-daUBhCIARIsALbkjSZOMjFXZB-g4Nbo7ccbC7-1-2vbv4NqoVYrCnkuIDKD94LaTcmy-OsaAk3sEALw_wcB&hvadid=255139979982&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1008463&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3531467951480362546&hvtargid=kwd-299792246878&hydadcr=18578_1822585&keywords=elements+of+statistical+learning&qid=1654013448&sr=8-1

2. Pattern recognition and machine learning
https://www.amazon.it/Pattern-Recognition-Machine-Learning-Christopher/dp/0387310738

3. Deep Learning
https://www.deeplearningbook.org/

Parts of the course will also be based on the forthcoming book:

5. Veridical Data Science
The Practice of Responsible Data Analysis and Decision Making

6. There will be references to certain articles. The following four are particularly relevant for the aims of this course:
+ Statistical Modeling: The Two Cultures (2001) by Leo Breiman
+ Prediction, Estimation and Attribution (2020) by Brad Efron
+ Statistics in the big data era: Failures of the machine (2018) by
David Dunson
+ 50 years of Data Science (2017) by David Donoho

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
B2 Level (upper-intermediate):

Students will acquire a good level of knowledge of grammar and syntax as well as a fairly wide vocabulary that will enable them to be independent users of French language and deal with non-familiar and quite complex topics.

Livello B2 (intermedio superiore)
:

Lo studente avrà acquisito conoscenze grammaticali - sintattiche e un range lessicale di buon livello che consentono autonomia di espressione e comprensione anche relativamente ad argomenti non familiari e di una certa complessità.
CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
B2 Level (upper-intermediate):

Students will be able to write a clear and detailed text on a wide range of subjects, to understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party, and to be clear and detailed when speaking and explain a view point giving the pros and cons of various options.

Livello B2 (intermedio superiore):

Lo studente sarà in grado di produrre un testo chiaro e dettagliato su un'ampia gamma di argomenti, di comprendere le idee principali di testi articolati su argomenti sia concreti sia astratti. Sarà in grado di interagire con una certa scioltezza e spontaneità che rendono possibile un dialogo naturale con i parlanti nativi senza sforzo per l'interlocutore, esprimendosi in modo chiaro e articolato su molteplici argomenti e riuscirà a spiegare i pro e i contro relativi a varie opzioni.

MISSION
The course aims at providing level B2 - Upper-intermediate (see CEFR framework) knowledge and skills required to pass the Bocconi internal exam (and beneficial for international French language certification).

Fornire le conoscenze e competenze previste per il livello B2 - Intermedio superiore del quadro di riferimento europeo (CEFR) necessarie ai fini del superamento dell’esame interno Bocconi ed utili nel caso di sostenimento di certificazione internazionale.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO / CONTENT SUMMARY

The duration of the course is one semester (2nd semester of 1st year) (48 hours + general exam).

The course deals with the main topics of grammar, syntax and vocabulary included in the following modules from the textbook:
Acteurs économiques, Créateurs d’entreprises, Ressources humaines, Marketing, Rapports avec la clientèle, Résultats de l’entreprise.

Details in the
course syllabus

L’insegnamento è semestrale (secondo semestre del 1° anno) (48 ore di didattica + prova generale).

Il programma prevede la trattazione degli argomenti di grammatica e sintassi nonchè l’acquisizione del lessico contenuti nei seguenti moduli del libro in adozione:
Acteurs économiques, Créateurs d’entreprises, Ressources humaines, Marketing, Rapports avec la clientèle, Résultats de l’entreprise.

Per dettagli consultare il
programma d’aula

Prova individuale orale [Prova generale]
Prova individuale scritta (tradizionale/online) [Prova generale]
STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING STUDENTS

ALL THOSE WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO A CLASS AND ATTEND AT LEAST 75% OF THE TOTAL COURSE HOURS ARE CONSIDERED ATTENDING STUDENTS.

The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certifications.

The mark is expressed out of 30. Student can sit the exam after the end of the teaching period.

For further details, please refer to the course syllabus.

SONO CONSIDERATI STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI TUTTI COLORO CHE SONO ASSEGNATI ALLA CLASSE DI DIDATTICA E FREQUENTANO ALMENO IL 75% DEL MONTEORE DEL CORSO.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi. L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove generali a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica.

Per informazioni dettagliate, consultare il programma d’aula.
STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI / NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

ALL THOSE WHO ARE NOT ASSIGNED TO A CLASS OR ATTEND LESS THAN 75% OF THE TOTAL COURSE HOURS ARE CONSIDERED NON ATTENDING STUDENTS.

The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certifications.

The mark is expressed out of 30. Student can sit the exam after the end of the teaching period.

For further details, please refer to the course syllabus.

SONO CONSIDERATI STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI TUTTI COLORO CHE NON SONO ASSEGNATI ALLA CLASSE DI DIDATTICA O CHE FREQUENTANO MENO DEL 75% DEL MONTEORE DEL CORSO.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi. L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove generali a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica.

Per informazioni dettagliate, consultare il programma d’aula.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

PENFORNIS J.L.,
Affaires.com
, CLE International, Paris 2017

Recommended textbooks / Testi consigliati :

B. M. SAN PIETRO,
Grammaire contrastive français-anglais,
Ed. UTET 2023

PENFORNIS J.L.,
Grammaire progressive du français des affaires
,
niveau intermédiaire
, CLE International, Paris 2014

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
B1 Level (intermediate):

Students will acquire solid knowledge of the fundamentals of grammar and syntax and the vocabulary will be wide enough to enable some degree of independence in written and oral expression and comprehension in familiar situations (threshold level).

Livello B1 (intermedio):

Lo studente avrà acquisito le fondamentali conoscenze grammaticali e sintattiche ed un range lessicale sufficientemente ampio da consentire una moderata autonomia di espressione e comprensione in situazioni familiari (livello “soglia”).
CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
B1 Level (intermediate):

Students will be able to write simple but well-structured texts, briefly express and explain their opinion, understand other persons as long as they do not speak too fast or unclearly, participate in conversations about familiar topics.

Livello B1 (intermedio):

Lo studente saprà produrre un testo semplice ma coerente, saprà descrivere e spiegare brevemente le ragioni delle sue opinioni, sarà in grado di comprendere interlocutori che si esprimono in modo chiaro e sufficientemente lento e di partecipare a conversazioni su argomenti noti.

MISSION
The course aims at providing level B1-Intermediate (see CEFR framework) knowledge and skills required to pass the Bocconi internal exam (and beneficial for international French language certifications).

Fornire le conoscenze e competenze previste per il livello B1-Intermedio del quadro di riferimento europeo (CEFR) necessarie ai fini del superamento dell’esame interno Bocconi ed utili nel caso di sostenimento di certificazione internazionale.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO / CONTENT SUMMARY

The duration of the course is one semester (2nd semester of 2nd year) (48 hours + general exam).

The course deals with the main topics of grammar, syntax and vocabulary related to all the chapters of the 2nd volume of the textbook:
Logement, Sport, Travail, Santé, Tourisme, Art, Gastronomie, Spectacle...
It deals also with listening and reading of documents corresponding to the required level.

Details in the
course syllabus

L’insegnamento è semestrale (secondo semestre del 2° anno) (48 ore di didattica + prova generale).

Il programma prevede la trattazione degli argomenti di grammatica e sintassi nonché l’acquisizione del lessico contenuti nei moduli del 2° volume del libro in adozione, relativi
agli ambiti della vita quotidiana (ad esempio
: Abitazione, Sport, Lavoro, Salute, Turismo, Arte, Gastronomia, Spettacolo
) ed inoltre ascolti o letture di documenti adeguati al livello richiesto.

Per dettagli consultare il
programma d’aula

Prova individuale orale [Prova generale]
Prova individuale scritta (tradizionale/online) [Prova generale]
STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING STUDENTS

ALL THOSE WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO A CLASS AND ATTEND AT LEAST 75% OF THE TOTAL COURSE HOURS ARE CONSIDERED ATTENDING STUDENTS.

The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certifications.

The mark is expressed out of 30. Student can sit the exam after the end of the teaching period.

For further details, please refer to the course syllabus.

SONO CONSIDERATI STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI TUTTI COLORO CHE SONO ASSEGNATI ALLA CLASSE DI DIDATTICA E FREQUENTANO ALMENO IL 75% DEL MONTEORE DEL CORSO.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi. L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove generali a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica.

Per informazioni dettagliate, consultare il programma d’aula.
STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI / NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

ALL THOSE WHO ARE NOT ASSIGNED TO A CLASS OR ATTEND LESS THAN 75% OF THE TOTAL COURSE HOURS ARE CONSIDERED NON ATTENDING STUDENTS.

The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certifications.

The mark is expressed out of 30. Student can sit the exam after the end of the teaching period.

For further details, please refer to the course syllabus.

SONO CONSIDERATI STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI TUTTI COLORO CHE NON SONO ASSEGNATI ALLA CLASSE DI DIDATTICA O CHE FREQUENTANO MENO DEL 75% DEL MONTEORE DEL CORSO.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi. L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove generali a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica.

Per informazioni dettagliate, consultare il programma d’aula.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

MIQUEL C.,
Vite et bien 2,
CLE INTERNATIONAL, Paris 2018

B.M. SAN PIETRO,
Grammaire contrastive français-anglais,
Ed. UTET 2023

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
State the basic axioms of the theory of computation and explain the theory of computational complexity. Analyze elementary algorithms and recurrences. Illustrate the role of different data structures for efficient computations.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Read/write Python codes and use the Anaconda development environment.

Develop basic codes for algorithmic problem solving.

MISSION
Scope of the course is to provide the basic methodological and conceptual tools which are instrumental for algorithmic thinking. In parallel the course provides an introduction to computer programming, using the Python programming language as reference. The course covers the theoretical and practical foundations of computer science, which is extensively used in subsequent courses of the education program.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Theoretical topics: - Introduction to the notion of algorithms in Computing (Turing Machines, Church Thesis). - Analyzing algorithms, growth functions and asymptotic notation (introduce elementary data structures). - Recurrences and generating functions. Case study: Divide-and-Conquer algorithms. - Probabilistic Analysis and Randomized Algorithms. Case study: Quicksort. - Elementary Data Structures. - Algorithms for Matrix Operations (inversions, eigensystems, page rank). - Introduction to graph theory and Elementary Graph Algorithms (Minimum Spanning Trees, Single-Source Shortest Paths, Dijkstra's algorithm and Karger's randomized algorithm for the Minimum Cut problem). - Introduction to computational complexity and NP-completeness. Programming topics: 1. First part: introduction to programming; introductiontoPython; elementary data structures and control fow constructs; basic algorithms; basic programming techniques.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The exam consists of a theory part and a programming part, separated in two distinct phases. The theory part consist in exercises and questions to be answered on paper, and is used to asses the "knowledge and understanding" learning objectives. This contributes to 50% of the %nal grade. The programming part consists in programming exercises to be performed at the PC in the computer room. It is used to asses the "applying knowledge and understanding" learning objectives. This contributes to the remaining 50% of the %nal grade.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Adopted textbooks:

T.H. CORMEN, C.E. LEISERSON, R.L. RIVEST,
et al., Introduction to Algorithms,
MIT, 3rd edition.

A.B. DOWNEY,
Think Python
, O’Reilly Media, 2dn edition (http://greenteapress.com/wp/think-python-2e/).

C. MOORE, S. MERTENS,
The Nature of Computation
, Oxford (optional).

Handouts of each lecture and sample codes are provided.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Deal with the main issues regarding Internet regulation and the protection of fundamental rights in the digital era.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Assessing the increasing or decreasing of protection of the fundamental rights at stake depending on the judicial balancing between contrasting values.

MISSION
The course aims at providing a general overview on IT Law and how it has evolved in order to respond to the rapid technological and social change. The first module basically introduces the key concepts of the relevant legal systems. The second module explores the relationship between law and technology with a view to highlighting the most critical legal issues raised by technological developments. After a general framework on the challenges raised by the Internet, the course explores the protection of fundamental rights (freedom of speech and data protection) and the emergence of new rights and actors on the digital sphere
CONTENT SUMMARY

Introduction to the relevant legal systems

Constitutions in cyberspace

Freedom of expression in the digital age: a comparative overview

The legal regime of Internet service providers

Privacy and data protection

The legal impact of disruptive technologies: AI and Blockchain

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
I)
Attending Students:

-
Students’ Seminar (up to 5/31)

Each group member will receive a grade that equally takes into account the following criteria:

o Individual classroom presentation – 2 points;

o Contribution to the group (self-assessment completed by you): you are asked to assess your contribution and that of your fellow group members. A form to be filled out will be circulated on the last day of class – 2 points;

o Overall presentation (materials used, coherence and clarity of presentation, logicality, completeness) – 1 point.

·
Mid-term Exam (up to 10/31)

The mid-term exam (50 mins) will cover only the topics analyzed in Module 1 and Module 2:

· 6 true/false questions (0.5 pt/each)

· 4 multiple-choice questions (0.5 pt/each)

· 1 essay question (5 pt)

·
Final exam (UP TO 16/31)

The final exam (60 minutes) will cover only the topics analyzed in Module 3 and Module 4.

· 6 true/false questions (0.5 pt/each)

· 6 multiple-choice questions (0.5 pt/each)

· 2 essay question (5 pt)
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
II)
Non-Attending Students:

·
Written exam (31/31)

The final written exam for non-attending students (60 minutes) will consist of:

· 6 true/false questions (0,5 pt/each)

· 6 multiple-choice questions (0.5 pt/each)

· 3 short questions (5 pt)

· 1 essay question (10 pt)

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending Students:

Students will be examined on the following materials:

· O. Pollicino, M. Bassini, G. De Gregorio,
Internet Law and Protection of Fundamental Rights,
Bocconi University Press, 2022 (selected chapters).

· Slides and class notes.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-Attending Students:

Students will be examined on the following materials:

· O. Pollicino, M. Bassini, G. De Gregorio,
Internet Law and Protection of Fundamental Rights,
Bocconi University Press, 2022.

· G.F. Ferrari (ed.),
Introduction to Italian Public Law
, 3rd ed., Giuffrè, 2022: only Chapter 1 (“Characteristics of the State”); Chapter 3 (“Forms of State and Forms of Government”); Chapter 13 (“European Sources of Law and Their Relationship with Domestic Sources of Law”); and Chapter 14 (“Fundamental rights and freedoms”).

· Slides

· Selected readings (book chapters, blog entries) and cases made available on Blackboard

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Better evaluate the status of the current geopolitical equilibria.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Illustrate the future evolution and transformation patterns of geopolitical strategies of World's countries.

MISSION
Geopolitics focuses on the spatial dimensions of power and in particular on States’ policies and strategies designed to establish and secure control over areas and resources. Geopolitics studies the dynamics of the establishment of spheres of influence at the international level, and has close relations with disciplines as geography and international relations. The World’s geopolitical multiple equilibria are continuously evolving and recombining, making political geography also a field concerned with the longitudinal, historical dimension. The Twentieth century has witnessed an outstanding acceleration in the transformations in the World’s geopolitical framework, starting from the break-up of the old geopolitical order precedent the Great War, the rise of new powers, the Cold War, until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Today, the global geopolitical order is again under radical transformation. In the meantime, new concepts of spaces are enriching the scenario, revolutionising the policies that polities put in place in order to secure their control to their own advantage. The course gives an overview of the key issues in contemporary geopolitics placing them within a broad historical context, and also focuses on critical areas and players.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Part 1: Introduction and basic concepts:

Introduction to geopolitics.

The history of Geopolitical thought.

Global Geopolitics in the 20th century.

The cultural and political dimension of geopolitics.

Part 2: Current topics in geopolitics:

World geopolitics in the 21st centuries.

Topic 1: Geopolitics of Space

Topic 2: Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Topic 3: New dimensions of Geopolitics

Oral individual exam [Partial exams, General exam]
Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students: will take a partial (first part) and a final (second part) exam, written in the form of open questions. Each partial exam counts for the 50% of the final grade. Students may
optionally
earn additional points (up to 2) writing a short (up to 2000 words) individual essay about a topic agreed with the professor, after the first partial. The essay must be emailed in the same day of the final exam.

In terms of connections with ILO, open-ended and multiple-choice questions are mainly aimed at testing the learning of the concepts, methods and tools illustrated in the course material and their correct understanding. The business cases are mainly functional to assess the learners' application skills of the knowledge learned as a result of studying the course material.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non attending students: will take a final exam, written in the form of open questions. The final grade will consist of the result of the exam (50%), and on the review (min 3,000 words) of one additional book decided with the instructor (50%).

In terms of connections with ILO, open-ended and multiple-choice questions are mainly aimed at testing the learning of the concepts, methods and tools illustrated in the course material and their correct understanding. The business cases are mainly functional to assess the learners' application skills of the knowledge learned as a result of studying the course material.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials will be communicated during the course

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Understand the core principles and procedural structures of common law and civil law traditions

Identify key differences and similarities in how various systems handle civil litigation

Analyze the impact of globalization, technology, and cross-border disputes on civil justice

Apply comparative reasoning to evaluate procedural rules and principles

Prepare for practical engagement with transnational legal issues by contextualizing procedural rules within legal cultures

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Upon completing this course, students should have developed the ability to engage critically with civil justice systems in both domestic and cross-border contexts. They will be able to apply comparative procedural analysis, assess procedural tools in cross-border disputes, and interpret how legal traditions influence litigation strategies. This practical understanding will enable them to evaluate procedural rules and jurisdictional challenges, and contribute to discussions on harmonization, access to justice, and the evolving role of technology in civil litigation.

MISSION
All lawyers need to be competent in understanding how civil justice systems operate across different legal traditions, particularly common law and civil law. This course provides the analytical tools and comparative perspective necessary to examine procedural frameworks, dispute resolution mechanisms, and global challenges. It fosters critical thinking and cultural awareness. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the legal insight and practical skills needed to engage effectively with the complexities of transnational disputes.
CONTENT SUMMARY
This course offers a comprehensive study of civil justice systems worldwide. Topics include:

Understanding the historical development and core features of common law and civil law procedural traditions

Considering the effects of globalization on civil procedure and harmonization efforts

Exploring how different systems approach jurisdiction, case filing, and barriers to court access

Comparing adversarial and inquisitorial pre-trial models, including discovery practices and interim measures

Analyzing the allocation and standard of proof in civil trials

Examining trial procedures, with attention to evidence presentation, witness examination, and the roles of judges and juries (particularly in the context of emerging digital technologies)

Learning how judgments are structured, appealed, and how precedent shapes procedural outcomes

Identifying legal frameworks governing jurisdiction, evidence, and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in cross-border disputes

Analyzing special topics such as class actions, collective redress, and online dispute resolution, with a focus on artificial intelligence

Participating in a simulated mock trial involving a transnational civil dispute

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students will be assessed through two main components.

First, continuous assessment will evaluate active class participation and collaborative work. This allows students to develop practical, hands-on skills in dealing with legal problems common to both domestic and cross-border disputes.

Second, students will complete partial and final written exams, which may include open- or closed-ended questions. These exams are designed to test students’ understanding of the course material and their ability to apply legal principles and procedural rules to realistic scenarios.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Required
: The professor will provide class materials, including case studies and slide decks, which will be uploaded in advance of each class meeting.

Optional
: Civil Litigation in Comparative Context (2017) by Oscar G. Chase, Helen Hershkoff, Linda Silberman, John Sorabji, Rolf Stürner, Yasuhei Taniguchi, Vincenzo Varano.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Required
:

1) Civil Litigation in Comparative Context (2017) by Oscar G. Chase, Helen Hershkoff, Linda Silberman, John Sorabji, Rolf Stürner, Yasuhei Taniguchi, Vincenzo Varano;

2) Handbook on cross-border litigation (2024) by Elena D'Alessandro & Davide Castagno.

The sections of the textbooks that students will be required to study will be specified in the Course Syllabus at the beginning of the classes on the course Bboard page.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Understand the functional role of public markets that serve as an exchange place and an information provider

Identify informational frictions, their impact on the mechanics of exchange and the monitoring role of intermediaries

Understand the basic rules of the economic theory of contracts and their connection with the corporate financing policies

Assess the impact of information technology infrastructures like machine learning tools or distributed ledgers on the functioning of financial markets

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

To assess the quality of financial market infrastructures and their effectiveness in facilitating exchange and providing reliable information.

To understand the fundamental risk and return characteristics of individual financial contracts.

To analyze the overall structure of corporate financial policies and the functional roles of key financial institutions.

To examine the strategic interactions among financial stakeholders within a digital infrastructure and evaluate regulatory approaches aimed at mitigating conflicts of interest and enhancing network synergies.

MISSION
The primary objective of this course is to examine the role of financial markets and institutions in a modern, globalized economy. To this end, particular emphasis will be placed on the classification and analysis of financial contracts, with attention to the legal frameworks, economic incentives, and technological infrastructures necessary for their enforcement.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Financial instruments and the double role of financial markets

The role of financial intermediaries and their regulation

Financial contracts. Their valuation and economic incentives

Finance, technology and the rule of law.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes, the students’ assessment is based on two main components:

• One Final exam (60%)
• Group Assignment (40%)
  NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
  Final written individual exam aimed to test the students’ ability to understand market functioning, its relationship with information flows, and digital impact.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
No reference textbook is adopted for the first edition of this course.

The teaching material will be made available by the instructor in Blackboard and will include notes, handouts, and a list of business cases relevant for the final exam. Optional readings, useful but not necessary to prepare for the final exam, will be included and classified as FURTHER READING.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Describe the global sustainability issues that challenge today's and tomorrow's business models.

Describe how sustainability penetrates the different activities of the firm and its relationships with stakeholders.

Identify sustainability issues in the various parts of organizations and their value chains.

Understand the organizational challenges of adopting sustainable business models.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Examine the extent to which different types of sustainability initiatives are strategic.

Analyze the sustainability impacts of firms on value chains and business models.

Identify ways of improving processes and products in the direction of enhanced sustainability.

Assess the practices adopted by the organizations that want to perform on the financial, social and environmental dimensions.

MISSION
Sustainability connects old concerns for economic growth and social equity with a concern for the carrying capacity of natural systems. The course explores how sustainability is becoming an existential challenge for humanity due to alarming issues such as climate change and growing social inequality and how it is a source of instability for companies. Organizations are rethinking their role in society, increasingly choosing to exceed legal requirements and take action to address social and environmental problems.
Sustainability is a new perspective that shapes companies' strategies within society. A strategic approach to sustainability is complex because it requires managers to engage not only with customers and suppliers but also with the non-market environment, including regulators, activists, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The course focuses on understanding the conditions under which sustainability can benefit all stakeholders.
Innovation is highlighted as a crucial approach to addressing global sustainability challenges. The course examines how both established organizations and new ventures can contribute to sustainability through innovative practices and solutions.
CONTENT SUMMARY

The challenges of sustainable development

Societal expectations and the regulatory context

Business sustainability and ESG

Climate change and the road to Net Zero

Sustainable supply chains and human rights

Sustainability in the marketplace

Sustainability accounting and reporting

The circular economy

Sustainable business models

Innovation for sustainability

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students qualify as attending if:

They complete at least 75% of the classes

They participate in the group project

The final grade will consist of the following components:

Learning activities: 25%

Group project: 25%

Final exam: 50%

The
learning activities
are exercises, case analyses, and quizzes administered during classes, focusing on students' ability to apply knowledge and understand all course concepts.

The
group assignment
tests students' ability to apply the concepts learned in the course. Your task is to develop realistic business solutions that can be implemented to address significant sustainability challenges.

The
final exam
tests the knowledge you obtained by attending classes and studying materials (the textbook and the other cases and readings). It will consist of a mix of multiple-choice questions and some short-answer questions (e.g., concept questions or case analysis).
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Written exam to test knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues, their systemic and organisational implications, as well as the ability to apply concepts to concrete problems. The exam is based on the textbook and the other required cases and readings. The exam consists of multiple-choice and short-answer questions (e.g., concept questions or case analysis).

ATTENDING STUDENTS

R. Hahn (2025), Sustainability Management: Concepts, Instruments, and Stakeholders, 2nd edition, Pearson (only Chapters 1-11, 14, 18, and 20).

Additional readings and case studies provided through Blackboard and listed in the syllabus.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

R. Hahn (2025), Sustainability Management: Concepts, Instruments, and Stakeholders, 2nd edition, Pearson (ALL CHAPTERS).

Additional readings and case studies provided through Blackboard and listed in the syllabus.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

Explain the difference between traditional strategic planning and the lean start-up approach.

Identify and describe the key components of a go-to-market strategy and how they relate to business planning.

Summarize the structure and content of the main sections of a business plan.

Understand the logic and purpose behind pro forma financial statements and basic forecasting techniques.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

Shape a business idea into a viable product and value proposition.

Design a go-to-market strategy, including segmentation, targeting, and positioning.

Estimate the size and potential of a market using both qualitative and quantitative tools.

Analyze the competitive environment using industry frameworks.

Download and analyze market data from relevant databases using tools such as pivot tables.

Use tools like Google Trends to support international market analysis.

Prepare and interpret pro forma financial statements.

Assess the economic and financial feasibility of a business initiative.

Deliver a clear and persuasive pitch of a business idea to investors or stakeholders.

MISSION
Having a great business idea is just the starting point: turning that idea into a successful entrepreneurial initiative requires a solid go-to-market strategy. This course is designed to guide students through the key steps necessary to bring a startup idea to life, from understanding the market to analyzing competitors, defining marketing and positioning strategies, and assessing the economic and financial viability of the project.
Throughout the course, students will explore the challenges and opportunities related to conceptualizing, developing, and managing a new business, whether in the context of an independent startup, a consultancy project, or a corporate innovation initiative.
Course activities will focus on the core components of a comprehensive and effective business plan, both qualitative (e.g., competitor analysis, market sizing, value proposition, go-to-market choices) and quantitative (e.g., financial forecasting, feasibility analysis). Special attention will be given to demand estimation techniques and simulation modeling, making the course highly valuable not only for aspiring entrepreneurs, but also for students aiming to work in consulting firms or corporate strategy teams. In these professional settings, junior analysts often contribute to strategic projects, such as launching new products or entering new markets, by conducting market research and financial modeling.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Shaping a business idea into a viable product and value proposition

Analysing competitors.

Analysing and forecasting market demand.

Designing the go-to-market strategy (targeting, positioning, and channel choices).

Defining the operations and organizational structure.

Evaluating venture profitability.

Assessing financial feasibility and funding needs.

Pitching a business idea to investors or stakeholders.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students:

Written individual exam: which include open and close questions, aimed at testing the learning of the concepts, methods and tools illustrated in the course material and their correct understanding.

Group assignment: a business plan to be developed in team, aimed at replicating a real-life scenario and encouraging students to develop an entrepreneurial idea collaboratively. This method helps students compare different perspectives, share skills, and work together effectively as a team.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non attending students:

The exam for non-attending students is written and consists of both open-ended and multiple-choice questions based on the three books listed above, the slides, and the additional articles included in the detailed syllabus.

The questions are primarily aimed at assessing students’ understanding of the concepts, methods, and tools presented in the course materials, as well as their ability to apply them correctly.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students:

C. PAROLINI, Business planning: Turning an Idea into Reality, KDP 2021

Slides and Additional teaching material uploaded on Bboard.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non Attending students:

C. PAROLINI, Business planning: Turning an Idea into Reality, KDP 2021

W.C. KIM, R. MAUBORGNE, Blu Ocean Strategy, Harvard Business School Press, 2005.

G. KAWASAKI, The Art of the Start, Penguin Group, 2004.

Slides and Additional teaching material uploaded on Bboard.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Recognize the emerging value drivers of the "green consumer".

Define the difference between green washing tactics and long-term sustainable strategies.

Identify the strategic objectives of sustainable organizations.

Identify the potential of a circular economy approach.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze stakeholders and their contribution to successful sustainable marketing strategies.

Evaluate the environmental and social impact of a product/behaviour.

Design the proper way to launch a circular economy project.

MISSION
The current global landscape reflects the emergence of a new paradigm that embraces customers, markets, and businesses alike — one founded on the principles of the Green Economy. Consequently, managers are confronted with new challenges: on the one hand, to thoroughly understand the rules of this emerging paradigm; on the other, to assess its implications for management practices and market strategies.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The
specific goals
of the Green Marketing course are to:

Identify
the most relevant theories and practices of the
Green Economy
that significantly influence customer behavior and corporate marketing strategies — for example, the
Cradle-to-Cradle
approach.

Develop
a solid understanding of how green products and services reach the market, with particular attention to the key value drivers that generate
green demand
.

Analyze
the main drivers of growth and value creation in green marketing.

Revisit
traditional
Marketing Fundamentals
(STP, 4Ps, etc.) from a green perspective, enabling participants to define a
Green STP
and
Green Marketing Mix (4Ps)
.

Identify and examine
the most innovative
Green Business Models
and their distinctive marketing mixes.

Explore
green marketing strategies across different contexts (B2B, B2C, B2G) and industries — such as automotive, retail and e-commerce, construction and urban planning, food and beverages, and even
controversial industries
.

Explain
how to build a resilient and successful ecosystem capable of delivering meaningful added value to green stakeholders.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
A minimum of
75% attendance
is required to maintain
attending student
status.
No exceptions
will be made to this rule.
Attendance is defined as
physical presence in the classroom properly recorded.
Justifications for absences or irregularities — such as failure to register attendance or arrivals more than 10 minutes late —
will not be accepted
.

Students should be aware that the course is
not compatible with other commitments
that may interfere with regular participation in class activities.

Attending students' evaluation is based on two components:

Field Project (70%)
Attending students are required to work in teams of 3 to 5 members on practical tasks proposed during the course. These projects are developed in collaboration with leading brands and carried out under the professors’ supervision.
The project brief and assessment criteria are presented at the launch of the competition. Managers from the sponsoring companies provide qualitative feedback to all teams and select the winning project.
The group project aims to assess students’ ability to apply the knowledge acquired during the course, manage a real-world marketing initiative, and present their work effectively.

Final Exam (30%)
The final evaluation also includes a written exam consisting of multiple-choice questions based on a selection of course materials (slides and readings) available on Blackboard.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment for non-attending students is based on a
written final exam
that covers the
entire textbook (all chapters)
.
The exam consists of a combination of
open-ended
and
multiple-choice
questions addressing the key concepts, models, and case studies presented in the textbook and supplementary course materials.

These questions are designed to evaluate students’ understanding of core analytical and managerial concepts, as well as their ability to interpret and apply them effectively.
In addition,
business cases
are used to assess students’ capacity to apply the knowledge acquired through independent study to real-world marketing situations.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Course slides.

Bellio E., Marketing and sustainability: Environmental, organizational and social perspectives - beyond ESG, McGraw Hill 2025 (selected chapters available on Blackboard)

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Bellio E., Marketing and sustainability: Environmental, organizational
and social perspectives - beyond ESG, McGraw Hill 2025 (all chapters).

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify key developments and actors in the history of European integration

Understand the role of economic and geopolitical factors in the integration process

Examine the making of the European Union and its predecessors in global context

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze primary and secondary sources on regional cooperation

Develop original, evidence-based arguments about the history of European integration

Apply knowledge of integration history to contemporary debates about the EU

MISSION
We live in a Europe governed by complex institutions and characterized by many layers of international cooperation – products of a long historical integration process. But the purpose and consequences of European integration and the role of European institutions are contested between fundamentally different interpretations. For some, regional integration has been a peace project developed in the wake of world war; for others, the supranational institutions of the European Union are instruments of economic globalization dominated by multinational corporations. Some see European institutions as guarantors of human rights and unifying forces against destructive nationalism, while others oppose them as neoliberal constructs designed to suppress the sovereignty of nations and societies. Such debates – which have become central features of today’s electoral politics and changing business environments – require us to study the histories of European integration and cooperation to better understand the past, navigate the present, and make decisions about the future of Europe.
CONTENT SUMMARY
What is Europe? How does the region relate to the rest of the world? And what is the backstory of Brexit? This Civica Engage elective course explores the making of contemporary Europe diachronically and in global context through four modules. It considers the
plurality
of “Europes” that emerged in the postwar period, including the institutional evolution of the European Communities and European Union, their challenges and their achievements. It situates the development of regional cooperation agreements within the
global context
of World War, decolonization, Cold War, economic crises, globalization, the Soviet collapse, and the turmoil of the early 21st century. It evaluates the the roles that different
actors

• including multilateral organizations and multinational corporations – played in shaping European governance. And it equips students to apply this knowledge to their own analyses of contemporary
  political debates
  , through readings, discussions, and a capstone podcast project.

Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
This course is designed to be cumulative and is constructed in such a way that every student can succeed. Student acquisition of knowledge and mastery of skills developed in this course will be assessed in three ways, reflecting the course’s teaching and learning modes: through demonstrating mastery of course content on quizzes; participating in class discussion and presentation; and producing a podcast based on original research in collaboration with peers. Students will work together in small groups to create and produce an audio podcast on a theme of their choosing, which must include an interview with an official from an institution of European governance and/or an expert on the EU. This assignment gives students a valuable opportunity to develop their own analyses of topics that interest them most, to engage closely with experts, and to contribute a resource for others studying European integration.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Please consult the course syllabus.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials will be provided on the course syllabus.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify the main drivers and the economic consequences of globalization

Understand the connection between theories and the reality of globalizaiton

Discuss economic development in a historical and global perspective

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify key facts and trends in global economic history

Understand the role of culture and geopolitics in economic development

Summarize complex interpretations

Demonstrate critical thinking

Develop skills in academic writing

MISSION
Globalization defines nearly every aspect of our lives. Education, work, entrepreneurship, innovation, trade and finance all have global dimensions, which today we take for granted. You live and study within a global community and learn of important aspects of globalization. Recent years have seen a dramatic demonstration of the power of globalization. The mission of this elective course is to make students better understand how our interconnected global economy emerged historically and how global trade and global empires changed the world. We will learn that globalization has not been a one-way street and that modern history witnessed periods of both increasing and diminishing globalization. The course provides students with the tools for understanding economic change in a historical and global perspective. The teaching material will help you develop critical thinking and academic writing skills.
CONTENT SUMMARY
We examine through ten topics how the global economy emerged in the past and how global trade and global empires changed the world. The first part of the course traces the connection between European colonial empires and the making of the global economy until the Industrial Revolution. We study how the rise of the West impacted other world regions. The second part of the course discusses globalisation and deglobalization and the shifts of global economic power in the modern age. We teach modern economic history in a global context and focus mainly on non-European regions. The course program includes the following topics:

Part 1

The origins of globalisation

The Atlantic economy

The Asian empires

The rise of the West

War and revolution

Part 2

European hegemony

American leadership

Latin America: catching up and falling behind

The rise of the East

The poverty of the South

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The course does not distinguish between attending and non-attending students.
The course assessment is by written examination. In addition, students can submit an optional coursework assignment for extra grades.
The
general exam

at the end of term tests students' knowledge of course readings and class discussions. It includes essay questions on all course topics, but it allows students to specialise by selection from a list of alternative questions.

The

coursework assignment
is optional
to obtain extra grades. Depending on the quality of their coursework, students can earn 1 or 2 grades, which will be added to their grade obtained in the
general exam
.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
All course readings will be listed by topic in the course syllabus. The two main textbooks used in the course are:

Robert C Allen (2011),
Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction
, Oxford University Press.

Pim De Zwart and Jan-Luiten Van Zanden (2018),
The Origins of Globalization:
World Trade in the Making of the Global Economy, 1500–1800
. Cambridge University Press.

Both textbooks and all other completemntary readings used in the course are freely accessible to students either through the Bocconi Library Catalogue or on the Blackboard course page.
Students will not have to buy any textbooks.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Know the content and genesis of the most important documents in the “human rights regime.”

Understand the path that lead to the formulation of these documents and the significance of debates on universality.

Understand the political stakes behind the affirmation of one formulation or another.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Become (more) aware of their political beliefs on human rights and of the histories and struggles behind them.

Develop an enduring intellectual and political interest in this concept (whether as an advocate or a critic, or both) that is rooted in knowledge about its development, historical background, and founding documents.

MISSION
This course aims at understanding human rights as embedded in specific historical circumstances, and looks at their codification in international law as the product of heated political debates and struggles. In order to do so, it articulates itself in three interlocking learning units. In the first one, historical, we will trace the genealogy of the concept and we will focus on the birth of the “human rights regime.” In the second, we will look at specific cases and rights, and in the third we will look at critical readings of human rights as possibly an instrument for “Western hegemony,” or as inadequate in other ways.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Historical development of human rights, civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights, the right to health, women's rights, intervention, LGBTQ rights, critiques of human rights.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Two partial exams in October (50% of the final grade) and December (50% of the final grade), or comprehensive final exam in December worth 100 percent of the grade. The exams will be written.

The exams assess understanding of course materials, including lectures, readings, and classroom activities. The exams will involve answers to short questions to test factual knowledge and answers to longer analytical questions.

Students will have the opportunity to earn up to one extra credit point, which will be added to the final grade, by way of a paper/presentation/advocacy project.

Participation will be crucial for success in this class. I expect students to read
all
of the assigned readings
before

class, and to ask questions and clarifications during class or during office hours. I encourage them to make notes on the readings, preferably in a dedicated notebook. Notes should include the main points of the text, the author’s assumptions, questions about confusing points, and your own responses to the text.

One of the goals of the class is to become more aware of one's identity as a citizen, of their political beliefs, and of the histories and struggles behind them. I believe this awareness can only be achieved through
respectful
discussion with others. I therefore encourage students to speak out in class. Other options to show you are actively engaged in the class are: posting on the Blackboard discussion section, and sending articles, audio, video from news sources, or artwork (you can even make your own!) that you think relate to class material, with an explanation of how they do.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
BBC The Compass The Great Unravelling – Human Rights
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csy0wq

Lynn Hunt,
Inventing Human Rights
, Introduction

Kathryn Sikkink, “The Diverse Political Origins of Human Rights,” Chapter 3 in Kathryn Sikkink,
Evidence for Hope. Making Human Rights Work in the 21st Century
, Princeton University Press 2017.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (
http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
)

Eleonor Roosevelt, “The Promise of Human Rights”
Foreign Affairs
(1948)

Statement on HR, Anthropological association. Available at
https://lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/around1948/files/2012/09/1947-Statement-on-Human-Rights-American-Anthropological-Association.pdf

Sarah B. Snyder, “Human Rights and the Cold War,” in
The Routledge Handbook of the Cold War
, available at
https://sarahbsnyder.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Snyder_Routledge-Handbook.pdf
and Nico Shijiver, “Fifty Years of International Rights Covenants,” available at

https://www.geneva-academy.ch/joomlatools-files/docman-files/Nico%20Schijver%20-%20Fifty%20Years%20International%20Human%20Rights%20Covenants.pdf

Samuel Moyn, “Beyond Human Rights,” available at
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674737563
(from minute 8 to 20 and 26 to 28)

Samuel Moyn, “Not Enough,”
The Nation
March 16, 2018. Available at https://www.thenation.com/article/human-rights-are-not-enough/

“Righting Wrongs,”
The Economist
, August 16th 2001. Available at
http://www.economist.com/node/739385

Kok-Chor Tan, “World Poverty” and “Global Economic Inequality,” in
What Is This Thing Called Global Justice?
Routledge 2017.

Paul Farmer, “Pathologies of Power,” Chapter 1

Kok-Chor Tan, “Just War and Humanitarian Intervention” Chapter 8 in
What Is This Thing Called Global Justice?

Listen: BBC The Compass The Great Unravelling – War: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csy0wr

“The Problems of Doing Good
:
Somalia as a Case Study in Humanitarian Intervention.” Georgetown University, Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service, Case 249 and “Watershed in Rwanda: The Evolution of President Clinton’s Humanitarian Intervention Policy,”

Georgetown University, Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service, Case 244

ICC – “Understanding the International Criminal Court,” available at:
https://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/PIDS/publications/UICCEng.pdf

Duncan McCargo, “Transitional Justice and Its Discontents,”
Journal of Democracy
, April 2015, Volume 26, Number 2. Available at: https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/sites/default/files/McCargo-26-2.pdf

“Women’s Rights:” Chapter 12 in Franke Wilmer,
Human Rights in International Politics
, Rienner 2015.

Sally Engle Merry and Peggy Levitt, “The Vernacularization of Women’s Human Rights” in
Human Rights Futures
, ed. by
Stephen Hopgood
and
Leslie Vinjamuri
, Cambridge University Press 2017. Look for this book in the Bocconi library website under “ebooks and ejournals”

“Introduction,” in
Activists Beyond Borders
, by Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink.

Human Rights Watch, “LGBT Activism in the Middle East and North Africa,” 2018. Available at:
https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/04/16/audacity-adversity/lgbt-activism-middle-east-and-north-africa

Kerri Woods, “Environmental Human Rights, in
Oxford Handbook of Environmental Political Theory
(look for it on the Bocconi library website under “ebooks and ejournals”)

Kok Chor Tan, “Borders: Immigration, Secession and Territory,” ch. 9 in
What Is This Thing Called Global Justice?
(Excluding territorial rights)

Costas Douzinas, “Are Rights Universal?”
The Guardian
March 11 2009
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/mar/11/liberty-central-deconstructing-rights
and “What Are Human Rights?”
The Guardian
March 18th 2009,
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/mar/18/human-rights-asylum

Listen: BBC The Compass The Great Unravelling – Self-Determination
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csy0ws

“
New

York declaration for refugees and migrants” available at
https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassembly/docs/globalcompact/A_RES_71_1.pdf

Hannah Arendt,
The Origins of Totalitarianism
, Chapter 9

Also look at:
http://www.forost.ungarisches-institut.de/pdf/19190628-3.pdf

Amartya Sen, “Human Rights and Asian Values,” 16th Annual Morgenthau Memorial Lecture on Ethics and Foreign Policy, May 25 1997, available at
https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/morgenthau/254

Bangkok declaration of 1993. Available at: www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/9d23b88f115fb827802569030037ed44?

Makau Mutua, “Savages, Victims, and Saviors: The Metaphor of Human Rights,”
Harvard International Law Journal
, Winter 2001

Kathryn Sikkink, “Conclusions,” in
Evidence for Hope

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Explain how macro-institutions influence global strategy.

Understand the role and impact of institutions-based strategy.

Recognize the specific institutional risks associated with different business environments.

Elaborate on a variety of strategies that business leaders can apply to confront institutional challenges in host-country environments.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Measure the institutional gap between home and host country environments;

Identify the need for strategic adjustments, when investing in institutionally distinct host environments;

Assess the relative costs and benefits associated with different strategic responses;

Develop a toolkit of organizational strategies to respond to institutional challenges associated with diverse business environments.

Organize complex teamwork tasks.

Communicate theoretical and practical challenges of MNEs investing.

MISSION
Multinational enterprises (MNEs) competing in global markets face unique strategic challenges. The business environment that investors, executives, and employees often find in their host countries can be very different from the familiar home environment. Different political systems, legal regulations, and institutions often render standard home-market solutions ineffective and require strategic responses tailored to the host country context. There are no easy solutions: MNEs can try to emulate domestic firms that have adapted to the local business environment. MNEs can also try to influence and shape the local environment. At the same time, MNEs must respond to and comply with (often rapidly changing) political regulations and policies in their home and host environments. Identifying productive strategies is critical to successfully competing and growing in global markets. This is perhaps more evident today than ever before.

The course begins with a review of relevant institutional theories and how institutions influence organizational behavior, strategies, and markets. We then examine a variety of institutional strategies - both successful and unsuccessful - across a wide range of regions and countries.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course takes an institutions-based approach, which interprets MNE strategy in the global arena as informed by the institutional home and host environment. The focus is on adjustment and implementation processes necessary to succeed as global players. The course consists of three modules:

Background and theoretical concepts

Strategic adaptation, innovation and implementation

Managing external relations

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes the student assessment is based on three main components.

1. One individual assignment (15% of the final grade) designed to give students the opportunity to:

Elaborate on ways how institutions—in theory and practice—influence business performance and global strategy.

Reflect on the role and impact of institution-based strategy.

Communicate theoretical and practical challenges of MNEs investing in variable host country environments.

Elaborate on different response strategies that business leaders can apply to confront institutional challenges in host-country environments.

2. Team project

The team project (35% of the final grade - 10% for classroom presentation and 25% for final case) will focus on an actual firm entering an emerging market economy (teams are free to choose a specific company-country pairing) to develop a strategy describing, how the example company would need to adapt its business model to successfully enter the host environment. With this project, students demonstrate their ability to:

Measure the institutional gap between home and host country environments.

Identify the specific needs for strategic adjustments, when investing in an institutionally distinct host environment.

Assess the relative costs and benefits associated with different strategic responses.

Develop an appropriate strategic response tailored to the institutional challenges associated with the host environment.

Organize complex teamwork tasks.

3. Written exam

The final written exam (50% of the final grade) is based on a mix of multiple-choice and open (short-answer) questions. The purpose is to verify that students master the underlying theoretical concepts and methods presented in class material. The exam will also show whether students are able to draw and communicate relevant practical inferences from what they have learned.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Not attending students take a final written exam (100% of the final grade) which is based on a mix of multiple-choice and open (short-answer) questions. The purpose is to verify that the students master the underlying theoretical concepts and methods presented in the textbook and the additional class material. The exam will also show, whether students are able to draw and communicate relevant practical inferences from what they have learned.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
A reading list (articles, chapters and cases) will be published at the beginning of the course.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course student will be able to:

Describe the main drivers of exchange rates in the short and long run.

Identify the trade-offs the policymakers face in designing exchange rate policies.

Explain the causes and consequences of international financial crises.

Summarize the roles of the major currencies in the International Monetary System.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course student will be able to:

Independently analyze international macroeconomic issues.

Compare country-specific experiences depending on their choices of exchange rate policies.

Critically interpret articles about world financial markets from major news sources (the Economist, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal).

Evaluate policy proposals concerning the design of exchange rate policies, optimal currency areas, the international monetary system.

MISSION
The foreign exchange market is by far the world's biggest market, making exchange rates among the most important prices. People purchasing foreign goods, firms borrowing in foreign currencies, policymakers choosing fiscal and monetary policies are influenced by changes in exchange rates. This course builds on open macroeconomics concepts to understand the exchange rate fluctuations and their role in recent economic events and policy issues.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The topics covered in class include:

The balance of payments and the foreign exchange market.

Theories of exchange rate determination in the short and long run.

Monetary and fiscal policies under different exchange rate regimes.

Optimal currency areas.

Monetary institutions.

The global financial crisis.

The international monetary system: the dollar dominance; the role of the euro; the Emerging Countries and the importance of China’s money and finance.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
You will be evaluated based on the partial (i.e., midterm) and general (i.e., final) exams, two individual assignments, one group assignment, and two quizzes.

Individual assignments will allow you to review the material covered in class and apply acquired knowledge to solve various problems.

In a group assignment, you can choose one of several predetermined questions related to our class. These questions do not have a unique answer, and you will have to creatively apply concepts studied in our class to answer one of these questions.

Quizzes will take place during class. There are 10 questions on each quiz. These quizzes will test your knowledge of the definitions introduced throughout the course.

The partial and general exams will offer you three types of problems. The first will check your knowledge of definitions (similar in style to quizzes). The second set of problems will test your understanding of the definitions and concepts by asking you a series of true/false questions. Finally, several analytic questions will require you to analyze specific scenarios, such as the effects of policy changes, or explain phenomena using our class tools.

The deadlines for individual and group assignments, as well as the dates for the two quizzes, will be announced at the beginning of the course. The assignment and quiz grades are valid for all final exam attempts.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The course material consists of:

Textbook: P. KRUGMAN, M. OBSTFELD, M. MELITZ,
International Economics
, 2022, 12th edition.

Lecture slides.

Articles posted online.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
The main objective of the course is to provide students with an in-depth analysis of the functioning of the banking industry, in light of the main (traditional and emerging) sources of risk and the binding regulatory and supervisory framework.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Have a clear understanding of the characteristics and specificities of the European banking system; identify the main recent trends in European banking; identify the main traditional and emerging risks affecting banks and their impact on bank performance; understand the implications of financial supervision and regulation for banking activities.

MISSION
The course provides a comprehensive overview of the European banking system. It specifically addresses how the system is structured, the main risks—both traditional and emerging—that banks face, and how these risks are measured and managed. The course covers classic risks such as credit, interest rate, and liquidity risks, as well as emerging risks, including environmental and climate-related risks. It also examines the regulatory and supervisory framework and its implications on banks' behaviour.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Course Introduction

The European Banking System: An Overview

Structural Differences Between the European and U.S. Banking Systems

What Do Banks Do, and What Risks Do They Face? Traditional vs. Emerging Risks: An Overview

Measuring and Managing Interest Rate Risk: The Maturity Gap Model and the Duration Gap Model

Focus Topic: Managing Interest Rate Risk — The Case of Silicon Valley Bank

Measuring and Managing Credit Risk

Focus Topic: Asset Quality and the Case of Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) in European Banks

Capital Management and the Role of Bank Capital

Focus Topic: Securitization as a Powerful Tool in Bank Risk Management

Measuring and Managing Liquidity Risk

Bank Balance Sheets, Bank Performance, and Bank Evaluation

The European Regulatory and Supervisory Infrastructure: An Overview

A Closer Look at Capital and Liquidity Regulation

Banking Union and Resolution Tools

Emerging Risks and Supervisory Issues in Banking

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Details on attendance rule and exam structure will be provided at the beginning of the course and made available in B-Board.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The assessment consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and quantitative exercises designed to evaluate students' understanding and application of the course content.

Understanding the European banking system:
MCQs and short exercises assess knowledge of the main characteristics and institutional features of the European banking system.

Identifying recent trends in European banking:
MCQs assess students' ability to recognize key developments and distinguish among different banking strategies and business models.

Understanding bank risks and their impact on performance:
MCQs and exercises evaluate students' ability to identify traditional and emerging risks and apply relevant metrics and analytical tools to assess risk and bank performance.

Understanding financial supervision and regulation:
MCQs and exercises assess students' understanding of the European regulatory framework and its implications for banks' activities, risk management, and strategic decisions.

Details on exam structure will be provided at the beginning of the course and made available in B-Board.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The teaching materials consist of slides, teaching notes, and readings made available by the instructors on Blackboard. The final list of required materials to be tested during the exam will be posted ahead of the exam sessions.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

identify internationalization objectives for any kind of business

identify the cross-cultural differences impacting the key internationalization decisions

identify the need of the busness model adaptation to the diferences among markets

define the need of delocalization (arbitrage) for a multinational firm

define the foreign market selection criteria

descrive the alternatives and define possible entry modes for international markets

identify the key areas of negotiation for the creation of a crossborder alliance

identify the factors determining the choice of the internationalization strategy for any kind of business

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Develop internationalization objectives

Analyze the cross-cultural differences impacting the key internationalization decisions

Evaluate the need of the busness model adaptation to the diferences among markets

Analyse the need of delocalization (arbitrage) for a multinational firm

Analyse and compare the importance of the foreign market selection criteria

Conduct a pre-screening of foreign markets for any kind of business

Evaluate the alternatives and define possible entry modes for international markets

Formulate the key areas of negotiation for the creation of a crossborder alliance

Propose the internationalization strategy for any kind of business

MISSION
The increase in protectionist policies, "de-risking" and "decoupling", the insurgence of technological cold war, the military conflicts with their huge toll on human lives and growing international political tensions: is it the end of the modern globalization wave? Probably yes: the world is and remains interconnected, but the patterns of globalization will change.
The internationalization strategy of the multinationals will need to take into account, on top of the “usual” complexity of international decisions, the changed goals and values of businesses, as well as a completely new set of constraints, risks and opportunities.
The mission of this course is to get you ready for the growing complexity of the international business and to equip you with a "starter toolkit" for the decision making in the modern global context. The main learning goal of this course is to enable you to formulate or contribute to the formulation of international strategy for any kind of business.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course will consist of six blocks:

1. Globalization trends and internationalization goals

2. Differences among markets and adaptation decisions

3. Internationalization strategy definition

4. Foreign markets selection

5. Entry modes to foreign markets and crossborder alliances

6. Implemenation of the internationalization strategy

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
ATTENDING STUDENTS

50% of the grade: “attending student points” - attending students are expected to work on short cases or assignments given by the instructor in class, and to actively participate to the plenary case discussions. In-class assignments will consist of circa 50-70 minutes of in-class discussion by small groups, followed by the small groups' submission of their assignments via elearning platform in real time and eventually pilot presentations of their findings or solutions. Successful completion of in-class assignments and active class participation allow attending students to accumulate up to 16 points of the final grade. The attending student status is achieved after a student accumulated a minimum of 8 out of 16 "attending student points". The “attending student” status and "attending student points" are valid for the next three exam sessions.

The short assignments and cases completed in class in small groups will test students's ability to apply theoretical frameworks discussed in class to real business situations and decisions. In particulat, the assignments and cases will test students's ability to link internationalization strategy to the strategic growth goals, to analyze the cross-cultural differences, to evaluate the need of the business model adaptation to the differences among markets, to analyse the need of delocalization, to select foreign markets, to evaluate possible entry modes to international markets (including alliances) and to formulate the internationalization strategy for any kind of business.

50% of the grade - “final exam points”. The final written exam will test students' knowledge of key theoretical frameworks of the course and their ability to apply theoretical knowledge to briefly described business situations; the exam will consist of multiple choice questions:

“CORE QUESTIONS” 16 questions (1 point for each question) - for all attending students.

optional “ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS” 8 questions (1 point for each question) - only for those attending students who accumulated between 8 and 15 "attending student points" for the in-class assignments and who are willing to improve their final grades. For example, a student who accumulated 10 out of 16 maximum "attending student points" is given a possibility to answer to the first 6 out of 8 ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
NON- ATTENDING STUDENTS

The assessment of non-attending students consists of a final written exam. The exam consists of 32 multiple-choice questions aiming to test the student’s knowledge of key theoretical frameworks and definitions contained in the obligatory readings as indicated in syllabus.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Course slides

Case studies (as indicated in syllabus)

Selected readings and links (as indicated in syllabus)

Selected chapters of “The Art of Going Global. A Practical Guide to a Firm’s International Growth”, Annushkina O., Regazzo E., Palgrave Macmillan, 2020

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Course slides

Selected readings and links (as indicated in syllabus, for each course block, except for the case studies)

“The Art of Going Global. A Practical Guide to a Firm’s International Growth”, Annushkina O., Regazzo E., Palgrave Macmillan, 2020 (all chapters)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

• Explain core demographic concepts (fertility, mortality, migration, population composition) and major global demographic trends. - Describe how population size, structure, and heterogeneity influence sustainability outcomes and human impacts on the climate system. - Explain key concepts in climate change (risk, exposure, vulnerability, adaptation, mitigation) and how these relate to demographic processes. - Analyze how climate change affects populations differentially across age, gender, socioeconomic groups, and across low- and high-income contexts. - Interpret empirical evidence on population–environment linkages, including the impacts of climate change on health, wellbeing, fertility, mortality, and migration. - Understand the main theories and debates concerning demographic drivers of climate change and policy responses, including issues of justice, equity and population heterogeneity.
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
• Evaluate empirical studies on demographic and sustainability issues, identifying data and methods, assumptions, strengths and limitations. - Develop and present a seminar contribution that synthesizes theoretical arguments and empirical evidence. - Communicate findings clearly and effectively in oral presentation, using appropriate visual elements (graphs, tables, diagrams). - Collaborate in small groups to prepare and deliver a seminar presentation

MISSION
How does population change shape the planet’s future?
Understanding the links between demography and sustainability is essential for tackling today’s global climate challenges. Shifts in population size, age structure, migration, family formation, and household composition influence both the pressures driving climate change and societies’ ability to adapt. At the same time, climate impacts are uneven, affecting health, wellbeing, and livelihoods differently across countries and social groups.
This course explores the dynamic relationship between people and the planet. Students will examine how demographic trends contribute to environmental stress and climate mitigation potential, and how climate change, in turn, reshapes demographic behavior. By combining theoretical perspectives with empirical evidence, the course trains students to critically assess how population dynamics and sustainability interact.
Through lectures, case studies, and group presentations, students will learn to use demographic tools to understand real-world sustainability issues and to design equitable, evidence-based responses to global climate and development challenges.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course examines:

How population trends contribute to climate change, including how demographic composition, consumption patterns and behavioral and attitudinal change affect emissions and sustainability pathways.

How climate change affects populations, with attention to differential vulnerability, demographic responses (fertility, mortality, migration) and climate change adaptation.

Global examples and case studies from both high-income and low-income countries illustrate concepts and real-world applications.

Teaching is jointly delivered by Professor Letizia Mencarini and Professor Raya Muttarak, alternating sessions and dividing the course into two complementary strands:

Demographic fundamentals and global population dynamics (Mencarini)

Population–environment interactions focusing on sustainability and climate impacts (Muttarak)

Content summary

The course is structured into three interconnected blocks: (1) foundations of international demography; (2) population-environmental interactions; and (3) group work through critical readings and seminar presentations.

1. Foundations of international demography

This first block introduces students to the core concepts and tools of international demography. It provides the analytical foundation for understanding drivers of population dynamics and how population size, structure and change shape societies around the world.

Core topics include:

• Fundamental demographic processes: fertility, mortality, migration
• Population composition: age, gender, education, household structures
• Global and regional demographic trends
• Demographic transitions across low-, middle- and high-income countries
• How demographic change affects societies: economic development, labor markets, families and social systems

This block equips students with a solid grounding in demographic perspective, preparing them to understand how population dynamics interact with sustainability and climate-related challenges.

2. Population–environment nexus

The second block explores how demographic patterns contribute to climate change and how climate change - in turn - affects populations differentially across the world. A cross-cutting theme is the analysis of these interactions with a particular focus on population heterogeneity, highlighting how differences in age, gender, education, socio-economic status, and household characteristics shape both sustainability outcomes and resilience. Examples are drawn from diverse global settings: aging societies, rapidly growing populations, urban vs. rural areas and climate hotspots

Core topics include:

• Human impacts on climate change: consumption, lifestyles, emissions
• Attitudes and behavioral change relevant for climate mitigation
• Climate impacts on populations: health, wellbeing, livelihoods
• Climate impacts on demographic processes: fertility, mortality, migration
• Climate justice and equity, focusing on gender, generational perspectives and inequalities between low- and high-income settings.

This block equips students with an understanding of how population dynamics and the heterogeneity within populations shape both human impacts on the climate system and the distribution of climate risks.

3. Group work through critical readings and seminar presentations

In the final block, students deepen their understanding through critical readings, guided discussions and seminar-style presentations. Working in small groups, students engage with core theories and empirical studies that illustrate how population dynamics intersect with sustainability and climate change impact.

Drawing on themes such as just transitions, food security under multiple stressors, intergenerational equity, population control, climate-related migration, gender and climate action, and climate activism, students analyze real-world cases from both low- and high-income contexts.

Each group prepares and delivers a seminar presentation that:

• synthesizes key theoretical arguments,
• evaluates empirical evidence, and
• illustrates insights through selected case studies.

Oral individual exam [General exam]
Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The partial exams are open exclusively to students who attend the lectures regularly. Written exam (general exam) 40% of the grade Group assignment (partial exam): 50% of the grade Participation (continuous assessment): 10% of the grade Participation involves attending lectures and engaging in class discussion.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The following general exams apply to non-attending students. Written exam (general exam): 60% of the grade Individual assignment (general exam) which consists of a creating a 10 minute video of the presentation: 40% of the grade Each student prepares a clear and well-structured slides presentation that introduces the chosen topic and explains its relevance to the population–climate change nexus. The video presentation should synthesize key theoretical perspectives from the assigned readings and integrate empirical evidence to develop well-reasoned arguments.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
There is no textbook for this course. Each lecture revolves around a couple of academic papers and scientific findings. Relevant papers and book chapters are made available via the Bocconi BBoard platform. Students who need extra background can consult the following books: Brechin, S. R., & Lee, S. (2025). Routledge Handbook of Climate Change and Society . Abingdon New York (N.Y.): Routledge. Hunter, L. M., Gray, C., & Véron, J. (Eds.). (2022). International Handbook of Population and Environment . Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76433-3_1 For an accessible introduction to climate science, see: Marvel, K. (2025). Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet . New York, NY: Ecco.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Describe the main determinants of long-term economic growth and development across countries.

Explain the economic mechanisms behind international trade, globalization, and their distributional effects.

Identify the structure and functioning of global financial markets, including exchange rate regimes and capital flow dynamics

Recognize the macroeconomic risks associated with climate change and the role of economic policy in addressing them.

Interpret global macroeconomic trends and policy debates through a combination of theoretical models and empirical evidence.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze cross-country growth patterns and development challenges using real-world data and indicators.

Assess the macroeconomic impacts of trade integration, global shocks, and policy decisions in open economies.

Evaluate case studies of international financial crises, identifying root causes and policy responses.

Apply macroeconomic reasoning to climate policy challenges, including carbon pricing and green investment.

Interpret policy reports and data from international institutions (e.g., IMF, World Bank, OECD, IPCC) to draw informed conclusions about global economic issues.

MISSION
The course aims to provide students with a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of the key macroeconomic forces shaping the global economy today. The course discusses how long-term growth, globalization, financial integration, and climate change interact in shaping economic outcomes across countries and over time. The course combines economic theory with real-world data, case studies, and contemporary policy challenges to equip students with the analytical tools needed to interpret global macroeconomic dynamics and assess their implications for business, policy, and society.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course is structured around four core pillars:

Economic Growth and Development

Foundations of long-term growth across countries

Productivity, technological change, and demographic trends

Institutions, human capital, and inequality in development

International Trade and Globalization

Causes and consequences of globalization

Winners and losers from trade

The rise of global value chains and trade imbalances

Global Finance and Crises

Exchange rate regimes, capital flows, and macroeconomic policy in open economies

Financial integration, sudden stops, and sovereign debt crises

Causes and consequences of financial crises

Economics and Climate Change

Climate risks and their macroeconomic impact

Carbon pricing, green investment, and transition policies

Global coordination and the macroeconomics of mitigation and adaptation

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Evaluation methods are the same for attending and non-attending students.

With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes, students’ assessment is based on a written exam, a group assignment and class discussions.

Written Exam (WE) – weight = 75%
:

The written exam is aimed at verifying knowledge and understanding of the concepts introduced during the course. Moreover, the exam evaluates students’ ability of expressing in a clear and logic way the concepts learnt.

The exam is composed of essay questions, in which students are required to explain concepts, discuss statements, graphs, data or policy measures, derive analytical results, provide an opinion about economic issues using the tools developed during the course.

The written exam can be divided into 2 partial exams.

Only students passing the midterm exam with a grade of at least 15/30 have access to the final partial exam on Section 2 of the course. Students with a grade lower than 15/30 in the midterm exam must sit the general written exam.

For students taking partial exams, the written exam grade (WE) is the simple average of the grades obtained in the two partial exams.

Group Assignment (GA) – weight=25%:

Students will be assigned to a group. Each group should develop a report on a topic chosen by group members among the proposed ones.

Group assignments are aimed at verifying students’ ability of working in teams and their capacity of writing formal reports on economic issues.

Peer evaluation:
Students will be asked to evaluate groupmates’ effort in the group project. In case of insufficient participation, the grade of the group project will not be considered for the free rider student.

Peer evaluation serves two important purposes. On the one hand, it is used to deter free riding; on the other hand, it recognizes the importance of developing skills in evaluating peers and colleagues.

Class discussions (CD):

Four themes of discussion will be proposed to students in a dedicated online forum in Blackboard. This activity is aimed at assessing students’ skills of critical thinking and their ability of developing and properly expressing their personal ideas on the economic issues proposed, as well as their interaction abilities.

These discussions will give students additional points that will be added to the calculated grade.

Final grade

Two cases must be distinguished:

If
GA > WE:
the final grade is the weighted average of the grades obtained in the written exam and the group assignment plus the additional points obtained with class discussions.

Final grade = 0.75 * WE + 0.25*GA + CD

Otherwise, the final grade is equal to the grade obtained in the written exam, plus the additional points obtained with the class discussions.

Final grade = WE + CD

Note: This rule implies that the group assignment can only improve on the exam grade.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
There is no single textbook for this course. The instructor uses different sources, including lecture notes, slides, and other handouts, which are made available on the course website on Bboard.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

• Become familiar with the main topics of international relations and security studies from a theoretical and critical perspective;
• Identify the main theoretical and practical fields related to international political affairs;
• Analyse academic articles from journals of political theory and international relations as well as policy briefs and international reports with regard to the current political affairs;
• Evaluate and compare different theories and case studies within the field of international relations and security studies;
• Become familiar with the main structures and actors of the international and global system (UN, EU...)

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Develop analytical written communication skills in the field of IR and security studies;

Present and discuss a case study in the field of security studies both in-group and individually through in-class presentations;

Improve teamwork and oral communication skills;

Develop critical skills through class debates

MISSION
To what extent and for what reasons recent global, international and regional events – from mass migration to pandemics, from terrorism to climate change - have been framed as a security imperative? What lies behind this security-driven narrative?
This 48-hours course will be devoted to the study of international political affairs through the prism of “security”. Security is a fundamental topic in International Relations, but its meanings and uses are much broader and overlap with many other disciplines. The rise of current human crises worldwide and in various sectors needs a multidimensional and diversified interpretation of security beside its traditional military dimension. The architecture of European security, human security, health security, the protection of cultural heritage in contexts of conflict and crisis, climate security and food security will be examined with regard to warfare, migration, human rights, identity politics, development, technology and climate change. The main objective of this course is to enable students to develop analytical and critical skills in the field of IR and security studies. The methodology proposed during the term will combine political theory with critical security studies and will be enriched by an analysis of contemporary case studies related to different contexts and sectors. Most sessions will be interactive, with students presenting and discussing a selected text or a case study.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course will be divided in two main sections. The first part will examine the main structures and actors of the international and global system, by focusing on key
concepts and approaches of IR and security studies, providing students with a general theoretical background.

The second part will delve into specific topics, engaging students in critical debates on current trends and global challenges: human security, food security, migration, development, health, the protection of cultural heritage in conflict zones, identity politics, and climate security.

First part
Concepts
(Global, International, Nation-State…)
Approaches
(Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, Post-positivism…)
Structures and Actors
(UN, EU, NATO, SCO…)

Second part

Current Trends and key topics

• “Security is war”/ Security and peace
• The architecture of European Security
• The securitization of migration
• Human security and the Responsibility to Protect
• Women, peace and security
• Health insecurity: a new global threat?
• The Politics of food (in)security
• The protection of cultural heritage in contexts of conflicts, post-conflicts and crises
• Climate security in the Anthropocene
• AI, technology and the security of algorithms

Oral individual exam [General exam]
Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

An in-class group presentation (30%) aimed to assess the students’ skills to present and discuss a case study or an article related to the topic of security

Each student belonging to the same group will receive the same mark. If a student fails to attend her/his group presentation, she/he will receive an individual mark of zero for this part of the course’s assessment. This will not affect the mark of the group members who deliver the presentation.

A partial written exam (30%) aimed to test the students’ ability to critically analyse a topic of the course.

A final oral exam (40%) aimed to assess the students’ critical and analytical skills related to the entire term on the basis of all sessions and reading materials

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

A written exam 100% aimed to test the students’ ability to critically analyse a topic of the course on the basis of all sessions and reading materials

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials will be published in the syllabus
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials will be published in the syllabus

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Identify and analyse key issues in contemporary international relations.

Describe developments in today's main big powers, both domestically and in their foreign policy, and the interplay between each of them.

Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the United Nations and the European Union in today's global predicament.

Understand key current trends and international crises.

Delve deeper in the world's global challenges.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Evaluate the potential evolution of the international system, and of the foreign policies of the main big powers.

Formulate and discuss potential solutions to current and long-standing challenges in international politics (e.g. how to safeguard multilateral governance at a time of heightened geopolitical confrontation; or how to foster sustainable development while promoting the green transition).

MISSION
This course serves as an introduction to the study of key issues in contemporary international relations. The goal of the course is to teach students basic concepts and theories of IR that are useful to make sense of contemporary debates and developments in international politics. To do so, it will focus on the study of current events and the recent history that has shaped the international system, with specific attention devoted to the foreign policy stances of big powers (the United States, China, and Russia), and to two topical international actors (the European Union and the United Nations). In the second part, the course will focus on big trends and ongoing international crises, including international trade and “trade wars”, the Ukraine War, and conflict in the Middle East. It will finally delve deeper into three "Global challenges": energy security and climate change; AI and digitalization; and Africa and development.
CONTENT SUMMARY
Provisional course summary (to be updated before and during lectures):

​​​​​

International Relations: Theories and Tools

The World Today: Less Cooperation, More Rivalries

The World Today: Democracy and Global Governance

US: The Incumbent Superpower

China: The New Superpower

Russia: The “Limited” Superpower

The EU: The "Missing" Superpower

Meet the Experts: New "Cold Wars"?

The Future of Trade and International Relations

The UN: Still Relevant?

Middle East and North Africa: Is Stability Possible?

Global challenges: Energy Security and Climate Change

Global challenges: AI & Digitalization

Global challenges: Africa and Development

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students have the option to sit a written partial exam for two-thirds (67%) of the class grade, after the first part of the course. In case they pass the written partial exam, they are able to sit a second written partial exam at the end of the course for the remaining third (33%) of the grade. Students that do not pass or do not sit the written partial exam are able to sit the written general exam for 100% of their grade.

Students will be tested on their knowledge of IR theory and the practice of foreign policies from big powers, as well as on specific topics such as current international crises and global challenges.

They will also be assessed on their ability to connect several topics together, as well as expand on the knowledge provided in the course with their own reasoning and opinions on the status and dynamics of current international events and trends.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students are only able to attend the written general exam for 100% of their grade (no partial exams planned).

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Teaching materials (slides and readings) are provided to students both before the start of the course, and during the course itself, through Bboard.

Teaching materials provided are compulsory, but no course manual is recommended.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Define what a blockchain system is and describe its core architecture and working principles.

Distinguish between traditional and distributed ledgers and explain the implications of this transition for accounting and governance.

Explain how transactions are initiated, validated, and recorded in a blockchain system.

Describe the main distributed consensus algorithms and identify their respective trade-offs.

Explain the role of cryptographic primitives — including hashing protocols and elliptic curve functions — in ensuring integrity and trust.

Describe the concept of smart contracts and illustrate how they automate contractual obligations on a blockchain.

Identify the main applications of blockchain technology in supply chain traceability, ESG reporting, and digital asset management.

Explain the key international taxation issues related to digital assets and distinguish between direct and indirect taxation frameworks.

Summarize the main EU regulatory developments affecting blockchain adoption, including digital passports and traceability requirements.

Recognize the principal limitations, risks, and ethical concerns associated with blockchain-based systems.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Evaluate and compare different blockchain architectures, identifying the most appropriate solution for a given business context.

Decompose a blockchain system into its fundamental components and explain the role of each in ensuring integrity and trust.

Interpret smart contract logic and assess its applicability to real-world contractual scenarios.

Analyze the tax and regulatory implications of a blockchain-based transaction or digital asset, applying relevant EU and international frameworks.

Construct and present a structured analysis of a blockchain use case, integrating technical, business, and regulatory perspectives.

Collaborate in a team to design and deliver a project proposal or working prototype that addresses a concrete organizational problem using blockchain technology.

MISSION
The rapid diffusion of distributed ledger technologies is reshaping how organizations record, verify, and exchange value with profound implications for accounting, finance, taxation, and governance. This course provides a rigorous yet accessible introduction to blockchain technology: from the foundational principles of distributed consensus and cryptography, to its practical applications in supply chain traceability, digital asset management, smart contract automation, and regulatory compliance. Rather than treating blockchain as a generic buzzword, students will develop a structured understanding of how the technology works, where it creates genuine business value, and how it intersects with emerging international regulatory frameworks; this includes taxation of digital assets and EU-level traceability requirements. The mission of this course is to equip students with the conceptual tools and applied perspective needed to critically evaluate blockchain-based solutions and engage confidently with one of the most consequential technological transformations in modern business.
CONTENT SUMMARY

From traditional to distributed ledgers: architecture and implications.

Blockchain fundamentals: structure, mechanics, and transaction validation.

Integrity, trust, and ownership in distributed software systems.

Cryptographic foundations: hashing protocols, elliptic curve functions, and related algorithms.

Distributed consensus algorithms and their trade-offs.

Distributed Ledger Technologies: taxonomy and comparison.

Smart contracts and contract automation on a blockchain.

Blockchain applications in accounting, supply chain, and ESG reporting.

Digital assets, DeFi, and the tokenization of value.

International taxation of digital assets and indirect taxation issues.

EU regulatory frameworks: digital passports, battery tracing, and compliance.

Limits, risks, and ethical dimensions of blockchain adoption.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

One
group assignment representing 80%

of final grade
, presented and discussed in class. Students apply the concepts and tools covered in the course to a realistic blockchain use case, verifying their ability to analyze, evaluate, and communicate a blockchain-based solution — directly assessing the applying-knowledge and transversal (teamwork, communication) outcomes. The in-class discussion also allows the instructor to verify individual understanding through follow-up questions.

One final multiple-choice written exam representing 20% of final grade, verifying students' acquisition of the core theoretical and conceptual knowledge covered in the course.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

One
individual assignment representing 60% of final grade
, submitted to the instructor for review. This verifies the same applying-knowledge outcomes as the group assignment, adapted to an individual format since non-attending students do not take part in in-class discussion.

One final multiple-choice written exam representing 40% of final grade, verifying the same theoretical knowledge outcomes as for attending students; the higher weight compensates for the absence of an in-class discussion component.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Core Material:

Slides provided by the instructors.

D. DRESCHER,
Blockchain Basics: A Non-Technical Introduction in 25 Steps,
Editor APress.

Additional Material:

P. VIGNA, M. CASEY, The Truth Machine: The Blockchain and the Future of Everything, St. Martin's Press.

M. SWAN,
Blockchain: blueprint for a new economy,
Editor, O'Reilly.

A. ANTONOPOULOS, Mastering Bitcoin: Programming the Open Blockchain, O'Reilly.

A. ANTONOPOULOS, G. WOOD, Mastering Ethereum: Building Smart Contracts and DApps, O'Reilly.

SALVIOTTI, DE ROSSI, ABBATEMARCO, The Blockchain Journey. A guide to practical business applications. Egea.

On regulation and taxation:

OECD, Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) — Policy document, freely available at oecd.org. — the CARF framework is the current global standard.

European Parliament, Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) — Regulatory text, freely available at eur-lex.europa.eu. — Primary source for the EU regulatory framework.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
The main Learning Tracks of the Course are the following:

• A. The management consulting industry
• B. Required skills to act as professionally effective management consultants
• C. How consultants deliver their services: the process side of the profession
• D. How's organizational life in management consulting firms

The following table reports the detailed class schedule for 2023 Spring semester: each session belongs to one of the above described learning tracks.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
Understanding if Management Consulting is the right industry for your personal development

MISSION
This course does not cover the management consultant’s tools: models, approaches and findings of the research on management that consultants use to serve their clients. The course is entirely focused on the process side of the relationship between clients and consultants. The course also deals with the characteristics of the industry and with some key features of the profession.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The management consulting profession has today acquired a well-known reputation among the service industries. Consultants offer their professional advice to client organizations by leveraging their knowhow in the fields of management. Consultants often assist clients in the change process, and in some cases act as key characters in the implementation phase. Today, more than in the past, consultancy has become a viable professional development alternative, typically offered to young students from graduate or undergraduate degrees.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Summary of evaluation criteria for attending students

Attending students with required attendance records, will receive an individual evaluation at the end of the course (May 2022) composed as follows:

-
Consulting Simulation (team work activity) = 10%

-
Consulting Project (team work activity) = 30%

-
Final exam (individual) = 60%

-
Class participation +1/30 (individual) to max 5 students

A “pass course” is issued ONLY in case each one of the above grades is >= 18/30.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
NON-attending students:

-
P. McKenna and D. Maister,
First among equals: how to manage a group of professionals
, The Free Press, NY, 2005.

-
L. Greiner, I. Poulfelt,
Management consulting today and tomorrow
, South Western College, 2009 (or later editions).

ATTENDING STUDENTS
TEXTBOOKS AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Attending students, that will regularly access on-line resources, will prepare

-
Reading packet available only to attending students that have access to the Bocconi BB Services. The reading packet will include all required readings and cases and it will be made available during the course (please check the BB regularly). A schedule showing reading material and session correspondence will be provided.
All readings provided will complement class lectures: not necessarily the full details of the readings will be covered during class lectures. Likewise, class lecture needs the associated online readings to complete the learning.

-
Additional reading material like power point slides and mini cases will also be available through the Bocconi BB services and they will be published AFTER their use in class.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
NON-attending students:

-
P. McKenna and D. Maister,
First among equals: how to manage a group of professionals
, The Free Press, NY, 2005.

-
L. Greiner, I. Poulfelt,
Management consulting today and tomorrow
, South Western College, 2009 (or later editions).

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Describe the institutional features of the main financial derivatives: forwards/futures, swaps, and options.

Recognize basic credit derivatives, such as credit default swaps (CDS).

Explain how those securities are employed to form hedging strategies, in the context of corporate risk management.

Define and explain the basic stochastic processes concepts used in the analysis of financial derivatives, and to reproduce key derivations that utilize them.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Acquire the basic tools to solve derivative pricing problems, via replicating/hedging portfolios as well as with risk-neutral pricing.

Apply those tools to the pricing of forwards/futures, the design of swaps, as well as the pricing of options on binomial trees and with Black-Scholes valuation.

MISSION
Derivatives are a key class of financial instruments, crucial to the functioning of companies and financial intermediaries, and at the center of regulatory debate. Nearly half of publicly traded industrial corporations make use of financial derivatives for risk management; and these securities are widely employed among financial firms such as investment banks and asset managers. Among the public, there is also the perception of a "dark side" of derivatives, for example in relation to the role they played in the development of the 2007-2008 financial crisis. The purpose of this course is to make you familiar with the main kinds of derivatives, with an emphasis on pricing and hedging issues, and on how investors and corporations can use these instruments in practice.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The main contents of the course are:

Introduction to financial derivatives.

Forwards, futures, and swaps: Institutional aspects, pricing, and hedging.

Options: Institutional aspects, pricing, and hedging.

Basics of credit risk and credit derivatives.

I reserve the right to make adjustments to this plan to best serve the interests of the class.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The grade is determined by a combination of the performance on the final exam and on two online tests, which are distributed during the course via Blackboard.

On the first time you sit the exam, your grade is determined as (a) 70% times the grade on the final exam plus 15% times the grade on each of the two online tests, or (b) 100% times the grade on the final exam (whichever is more favorable to you).

For any resit, your grade is determined exclusively by the final exam, i.e., you forfeit the score on the two online tests.

In all cases, the exam questions aim to assess your understanding, knowledge, and ability to apply the the concepts and tools you acquire during the course about hedging with financial derivatives and pricing thereof.

The exam questions range from solving problems, to simple derivations based on the theory, to discussions of the relevant institutional aspects of the securities we study.

There is no distinction between attending and non-attending students.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The textbook is: J. Hull,
Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives
, Pearson. I have been following the 10th edition; however any reasonably recent edition (including a more recent one) work.

In addition to the textbook, we also read and discuss a number of case studies. The cases are purchased by the Library for you, and are made available to you via a link, which I publish on Bboard shortly after the start of the course.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

• Describe the historical roots of modern governance and political challenges in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Explain the major political, economic, and social transformations in the contemporary Middle East.
• Identify how religion shapes and is shaped by politics in the MENA region.
• State the reasons for the resilience of authoritarianism in Middle Eastern states.
• Illustrate the influence of conflict on political developments in the region.
• Summarize the forms of popular politics in MENA and their impact on regional governance.
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
• Apply theories of political science to analyze and interpret Middle East politics.
• Synthesize and discuss academic debates and diverse perspectives on Middle Eastern political issues.
• Identify and collect reliable information from various sources on Middle East politics.
• Demonstrate effective communication skills through presentations, debates, and essay writing.
• Evaluate and scientifically assess contemporary arguments about the political and economic issues in the Middle East.
• Collaborate effectively in small groups to compare scholarly explanations and develop shared arguments.

MISSION
This course introduces students to the politics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with a particular focus on religion, authoritarianism, conflict, and popular politics. The first part covers the historical, social, and economic foundations of current politics in the region. This includes state formation under empire, the colonial period, authoritarian governance, and the political economy of the Middle East. These foundations provide analytical tools students need to engage with contemporary political developments. Students then examine the trajectory of the Arab uprisings, the rise and decline of Islamist political movements, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and other ongoing developments. The course combines instructor-led sessions on historical and conceptual material with collaborative in-class work where students compare scholarly explanations, develop, discuss, and present their own arguments. Beyond substantive knowledge of the region, the course gives students opportunities to improve their skills in independent research, critical engagement with existing arguments, presenting to peers, and writing short essays.
CONTENT SUMMARY
To introduce students to the politics of the Middle East and North Africa, the course will begin by providing important historical context before moving to discuss contemporary political developments in the region. Students will first receive an overview of historical state formation, the nature and consequences of colonial rule, and the emergence of nationalist resistance and independent states. Next, the course will analyze modes of authoritarian governance in MENA as well as the political economy of the region.

With this foundation established, the remainder of the course will focus on important issues of contemporary politics in the region. Lectures will cover the Arab uprisings and their aftermath; wars and conflicts; the political role of state religious establishments and attitudes toward religion in politics; the emergence, rise, and then decline of political Islam; the politics of social issues including gender and migration; and the dynamics of international affairs in the region. Throughout the course, particular attention will be given to several key themes, such as the interaction between religion and politics, the factors that sustain authoritarianism, political violence and conflicts, and the role of popular politics in driving political change.

Oral individual exam [Partial exams]
Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment of attending students consists of the following components:

• Class participation: Based on attendance, contributions to class discussions, and in-class group work. It verifies students' ability to discuss diverse perspectives, communicate orally, and collaborate in small groups.
• Group paper and presentation: Students work in groups on a short paper and presentation on an assigned topic. It verifies their ability to apply political science theories to Middle East politics, gather reliable information, communicate in writing and orally, and collaborate effectively.
• Final Exam: A mix of short-answer and essay questions, possibly with multiple-choice and/or fill-in-the-blank items, covering the whole course. It verifies that students have acquired the core knowledge of the course and can evaluate and assess contemporary arguments about Middle East politics.
• In-class quizzes: Short quizzes on the assigned readings. They verify that students have done the readings and acquired the foundational knowledge underpinning the course's analytical outcomes.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The final exam will consist of a mix of short-answer and essay questions, possibly with multiple-choice and/or fill-in-the-blank items, covering the whole course. It verifies that students have acquired the core knowledge of the course and can evaluate and assess contemporary arguments about Middle East politics.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
William L. Cleveland and Martin Bunton, A History of the Modern Middle East (6th/7th edition).
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
William L. Cleveland and Martin Bunton, A History of the Modern Middle East (6th/7th edition).

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
C1 Level - (post intermediate) general

Knowledge

Students will acquire advanced knowledge of grammar and syntax and a comprehensive and robust vocabulary that will enable them to be fluent and interact in various and complex contexts (proficient user).

C1 - Livello intermedio superiore general

Conoscenze

Lo studente avrà acquisito conoscenze grammaticali - sintattiche avanzate ed un range lessicale ampio e consolidato che consentono padronanza di espressione e comprensione in molteplici contesti, anche complessi (livello di “efficienza autonoma”).

CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
C1 Level - (post intermediate) general

Skills

Students will be able to write a clear and detailed text on a wide range of subjects; to understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics; to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party; to be clear and detailed when speaking and explain a view point giving the pros and cons of various options.

C1 - Livello intermedio superiore general

Capacità di applicare conoscenze

Lo studente sarà in grado di produrre un testo chiaro e dettagliato su un'ampia gamma di argomenti, di comprendere le idee principali di testi articolati su argomenti sia concreti sia astratti. Sarà in grado di interagire con una certa scioltezza e spontaneità che rendono possibile un dialogo naturale con i parlanti nativi senza sforzo per l'interlocutore, esprimendosi in modo chiaro e articolato su molteplici argomenti e riuscirà a spiegare i pro e i contro relativi a varie opzioni.

MISSION
The course aims at providing level C1 general (see CEFR framework) knowledge and skills required to pass the Bocconi internal exam (and beneficial for international Italian language certification).

Fornire le conoscenze e competenze previste per il livello C1 general del quadro di riferimento europeo (CEFR) necessarie ai fini del superamento dell’esame interno Bocconi ed utili nel caso di sostenimento di certificazione internazionale.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO / CONTENT SUMMARY
The duration of the course is one semester (2nd semester of 1st year) (48 hours + general exam).

Class activities follow a thematic learning approach. Each unit revolves around a learning theme providing a springboard for students to develop oral and written linguistic skills,
grammar as well as communicative and pragmatic competences.
The program deals with the following topics: the language of social sciences
, arts, jobs and professions
, history, psychology and medicine
.

For detailed information see the
course syllabus

L’insegnamento è annuale (secondo semestre del 1° anno (48 ore di didattica + prova generale).

Il percorso didattico segue una logica tematica. Le unità del manuale in adozione partono da un tema centrale intorno al quale prendono forma attività linguistiche mirate all’acquisizione delle competenze comunicative, pragmatiche e morfosintattiche, sia scritte che orali. Il programma tratta i seguenti argomenti: il linguaggio delle scienze sociali, arte, ricerca del lavoro e professioni, storia, psicologia e medicina.

Per dettagli consultare il
programma d’aula

Oral individual exam [General exam]
Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certification.

The mark is expressed out of 30.

Students can sit the exam (“general” mode) as from the end of second semester (after the end of the teaching period).

5 exam sessions are scheduled throughout the year (May-Jun, Jun-Jul, Aug-Sept, Oct, Jan-Feb).

The exam consists of 4 linked parts: written (focused on writing, reading, listening) and oral (focused on speaking). The oral part follows the written part, on the same day (except for any exam continuation due to the high number of students).

Please note that, in order to sit for the exam, it is required to register via Agenda yoU@B.

For further details please refer to the
course syllabus
.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi.

L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove generali a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica (maggio).

Sono previsti 5 appelli all’anno (maggio-giugno, giugno-luglio, agosto-settembre, ottobre, gennaio-febbraio).

La prova generale si compone di quattro parti collegate: parte scritta (reading, writing, listening) e parte orale (speaking). L’orale si svolgerà lo stesso giorno della parte scritta (salvo eventuali prosecuzioni dovute all'elevato numero di iscritti).

Si ricorda che, per sostenere l’esame, è richiesta iscrizione tramite Agenda yoU@B.

Per informazioni dettagliate consultare il
programma d’aula
.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Textbooks/Libri di testo

Bozzone, Costa, R., Piantoni, M., Scaramelli,E., Ghezzi
, C. Nuovo Contatto C1
Loescher, 2015

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
C1 Level - (advanced) general

Knowledge

Students will acquire advanced knowledge of grammar and syntax and a comprehensive and robust vocabulary that will enable them to be fluent and interact in various and complex contexts (proficient user).

C1 - Livello avanzato general

Conoscenze

Lo studente avrà acquisito conoscenze grammaticali - sintattiche avanzate ed un range lessicale ampio e consolidato che consentono padronanza di espressione e comprensione in molteplici contesti, anche complessi (livello di “efficienza autonoma”).

CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE / APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di... / At the end of the course student will be able to...
C1 Level - (advanced) general

Skills

Students will be able to understand a wide range of demanding and long texts and recognize implicit meaning; to write clear, well-structured and detailed texts on complex topics, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices; to speak fluently and use the language flexibly and efficiently; to understand other persons without major difficulties even in non-routine situations.

C1 - Livello avanzato general

Capacità di applicare conoscenze

Lo studente sarà in grado di comprendere un'ampia gamma di testi complessi e lunghi e ne saprà riconoscere il significato implicito. Riuscirà a produrre testi chiari, ben costruiti, dettagliati su argomenti complessi, mostrando un controllo sicuro della struttura testuale, dei connettori e degli elementi di coesione. Si esprimerà con scioltezza e naturalezza usando la lingua in modo flessibile ed efficace. Sarà in grado di comprendere senza particolari difficoltà gli interlocutori anche in situazioni non routinarie.

MISSION
The course aims at providing level C1 (advanced) general (see CEFR framework) knowledge and skills required to pass the Bocconi internal exam (and beneficial for international Italian language certification).

Fornire le conoscenze e competenze previste per il livello C1 (avanzato) general del quadro di riferimento europeo (CEFR) necessarie ai fini del superamento dell’esame interno Bocconi ed utili nel caso di sostenimento di certificazione internazionale.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO / CONTENT SUMMARY
The duration of the course is one semester (2nd semester of 2nd year) (48 hours + general exam).

Class activities follow a themathic learning approach. Each unit revolves around a learning theme providing a springboard for students to develop oral and written linguistic skills,
grammar as well as communicative and pragmatic competences.

The program deals with the
following topics:

Art and artists

Jobs and economy

Environment and sustainable development

Literature and cinema

Immigration

Science and technologies

(For detailed information see the
course syllabus
)

L’insegnamento è semestrale (secondo semestre del 2° anno) (48 ore di didattica
+ prova generale).

Il percorso didattico segue una logica tematica. Le unità del manuale in adozione partono da un tema centrale intorno al quale prendono forma attività linguistiche mirate all’acquisizione delle
competenze comunicative, pragmatiche e morfosintattiche, sia scritte che orali.

Il programma
tratta i seguenti argomenti:

Arte e artisti

Lavoro ed economia

Ambiente e sviluppo ecosostenibile

Letteratura e cinema

Immigrazione

Scienza e tecnologia

(Per dettagli consultare il
programma d’aula
)

Prova individuale orale [Prova generale]
Prova individuale scritta (tradizionale/online) [Prova generale]
STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certification.

The mark is expressed out of 30.

Students can sit the exam (“general” mode) as from the end of second semester (after the end of the teaching period).

5 exam sessions are scheduled throughout the year (May-Jun, Jun-Jul, Aug-Sept, Oct, Jan-Feb).

Please note that, in order to sit for the exam, it is required to register via Agenda yoU@B.

For further details please refer to the
course syllabus
.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi.

L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove generali a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica (maggio).

Sono previsti 5 appelli all’anno (maggio-giugno, giugno-luglio, agosto-settembre, ottobre, gennaio-febbraio).

Si ricorda che, per sostenere l’esame, è richiesta iscrizione tramite Agenda yoU@B.

Per informazioni dettagliate consultare il
programma d’aula
.
STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING STUDENTS
ALL THOSE WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO A CLASS AND ATTENDED AT LEAST A 75% OF THE TOTAL COURSE HOURS ARE CONSIDERED ATTENDING STUDENTS

The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certifications.

The mark is expressed out of 30.

Students can sit the exam (general mode) after the end of the teaching period.

For further details please refer to the course syllabus.

SONO CONSIDERATI STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI TUTTI COLORO CHE SONO ASSEGNATI ALLA CLASSE DI DIDATTICA E FREQUENTINO ALMENO IL 75% DEL MONTEORE DEL CORSO.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi.

L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove generali a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica.

Per informazioni dettagliate, si prega di consultare il programma d’aula.
STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI / NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
ALL THOSE WHO ARE NOT ASSIGNED TO A CLASS OR ATTENDED LESS THAN A 75% OF THE TOTAL COURSE HOURS ARE CONSIDERED NON ATTENDING STUDENTS

The internal Bocconi exam is aimed at assessing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as with international certifications. The mark is expressed out of 30.

Students can sit the exam (“general” mode) after the end of the teaching period.

The written exam is the same for attending and non-attending students.

The oral part for non-attending students involves preparing a series of additional modules that explore in greater depths the topics covered in the course.

For further details please refer to the course syllabus.

SONO CONSIDERATI STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI TUTTI COLORO CHE NON SONO ASSEGNATI ALLA CLASSE DI DIDATTICA O CHE FREQUENTINO MENO DEL 75% DEL MONTEORE DEL CORSO.

L’esame interno Bocconi è finalizzato a valutare quattro abilità: reading, writing, listening e speaking, in analogia al modello delle certificazioni internazionali.

La valutazione prevede voto in trentesimi.

L’esame può essere superato attraverso prove generali a partire dal primo appello successivo al termine della didattica.

La prova scritta è uguale per studenti frequentanti e non frequentanti.

La prova orale per studenti non frequentanti prevede la preparazione di una serie di moduli aggiuntivi che approfondiscono gli argomenti del corso.

Per ulteriori dettagli si prega di consultare il programma d'aula.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI E NON FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Textbook/Libro di testo

Bozzone Costa, R, Piantoni, M. Scaramelli, Ghezzi, C. Nuovo Contatto C1, Loescher, 2014.

Ferrara, C, Marani, T, Cesaroni, P. 30 e Lode, Loescher, 2022.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI / ATTENDING STUDENTS
LIBRI DI TESTO. TEXTBOOKS.

La Grassa, M. Italiano all'Università 1. Edilingua 2013.

Nocchi, S. Italian grammar in practice. Alma Edizioni 2002. Updated edition with interactive e-book.
STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI / NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
LIBRI DI TESTO. TEXTBOOKS.

La Grassa, M. Italiano all'Università 1. Edilingua 2013.

Nocchi, S. Italian grammar in practice. Alma Edizioni 2002. Updated edition with interactive e-book.

Materiale a cura del docente e pubblicato sulla pagina Blackboard del corso. Course materials uploaded on Blackboard.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Know and understand leadership-specific terms.

Have an understanding of yourself as a person and as a leader in terms of personality traits, leadership capacity, and proclivity to biases that dampen leadership potential.

Know best practices for acting and leading in different situations (conditional on a variety of factors).

Know how to manage people in a multicultural and dynamic environment.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Choose the most appropriate leadership style given the situation.

Be persuasive in your communications with people with whom you are working.

Stimulate creative work among people with whom you are working.

Draw on benefits and overcome challenges associated with teamwork.

Develop sensitivity to different cultures.

MISSION
The course Leadership Skills provides you with the opportunity to challenge yourself with setting up the pre-conditions for optimal performance to be achieved with and through the people you are working with. It improves your ability to build and manage constructive relationships and to get to high value added results managing not only your own, but also other people’s performance. The determinants of optimal performance, that is competence, motivation and positive psychological states, are explored with the aim of both improving your ability to engage yourself and the people you are working with and your effectiveness when managing problem/underperforming people.
Leadership skills give you the opportunity to reflect and act upon change: change is one of the relevant dimensions of leadership and becoming a leader requires you to go through a personal and professional transition. Leadership skills gives you the resources needed to specifically manage the transition from Individual Contributor to Manager providing you with greater self-awareness and therefore increased effectiveness.
CONTENT SUMMARY

What is leadership? What are its value added and challenges?

The main theories of leadership: trait, behaviors, situational approach, as well as new-age theories of leadership.

Influence and persuasion.

Corruption / Ethical leadership.

Creativity.

Designing and leading teams.

Power

Organizational culture and leadership in multicultural environments.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
75% of the grade: 3 multiple choice tests (2 interim tests and 1 final exam) throughout the semester. The students get the option to drop 1 interim test with the lowest score. All tests are aimed at testing students' understanding of concepts taught in the course as well as their practical application.

25% of the grade: group presentation. The group presentation will give students the chance to delve deeper into a leadership topic and practice their written and presentation skills.

Students have to earn a minimum grade of 18/30 to pass the course.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
100% of the grade: final exam at the end of the course that relies on multiple choice and open questions, based on the following course material:

Northouse, P. G. (9th edition). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Copies are in the libaray.

Students have to earn a minimum grade of 18/30 to pass the course.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Slides and material uploaded on BBoard
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Northouse, P. G. (9th edition). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Describe the genealogy and evolution of Lean Thinking and its relationship with organizational theory and other management practices.

Understand the antecedents and effects of waste and variability on organizational performance.

Explain the principles and tools of lean management and its implementation in different management functions, business environments and industries.

Identify different types of problems in organizations and apply different problem solving methods (A3, Kaizen and Theory-based)

Analyze, design and improve organizational processes using the scientific method.

Distinguish the management attitudes and behaviors that support the implementation of lean thinking.

Recognize the relationship between lean thinking and the lean startup method.

Identify critical success factors and barriers in lean implementation.

Construct the causal chains that lead lean management systems to operational and financial performance improvements.

Use agentic AI system to augment continuous improvement and problem solving capabilities

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Eliminate waste from organizational processes.

Optimize workplace organization (5S).

Reduce resource idle time throughquick changeovers (SMED).

Prevent and/or detect the occurrence of errors and defects through auto-nomation (Jidoka) and technology autonomous management (TPM).

Reduce undesired variability through workload leveling (heijunka).

Maximize value flow to customers through just in time (one-piece-flow, pull, kanban supermarket systems).

Problem solve through A3 and PDCA cycles.

Design, conduct or facilitate Kaizen events

Draw current and future state value stream maps and design value stream improvement plans.

Use leanagile techiques to develop new products, services and processes.

Design and conduct rigorous business experiments to problem solve.

MISSION
This course analyzes advanced management practices in complex business environments and offers a comprehensive introduction to Lean Management, a model derived from the diffusion of the principles and tools originally developed at the Toyota Motor Company. The course emphasizes the strategic, organizational, managerial and human aspects of Lean Thinking and illustrates its adoption in a variety of industries and business functions. It analyzes how firms should design and implement lean systems and offers a framework to undertake an sustain lean transformations. It illustrates how the adoption of Lean Thinking principles and tools affect managerial decision making and problem solving, eliminating waste and variability. It provides the knowledge and skills to analyze, design and improve organizational processes based on the scientific method. It also elaborates on recent trends such as the application of lean thinking to innovation (Lean Product and Process Development), to entrepreneurship (Lean Startup Method), to sustainability ( Lean & Green), as well as its connection to the Agile movement.
It illustrates how Artificial Intelligence can be used to augment continuous improvement and problem solving through the scientific methods. It offers student the opportunity to use Taiichi, an AI agent (named after Taiichi Ohno, the founding father of the TPS) that helps improve any process and solve any problem using Lean principles and tools.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Origins and evolution of the Lean Movement.

A short history of the Toyota Motor Corporation.

Waste (Muda), continuous improvement (Kaizen) and organizational learning.

Lean principles and tools.

The Lean Transformation Framework.

The House fo Lean.

Just-in-time.

Creating continuous flow (takt, one-piece-flow).

The pull system (kanban, Deming principle).

Leveling out workloads (Heijunka).

Stop to fix problems and quality. Do things right the first time (Jidoka).

Standardized work as the foundation of continuous improvement.

Using visual management to monitor performance and surface problems.

Workplace organization (5S).

Value Stream Mapping and improvement.

Problem solving through PDCA: A3 & Kaizen.

Lean culture, people development and leadership.

The impact fo lean management systems on operational and financial performance

Lean SixSigma & LeanAgile.

Lean Startup.

Lean, social and green: sustainable lean.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students qualify as attending students if they attend the majority of the classes both in the first and second half of the course. Attendance are monitored through the Bocconi electronic system. Grading system.

The final grade is the average of the grades obtained in a written partial and final exam (at the end of the course), covering, respectively, the first and second half of the course. The exams cover only the materials discussed in class and the relative textbook chapters. They include multiple choice questions and problem sets.

Attending students may complement and improve their grade through distinguished class participation and individual/group assignments and projects suggested by or agreed upon with the instructor during the course.

The final exam, class partidipation and individual/group assignments are aimed at verifying that the students: a) have learned the knowledge and conceptual tools taught in the course; b) have acquired the skills to apply lean principles and tools to practical problems; and c) are able to connect what they ahve learend in class to real life problems.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non attending students take an individual, written final exam. It covers the course textbooks and include multiple choice questions and problem sets.
The final exam is aimed at verifying that the students: a) have learned the knowledge and conceptual tools taught in the course; b) have acquired the skills to apply lean principles and tools to practical problems.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Materials (classnotes, documents, assignments, case studies, exercises) available on Blackboard.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

M. ROTHER, J. SHOOK,
Learning to see. Value Stream Mapping to Create Value and Eliminate Muda,
Cambridge, MA,The Lean Enterprise Institute, Cambridge, 1999.

A. CAMUFFO,
Lean Transformations for Small and Medium Enterprises. Lessons from Italian Businesses
, New York, CRC - Productivity Press, 2016 (only chapters 3 and 5).

J. LIKER,
The Toyota Way. 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer,
New York, USA, McGraw-Hill, 2004.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Understand the role of fiscal and monetary policy in an international environment

Understand the structure and functioning of the international monetary system

Identify the causes of crises and the mechanisms to address them

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze the composition and variations of the Balance of Payments

Predict exchange rate, price level, and output dynamics based on different policy interventions

Evaluate the impact of financial instability on the functioning of global economic systems

MISSION
This is a course on international economics. It deals with many aspects of the economic interactions between countries. The course is not purely theoretical: all topics are illustrated by real life applications and recent examples from different countries. The course also focuses on policies, in particular the implications of different monetary and fiscal policies in open economies.
CONTENT SUMMARY
National income accounting and the balanca of payment

Exchange rates and the foreign exchange market

Money, interest rates and exchange rates

Price levels and exchange rate in the long run

Output and exchange rate in the short run

Fixed exchange rates and foreign exchange intervention

International monetary systems: an historical overview

Financial globalisation: opportunity and crisis

Optimum currency areas

Developing countries: growth, crisis and reform

Crises

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students can decide to take two partial exams or the general exam. In the first case, in order to pass the exam, both partials need to have a grade of at least 18.

The exam is written, on computer, using Respondus Lockdown Browser.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

• Textbooks, indicated in class
• Notes and/or slides uploaded on BBoard

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
•
Understand the main characteristics of the fashion system and the differences between fashion and luxury.

• Understand how creativity and management integrate in fashion companies through different business models and managerial approaches.
• Identify and compare design-driven, brand-driven, and market-driven business models in fashion.
• Understand how fashion companies create cultural relevance, product desirability, and long-term brand value.
• Understand the structure of the fashion supply chain and its role in value creation.
• Understand the evolution and competitive dynamics of fashion companies and fashion markets.
• Understand the impact of fast fashion, sustainability and changing consumer behavior on fashion companies.
• Understand the main managerial processes in fashion companies related to merchandising, retail, omnichannel management and digital communication.
  APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
  At the end of the course student will be able to...
  At the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Apply strategic concepts and industry analysis tools to fashion and luxury companies.
• Analyze branding, positioning, and customer engagement strategies in fashion and luxury brands.
• Evaluate the main managerial challenges and opportunities characterizing fashion and luxury companies.
• Apply concepts related to merchandising, retail, omnichannel management, and digital communication to business cases.
• Develop branding and positioning strategies for fashion and luxury brands.
• Analyze how fashion and luxury companies use cultural domains such as art, music, cinema, and sport to build relevance and differentiation.
• Develop and present a fashion or luxury brand project through team activities and field projects.

MISSION
The fashion system is one of the most dynamic and globally relevant industries from an economic, cultural, and managerial perspective. Fashion companies combine creativity, branding, product development, and managerial processes to create value and competitive advantage in international markets. The course also explores the main differences between fashion and luxury companies and their business models.

Through this course, students develop an understanding of the strategic and managerial dynamics of fashion companies, with a focus on branding, merchandising, retail, communication, and customer engagement. Particular attention is dedicated to how companies build cultural relevance, product desirability, and long-term brand value through different approaches, from design-driven to
market-driven models.

The course also examines the evolution of the fashion system, including fast fashion, omnichannel strategies, sustainability, and digital communication, providing students with managerial tools and industry knowledge applicable across creative industries.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course provides an overview of the fashion system and an in-depth understanding of the strategic, organizational, and managerial dynamics of fashion companies, both in the high-end and in the mass market. Main topics addressed in the course are:

• What is fashion, and what is the difference between fashion and luxury?
• How creativity and management integrate in fashion companies.
• Business models in fashion: design-driven, brand-driven, and market-driven approaches.
• Brand positioning in fashion: how to build cultural relevance, product desirability, and long-term brand value.
• How to carry out an industry analysis: market trends, competitive dynamics, and key success factors.
• The fashion supply chain: the role of textile companies and manufacturing in the creation of value and competitive advantage.
• Country branding and fashion systems: why France and Italy became global leaders in fashion.
• The evolution of fast fashion and its impact on product development, distribution, and consumer expectations.
• Cultural branding strategies: leveraging art, music, cinema, and sport to build differentiation and brand relevance.
• From customer relationship management to clienteling: customer engagement strategies across different generations and consumer segments.
• Key processes and managerial roles in fashion companies: product strategy and merchandising.
• Key processes and managerial roles in fashion companies: retail and omnichannel management.
• Key processes and managerial roles in fashion companies: communication, events, and digital media.
• Sustainability, circular economy, and the managerial challenges of responsible growth in fashion companies.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
For attending students the final grade is based on:

55% written exam composed of multiple-choice and true/false questions.

45% group project (a team made of 5-6 people will work on a comparison of two competitors).

Multiple-choice tests assess candidates’ ability to understand the main processes in the fashion industry and managerial competencies that are required to work in the business. The group project aims at developing teamwork abilities that are crucial soft skills in the fashion industry and apply the concepts learned during the course. Moreover, the group project focuses on the main challenges a brand faces and opportunities for future growth that are key to developing entrepreneurial abilities. For attending students class partecipation and contribution to group work is mandatory.

The Faculty course reserves the right to decrease the group work grade for students who do not actively contribute to the project.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
For non-attending students the final grade is based on the written exam on the two books listed in teaching materials. It is composed of multiple-choice and true/false questions.

Multiple-choice tests assess candidates’ ability to understand the main processes in the fashion industry and managerial competencies that are required to work in the business.

The learning process is different between attending and non attending students, but in any case, studying the books, students can acheive some insights of this special and complex world.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Slides, cases, and articles on the course website.

E. Corbellini, T. Galli (2026). Delivering the Dream. Cultural Relevance, Product Desirability, Customer Engagement: Strategies and Execution for Fashion and Luxury, Bocconi University Press. Selected chapters: 1–9 and 11 (excluding chapters 4, 8, and 10). Available at the Egea bookstore from mid-March 2026.

N. Misani, P.Varacca Capello (2017). Fashion Collections: Product Development and Merchandising, EGEA: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 (chapters 5, 6, 7 are excluded).

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

E. Corbellini, T. Galli (2026). Delivering the Dream. Cultural Relevance, Product Desirability, Customer Engagement: Strategies and Execution for Fashion and Luxury, Bocconi University Press, 2026

N. Misani, P.Varacca Capello (2017). Fashion Collections: Product Development and Merchandising, EGEA, 2017

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

Explain
the evolution of Information Systems in the context of artificial intelligence and digital transformation;

Describe
the role of data, algorithms, and digital infrastructures in contemporary organizations;

Identify
the main technological components underlying AI-enabled systems, including cloud architectures, APIs, platforms, and enterprise systems;

Discuss
the managerial and organizational implications of AI adoption across business functions;

Illustrate
the economic and strategic relevance of data-driven business models and digital platforms;

Recognize
the opportunities and limitations of machine learning and generative AI in managerial decision-making;

Analyze
the governance, ethical, and societal implications associated with AI-enabled organizations;

Explain
the principles of digital innovation, agile experimentation, and service design in organizational contexts;

Interpret
organizational challenges related to the implementation and management of Information Systems and AI solutions;

Connect
conceptual frameworks and technological developments to contemporary business cases and organizational practices.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

Analyze
how organizations use Information Systems and artificial intelligence to support business processes, decision-making, and innovation;

Evaluate
the organizational and managerial implications of AI adoption in different business contexts;

Apply
conceptual frameworks to interpret digital transformation initiatives and AI-enabled business models;

Assess
the opportunities, risks, and limitations associated with data-driven and AI-supported organizational practices;

Interpret
the role of technological infrastructures, enterprise systems, and digital platforms in organizational settings;

Discuss
business cases involving the implementation of Information Systems and AI solutions;

Identify
organizational challenges related to governance, ethics, and change management in AI-enabled environments;

Compare
alternative approaches to digital innovation, agile experimentation, and service design;

Collaborate
in group activities and discussions focused on contemporary digital and AI-related organizational problems;

Communicate
analyses and recommendations using appropriate managerial and technological terminology;

Develop
critical perspectives on the societal and organizational impact of artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

MISSION
The course examines the evolution of Information Systems in the context of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, with a focus to the managerial, organizational, technological, and social implications of AI-enabled systems. As organizations increasingly integrate data, algorithms, cloud platforms, and generative AI into their core processes, understanding the interplay between technology, business strategy, governance, and organizational change has become central to contemporary management education.
It addresses the transition from traditional Information Systems Management Models to intelligent and data-driven platforms, covering topics such as AI architectures, digital infrastructures, enterprise systems, customer intelligence, algorithmic organizations, governance, service design, and AI adoption. It combines strategic and organizational perspectives with an applied understanding of emerging technologies and business use cases.
Within the undergraduate program, the course contributes to the development of digital and managerial competences that are increasingly relevant across industries and functions. It aims to provide students with conceptual frameworks and practical tools to critically understand, evaluate, select and manage AI-enabled transformation processes in organizations through the lens of a Technology and Innovation Manager, as well as that of a business user with strong technological awareness.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course explores the evolution of Information Systems in the AI era, focusing on how artificial intelligence, data, and digital technologies are reshaping organizations, managerial practices, and business models. The course combines strategic, organizational, technological, and managerial perspectives, linking foundational concepts in Information Systems with contemporary developments in AI-enabled transformation.

The course is structured around the following macro-topics:

Evolution of Information Systems and AI-enabled Organizations
Introduction to the evolution from traditional Information Systems to AI-driven socio-technical systems; digital transformation and the changing role of information, automation, and intelligence in organizations.

Economics of AI, Data, and Digital Platforms
AI and IT investments; data as a strategic asset; data governance; data-driven organizations; digital platforms and the economic implications of AI adoption.

Enterprise Systems and Intelligent Business Platforms
Transformation of enterprise applications and operational systems in the AI era, including ERP systems, CRM platforms, HR technologies, and intelligent process integration.

AI Applications for Management and Decision-Making
Managerial uses of machine learning and generative AI; AI-supported decision processes; customer intelligence; organizational experimentation and AI use cases across business functions.

Digital Architectures and Technological Foundations
Core technological infrastructures supporting AI-enabled organizations, including cloud computing, APIs, microservices, platform architectures, and MLOps concepts.

AI, Organizations, and Governance
Algorithmic organizations; governance of IT and AI systems; emerging managerial and organizational roles; ethical, organizational, and societal implications of AI adoption.

Implementation, Change, and Service Design
Approaches to implementing Information Systems and AI solutions; feasibility analysis; organizational change management; service design principles; user-centricity and digital service innovation.

Agile Innovation and Experimentation
Agile approaches to digital innovation, product thinking, experimentation, and iterative development in AI-enabled organizational contexts.

The course also includes applied discussions, company cases, and company visits aimed at connecting conceptual frameworks with real-world organizational practices and contemporary AI adoption challenges.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The final grade is based on a
final individual written exam
combined with
continuous assessment during the course
.

Continuous assessment includes
active participation in class discussions, case study contributions, and in-class activities
.

Participation is evaluated based on
quality and consistency of engagement
, including contributions to discussions on IS and AI-related topics with our guest speakers or during the company visits

The final assignment integrates course concepts and reflects both
theoretical understanding and applied insights developed during class interaction
.

Continuous assessment may have a
moderate impact on the final grade
(e.g., as a weighting component).

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

ATTENDING STUDENTS
Class materials provided by the instructor and selected readings
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Course materials will be available from EGEA (both digital and printed formats) by the end of September

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
At the end of the course student will be able to
:

Identify the key international actors involved in global governance and explain their functions, mandates, and modes of coordination across thematic areas such as climate, health, and security.

Analyze the strategic and managerial practices of international organizations, including approaches to resource mobilization, accountability, and performance evaluation.

Evaluate the implications of Artificial Intelligence and data analytics for global governance, policy implementation, and the operational effectiveness of international and supranational institutions.

Describe the institutional architecture and digital policy frameworks of the European Union, and assess their relevance for strategic planning and regulatory innovation at the global level

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Use the fundamental concepts and the language of management to understand how international and supranational organizations, as well as transnational partnerships work;

Assess how the institutional and political environment affects the overall sustainability of international and supranational organizations;

Leverage on the understanding of the interdependence between public, private and non-profit actors to strengthen global development effectiveness.

Apply foundational knowledge of AI and data analytics to interpret complex global governance challenges, support evidence-informed decision-making, and enhance the strategic capacity of international and supranational organizations

MISSION
In today’s globalized and digitalized world, international organizations—such as the United Nations system, international financial organizations, European institutions, transnational networks, public-private partnerships, and international NGOs—play a central role in governing the global economy and addressing complex societal challenges, including climate change, cybersecurity, poverty, migration, and health. These organizations foster collective action, shape regulatory frameworks across sectors, and drive technological and data-driven innovation with wide-ranging implications for both public and private actors.
This course introduces students to the governance, strategy, and managerial practices of International Organizations (IOs), examining their dual nature as political arenas and operational entities. Special attention is given to the expanding role of Artificial Intelligence and data analytics in reshaping global cooperation, policy implementation, and decision-making.
By the end of the course, students will have developed a foundational understanding of the global governance landscape in which private companies operate. This knowledge will equip them to pursue future careers in international organizations or in the private sector, where understanding the roles of global actors and governance structures is essential for developing effective strategies.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course will be structured as follows:

Module 1: Foundations: Typologies and Functions of International Actors in Global Governance

Global governance: actors, processes, and decision-making systems

Intergovernmental and supranational IOs: UN system, the European Union

Global networks and multi-stakeholder partnerships

International NGOs

The evolving role of international actors in global governance: climate change, security and cybersecurity, poverty and inequality, humanitarian action and development, disaster response

Interplay between coordination, competition, and coherence

Module 2: Governance, Strategy, and Reform in International Organizations

Strategic management in multilateral and supranational contexts

Financial resource mobilization and new forms of development finance

Results-Based Management (RBM) and the role of performance metrics

Organizational culture and leadership in IOs

Accountability and transparency in global governance

Module 3: Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics to address Global Challenges

Setting global norms and standards for AI

AI for policy analysis and decision support in IOs

Cybersecurity and digital sovereignty in IOs

AI in humanitarian operations and crisis response

AI and global health governance

Future of work in IOs

Data governance and ethical AI in global institutions

Module 4: Governance, Strategy, and Digital Policy in the European Union

Institutional structure and governance of the EU

Strategic planning and coordination across EU institutions

HR systems and policy implementation in a supranational context

The EU’s digital governance agenda (e.g., AI Act, data protection regulation)

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students will be assessed as follows:

Written exam(s) -
Two written exams 1st partial (50%) and 2nd partial (50%) or one general exam (100%). The exam is based on a mix of multiple-choice and open questions related to the contents discussed in class.

Group project (optional) -
the project enables students to add up to 2 points to the final mark resulting from the written exam(s). Students will be requested to firmly commit to undertaking the group project by the deadline communicated in class by the instructors.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
General written exam (100% of the final grade) based on a mix of multiple choice and open questions related to the full reference list of readings, which aims to assess the student’s learning level of the theoretical models, the understanding of key concepts elaborated in the course readings, and the ability to summarise narrative interpretations from the course readings.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Class notes.

Course slides uploaded on the Bboard platform.

Selected readings made available on the Bboard platform.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

List of compulsory readings for not attending students made available on the Bboard platform

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Recognize the importance of creativity for personal and professional growth, and its key role for organizational competitiveness

Identify opportunities and threats for creativity

Identify processes and practices associated with different phases of the idea journey

Recognize the key ingredients of creativity-friendly leaders, cultures, and organizations

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analise creativity in different organizational settings.

Compare international best practices of creativity and innovation management.

Apply the appropriate tools and models to develop better organizational choices to foster and manage creativity

MISSION
Creativity is an increasingly important skill for contemporary workers, and a key ingredient of organizations' ability to survive and thrive. As creativity is an important source of competitive advantage, organizations are increasingly seeking to foster it; yet, at the same time, organizations and society more broadly often end up stifling creativity in individuals, leading to a loss of confidence, talent, and good ideas.
The objectives of this course are (1) to help you discover, develop, and protect your creative ability; and (2) to provide you with a richer understanding on how creativity can be enhanced and managed in a work setting.
Students will learn about the basic features of creativity and creative processes, both short-term and over longer time periods, and on how to nurture creativity in themselves and others, stimulating factors that enhance creativity and removing the barriers that impede it.
The course will look at creativity in many domains, including business, science and technology, the arts, and day-to-day life more broadly. Classes will be largely "hands-on", relying on exercises, class discussion, guest speakers, and case studies, as well as on lectures and readings.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course is structured in
three parts
, strongly connected to each other.

In the first part
, students will focus on themselves, and acquire knowledge regarding (1) what creativity is, (2) how to build, feed, and stimulate creativity, and (3) the journey of an idea from inception to implementation.

In the second part
, students will acquire knowledge on (1) how to manage creativity in organizations, (2) how to work effectively in creative teams, and (3) what does it mean to lead effectively for creativity.

In the third part
, students will have the chance to hear from practioners that have to manage one or more facts of creativity in their daily jobs.

Some of the questions we will address include: How do creative ideas happen? How can we foster our creativity and the creativity of those around us? What are the paths of creative development of individuals who are successful in their creative endeavors? What are the obstacles to creativity? What is the nature of creativity in teams and organizations?

Please note that
sessions will be held on Thursdays (13.00-16.15) and Fridays (13.00-16.15)
. Please check the online agenda for more details about dates and rooms.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The status of
attending students
will be granted based on
the simultaneous satisfaction of three conditions
: 1) the average of two written exams should be a passing grade (18 or above); 2) participation to the team project; and 3) having reached the 75% attendance threshold. Attendance is mandatory and will be recorded through the new university online procedure.

With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the learning outcomes, attending students’ assessment is based on four main components:

In-class participation (20% of the final grade)
aimed to assess the students’ ability to interact in a constructive way, to complete exercises in a diligent and creative manner, to think critically, and to develop their ability to speak in public and defend one's ideas. In-class participation allows to achieve (and, thus, assess) the following learning outcomes:

Recognize the importance of creativity for personal and professional growth, and its key role for organizational competitiveness

Compare international best practices of creativity and innovation management

Creativity log (10% of the final grade).
Students will be required to keep a log of their creative activities. The log should record their creativity-related activities for the whole duration of the class, at least on a weekly basis. Logs can come in form of diaries, drawings, graphs, videos … Whatever students feel comfortable with (Creativity is, of course, encouraged). Logs will be graded based on effort and the degree of self-reflection. The creativity log allows to assess the following learning outcomes:

Recognize the importance of creativity for personal and professional growth, and its key role for organizational competitiveness

Identify opportunities and threats for creativity

Written exam (30% of the final grade)
, consisting of multiple-choice questions. The aims are to assess students’ ability to recognize and apply the knowledge referring to the concepts, models, guest lectures and cases discussed in class. The exam consists of two written exams taken during the course lectures. In this case, the weight is 15% for the partial midterm exam and 15% for the partial end-of-term exam. The written exam allows to assess the following learning outcomes:

Recognize the importance of creativity for personal and professional growth, and its key role for organizational competitiveness

Identify opportunities and threats for creativity

Identify processes and practices associated with different phases of the idea journey

Recognize the key ingredients of creativity-friendly leaders, cultures, and organizations

The field project (40%)
consists of developing an in-depth analysis of a real organization chosen by the students in order to identify, illustrate and analyze the main elements and aspects of the company’s organization and approach to creativity management. The students have to focus on different levels of analysis - namely individuals, teams, and organization - and to answer to questions such as: How does the company get organized to support the generation of new ideas/ products/services /experiences? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the company’s approach? Does the company have a competitive advantage in creativity? If so, is it sustainable? Additionally, they need to provide a brief analysis of a different company pertaining to the same industry where the approach to creativity strongly differs from that of the company they have chosen. Finally, they are asked to wear the consultant hat and to provide actionable recommendations to the company in terms of fit between the strategy and the way creativity is managed and how to sustain it in the future. These projects are used to verify the following learning outcomes:

Analise creativity in different organizational settings. Specifically, the project should showcase students' ability to identify and examine the main problems regarding the management of creativity within the organizations.

Compare international best practices of creativity and innovation management. Specifically, the project should showcase students' ability to compare and contrast strategies adopted by the focal company and one of its competitors.

Apply the appropriate tools and models to develop better organizational choices to foster and manage creativity. Specifically, the projects should showcase students' ability to apply the knowledge developed during the course to assess the fit between the strategy of the company and their approach to creativity as well as to compare it to different practices developed in similar contexts.

Finally, the students have the opportunity to present the project’s results. The presentations give the opportunity to the students to verify their ability to communicate concisely the core points listed above, as well as their ability to argue and defend one's ideas and conclusions reached.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment method for
non-attending students
is based on
a final written exam held at the end of the course
. It comprises several multiple-choice questions referring to the concepts, models, and cases contained in the textbooks that constitute the exam materials. The multiple-choice questions are mainly aimed at verifying learning of the analytical and management abilities and their correct comprehension and assessing the ability to apply the knowledge students learned when studying the course material.

ATTENDING STUDENTS
The exam for attending students is based on:

Selected chapters from:
Catmull, E., & Wallace, A. 2014. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration. Penguin Random Hous
e.

The course slides, as well as articles, case studies, exercises and other sources distributed in class and/or available online and through the Course Reserve. Materials with copyright such as cases and articles will be provided through links uploaded in BlackBoard. Finally, students can download HBR articles by accessing the Library https://lib.unibocconi.it/record=b1673134~S9*ita. Students can also more easily retrieve them and other materials by entering the title of the articles in the first search box from the home page of the Library: https://lib.unibocconi.it/*ita (set the search by Keyword / Keywords and not by title).

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The exam for non-attending students is based on
two textbooks
, which should be prepared
in their entirety
:

Catmull, E., & Wallace, A. 2014. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration. Penguin Random House.

Mumford
, M.D. (2011). Handbook of Organizational Creativity
. Elsevier.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Understand how marketing creates value for customers, firms and society as a whole

Learn how to conduct marketing research.

Identify market segments and target appropriate market segments.

Explain how companies can reach their desired positioning within the market

Discuss the role and evolution of branding strategies

Learn how to make decisions related to distribution, products, communications and pricing.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Apply the appropriate methods and tools to create value for customers and firms

Perform a marketing environment analysis.

Design marketing research activities

Segment the market and target appropriate market segments.

Develop a branding strategy

Make relevant decisions related to marketing mix (i.e., product decisions, pricing decisions, promotion decisions, and distribution decisions)

MISSION
The course is designed to provide a broad understanding of marketing management and the role of marketing in the society. The course has two main purposes. First, it drives students to understand the basic principles and theories of marketing. Second, it offers students models and tools to manage the exchange process between firms and customers.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course provides students with a learning experience reflecting the true marketing management process existing within firms.

1. The first part of the course is dedicated to the diagnostic nature of marketing activity. Here, the course is a walk through the main strategic decisions falling under the marketing domain: developing marketing strategies and plans, capturing marketing insights, understanding consumer and business markets, and identifying targets and segments.

2. The second part of the course is focused on the implementation side of the marketing, where main strategic policies are concretely realized and oriented to the market: it mainly regards product, pricing, distribution, and communication decisions.

In summary, the main topics covered during the course are the following:

Developing marketing strategies and plans.

Gathering information and scanning the environment.

Gaining Customer Insights.

Understanding Consumer markets and consumer buying behavior.

Business markets and business buying behavior.

Identifying targets and segments.

Setting product strategy.

Branding.

Pricing.

Managing channel, wholesale and retail.

Designing and managing integrated marketing communications.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Assessment is based on two components:

1. Written group assignment (50% of the final grade): Attending students will complete a written marketing plan and presentation in groups. During the first two weeks of the course, during class, your instructor will provide details about the group marketing-plan assignment and groups will be formed. It is therefore extremely important to attend these sessions.

2. Final individual exam (50% of the final grade): There will be one written final exam. The exam may contain concepts, models, cases, and other materials from some combination of lectures, classroom discussions, and supplementary material provided by the instructor. The instructor will provide concrete information about the content of the final exam in the first class.

ATTENDING STUDENTS can take the exam as an attending student ONLY in the first two exam sessions that are announced. The other exam sessions are for NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS only.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Assessment is based solely on a final, individual closed-book written exam, which accounts for 100% of the final grade.

The exam covers the textbook in its entirety, iand may consist of a combination of multiple-choice questions and short-answer questions. Multiple-choice questions are designed to assess students’ knowledge and understanding of the core concepts, models, and terminology covered in the textbook and to verify whether students have acquired the foundational knowledge required to recognize and distinguish among different analytical frameworks and managerial approaches.

Short-answer questions are designed to assess students’ ability to explain concepts, apply models, and interpret cases or business situations using the tools and frameworks studied in the course. These questions contribute to verifying students’ skills and abilities in connecting theoretical knowledge to concrete managerial problems, formulating well-reasoned answers, and demonstrating critical understanding rather than simple memorization.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Lecture slides

Notes taken during lecture

Classroom discussion

Cases discussed during lecture

Philip Kotler, Gary Armstrong, Sridhar Balasubramanian - Principles of Marketing, 19th Global Edition, Pearson Education, 2023 (selected chapters)

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Philip Kotler, Gary Armstrong, Sridhar Balasubramanian - Principles of Marketing, 19th Global Edition, Pearson Education, 2023 (all chapters)

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Saper identificare i valori fondamentali e saper interpretare le caratteristiche distintive di una PMI.

Saper descrivere in dettaglio la performance attuale di una PMI, e saperne identificare i driver principali in termini di solidità del portafoglio clienti.

Saper identificare le logiche di costruzione di un customer database.

Saper segmentare il portafoglio clienti secondo opportuni criteri e saper configurare azioni di customer relationship management rivolte a ciascun segmento.

Saper interpretare i principali risultati economici in termini di volumi di vendita, prezzi medi, mix di prodotti venduti.

Saper definire gli obiettivi di sviluppo in termini sia quantitativi sia qualitativi.

Sapere selezionare effficaci ed efficienti strategie e politiche di marketing.

Saper impostare una campagna di marketing digitale a misura di PMI.

CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Saper preparare un piano di marketing a misura di PMI.

Saper valutare la situazione economica e competitiva in cui si trova una PMI, saper definire gli obiettivi di sviluppo e sapere giustificare le strategie di marketing.

Saper impostare un customer database.

Saper progettare piani di vendita e di comunicazione specifici per ciascun segmento rilevante di clienti.

Saper progettare una campagna di comunicazione.

Saper impostare una strategia di digital marketing e saperne misurare l'efficacia.

MISSION
Le piccole e medie imprese costituiscono oltre il 95% del totale delle imprese in Europa, e oltre il 99% delle imprese in Italia. Esse sono quindi il principale protagonista del sistema industriale del Paese.
Il corso affronta le specificità del marketing nella PMI, un contesto particolare per la forte presenza della famiglia dell'imprenditore. Il classico canone di lavoro del marketing management viene rivisto per assecondare le piccole dimensioni, la relativa scarsità di risorse economiche, la minore formalizzazione dei processi decisionali.
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO
Il corso affronta i seguenti argomenti:

Il processo di marketing. Dal marketing strategico al marketing operativo.

Le strategie di sviluppo della PMI.

L'equilibrio tra produzione per conto terzi e marchi propri nelle strategie di crescita.

La gestione di un portafoglio di brand, propri e acquisiti, e il processo di branding.

La gestione del portafoglio clienti e il customer relationship management.

Le strategie di go-to-market e le scelte di canale.

Il controllo della rete di vendita, diretta e indiretta.

Le strategie di comunicazione: il mix degli strumenti e il mix tra online e offline communication.

Il marketing digitale per la PMI.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI

• C. MAURI, Marketing delle PMI, Milano, Egea,2017.
• D. CHAFFEY et al., "Sviluppo della strategia di marketing digitale nelle Piccole e Medie Imprese (PMI), Capitolo 4 in D.CHAFFEY at al., Marketing digitale, Milano, Pearson, 2025.
• Slide a cura dei docenti

STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI

• C. MAURI, Marketing delle PMI, Milano, Egea, 2017.
• D. CHAFFEY et al., "Sviluppo della strategia di marketing digitale nelle Piccole e Medie Imprese (PMI), Capitolo 4 in D.CHAFFEY at al., Marketing digitale, Milano, Pearson, 2025.
• C.MAURI, Account-based marketing. II valore de/le relazioni con i clienti, Milano, Guerini Next, 2020.
• Slide a cura dei docenti

CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Comprendere la rilevanza del marketing in contesti non di mercato.

Conoscere i modelli organizzativi ed operativi più efficaci per l'erogazione di servizi pubblici.

Conoscere le innovazioni tecnologiche che hanno profondamente inciso sulle relazioni tra amministrazioni pubbliche e cittadini.

CAPACITA' DI APPLICARE CONOSCENZA E COMPRENSIONE
Al termine dell'insegnamento, lo studente sarà in grado di...

Utilizzare le principali leve a disposizione di un amministratore pubblico per lo sviluppo di un centro urbano.

Accrescere il valore del brand di un territorio in una logica di competizione interterritoriale.

Definire una
value proposition
innovativa fondata sulla creazione di valore per il cittadino-cliente.

Progettare esperienze di fruizione di servizi pubblici anche con elevato valore esperienziale.

MISSION
Il corso ha l’obiettivo di sviluppare competenze specifiche sul marketing dei servizi pubblici al cittadino cliente (in ambiti diversi quali: sanità, trasporti, promozione turistica, ecc). Si tratta di servizi erogati nell’ambito del mercato o quasi mercato, oppure in settori in cui è prevalente l’intervento pubblico dello Stato, del Governo locale o delle imprese sociali di utilità pubblica (ad esempio servizi alla persona). In particolare, il corso si focalizza sugli strumenti innovativi per l’analisi e la profilazione dei bisogni e sull’implementazione di strategie di offerta basate sulle reali esigenze del cittadino-cliente, attraverso la definizione e la comunicazione di una adeguata “value proposition” dell’erogatore del servizio pubblico finalizzata a:

• creare e mantenere nel tempo relazioni di fiducia con il cittadino;
• realizzare circoli virtuosi per la creazione di valore sul territorio di riferimento.

Le innovazioni legate all’uso strategico di tecnologie digitali sono oggetto di specifico approfondimento, con riferimento ad alcune tipologie di servizi (prestazioni sanitarie, servizi alle imprese, servizi pubblici al cittadino).
Una particolare attenzione sarà dedicata ai servizi al cittadino erogati dalle città ed ai trend di innovazione che si registrano in quest’ambito, anche attraverso lo studio di casi concreti (internazionali e nazionali) di particolare interesse (ad esempio: Singapore, Tokyo, Berlino, Venezia).
PROGRAMMA SINTETICO

Servizi al cittadino: richiami alle teorie economiche e di management.

Il marketing nei servizi al cittadino: un approccio definitorio.

Le tecniche quantitative per la profilazione della domanda e dei bisogni di servizi.

La progettazione di nuovi servizi per il cittadino.

L’erogazione dei servizi.

La misurazione della citizen satisfaction e della fiducia creata.

I value elements del servizio al cittadino e la value proposition dell’erogatore.

Le innovazioni tecnologiche nell’ambito del
marketing
dei servizi pubblici (multicanalità e
citizen relationship management
).

Marketing dei servizi sanitari; marketing esperienziale in sanità.
Citizen empowerment
e
patient empowerment
.

L'impatto dell'AI sulla patient experience.

Marketing dei servizi pubblici e valore del territorio. Il concetto di "sm@rtcity".

Le strategie delle "sm@artcities" per la creazione di valore per i cittadini. Le strategie di comunicazione.

Gli strumenti innovativi per gli "sm@artcitizen: web 2.0", servizi web, firma digitale, posta elettronica certificata, servizi via telefono mobile, TV digitale.

Marketing per i cittadini senior.

Analisi di casi di studio di specifici settori.

STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI

Slide e materiale disponibile su Blackboard, con particolare riferimento al materiale delle testimonianze.

STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI

L. Buccoliero,
Il Governo Elettronico, modelli, strategie di innovazione ed elementi di valore per una pubblica amministrazione digitale
, 2009 Tecniche Nuove, Milano (tutti i capitoli)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Understand the best methodology to be applied to a given marketing problem

Assess the quality of existing marketing research (e.g., in newspapers, consulting business cases, and internal analyses)

Recognize limitations and room for improvement in marketing research

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Develop a set of research questions autonomously and derive the appropriate corresponding research design

Select and apply appropriate empirical methods to analyze consumer behavior, preferences, and market responses

Contribute to marketing research projects

MISSION
Marketing research drives communication with customers, identifies business opportunities, and informs managerial decisions. As data availability explodes from a variety of sources, analytical research skills are among the most sought-for in designing and executing marketing research projects. The goal of this course is to understand the concepts and the techniques required to conduct marketing research and to know how to apply them in real-world marketing research problems in order to make better business decisions. In this course, students are introduced to different stages of the marketing research process and get familiar with different types of research designs. They learn how to collect and analyze data. Finally, they also learn diverse research methodologies and their applications to various data sets to solve real-world business problems.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The content of this course comprises theory, concepts and frameworks relevant to marketing, and empirical methodology and their applications to real-world data. The topics include but are not limited to:

Exploratory/ descriptive/ qualitative research

Survey research and questionnaire design

Causal research

Customer segmentation

Conjoint analysis

Experimental design

Field experiment

A/B testing

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
Peer evaluation [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS

Assignments: 40%

Final Exam (Written): 60%

The assignments assess students’ ability to apply the methods learned during the course.

The written exam may include multiple-choice and open-ended questions referring to cases, talks and related concepts, models and tools presented and discussed in class.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Final Exam (Written): 100%

The questions are aimed at verifying the ability to apply the knowledge students learned when studying the teaching material.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

All material and content discussed and distributed in class, available via Blackboard.

N.K. MALHOTRA,
Essentials of Marketing Research
, Global Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2015 (selected chapters to be communicated in class).

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

All material and content available via Blackboard.

N.K. MALHOTRA,
Essentials of Marketing Research
, Global Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2015 (all chapters).

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Explain the economic models on strategic interaction of firms in oligopolistic markets and describe their main insights regarding the determinants of market power and of market structure.

Discuss the role of anti-trust intervention in oligopolistic markets and the principles of competition policy.

Explain the relationship between organizational choices and firms’ behaviour in the product market.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Perform an industry profitability analysis based on the intensity of rivalry and the threat of entry.

Choose and apply the appropriate model to assess the effect of various business practices and of various forms of policy intervention on the strength of competition.

Choose and apply the appropriate tools to solve static and dynamic games of oligopolistic competition as well as to find the optimal business practice/organizational choice.

Evaluate the strategic effects and the welfare effects of a merger episode.

Interact in a constructive way and to think critically.

MISSION
Markets that populate our economies are characterised by a limited number of firms that act strategically. Antitrust intervention plays an increasing role in those markets, by shaping the competitive environment. This course examines the performance and operation of imperfectly competitive markets, as well as the behaviour of firms in these markets. The course looks at the effects of various business decisions and policy actions on the way firms compete.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Review of fundamental concepts of game theory.

The determinants of market power in static oligopolistic models.

Strategic positioning and advertising.

The intensity of rivalry in dynamic oligopolistic models: collusive agreements.

Strategic and non-strategic barriers to entry.

The strategic effects of organizational choices: horizontal mergers.

Anti-trust intervention in oligopolistic markets.

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [Partial exams, General exam]
Active class participation (virtual, attendance) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING STUDENTS
With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes, the students’ assessment is based on two main components.

Students can take a partial written exam and complete the written exam at the end of the course. In this case the weight is: 50% for the partial exam and 50% for the end of term exam.

Alternatively, students can take a final written exam that accounts for 100% of the final grade of the written exam.

In-class participation aimed to testing the students’ ability to interact in a constructive way and to think critically. In-class participation can add from 0 to 2 points to the final grade of the written exam.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students’ assessment is based on the written exam (either two partial exams or one final written exam with the same content and weight distribution of those applied to attending students).

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The main course material, for both attending and non-attending students, is:

P. BELLEFLAMME, M. PEITZ,
Industrial Organization
, Cambridge, University Press, last edition.

The slides of the course, Problem Sets and additional readings are uploaded to Bboard platform of the course.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Explain the theoretical foundations of mathematics: axioms, definitions, theorems, and proofs.

Explain in detail - through definitions, theorems and proofs - selected topics in calculus and discrete mathematics.

Illustrate the structure of mathematical reasoning through the description of the steps in a proof.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

Use selected computational techniques (derivatives, integrals, truth tables, etc.)

Formulate definitions, theorems and proofs as presented in the course.

Use the theorems, definitions and techniques learnt in class to analyze the correctness of new statements.

Perform corresponding calculations and solve problems posed in the form of exercises.

MISSION
This course covers the fundamentals of single-variable calculus and discrete mathematics.
CONTENT SUMMARY

Single-variable calculus

Riemann integration

Discrete mathematics

Written individual exam (traditional/online) [General exam]
Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.) [Continuous assessment]
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Students can take the exam in two ways:

• through assignments and a short final exam taken
  only
  in the first exam session. The final grade will come from the assignments grade (6 points out of 31) and the short final exam grade (25 points out of 31).
• through a general exam covering the entire program, worth 100% of the final grade.

Assignments and exams consist of open-ended questions. All types of questions contribute to the assessment of the student's acquired knowledge. Questions are aimed at verifying the knowledge of specific facts and properties about mathematical objects in order to assess the student's ability to correctly apply theorems and other mathematical statements in solving problems.

The grade distribution will be coherent with University Guidelines.

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS