Course Name Year Term Period Faculty / Graduate School All Instructors Credits
16406:IR18‐DE103 Economics for Global Studies (RB) § 16407:IR-AS103 Introduction to Economics (RB) § 16408:RUIR-1213 Economics for Global Studies(RB) 2024 Fall Tue1 College Of International Relations TOKUMARU HIROSHI 2

Campus

KIC

Class Venue

MEIGAKUKAN MG002

Language

English

Course Outline and Method

This is an introductory economics course for international studies students. The course covers both microeconomics (study of the behavior of households and firms) and macroeconomics (study of the economy as a whole). The goals of this course are to enable students to understand the basic principles of economics that underlie international economic relations and to acquire basic skills with which to analyze current issues in the global economy.
The classes consist of lectures, presentations and discussions on the foundations of economic principles. Topics include (but are not limited to) supply and demand, elasticity, national income accounting, fiscal and monetary affairs, economic growth, the balance of payments, and exchange rates.
This course will keep a non-technical profile; mathematical skills beyond simple algebra and graphical analysis are not required.
This course employs the instructor's practical knowledge of economic management, based on his work experience at the Bank of Japan, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank.
The course content/schedule will be revised, if such adjustment helps to better serve the educational needs of the class.

Student Attainment Objectives

Students who successfully complete this course should be able to:
1) demonstrate understanding of basic economic principles;
2) analyze economic data;
3) apply economic theory to real-world problems.

Recommended Preparatory Course

There are no formal prerequisite subjects for this course.

Course Schedule

Lecture/Instructor(When there are multiple instructors) Theme
Keyword, References and Supplementary Information
1

Introduction and Overview of the Course

macroeconomics, marginal analysis, market, microeconomics, model, opportunity cost, price

2-3

Supply and Demand

ceteris paribus, demand curve, equilibrium, perfect competition, supply curve

4

Elasticity and Consumer and Producer Surplus

consumer surplus, deadweight loss, price elasticity, producer surplus

5

International Trade

absolute advantage, comparative advantage, free trade, gains from trade, production possibility frontier (PPF)

6-7

Measurement of the Macroeconomy

consumer price index (CPI), deflation, gross domestic product (GDP), inflation, investment, saving, unemployment rate

8

Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply

aggregate demand curve, aggregate supply curve, negative supply shock, oil crisis, policy dilemma

9

Monetary Affairs

central bank, money stock, open-market operations, present value, risk

10

Fiscal Affairs

externality, public debt, public goods, social security, taxation

11-12

Open Economy

balance of payments, current account, exchange rate, financial account, foreign exchange market

13

Economic Growth and Development

infrastructure, human capital, labor productivity, research and development, technological progress

14-15

Firm Level Decisions under Perfect Competition and Imperfect Competition

marginal cost, marginal revenue, monopolistic competition, monopoly, oligopoly

Class Format

All classes of this course will meet on-campus in-person as instructed by the College. In principle, students are expected to physically attend the class sessions.
My lectures will be given in the classroom as scheduled. Upon prior proper request due to a justifiable reason, my lectures will be delivered online in real time and/or be recorded with Zoom.

Recommendations for Private Study

The lectures are only an overview. Students are thus expected to do a considerable amount of reading. A good strategy would involve scanning through the course materials prior to class and reading the same materials more carefully following the lecture. As the course goes on, additional materials will be provided. Details of reading instructions will be provided in class.
There will be several in-class or online quizzes, which will count toward the grade. Online quizzes will be made available through manaba+R.
Students are encouraged to review what they have learned in class; each new section of this course will be based on the contents learned in the earlier sessions. This will ensure that students build up their knowledge and benefit from the course at the maximum.
Students are encouraged to keep themselves up-to-date through newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and the Nikkei Asian Review.

Grade Evaluation Method

Kind Percentage Grading Criteria etc.
Final Examination (Written)

Report Examination
(A report to be submitted by the unified deadline)

Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment 
(Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class)
100

Term paper - 70%
Short answer questions - 15%
Class participation - 15%

Grade Evaluation Method (Note)

Grading is based on one term paper, short answer questions, and class participation.
The paper will count for 70% (70 points) of the whole grade. What students turn in should represent his/her own work - not generative AI's work - that provides evidence of his/her understanding the concepts, theories and ideas developed in the course. There will be no minimum/maximum word/page requirements for the term paper. Although length is not an important factor in evaluating your paper, too long or too short may reduce the grade. Detailed Instructions for the paper will be provided in class.
Students can earn up to 15 points (15% of the grade) by successfully completing short answer questions. These questions will be designed to help students understand key topics. Each question will take no more than 15 minutes.
Class participation will count for 15% (15 points) of the whole grade. Attendance will be taken and it will be incorporated in the grade.

Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods

We welcome students that are interested in the global economy and have reasonable communication skills and common sense.
Regular attendance is not required but strongly recommended. In this course, each new section will be based on the concepts learned in the earlier sections. Students will be unable to understand the current lectures unless they understood the previous lectures. In addition, students should be responsible for any notes and announcements that he/she may have missed if he/she fails to attend class.
In order to run the class smoothly, disturbing behavior will not be tolerated. All students are expected to conduct themselves with courtesy, diligence, honesty, and integrity.
Students should be honest in all of their academic work. Evidence of academic misconduct such as cheating, plagiarism, and false attendance may result in an F-grade and/or an academic disciplinary action in accordance with the College's rules.
The official language of this course is English. Students may communicate with the instructor in Japanese outside/after class.
The course materials are for your own use and may not be publicly disclosed in any form or manner whatsoever.
Manaba+R will be used for general class announcements. Class cancellations/changes will be posted on Manaba+R.
Students who may need special consideration and/or have concerns with the class are encouraged to contact the instructor at his/her earliest convenience to discuss his/her needs with the College Office and the Office of Student Affairs as necessary.

Textbooks

Textbooks (Frequency of Use, Note)

No textbook is required for this course. Handouts will be provided in class.

Reference Books

Title Author Publisher ISBN Code Comment
Issues in Economics Today Guell, Robert C. New York: McGraw-Hill Education 978-0-07-802181-7

Reference Books (Frequency of Use, Note)

Handouts will be provided in class.

Web Pages for Reference

Bank of Japan http://www.boj.or.jp
International Monetary Fund http://www.imf.org
Japan External Trade Organization http://www.jetro.go.jp
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry http://www.meti.go.jp
Ministry of Finance http://www.mof.go.jp
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development http://www.oecd.org
World Bank http://www.worldbank.org
World Trade Organization http://www.wto.org

How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)

Learning Management System (manaba+R),Talk with Students,Other (Separate instructions will be provided)

Other Comments

【科目ナンバリング・カリキュラムマップはこちらから/Click here to see the Curriculum-Map and Course-Numbering】
URL:http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp//students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html