Type of Credit: Elective
Credit(s)
Number of Students
The world is now highly globalized in a myriad of dimensions that influence largely every country regardless of the extent of its trade openness. Global trade is regarded as a key driver for the economic growth of nearly all countries. This is particularly true for emerging economies in East Asia and Southeast Asia – after China and India, Viet Nam is believed to be the next growth engine for the global economy. This course is designed to introduce to under-/post-graduate students the concepts, theories, and policies of international trade. To build the basis for understanding trade and its impact on individual countries of various contexts, we elucidate classical and neoclassical theories and perspectives on international trade. Further, the students are asked to conduct a literature review, through group projects, on current trade-related issues based on the knowledge of trade theories learned from the lectures.
In case you cannot attend the first-week class, you may join us via Google Meet:
112-2 International Trade - Huey-Lin Lee
Google Meet access：https://meet.google.com/kjj-jvgg-rwn
能力項目說明
This course is designed to introduce to under-/post-graduate students the concepts, theories, and policies of international trade. The economic theories underpinning international trade to be covered in this course include classical and neoclassical models of trade, Heckscher-Ohlin trade theory, and post-Heckscher-Ohlin trade theories. Instruments of trade policy and their welfare effects will also be introduced. Group projects by the students on political/economic impact analysis of current trade issues and policies will culminate with the course, in which students review relevant literature and apply theory to verify the authors’ reasoning on the topic investigated. The participants will get experience in doing academic literature review and writing-up, in addition to the knowledge of trade theories.
We also offer a brief overview on the literature addressing the nexus between trade, economy and sustainable development. As countries derive additional economic benefits from trade in the increasingly globalized world, environmental stress tends to follow trade as the environment (by accommodating pollution or providing natural resources) are used as input for producing exported goods. Inextricably linked with economic activities, environmental quality and natural resource endowment particularly in developing countries are facing tremendous stress from far and near. Developing countries follow the same path of development as developed countries and thrive their economies on trade. Yet it has been alerted that sustainable development in both the economy and environment for developing countries may be concerned. A good grasp of the economy-environment nexus from both economy-wide and world-wide perspectives is imperative and helpful in guiding pertinent policies for developing countries, particularly emerging economies in Asia, to effectively tackle the dual challenge of sustainability transition.
Topics covered in this course:
1. The World of International Economics
2. Classical Theory of Trade: Early Trade Theories
3. Classical Theory of Trade: The Classical World of David Ricardo and Comparative Advantage
4. Classical Theory of Trade: Extensions and Tests of the Classical Model of Trade
5. Neoclassical Trade Theory: Tools to be Employed
6. Neoclassical Trade Theory: Gains from Trade in Neoclassical Theory
7. Neoclassical Trade Theory: Offer Curves and the Terms of Trade
8. Neoclassical Trade Theory: Factor Endowments and the Heckscher-Ohlin Model
9. Neoclassical Trade Theory: Empirical Tests of the Factor Endowments Approach
10. Additional Theories and Extensions
11. Trade Policy
12. The nexus between trade, economy and sustainable development
13. Oral Presentations and Written Reports of Group Projects
| 教學週次Course Week | 彈性補充教學週次Flexible Supplemental Instruction Week | 彈性補充教學類別Flexible Supplemental Instruction Type |
|---|---|---|
Part I. Weekly lectures:
|
週次 |
課程內容與指定閱讀 |
教學活動與課前、課後作業 |
學生學習投入時間 （含課堂教學時數） |
|
1 |
The World of International Economics (1 week) |
Lecture/ text pre-study |
3+4.5 |
|
2 |
Classical Theory of Trade: Early Trade Theories (1 week) |
lecture/ text pre-study |
3+4.5 |
|
3 |
Classical Theory of Trade: The Classical World of David Ricardo and Comparative Advantage (1 week) |
lecture/ text pre-study |
3+4.5 |
|
4 |
Classical Theory of Trade: Extensions and Tests of the Classical Model of Trade (1 week) |
lecture/ text pre-study |
3+4.5 |
|
5 |
Neoclassical Trade Theory: Tools to be Employed (1 week) |
Lecture/ text pre-study |
3+4.5 |
|
6, 7 |
Neoclassical Trade Theory: Gains from Trade in Neoclassical Theory (2 weeks) |
Lecture/ text pre-study |
2*(3+4.5) |
|
8 |
Library resource workshop and project preliminary presentation (1 week) |
Lecture/hands-on exercise/student presentations |
3+4.5 |
|
9, 10 |
Neoclassical Trade Theory: Offer Curves and the Terms of Trade (2 weeks) |
lecture/ text pre-study |
2*(3+4.5) |
|
11 |
Neoclassical Trade Theory: Factor Endowments and the Heckscher-Ohlin Model (1 week) |
lecture/ text pre-study |
3+4.5 |
|
12 |
Neoclassical Trade Theory: Empirical Tests of the Factor Endowments Approach |
lecture/ text pre-study |
3+4.5 |
|
13 |
The nexus between trade, economy and sustainable development |
lecture/ text pre-study |
3+4.5 |
|
14 |
Final exam (1 week) |
Do exam |
3+ as much as possible. |
|
15 |
Oral Presentations of the Group Projects (3 weeks) |
student presentations |
3+ as much as possible. |
|
16 |
Oral Presentations of the Group Projects (3 weeks) |
student presentations |
3+ as much as possible. |
|
17 |
Oral Presentations of the Group Projects (3 weeks) |
student presentations |
3+ as much as possible. |
|
17 |
Trade Policy (key reference for projects) |
student presentations |
3+ as much as possible. |
|
18 |
Written Reports of the Group Projects |
student presentations in writing. |
3+ as much as possible. |
Part II. Group projects:
Students are asked to establish small groups (of four to five people in size) and to conduct literature review and analysis on trade related issues or policies, based on the theories and analytical framework as introduced in the course. Students need to find their partners themselves for the group project, and to make a preliminary presentation on the project topic and outline, on the class session of the university scheduled mid-term exam week. Groups have to set their work schedule and management plan for the project. Formal presentations of the group projects consist of two parts: oral and written (both in English). Written reports on the group projects shall be submitted by the last week of the semester.
Grading plan:
(1) Final exam: 30% (answer in English)
(2) Homework (through the digital companion platform): 30%
(3) Oral presentation of the group project (oral with PowerPoint presentation):: 20% (in English)
(4) Written report of the group project: 20% (in English)
註：若有使用生成式AI工具於小組文獻回顧報告之PPT製作與書面報告撰寫，需提供對照版本：人工修訂過之版本及與AI版本之對照表。
Note: If generative AI tools are used for PPT and report writing for the group literature review project, a comparison table must be appended: the manually revised version based on the AI version vs. the AI version.
Please understand that all the arrangements stated in this syllabus are always tentative, subject to the composition of students and proceedings of the class. As the class moves along, there is often the need to modify it in order to fit the needs of students. As a result, the instructor reserves the right to made revision or modification to this syllabus.
Main textbook:
Appleyard, Dennis R., Alfred J. Field, Jr., (2017). International Economics, 9th Edition, McGraw-Hill. (with the digital companion platform.)