The topic of
the essay should be related to one of the themes addressed in the tutorials (international
trade, international finance, global inequality, economic growth and environment). For
example, students can discuss the impact trade liberalization/capital flow liberalization had
on an economy (or sector of the economy) in the region of their specialization (or any other
region), or how economic inequality affects economies, society and/or politics (again, in a
region, economy or sector of their choice). The essay should revolve around the main
argument that students develop out of an engagement with the relevant academic
literature. Students need to formulate their own (ideally original) argument. The argument
needs to be based on relevant academic debates, inspired by the topics/readings
discussed in this course. The academic debate should be still open, with relevant
academics still disagreeing. The student’s position in academic debates should be clearly
indicated. The essay should have an easy-to-follow structure. The argument should be
supported by relevant evidence (from the literature or, where appropriate, by economic
data).
Essay format and style:
The essay should be 1,500/ words1 long (+/-10%).
It needs to have a title that summarizes the main argument of the essay in a nutshell,
student name, student number, group number, date of submission, paginated pages and a
bibliography. The students need to consistently use one of two Chicago referencing styles,
either in-text (author-date, parenthetical) or footnote-bibliography style. For the grading
criteria, see below.
Academic sources:
The essay should use at least five relevant academic sources (peer reviewed journal
articles and monographs or book chapters, including in edited volumes). Failure to do so
can lead to a failing grade, at the discretion of the tutor.
