INTERNATIONAL TRADE - 2023/4

Module Overview

This module provides students with both a theoretical and practical understanding of International Trade, considered from an international political economy (IPE) as well as management perspectives. This is done through the assessment of International Trade from different angles, predominantly from the international trade management view, the international trade operations dimension, the state’s perspective, from the international trade regime perspective (the GATT and WTO) but also from the perspective of the international society, regional cooperation and the perspective of business and industry.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

ALHASSAN Razak (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• The major elements of the international trade management (Exports-Imports management, and Multinational Formation)


• International trade operations (International Manufacturing, and International Supply Chains)


• The role of governments in international trade and tools at their disposal


• Influential factors in international trade


• Aspects of international trade


• WTO and regional Trading Blocs including the EU and NAFTA

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Individual Presentation (in person or from distance)

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to encourage students to engage in the learning of all topics taught in the module, grasp the basic understanding of the key concepts and theories, and develop their ability to understand and analyze complex phenomena in international trade area.

The weekly lecture classes and the mandatory tutorials sessions will facilitate formative assessment and feedback.
 

The assessments offer a tight relationship between lectures, tutorials, subject resources, and what students are expected to demonstrate they know and can do. Hence, the expectations are unambiguous. They also embody the nature of knowledge and skills that students are expected to demonstrate. The talks mirror the skills needed in the workplace.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Oral type Examination or presentation (Group presentation), 50%, which aims to assess students’ familiarity with and knowledge of various aspects of International Trade (addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3 and 5)


• Coursework, 50%, which aims to provide students with the opportunity to apply international trade theories to a contemporary global problem at hand in (addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2, 4 and 6)

Formative assessment

Regarding the formative feedback on the group presentation, the students would be given the chance of having one mock group presentation on the tutorial session just before their assessed presentation. The tutor will give detailed verbal feedback on each presentation to help improve students’ performance in their assessed presentation.

The last tutorial session is dedicated to the feedback provision on individual assignment of the students. Furthermore, my colleagues in this module and I would allocate our office hours in the two weeks before the deadline to provide feedback on the students’ assignments.

Feedback

Feedback will be provided in print within two weeks of submission of the assignment. It will be constructive, identifying areas that can be strengthened. It will offer guidance on what students can do to improve in the future in the light of links to clear assessment criteria. The students will have the opportunity to discuss comments on assessments after they have received feedback.

Module aims

• Provide an understanding of the theoretical foundations of international trade
• Provide a practical overview of the most important issues in international trade, partly through highlighting those in previous trading regimes but predominantly through featuring the current international trading regime; 
• Enable students to identify the main actors in contemporary international trade issues and assess their interaction and the consequences of such interactions for the world economy;
• Feature the interests of national dynamics involving politics, business and society in order to enable students to critical assess various aspects of international trade. 

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is based on weekly lecture sessions and seminar classes designed with the aim to provide students with the necessary tools to familiarise themselves with, as well as to understand and evaluate, the forces that play a role in the field of international trade. 

The teaching and learning methods to support the aforementioned strategy are woven into lectures. Depending on the size of the group, the lectures will take a more (small group) or less (larger cohort) seminarial character. Due to the fact that much of the content of this module includes actors whom the students have not come across during their previous modules, students are REQUIRED to read the texts (chapters and/or articles) recommended for each individual lecture.

Furthermore, the lectures will be supported by eight seminar classes throughout the semester.
SurreyLearn will be used in support of the above.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM013

Other information

The following SCF pillars are covered in this module:

Global and cultural capabilities: As the name of this module indicates, we prepare our students to work in a multicultural global working environment. Students and staff on this module come from diverse and culturally rich backgrounds. Most assessment elements, as well as the activities embedded in the delivery of the module, require students to work together, solve problems, and creatively tackle people management challenges. As such students broaden their own world view, perspectives, and interpretations by interacting in a culturally varied environment. Our student body, guest speakers, and members of staff are global and diverse, currently representing more than 30 nationalities, which provides students with an internationally excellent educational experience.

Digital capabilities: Fortunately, our students are the generation of information and communication technology enthusiasts. During the module, students acquire and develop a range of digital capabilities. The teaching and learning strategy is a hybrid between in-person and online teaching and learning activities. In addition to the person-computer interface embedded in the module, some assessment components require students to engage with several digital platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Canvas. Students are also trained in operating research software packages such as SPSS and NVivo.

Employability: One of the main intentions of this module is preparing the students to be work-ready. The students learn all necessary concepts, decision-making steps, and techniques for assessing, planning and implementing required strategies and actions in the context of international business.

Sustainability: The notion of sustainability is taught directly and indirectly in almost all modules. One of the intentions of the module is to advance students’ understanding and awareness of aspects of sustainability and ethical people management. Sustainable and ethical people management principles inform this module. The module is informed by the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social, and environment.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.