INTERNATIONAL TRADE (ONLINE) - 2025/6

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

SOL - 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 USMCA.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to encourage students to engage in the learning of all topics covered 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 online seminars will facilitate formative assessment and feedback. The assessment offers a tight relationship between captured content, online seminars, guided learning, independent study, 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:

• Coursework (Individual Assignment), 100%, which aims to provide students with the opportunity to apply international trade theories to a contemporary global problem at hand (addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

Formative assessment
Regarding the formative feedback, the online seminars will offer opportunity for students to receive formative feedback on topics covered and the assessment to help improve students understanding on topics and performance in their assessed work.
Feedback
Feedback will be provided in writing following submission of the summative assessment. 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.

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 online delivery making use of captured content, online seminars, guided learning and independent study 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 takes a theory to practice approach woven into the captured content, seminars, guided learning and independent study to enable students to explore the diverse range of topics, tasks, issues and real-life examples for students to gain practical understanding of the key concepts and theories in International Trade.  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 online texts (chapters and/or articles) recommended for each individual topic, engage with the captured content and online seminars.  Furthermore, the captured content will be supported by online seminars.

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: MANM581

Other information

The following Surrey Curriculum Framework pillars are covered in this module:
Global and cultural capabilities: In this module, 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. As such students broaden their own world view, perspectives, and interpretations by interacting in a culturally varied environment.
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 delivered fully online. In addition, the assessment requires students to engage with several digital platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Canvas and operating research software packages such as Excel.
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 2025/6 academic year.