Bachelor
2024/2025
Economic History
Type:
Elective course (International Programme in Economics and Finance)
Area of studies:
Economics
Delivered by:
International College of Economics and Finance
When:
3 year, 3, 4 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
4
Course Syllabus
Abstract
a.Pre-requisitesStudents are supposed to be competent in basic economic theory and economic statistics. Students are also expected to be familiar with the introduction to macroeconomics. b.Abstract:The course examines the key cases of the economic development of human society. We will answer the following questions:•Why did the Neolithic revolution (the transition to agriculture) take place, why did the average income fall during the transition to civilization, and why did the states cover the entire planet•Why did Eurasia take over America, and not vice versa?•How did it happen that despite almost a thousand years of dominance in the economy of China and India, the industrial revolution took place in Europe?•How has fertility determined the economy throughout human history, and why is demography “not working” now?•Why did slavery and serfdom return in modern times? What were the economic backgrounds for slavery in the 19th century, and why did the American Civil War in fact occur?•What causes led the world to the Great Depression? What lessons can we learn from the economic policy of the authorities of that time?•Why do poor countries still exist? Why, despite the accumulated baggage of knowledge about the development of the economy, the authorities of many countries are in no hurry to put them into practice?•How did the agrarian crises destroy the Russian Empire?•How did Stalin industrialize?•Why did the Soviet Union collapse?•Why are there many scientists in Russia, but few innovators?The course is aimed at providing knowledge for critical analysis of the global issues of human economic development. The selected topics either cover the gaps in current educational programs or are directly related to the actual challenges of the global economy and Russia, in particular: the causes of long-term economic growth, migration, economic crises, globalization, political background for economic policy.A special place (4 lectures) in the course is devoted to the history of the Russian economy. The selected plots are key to understanding the current situation and further crossroads of development.Within the course (the last 4 seminars), students will be given the opportunity to choose and study the case of the professional career of a Russian inventor (periods of the Russian Empire and the USSR), to understand the conditions and factors for a successful invention, the economic and social effects of implementing innovations, and the further trajectory of the inventor's professional development.The course is based on modern monographs and articles by the world's leading economic historians.
Learning Objectives
- provide a general understanding of the evolution of the world economy from at least 1 century A.D. to the present in terms of economic systems, institutions and policies;
- make students familiar with the key factors of the long-term economic growth confirmed by the historical fact and the most frequent policy and cognitive mistakes and myths around it;
- provide students a broad picture of the evolution of the Russian economy, its fundamental peculiarities and the framework of national economic policy;
- develop the critical thinking skills in global economy analysis.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- understand how the history influence on the present economy, policies and trends;
- apply the knowledge of economic theory in solving economic and social challenges
- correctly analyze the past and current economic issues and economic policies in Russia
Course Contents
- Course «Economic History»: the plan, content and requirements
- Neolithic Revolution and the curse of labour
- Why Eurasia colonised America (not opposite)? Interaction of Europe with America and Asia
- The reasons for the rise of Europe: a quick "take-off" or a long training? Part 1. Malthusian trap
- The reasons for the rise of Europe: a quick "take-off" or a long training? Part 2. Institutions and the world-system
- Age of empires
- Slavery and the American Civil War through the prism of economics
- The Great Depression in the USA and in the world
- Institutional reasons for divergence in development across countries
- The agrarian challenge for Russian Empire
- Economic system of Stalin’s USSR
- Economic reasons of the USSR failure
- Can Russia Compete?
Assessment Elements
- Mid-term exam
- Final examIn order to get a passing grade for the course, the student must sit (all parts) of the examination.
- Presentation of the project
- Class activity
- Class assignment and essay
Interim Assessment
- 2024/2025 4th module0.2 * Class activity + 0.05 * Class assignment and essay + 0.4 * Final exam + 0.25 * Mid-term exam + 0.1 * Presentation of the project
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- The world economy : a millennial perspective, Maddison, A., 2001
- Нуреев, Р. М., Экономическая история России (опыт институционального анализа) : учебное пособие / Р. М. Нуреев, Ю. В. Латов. — Москва : КноРус, 2016. — 268 с. — ISBN 978-5-406-05506-9. — URL: https://book.ru/book/920206 (дата обращения: 27.08.2024). — Текст : электронный.
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Guns, germs, and steel : the fates of human societies, Diamond, J., 1999
- O’Rourke, K. H., & Broadberry, S. N. (2010). The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Europe: Volume 1, 1700–1870. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=317639
- O’Rourke, K. H., & Broadberry, S. N. (2010). The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Europe: Volume 2, 1870 to the Present. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=317649
- Динамика капитализма, Бродель, Ф., 1993