Global Studies

Globalization is producing a growing interdependence of states, economies, societies, cultures, and people. The 4th International Summer School in Global Studies covers significant topics such as globalization and sustainable development, international relations and law, climate change and international policies, the recent geopolitical turmoil and main implications in terms of military power. The programme also provides students with the opportunity to attend a “Country profile workshop”, where they will be required to actively participate in the analysis of the physical, political, economic, and military profile of a Country of an Area of their choice.
Through lectures and seminars, students will acquire the knowledge and competencies for understanding the complexity of today’s global system and its main implications for economic governance and policy.
Programme 2023
Programme Dates: July 3 - 21, 2023
Programme Director
The teaching staff includes lecturers from Ca’ Foscari University and the The Italian Naval Staff College of the Italian Military Navy.
Programme Structure
Lessons and workshops are scheduled over 3 weeks, from July 3rd to July 21st, for a total of 60 contact hours, amounting to 12 university credits to be recognized by the participants’ home university.
This year, the programme will be divided into three modules:
- Module A - Globalization tendencies and its evolution
- Module B - Climate change: policies and implications
- Module C - Country Profile Workshop
Prerequisites: a background in the topics is not necessary, but students will need a basic knowledge of economics (high school level).
Module contents
Module A - Globalization tendencies and its evolution
In recent decades, globalization has produced a growing interdependence of states, economies, societies, cultures, and people. It has brought about dramatic changes in the global economic system, with new regions emerging as new levers of economic growth. At the same time, economic globalization has produced profound social, political and environmental impacts. Not surprisingly, the problem of reforming globalization through the design of new governance approaches has been emerging since the 1990s as one of the most important issues in the academic and public debate.
Today, the crisis of multilateralism in international trade, the dramatic effects of COVID-19 pandemics, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia are challenging the very nature of globalization. How will these elements affect globalization? Are we entering a new phase in the evolution of the international economic order? Is regionalism the new engine behind the reorganization of global value chains? Against this background, the course focuses on the most important economic and geographical tendencies that are affecting today’s globalization through a multidisciplinary perspective. In particular, the module will consider the evolution of international trade and FDI flows, the crisis of multilateralism in international law, and the increasing importance of geopolitics in international political economy.
Module B - Climate change: policies and implications
The module will focus on Climate Change, its main impacts and economic implications and the evolution of international negotiations and policies. The course will introduce, define, and illustrate the mitigation challenge and the notion of energy transition, introducing results from the latest IPCC report and explaining some of the basic facts about climate science. It will then illustrate why we need mitigation policies and provide an overview of the international and national climate policy landscape.
The module will also characterize the international landscape of climate policies and explain how different countries use different types of policy instruments and explain how countries have been negotiating about climate change. Finally, it will introduce the economic approaches that are used in the design of climate policy actions, including mitigation and adaptation, explaining the theory behind policy instruments and carbon pricing, why we need climate change policies in the first place, and why they need to be synchronized with sustainable development policies.
Module C - Country profile workshop
Participants will analyze the physical, political, economic and military profile of a Country or a geopolitical region, focusing on the various elements of governance and related critical issues, as well as on relations with other countries of the geographical or geopolitical area and the possible geopolitical evolution. A special focus will be devoted to competition continuum and to Sea Power, with an emphasis on the role and importance of the inland seas. Students will prepare a final paper of 10 pp. by drawing on the contents of the preceding two modules, as well as resources from the Library of the Naval Staff College and the internet (a list of the sites of interests will be presented to the students), along with individual study.
Course Instructor: Francesco Zampieri, Naval College
During the first two weeks, students take the two content-based modules Global Studies A and B, while the final week will be dedicated to group work (the Country Profile Workshop), analysing the physical, political, economic and military profile of a specific country or area.
NB: Credits are assigned to the Country Profile Workshop only. In order to enrol in the Country Profile Workshop, students must have first completed both modules Global Studies A and Global Studies B.
Applications, Fees and Arrival Information
Applications for the Summer School in Global Studies are now closed.
The Call for Applications with details on fees and on the application process is available on this webpage.
Any information on pre-departure, accommodation and our campus will be made available at the same webpage as above.
Contacts
Last update: 22/11/2023