Course Objectives

The aim of the course is to develop in students the ability to apply microeconomic analysis to a range of economic problems and policies.

On completion of the course, students should be able to integrate analytical and descriptive material to aid their understanding of the nature and causes of some key contemporary issues in modern advanced economies.

In addition students will be familiar with the main microeconomic policies used within the UK and have some knowledge of relevant source material.

The level of microeconomics assumes students have completed an introductory one- or two-semester course in microeconomics.

Prerequisite: CAS EC 101 Introductory Microeconomic Analysis (or non-BU equivalent).

Course materials are listed below.  Please log in to view these items.

Course Comments

"Professor Alizadeh is very energetic and presents a lot of material enthusiastically. She is very considerate while teaching and likes to make sure that we all understand what she is teaching." Anon., Fall 2009

"I had a great experience and learned a lot about global econ, not just UK! She was really well prepared and very knowledgeable on all topics." Anon., Fall 2009

"Professor Alizadeh encouraged class participation and tried to accommodate students' wishes when deciding how to give assignments and presentations. Topics presented were really interesting and stimulating." Anon., Fall 2009

Faculty Information

Dr. Parvin Alizadeh was born and brought up in Iran where she did her first university degree. Parvin completed her doctoral dissertation at the University of Sussex in Brighton. She is a senior lecturer of Economics at London Metropolitan University. Parvin also taught at Keynse College in Kent University, UK. She was also an associate professor of economics at Denison University, Ohio, USA over 2000-2003. Parvin has worked as a consultant for the International Labour Office (ILO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Bank. Her main research interests are in ‘female employment' and ‘late industrialization'. She has published in the Journal of International Development, International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social science, and the Brown Journal of the World Affairs.

Course Syllabus and Materials

Hyperlinked readings:

Card, D., Blundell, R. & Freeman, R.B. (eds.) (2000) Seeking a premier economoy : the economic effects of British economic reforms 1980-2000. University of Chicago Press.  ISBN: 0226092844.  Available at: http://www.nber.org/books/card04-1

Department for International Development (2006) Quick impact projects : a handbook for the military.  ISBN: 1861927991.  Available at: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/qip/booklet.pdf

Easterly, W. (2008) "Foreign aid goes military!" from The New York Review of Books, vol. 55, no. 19, 4 December 2008.  Available at: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22126

Rowthorn, R. and Coutts, K. (2006) ‘‘The UK in the World Economy’ updates of Rowthorn and
Coutts (2004) prepared for meeting of the Council for Science and Technology, London.  Available at: http://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/faculty/coutts/Rowthorn_Coutts_2006.pdf

Uploaded readings: 

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