My seminar in open economy macroeconomics is devoted to the questions of why emerging market countries are particularly vulnerable to financial crises, what are the best policy responses when a crisis hits, and what long term policies can be implemented in order to minimize the probability of experiencing crises. Given the devastating nature of financial crises, I believe these are some of the most important questions facing economists today.
I also teach an elective that examines these issues as well, but with an emphasis on the role of financial globalization. The course surveys the recent wave of financial globalization. It examines the potential benefits, most importantly an increased rate of economic growth that can reduce poverty, as well as the potential drawbacks, namely an increased risk of experiencing a financial crisis. The course emphasizes the conditions and policies under which financial globalization is likely to be successful.
Finally, I enjoy teaching introductory economics, intermediate macroeconomics, and econometrics, which allow me to give students a brief taste of these interesting issues while focusing on the basic tools economists use to begin answering these and other important economic questions.