Risk Analysis: Political and Business Risk
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| INTS2035 | School of International Studies | 2 | 20 | Autumn China |
- Code
- INTS2035
- School
- School of International Studies
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn China
Summary
This module focusses on risk analysis, which sits at the nexus of international politics and international business. The world’s most famous risk analysis firms start with a political frame of reference for their interactions with all their clients. This module does the same. It will examine the political dimensions of risks of different sorts, so that the decision-making at the heart of risk can be best understood. Without a focus on something like ‘the political,’ the discussion of risk can become very general. There are many different ‘risks’ – reputational, environmental, community / ethnic / social, corporate social responsibility, more - but all can be embraced by the term ‘political.’
Please note: This module is assessed at the end of Autumn semester. First sit/ Re-sit exams are scheduled normally in the summer and can take the same form as the missing/ failed component of the assessment (exam, essay etc.) or other form, as decided by the School.
There are two main sections to the module. The first is termed ‘Desk Analysis.’ Lectures, seminars, readings, and course work of the module make the connection between politics and business, and help students understand and navigate our uncertain world as well as the risks and opportunities. This part of the module will culminate in a risk framework or register with identified risk mitigation strategies.
The second section is ‘scenario planning.’ This is expected to take place in the last half or third of the module. In this section, we will work through potential scenarios in order to reinforce and deepen the lessons about risk mitigation. Scenarios could include typical business risks like protecting against exchange rate changes, counterfeiting, natural disasters, through to the likelihood of coups, armed conflict, revolution, and kidnap, hostage and terrorism incidents. The module will train students on risk mitigation and scenario planning; a likely example would involve student groups ‘selling’ (teaching) their finished risk mitigation strategy for an assigned case study scenario to ‘clients’ (their classmates).
Target Students
Domestic politics and IR students at UG level, NUBS UG students, IC UG students, international exchange-in students at UG level
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 30% coursework 1: 2000 word individual essay or report
- 20% Coursework 2: 1 x 500 word group report OR 1 x group presentation (no more than 10 min and it will be video-recorded)
- 50% exam (2-hour): 2h-written exam
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to supplement IS module offerings at the upper undergraduate and graduate module. It could be offered as a partnership between NUBS and IS, with IS the convenor and overall lead. Students taking the course will better understand the impact risk and risk mitigation have on international political and business.The module aims to help students, leaders, and business executives analyse, manage, and understand risk and its impact on opportunities and policy options around the world. IS/NUBS/UNNC is seeking to response to existing demand for knowledge of this area. Some Chinese firms are poorly equipped to assess risk, including in the context of the BRI (Belt-Road Initiative). Political rhetoric may well blind Chinese corporations, governments, and students to the substantial political-related risks along BRI corridors.Risk analysis is a job and corporate category. In addition to learning about an important concept to contemporary IR, students taking the module will gain skills and expertise relevant to the risk analysist / management / mitigation job market in corporations and risk consultancies in China and overseas.Learning Outcomes
Intellectual skills
- Evaluate risk first and foremost through a political lens
- Mastery of risk analysis
- Examine relevant theoretical debates and academic literature on risk, risk analysis, and risk management
- Demonstrate ability to assimilate and use module information in sustained written communication (academic essay)
Professional / practical skills
- Use the various methods of researching and analysing risk
- Perceive risk in political terms while crossing over to assess the impacts of risks on international business, investment, instability, war, and trade
- Develop an understanding of risk that addresses and reflects our current era of volatility, uncertainty, and political fragmentation
- Critically assess dominant methods and processes of risk analysis and management
Transferable / key skills
- Develop advanced analytical, critical thinking, and research skills
- Ability to sustain and convincingly prove a complex written argument combining politics, business, and risk
- Ability to analyze and discuss scholarly and policy-related literature relevant to risk
- Confidence to present and discuss complex risk-related issues in boardroom-style meetings and before an audience
The module aims to enable the participants to develop:
Professional competences
- Professional communication through making and taking decisions in regards to real world problems and high pressure situations
- Digital capabilities through national, regional, and global information and data-gathering and analysis technologies
- Co-ordinating with others on risk analysis and management, as in a government office or corporate headquarters
- Reflection as the assessment includes a video-recorded group presentation
Conveners
- Dr Grant Dawson