Regional Economies - Prospects and Tensions in Latin America’s Southern Cone
Location: Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina
Host Universities: Universidad ORT and Universidad de San Andrés
Travel Dates: March 13 – March 20, 2010 (Course dates: March 12-21, 2010)
Lead Faculty: Joseph Ricciardi, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Economics
Contact Info: X 4530, Ricciardi@babson.edu
Credits: 4 credits, advanced liberal arts
Eligibility: Open to sophomore, juniors, seniors (see pre requisites)
Program Fee: $1,650 program fee (international airfare not included)
Course Pre Requisites: Completion of ECN 2300; *for students who do not meet this pre-requisite, or are concurrently taking macro, there is an option to participate in this course with additional preparatory work.
Application Open: November 5, 2009
Deadline: November 19, 2009
Click here to apply
Some interesting links to explore:
Zonamerica
http://www.zonamerica.com/web/
Hotel at Punta del Este
http://www.aluruguay.com/Shotelcasapueblo.htm
Candombe – Uruguayan Street Drumming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyRWat5mvFc
Uruguay/Argentina Info Session Presentation
Description: This course provides an introduction to the Latin American business environment, with special focus on, Uruguay and Argentina. There will be two on-campus meetings (February/early March) followed by Spring Break travel to Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Students will explore the emerging power of the Southern Cone economies through extensive country site visits and classroom sessions at host institutions, Universidad ORT (Uruguay) and Universidad San Andres (Argentina). In Uruguay, we examine the country’s economic stability and recent prominence in world pulp and paper production. Additional themes include environmental and water rights debates, regional mining and infrastructure investment projects, and review of South-South trade initiatives. In Argentina, we examine the country’s emergence from the volatile swings of agricultural commodity booms, international debt, and financial turbulence. Additional themes explore e-business, entrepreneurship, the “Tango” as a cultural reflection of early economic development, concluding with an appraisal of the region’s prospects in the wake of the adversity of the global financial crisis.
Transportation
The program travel dates are March 12-20, 2009. A group flight will be arranged by the program, however, the flight cost is not included in the program fees. All students must travel on the group itinerary.
Accommodations and Meals
Accommodations will be arranged by the program and are included in the program fee. Breakfast is included in the hotel costs. Additional meals, with few exceptions, are the responsibility of the students.
Program Expenses and Financial Aid
The course tuition costs (4 credits) are billed to the spring semester load. The program fee includes lodging for the duration of the program, breakfast, local transportation, company visits, some cultural visits and at least one group dinner. It will not cover international flight, visa costs, other meals and personal expenses. Students who wish to apply for financial aid to help defray the total program costs should consult their financial aid counselor in Student Financial Services. Travel stipends are available for need-based financial aid recipients.
*Preparatory Work: Students will prepare via readings in introductory macroeconomics from, Campbell R. McConnell and Stanley L. Brue: Macroeconomics, 17th edition, Irwin-McGraw-Hill, New York, 2007. These readings are designed to build foundations in the basic macroeconomic variables needed for making international comparisons of economic performance and interpreting economic policy measures in a developing country context. Students would review the relevant materials independently and assess their performance through a series of online quizzes.
