Suspended in 2025/26
IR429 One Unit
Economic Diplomacy
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Dr Boram Lee
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in International Relations and MSc in Political Science (Global Politics). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
All International Relations courses are ‘Controlled Access’. Please see the LSE Selecting Courses webpage for information on how to apply and contact IR.Programmes@lse.ac.uk only if you require further information.
This course has a limited number of places (it is controlled access) and demand is typically very high. While applications from outside students will be considered, priority will be given to IR students on the programmes specified in the availability section of this course guide. Offers to students from other programmes will be subject to remaining availability.
Course content
The course introduces students to the theories and analytical frameworks relating to decision-making and negotiation in international economic relations and enables them to develop the skills needed to apply these to cases. It discusses the roles of the main actors, institutional settings and processes involved in domestic decision-making and international economic negotiations, and their interaction. The aim of the course is to provide participants with the ability to understand and analyse the factors shaping international negotiations in a range of policy issues from trade and investment, to the environment, economic summits and finance.
Teaching
10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.
The course is composed of two modules. The first module (Week 1 – 3) discusses analytical toolkits for understanding economic diplomacy. During these initial weeks, students will learn about four approaches to economic diplomacy: a) balance of power and coercive bargaining, b) negotiations within international institutions, c) the effect of domestic politics, and d) the role of ideas and issue framing. The second module (Week 4 – 10) features specific negotiation tactics frequently adopted by policymakers and important challenges that negotiators face in policy processes.
Formative assessment
Students will be expected to produce a short policy memo in week 7 of the WT as a basis for the summative policy memo.
Indicative reading
Bayne, Nicholas and Woolcock, S. The new economic diplomacy: decision-making and negotiation in international economic relations, Third edition, Ashgate, Stephen 2013.
Koremenos, Barbara. The continent of international law: Explaining agreement design. Cambridge University Press, 2016.
Davis, Christina L. "Food fights over free trade." Food Fights over Free Trade. Princeton University Press, 2011.
Oye, Kenneth A. Economic discrimination and political exchange: World political economy in the 1930s and 1980s. Princeton University Press, 1993.
Assessment
Policy brief (100%, 3000 words) in Spring Term Week 1
Key facts
Department: International Relations
Course Study Period: Winter Term
Unit value: One unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: Unavailable
Average class size 2024/25: Unavailable
Controlled access 2024/25: NoCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Leadership
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Commercial awareness