English-taught courses

All courses are subject to confirmation.

• Brand Management

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits)

  Course description: This course provides training in understanding brand management and the critical stages of new product development, from idea generation to the implementation of new concepts and strategies.

  It prepares executives to make decisions regarding brand management as a key differentiating element for products.

  The course covers topics such as brand meaning and essence, associations, brand health and brand architecture.

• Business Communication

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits)

  Course description: In today's rapidly changing environment, organizations must be ready to adapt to new trends, magnify their brand, and cultivate strong relationships with stakeholders, and communication has become one of the most relevant skills in business to get the message across effectively, both to people within and outside the workplace. 

  This subject combines knowledge about marketing, advertising and PR to build relationships that matter, and ensure a better development of the ongoing projects, keep the employees engaged and allow them to understand their tasks, delivering significant messages in various media, including oral presentations, writing, spreadsheets, slideshows and graphic design.

• Business Finance

  (64 contact hours, 7 ECTS credits)

  Course description: The course’s objective is for participants to understand and apply fundamental concepts and tools of financial management, with special consideration to the specific economic conditions in which business activities are developed.

  Special emphasis is placed on financial tools for planning and analysis, investment analysis, cost of capital, value creation, working capital management, business restructuring processes and design of financial structure.

• From Steam to AI - Economic and Business History

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits)

  Course description: This course studies the evolution of the international economy from the Industrial Revolution to the present day. It is an interdisciplinary investigation of the nature, origins, causes, and effects of global change on human welfare since 1800.

  Classes cover both developed and developing countries and draw on economic history, demographics and statistical data to explain how the world economy came to be where it is today, focusing on the success and failure of several key countries and regions.

  Long-term changes in world income and population are quantified, the different phases of modern economic growth, the impact of major historical events on the world economy, as well as the transformations of global economic institutions are included.

  Throughout the course, the case of the Latin American economy is discussed in more detail to facilitate its overall assessment: what have been the factors and obstacles to its modernisation.

• Geopolitical Risk & Business

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits)

  Course description: This course will provide students with an analytical toolkit to produce intelligence briefings and reports to assist organizations navigate through challenging situations.

  We seek to bridge the gap between industry and academia, helping students develop professional outlooks to assist their future job placement and career development.

  To benefit from this opportunity, participants must necessarily demonstrate advanced English language skills.

  The course is chiefly designed for students of political science, international relations, foreign trade, and management.

  A general awareness of global affairs will help students succeed in this course, though students may enrol without prior knowledge of geopolitics.

  Students will be required to read field literature and political risk industry reports before engaging in practical exercises.

  Classes are meant to be interactive, and participation will be considered while grading student performance.

  Participants will undergo training to work on their writing and analytical skills in a feedback environment.

• Global Civil Society

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits)

  Course description: This course aims at providing students with both a conceptual and empirical framework so they can form an opinion about the existence, functions, transformative potential and challenges faced by civil society activism in an increasingly globalized world.

  In a disciplinary field dominated by the study of relations between nation-states in an environment that is defined as either fully anarchic or tempered by the action of intergovernmental organizations, we intend to focus on a set of non-governmental actors: domestic and international civil society organizations, social movements and networks of transnational activism.

  Our reflection is triggered by a few, deceptively simple questions:

  • Is there such thing as a global civil society?
  • How global is global civil society?
  • What are its sources of power and legitimacy?
  • What impact does it have on an international stage that has not assigned it a leading role?
• Global Management

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits) 

  Course description: The objective of this course is for each student to be able to know, understand and apply the fundamentals of managing organizations in global contexts.

  Students will complete an array of specific activities, related to each of the key managerial concepts, as well as immerse themselves in practical applications related to today’s complex business world.

  By the end of the semester, students will:

  • Understand the global framework and environment in which contemporary organizations must thrive.
  • Be able to assess how firms manage on the global stage.
  • Be able to critically analyse organizational case situations in each of the four functions of management (Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling).
  • Grasp the main competences managers must develop to succeed and have a thorough understanding of the skills, abilities, and tools needed in today’s competitive and global world, and be able to identify and use appropriate management techniques and tools for managing organizations in global contexts. 
• Global Strategic Communication

  In an era where narratives shape global power, mastering strategic communication is essential for states, corporations, and non-state actors alike.

  This course explores how geopolitics, business, and culture intersect with storytelling to influence public opinion, policy, and diplomacy.

  Through case studies, simulations, and real-time crisis exercises, students will develop the skills to anticipate and craft global narratives, advising leaders in high-stakes environments—from a World Cup in Saudi Arabia to a tech CEO’s US tour, from cultural diplomacy to cybersecurity crisis response.

  The course emphasizes adaptability, strategic messaging, and creative problem-solving in navigating today’s complex international landscape.

  
  Learning Objectives

  By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Design comprehensive strategic communication campaigns
  • Analyze and counter narrative warfare techniques
  • Develop crisis communication strategies for global actors
  • Apply psychological and cultural insights to message crafting
  • Navigate complex stakeholder environments
  • Anticipate and shape emerging narratives

  
  More information 

• Human Rights and Armed Conflicts

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits)

  Course description: This course provides a basic introduction to international human rights, their conceptual and historical foundations and institutions aimed at protecting them.

  It also focuses on the international legal regulation of armed conflict – including humanitarian law, human rights law and international criminal law.

  The purpose of the course is to offer an understanding of the legal challenges of current and future armed conflicts, by analysing and evaluating concrete contemporary cases around the world.

• International Project Management

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits)

  Course description: The course is designed around the fundamental stages of the project lifecycle, providing a framework for progress: strategic framework, identification, definition, planning, organization for execution, execution, control, and closure or conclusion.

  It also highlights the various knowledge areas essential for effective project management, including objectives, costs, time, quality, human resources, communications, and risks, by presenting valuable techniques and tools for each stage.

  Furthermore, the subject has evolved to incorporate new trends in project management while maintaining its crucial role of offering a rigorous methodology for achieving objectives during project development and execution.

  Specifically, there is a greater emphasis on utilizing technological collaboration tools, enhancing communication and team management, and leveraging technological support, especially in the context of virtual and geographically distributed teams.

• Sales Strategic Management

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits)

  Course description: The Sales Strategic Management course aims to provide students with essential skills and knowledge for success in the dynamic field of sales.

  Throughout the course, students will develop a profound understanding of the principles and practices that underpin effective sales strategies.

  The primary objectives include fostering the ability to analyse market trends, identify customer needs, and formulate strategic approaches to meet sales targets.

  Students will also gain proficiency in leveraging various communication channels, honing their skills in oral presentations, written communication, and the use of multimedia tools to effectively convey sales messages.

  Additionally, the course seeks to instil a strategic mindset, encouraging students to critically assess and adapt sales strategies in response to evolving market conditions.

  By the end of the program, students will be well-prepared to contribute strategically to sales initiatives, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of customer relationship management, market dynamics, and the broader business context.

• South America in Turmoil

  (48 contact hours, 6 ECTS credits, spring, and fall term)

  Course description: This seminar will attempt to highlight the social and institutional challenges that the region faces.

  Firstly, we will briefly discuss the evolving political and ideological landscape of the last thirty years.

  Secondly, and because it's essential to understand political behaviour and partisan support and the cross-national differences, we will highlight in an introductory manner the relevant theories explaining the attitudes and preferences of voters and how representation and demands are structured by political actors.

  Thirdly, we will focus on the underpinnings of democratic consolidation and the risks of authoritarian temptations.

  Finally, we will centre on social evolution, new forms of political participation and the conflicts that may arise from competing views, discrimination or unfulfilled representation.

  Throughout the seminar, important emphasis will be placed on the recent wave of social unrest and protests that have spread across the continent.

• Strategy and Competition

  (64 contact hours, 7 ECTS credits)

  Course description: In this capstone course, students use and integrate the management knowledge, tools, and skills they have acquired throughout their studies formulating business strategies that consider industry structure and a company’s resources and capabilities, placing particular emphasis on the practical feasibility of the proposals they formulate.

  This is achieved through the extensive use of Harvard Business School-style case studies.

  Field work on a specific company –usually in an industry undergoing some sort of transition– is required.