My Experience of IR209: International Political Economy: States and Markets in the 21st Century

This summer, I had the unforgettable experience of attending the IR209: International Political Economy: States and Markets in the 21st Century course at LSE Summer School, and I would like to share the impact it had on me.

I knew I wanted to spend my summer learning, and was introduced to various summer schools across the world through my university. After thorough research and reading several reviews and testimonials from fellow students, I finally chose LSE Summer School. The next step, and perhaps the trickiest one, was deciding which course to take. Many of you reading this may find yourselves in the same boat—faced with an expansive list of courses, all of which seem equally interesting.

I knew one thing for sure: I wanted to study something outside of my major, something I wouldn't have access to at my home university. That’s how I ended up applying to take IR209: International Political Economy: States and Markets in the 21st Century, a course designed to explore how politics affect interactions and their consequences in the global economy.

One of the first things you’ll notice as you walk into the classroom is the diversity of students - each from unique backgrounds and different parts of the world. This diversity is one of the best aspects of studying international relations at LSE as you get so many different perspectives which add to the discourse within the classroom, allowing you to get a bigger, clearer picture about the topics being discussed and making them feel all the more relevant.

Do not be discouraged from taking this course if you are not studying International Relations as your undergraduate degree, as the course is designed and instructed in a way that makes complex subjects accessible, as if they’re part of everyday conversation. If you feel that you might need some reading material to catch up, the lecturer can recommend a few texts which provide the core knowledge, and a general reading list is available on the course webpage. Personally, I would recommend going through Global Political Economy, by John Ravenhill before starting the course.

The course starts off simply, discussing the emergence of International Political Economy (IPE) as a discipline. You are introduced to the different schools of thoughts within IPE such as realism, liberalism and Marxism, some game theory and other basic logical frameworks that set the stage for you to build upon, and to use when analysing the content of the later lectures. The introductory sessions covered the history of the international economic system post-World War II, setting the stage for more specific topics like the politics of climate change, the rise of China, the role of multinational corporations, currencies, global financial crises, and the politics of international organisations such as the IMF and World Bank.

Each day, we started off with a 3 hour lecture in the morning which was engaging and nudges you to think critically about global issues. I learnt a great deal about the contemporary global economy through these lectures. The lecturer was eager to answer questions and ensured that the entire class grasped each concept firmly before moving forward.

One aspect of the teaching methodology that was quite new to me were the shorter seminar sessions that followed the lecture. These sessions were mostly group-oriented collaborative sessions that encouraged me to interact with my peers while we went into more depth about the material that was discussed in the morning lectures. Activities included mock debates, group competitions and presentations, which allowed me to freely voice my opinions. Along the way I also picked up certain academic skills such as active note taking and logical structuring in my writing - skills that I continue to use today.

If you’re on the fence about choosing this course, or even attending LSE Summer School, I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a shot. The course felt like a complete university experience, all condensed within the span of 12 days. The atmosphere and culture at LSE are things that truly need to be experienced. I walked away with not just new knowledge, but lasting friendships and unforgettable memories. And as for life outside of LSE, exploring London deserves a whole blog of its own!

 

This blog was written by one of our 2024 Student Ambassadors, who are here to share their stories and help you understand the summer school experience at LSE.