Markets generate wealth, but there are no guarantees of how. On the international stage, the volatility of markets contributes to many of the key global challenges of our time: climate change, widening inequality, unprecedented waves of migration, financial crises, and increasing unemployment in the wake of digitalization, automation, and AI. In this course, we consider how responses to these challenges differ between European countries, with a focus on the nature and extent of public interventions in the marketplace.
You only take one Core Course per semester, and each Core Course includes two Study Tours: one Short Study Tour to a nearby destination for three days, and one Long Study Tour to another European country for six days.
Led by your faculty, Study Tours take you into real-world settings where you will apply what you’ve learned outside the classroom.
PhD student in Business Administration, Dept. of Marketing & Strategy, Stockholm School of Economics, and 2021 recipient of Outstanding Pedagogical Achievement Award. Her research is on regulatory disruptions as market-shaping forces, often situated in the context of the airline industry. Co-founder of the Methods Lab at SSE. M.Sc. in Management & Organization (track: Strategy & Sustainability), Hanken School of Economics, and recipient of a Best Master’s Thesis Award by the Foundation for Economic Education for my thesis “A multiple case study on employee engagement and retention at startup companies”. B.Sc. in International Business (track: Marketing & Corporate Communication) from Haaga-Helia UAS. With DIS since 2022.
Long Study Tour
About this tour
Situated at the gateway to both Europe and Russia, Helsinki has long been recognized for its geostrategic importance and role as a politically strategic hub. Its unique position places it at the convergence of various international spheres of influence, making Helsinki a vital center for diplomatic dialogue, global partnerships, and political innovation.
In the course Comparative Economics: Global Risk and European Responses, we will face the reality of complex crisis responses amid a variety of economic restrictions and capabilities. Our study tour to Helsinki will have us compare and contrast the Swedish and Finnish approaches within the Nordic economic model, and gain an understanding of why exactly these two neighboring countries differ so much in their responses to crises. We will also immerse ourselves in Finnish culture and learn how these cultural dynamics shape economic behaviors and policies.
In a world where economic turbulence can be a daunting challenge, Finland has stood out as a model of stability and resilience. What has made this Nordic nation such an example? Or is that image merely a fabrication? Let’s investigate!
Learning outcomes
Develop an understanding of how not only crises themselves, but also the policies and regulations intended to address these crises, affect firms, organizations, and other economic players
Examine how various industries have coped in the past with crises and what has been the role of the government in their performance
Gain new knowledge of Finland’s role in providing global aid and its role in Europe and the EU as a participant in conflict resolution
Engage with locals to gain a comprehensive understanding of their perspectives on Finland’s economic conditions and its ability to handle various challenges
Possible activities
Visit Suomenlinna, a sea fortress built gradually from 1748 onwards on a group of islands. It has served to defend three different sovereign states over the years: the Kingdom of Sweden, the Russian Empire and most recently the Republic of Finland. We will hear about its ongoing role in defense, in tourism, and in culture
Hear from experts about investing strategies in times of economic crisis and the Finnish approach
Learn from representatives of various industries to gain a more focused perspective on how crises are experienced in reality
Visit the Bank of Finland to learn more about Finland’s financial conditions and their transition to the Eurozone
Experience the city through various activities and games
Hear from experts about investing in times of economic crisis: how is it done in Finland?
Learn from representatives of various industries to gain a more focused perspective on how crises are experienced in reality
Visit the Bank of Finland to learn more about Finland’s financial conditions and their transition to the Eurozone
Experience the city through various activities and games
Short Study Tour
About this tour
Sweden lies geographically on the periphery of Europe, yet it is one of the EU’s most successful economies. In the broader course we will examine some of the potential sources of this success, but during Core Course Week we will begin our consideration of the nature of economies on the periphery.
Learning outcomes
Examine what an out of the way place like Gotland can do to encourage international business to locate there, and how the challenges faced in this location differ from Sweden as a whole
See how Sweden makes the most of its numerous historical landmarks, of which many are preserved on Gotland, and consider them in the light of our course topics of public goods and externalities
Look at how digital businesses can assist tourism in new and sustainable ways
Possible activities
Explore Visby, the UNESCO World Heritage site and “best preserved Medieval city in Europe,” taking in both the natural and historical landmarks of the island of Gotland
Discuss the ups and downs of tourism as an industrial sector with the organizers of one of Europe’s largest Middle Ages festivals
Learn first-hand about Almedalsveckan, an annual event which attracts every noteworthy Swedish politician, policy maker, business person, and journalist to the city of Visby for one summer week of debates, discussions, seminars, and events generating millions of dollars for the local economy in the process
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