In this online course, you will learn the theory behind the design of the Value Added Tax (VAT) gap estimation model of the International Monetary Fund’s Revenue Administration Gap Analysis Program (RA-GAP), and you will also learn how to use the model to produce your own VAT gap estimates. You will become familiarized with the overall structure of the model, and how each of its components interacts. You will learn what the inputs needed for the model are, how to prepare them, and how the model uses these inputs to compute the potential VAT, which is compared to the actual VAT to determine the VAT gap. The online course comprises five main components, or modules. The first module starts by providing some general background on the concept of tax gaps, and then covers the theory behind the design of the VAT gap estimation model. The second module moves on to looking at the various policy structures of a VAT are to be input into the model. The third module provides instructions on how various measures of actual VAT are to be prepared for use in the model, and the reason for why these measures are needed. The fourth module focusses on the compilation of the statistical data needed to construct the potential VAT base, and how this potential VAT base is input into the model. The final module then returns to the model and demonstrates how to execute the model to obtain your results, and, more importantly, how to review and interpret those results. In short, this course is designed to enable countries to produce VAT gap estimates on a regular and consistent basis, using the VAT gap estimation model of the IMF’s RA-GAP program; which is a well-established tax gap model. This online course is offered by the IMF with financial support from the Government of Japan.

In this economics course, you will learn some of the major concepts of macroeconomics, such as gross domestic product, price level, inflation, unemployment, economic growth and the balance of payments. You will see that macroeconomics is not that different from microeconomics, in that the interaction of supply and demand provides the basic organizing framework for analyzing the workings of a national economy. You will learn how the equilibrium levels of national income and prices are determined at the intersection of aggregate supply and aggregate demand curves, just as the equilibrium quantity of transaction and price of an individual commodity is determined at the intersection of supply and demand curves. This is an introductory course at the most elementary level so no prior knowledge of economics is required.

This is the first in a series of courses on financial technology, also called Fintech. The course provides an overview of the most recent technological advances that are radically changing the financial services industry. These technological breakthroughs offer new ways for people to save, invest, borrow, and transact. The course is structured in three modules. In the first module, we will discuss the characteristics and trends in finance and how emerging technologies are changing the financial industry. We will begin by looking at how efficient (or inefficient) the financial sector is. We will then learn how firms in the financial industry create value by reducing unit cost, increasing transparency, increasing competition, creating network effects, leveraging economies of scales, and lowering asymmetric information. And finally we will introduce three main technologies that are disrupting the financial sector: blockchain technology, machine learning, and Internet-of-Things. In the second module, we will learn about the regulatory landscape that financial and fintech firms face. We will begin with an overview of the regulatory framework of the financial sector the United States with the understanding that the approach to regulating the financial sector is for the most part similar around the world. We will then proceed to look at recent initiatives on how to regulate fintech firms. Finally, we will conclude the module by looking at recent regulatory changes in Europe with respect to Open Banking, and at the pros and cons of regulatory sandboxes. In the last module, we will complete our overview of the fintech sector by reading several articles and reports on the fintech industry, and discuss a business case on Ant Financial. After you complete this course, you will have a broad understanding of the fintech landscape, and you will be ready to dive deep into the other courses of the fintech certificate. Financial professionals are often required or encouraged to continue their education to practice their profession. For some associations, this program may be used for Continuing Education Credits. Please check with your local or national organization if the program qualifies.

According to The World Bank, Africa’s working-age population is expected to increase by nearly 70% by 2035. Without industrialization to create jobs, it will be difficult to achieve sustainable development. While manufacturing led to rapid industrialization in East Asian countries, there is doubt that it can have the same effect in Africa. The question is, if not through manufacturing, how can Africa promote economic growth? In this course from the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) , brought to you by the SDG Academy, you will hear from researcher John Page and other leading voices in development economics about the range of activities known “industries without smokestacks,” and learn how industrial policy that promotes the growth of these industries presents a win-win scenario for economic development in Africa. This course is for: Policy professionals who want to understand how industrial policy can create win-win strategies for growth and development Development practitioners seeking insight into how to address the need for industrialization in Africa Advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in economics, development, industrialization, and other key concepts related to Africa’s development

Our present system of global capitalism is flawed. While it has produced immense wealth and economic growth in nearly all regions of the world, it has also prioritized profits over people and harmful consumption practices over the needs of our planet. Sustainable development must bring about a new world order to replace the vices of global capitalism, ensuring development, human wellbeing, and environmental security. This course presents Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals as the necessary successor to laissez faire-style capitalism, and emphasizes the urgency of embracing sustainable development objectives to transform our economy into a more reactive, efficient, inclusive, and environmentally-conscious system. This 8-week massive open online course (MOOC) provides an in-depth look at the shortcomings of our current and past global economies, and shows why and how sustainable development has become the universally-prioritized agenda for the future of our world. The topics covered range from market economics to education, gender equality, international trade, financing, and more. This course is for: Policy professionals who want to understand frameworks for SDG planning Development practitioners seeking information on goals-based development Advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in economics, development, and other key concepts related to the SDGs

National economies have grown substantially since the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century yet people have not necessarily seen an increase in opportunities to find decent work or earn a decent income. In fact, in some places, the increased productivity and rising profits associated with automation have directly impacted the availability of decent jobs. According to the International Labour Organization, more than 204 million people were unemployed in 2015, and more than 600 million new jobs are needed by 2030 just to keep pace with the growth of the working-age population. We also need to improve working conditions for the 780 million women and men who are employed but not earning enough to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. In addressing these core issues we will not only see increasing decent work opportunities but also more robust, inclusive and poverty-reducing growth. This course explores the past and future of work in the context of the SDGs, particularly SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. It examines the state of income and employment around the world, barriers to employment, policies to promote economic opportunity, and the future of work in our rapidly changing world. Encouraging entrepreneurship and job creation are key to achieving the SDGs, as are effective measures to eradicate forced labour, slavery and human trafficking. With these targets in mind, the world can achieve full and productive employment and decent work, for all women and men, by 2030. This seven-module massive open online course (MOOC) provides an in-depth look at the issues of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. The topics covered include structural shifts in economies and work; informality, gender and child labor, the modern welfare state; the future of work, and more. The course concludes with a special module by the ILO on realizing decent work for all and achieving SDG 8. This course is for: Policy professionals who want to understand frameworks for SDG planning Development practitioners seeking knowledge on goals-based development Advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in economics, development, and other key concepts related to the SDGs

FinTech has started a global revolution in the financial services industry, and the transformation will only increase in coming years. There are many ways in which FinTech can improve the lives of people around the world; however, those same technologies can also be used to enslave, coerce, track, and control people. Accordingly, it is appropriate and necessary to consider the implications of the introduction of these technologies so that they are utilized properly, regulated sufficiently, and their adoption does not come at the expense of societal growth. This 6-week online coursecovers 6 modules, representing the full spectrum of finance, technology, and the introduction of FinTech solutions globally. We will ask questions that are not often asked or addressed when new technologies are adopted. Why should we adopt FinTech solutions, and what are the best ways to introduce disruptive technologies? How does blockchain technology change the way we provide financial services, and how should blockchain technology be governed? Is FinTech creating risks in cybersecurity and how can technology help us prevent financial crimes? As Artificial Intelligence (AI) is developed and adopted, will human biases and prejudices be built into such mechanisms? And at a larger scope, should FinTech lead to a decentralized, democratized system of finance, or will existing institutions adopt FinTech strategies to cement their existing hold on the financial markets? Through discussing and attempting to answer these questions, you will understand better how the introduction of these technologies can benefit or harm society. And through considering the proper application or introduction of such technologies, you will learn to make better decisions as an individual and organization when facing the question: is FinTech our savior or a villain?

Over the past couple of years, the Chinese government has finally started to open China’s financial system and its equity and bond markets to the outside world. Onshore assets are now part of the main global and emerging market indices. But most investors openly admit they are putting money to work in a market they mistrust and do not understand well enough. In this course you will learn how China’s financial markets truly work. You will see how its state-owned commercial banks control the flow of domestic savings and how Chinese companies became the global leader in mobile payments. You will understand the nature of the Chinese stock market and the Chinese bond market, how Chinese investors trade and what the driving forces of these markets are. Foreign investors will learn how to recognise investment opportunities and guard against the idiosyncratic risks. You will understand the role of the State Council, the People’s Bank of China – its central bank, and the Ministry of Finance – its Treasury, in setting monetary policy, interest and foreign exchange rates and supervising China’s banking system and financial institutions. Unbiased analysis, real-life examples and practical guidance will equip you with the analytical frameworks and tools to apply to your investment decisions, risk assessments or policymaking. You will learn directly from Enodo Economics’ team of experts, who together have over 250 years of experience focused on China’s economy, its politics and markets and its culture. We make use of our own bespoke online teaching videos that are produced to a high professional standard. The material, carefully tailored to bring to life the content of each course, includes interviews with relevant figures whose personal stories make real the concepts being taught. Imaginative visual aids and animation are designed to enhance the learning experience – and make it fun.

In this macroeconomics course, you will learn to predict macroeconomic variables such as inflation, growth or consumption, and to create statistical models in economics and use them to predict responses to economic policy. You will learn from hands-on demonstrations of model-building, forecasting and policy analysis, using data sets from a wide variety of countries. Demonstrations and applications will be conducted using EViews —a popular software for estimating and simulating forecasting models on Windows. Free, temporary licenses for EViews will be made available for the duration of the course. Macroeconometric Forecasting is offered by the IMF with financial support from the Government of Japan.

In this course, you will learn about sample surveys with the concepts of samples and populations. In addition, we will discuss possible problems(bias) of the surveys based on practical examples and concept of probability errors in sampling. This course will familiarize you with statistical inference, the process by which data is used to draw a conclusion or uncover a scientific truth about a population from a sample. You can learn how to obtain confidence intervals and estimate the population percentage using sample percentage. We will also cover statistical inferences using sample average to estimate the population average with the concept of standard error and measurement error. Finally, you will learn fundamental idea and process of significance test to determine whether the observed difference is real or simply accidental. Test for difference in average between two groups and Chi-Square test will be discussed in depth in this course.