In this course, we begin by your strategic thinking journey by exploring imperfect competition, price discrimination, oligopoly, and game theory. You’ll be provided with practical examples the whole way through the course to enhance your real-world application of your new knowledge. The course also explores the concept of Public Goods, specifically those goods and services that have characteristics of being both non-rivalrous and non-excludable. You’ll learn how competitive markets can produce inefficient outcomes in the presence of externalities. The categories of public goods, private goods, collective goods and common goods are also explored through the use of real world examples, promoting a great practical understanding of the topic area. If you choose to enrol, you will also investigate asymmetric information and how firms deal with the problems associated with imperfect information. There are lots of practical examples for you to watch and work through to ensure you develop a thorough understanding and are able to apply your knowledge once you complete the course. This MOOC is part of the Professional Certificate in Microeconomics. We recommend that you explore the other two courses of the program, Principles of Microeconomics and Competitive and Imperfectly Competitive Markets. The program is based on a core microeconomics course taught on campus at The University of Queensland. Don't wait to enroll and begin learning from industry experts now! If you are interested in pursuing economics further, UQx provides an accompanying Professional Certificate in Macroeconomics program running in parallel to this course. Building on your knowledge of microeconomics with this additional program will provide you with a strong foundation of economics. Overall, this course is for everyone, whether you are studying at university, a career professional interested in expanding your economic knowledge, or simply curious about global economic behaviour and what influences it.

In this IMFx course you will learn, from hands-on demonstrations, how to price different types of bonds, how to calculate different measures of bond yields and how to compare them across different types of instruments. You will become familiar with the term structure of interest rates, a key ingredient in establishing benchmark rates used to price securities in the markets and a valuable tool for monetary policy design and diagnosis. You’ll gain an understanding of the firm fundamentals that can explain why a stock price may go up or down, or why it might be higher for one company in comparison to another, you will be able to apply these fundamentals at the economy-wide level to analyze valuations of the stock market as a whole. Finally, you will gain insight into investors’ decisions. You’ll explore the main criteria that an investor uses to determine how to construct the best possible portfolio of risky assets. You will also adopt the perspective of a policymaker interested in understanding how monetary policy affects the risk and return properties of financial investments. In short, the FMAx course is designed to provide a common language in finance, thus allowing you to interpret and analyze financial data. It will also provide you with a foundation upon which you can proceed to more advanced or policy-oriented training in areas in which macroeconomics and finance meet. Financial Market Analysis is offered by the IMF with financial support from the Government of Japan.

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.

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.

Want to learn how individuals and businesses make the decisions that drive our economy - and use those skills to ace the Microeconomics AP® exam? This is the course for you! This economics course is an introduction to basic microeconomic principles. You will learn how individuals make decisions ranging from what type of goods to buy to how many hours to work, and how firms make decisions ranging from how many workers to hire to what prices to charge. You will study how to evaluate economic outcomes from the perspective of efficiency and fairness, and discuss the proper role of the government in determining these outcomes. This course will cover all material that is required for the Microeconomics AP® exam. It will cover this material through a mix of intuitive explanations, real-world applications, and graphical and mathematical supplements that explore the content in more depth. By the end of the course, not only will you have an understanding of the most important principles of microeconomics, but you’ll be able to use these principles to better understand the workings of the real world around you! *Advanced Placement® and AP® are trademarks registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these offerings.

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.