The content for option A is provided in the tables below. It is composed of blocks of  courses for all the corresponding cohort and of blocks in which students can choose between different special focuses (SF).

The 1st year at University of Turin (Faculty of Political Sciences)

Students choosing “option A” spend a whole year at Turin. The year is structured in five blocks aimed at providing in-depth comprehension of economic policy in the field of the chosen option and from an interdisciplinary perspective. The objective is to provide technical tools suited to the training of policy experts.

The first block deals with “knowledge and innovation economics”. It is directly related to the option chosen by the student. It comprises three courses delivered by world leading academics:

• “Economics of innovation” (delivered annually by C. Antonelli) develops the foundations of the economics of innovation, from the classical legacies to the economics of complexity. It is introduced through the issues of total factor productivity and the direction of technological change. An in-depth analysis of the link between “innovation and growth” is considered, relying on a wide range of the economics literature and especially the one deriving from Marx, Adam Smith, Schumpeter, Marshall, Arrow and the evolutionary economists. “Localized technological change” (irreversibility, procedural rationality, localized learning, technological change as meta-factor substitution) are discussed, as well as the “economic complexity of technological change” (creative vs adaptive reaction, positive feedbacks in innovation, knowledge externalities, recombinant knowledge production function technological knowledge as a collective activity, diffusion and creative adoption, structure of innovation, and especially sectoral and national systems of innovation). Policy issues related to these issues are addressed in detail and illustrated by real life case studies and examples that provide the experience which, combined with the theory, will give students expertise in actual innovation processes.
• “Knowledge economics” (delivered annually by A. Geuna) aims to develop a critical knowledge of the fundaments of  the economics of policy of knowledge with particular emphasis on university research. The course  introduces the student to the principal institutions and policies in the area of research and innovation in the G7 countries. Particular attention will be paid to comparative analysis. The course includes a thematic seminar on the economics and policy of the cinema industry. The course is structured in four main modules. The first provides a brief introduction to the economics of innovation with particular attention to the concepts of knowledge and information. The second focuses on the higher education and research systems in a set of European countries and the US (depending on the availability of guest speakers it is hoped also to include Japan and China). Two courses are devoted to discussion of Science and Technology Indicators for policy making. The third module is devoted to critical analysis of important policy instruments such as research assessment and foresight; how these policies were developed; how they have been adapted in other countries; how effective they are and under what conditions they can be applied. The final module examines in detail the relationship between science and technology with a special focus on academic patenting and other channels of knowledge transfer. The case of the movie industry will be one of the sectors analysed in depth.
• “ICT economics” (by P.-P. Patrucco, during Semester 2). This course aims to develop theoretical and empirical skills for the analysis of technological convergence in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It aims also to analyse the impacts of this process on organisation change and development of the firms and local economies. The issues regarding ICT platforms will be studied in detail.

The second block will focus on the interdisciplinary perspective of economic policies. It will introduce the question of development policy and discuss issues related to Northern and Southern countries (including developing and emerging countries) and local and global development. This block, entitled “Institutions, international markets and local policies” is composed of two courses:

• “Sociology of international development” (delivered annually by F. Ramella) deals with the social and political construction of markets on an international basis. It examines the policies implemented in very different situations: the intervention of the state in Chinese capitalism, the role of local economies, the importance of networking in a global economy. It includes an introduction to the main theories of development and an in-depth analysis of the role of institutions and social networks (on the regulation of international trade, on transition processes, on emerging capitalisms in Asia). Emphasis will be directed to (i) the link between economic globalisation and territories, (ii) the new role of the state in the processes of development, and (iii) the role of social capital and networks in the old and new capitalisms.
• “Local development” (delivered annually by F. Barbera) has two main objectives: (i) to explain local development from an economic, social, political and cultural point of view; (ii) to describe some of the main experiences of local development in Italy (including clusters and new policies for local development) and in developing countries (micro-credit, conflict management, management of environmental resources, etc.).

These first two blocks will provide a widely interdisciplinary approach to economic policy, completed by a third block to provide students with expertise in “quantitative methods for social sciences” (by S. Bracco and A. Dal Forno). It provides quantitative tools to understand papers published in economic journals (optimisation, basis of econometric modelling, applications).

The fourth block has two special focuses, during Semester 1. Students must choose one from:

1. SF1-T: “Cultural industries and global markets” (by E. Bartacchini), which analyses policies and development of cultural industries, as well as the link between the cultural and economic patterns of local development, within a multidisciplinary approach. The issues addressed include “culture and the models of local sustainable development”, the theory of cultural clusters, the role of collective property rights, the dynamics of culture, tourism and development. The sectors studied include: material industries (including industrial design, fashion, gastronomy…), content sectors (movie industry, television, radio, publishing, advertising), patrimony (museums, architecture, performances, theatres and contemporary arts), and in relation to both developed and developing countries, with a special emphasis on China, India and the Middle-East. Data from the main international agencies: EU, UN, UNDP, UNESCO, WORLD BANK and WIPO will be exploited.
2. SF2-T: “The global economy and multinational corporations” (by G. Balcet) aims at providing conceptual and analytical tools (i) to understand the origins, trends and impacts of globalisation at the micro and macroeconomic levels and (ii) to deal with the policy implications of globalisation at the national and international levels. The lectures include a historical survey on foreign direct investment (FDI) and multinational corporations (MNC) since 1870, the study of MNC patterns, the joint ventures and cooperative behaviours, the globalization of technology and innovation, the mutual impacts of MNCs on emerging countries. Case studies will be addressed to illustrate key questions, with a special focus on the automotive industry.

The fifth block will address languages. Introductory French will be mandatory for students who have not studied the language previously. The opportunity to study Italian (beginners or advanced levels) and advanced English will also be offered.

These five blocks will provide top level and consistent training on knowledge and innovation policies and on key development issues, with their originality being a truly interdisciplinary approach. They will include economics, sociology, history and political science (double Master’s degrees in “political science” and “economics” will be awarded by Universities of Turin and Paris 13 respectively). Consistent with the aim of the EPOG Master’s course, this will provide both specific expertise and a systemic understanding of economic policies in a globalised economy.

All courses will be delivered in English at the University of Turin, except possibly the “special focuses” (fourth block). For the corresponding courses, the teaching language will be governed by the number of students that have opted for each focus. At least one of the two special focuses will be taught in English, i.e. at least one full course will be taught in English at University of Turin.

Course details (teaching hours, ECTS, teaching staff) for the 1st year.

Semester 3 at University of Paris 13

The approach at University of Paris 13 is an extension of the specialised, systemic and interdisciplinary approaches developed at the University of Turin. The 3rd semester aims to deepen the knowledge of the students in the chosen option and to create a common culture on economic policy for the whole year’s intake of EPOG students (aside from the chosen option).

The 3rd semester is structured in six blocks (+ the “induction month”, in September), which are interdisciplinary and include the participation of a range of professionals, allowing students to confront the theories with real-life expert experience.

The first block deals with “law, economics, institutions of intellectual property and innovation”. It includes three courses:

• “Organisations and innovation” (by B. Coriat). The course is given by a leading and worldwide renowned economist in its field (B. Coriat). It is designed to provide to the students the arguments and methods of up to date theories of organizations. Starting with the pioneering works of Cyert, March and Simon, the course includes the contributions of Penrose and of the Resource Based theory of the firm, and goes until the most salient contributions of evolutionary theories (Dosi, Marengo, Nelson and Winter). The links between organisational theories and the different notions and concept of organisational innovations are systematically explored. Finally are presented the visions of organisations as institutions. This course allows to link and put into perspective different approaches addressed during the first year in Turin.
• “Property rights, organisations and commons” (by B. Coriat).
• “Institutions of Intellectual property” (by A. Lebkiri and other professionals). Each intellectual property institution will be covered: the French National Institution of Intellectual Property (INPI), the European Patent Office (EPO), the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), and the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). After a theoretical approach to these institutions, professionals from the institutions present their professional views, including EPO (J. Michel, Former Vice-President of the EPO) and INPI (C. Lepeltier, legal expert at INPI). The struggle against counterfeiting is considered from a theoretical, applied and international perspective. New workshops will be organised each year with different professionals addressing different questions.

The second block deals with “Econometrics and quantitative methods for research” (by. H. Harari-Kermadec). It includes panel data, time series, sequence analysis…

In the third block, students choose one from four special focuses (SF):

• SF1-A: “Economics of knowledge and culture” is composed of three courses: “Cultural economics and policies of creative industries” (by F. Moreau) and “Education economics and policy” (by D. Flacher). The former presents an economic analysis of cultural sectors from a macroeconomic  (economic evaluation of cultural activities, role in economic growth, place in international trade), and an industrial organization (market structure of each cultural field, with a special focus on the effects of digital technologies on cultural industries) perspective. It discusses national and international cultural policies (access to culture, diversity preservation, tax systems and implementation and the related policies promoted by UNESCO, OECD and EU). Education policies are presented in relation to the various national systems and the emergence of a worldwide higher education market, which is leading to deep transformations in both demand and supply side. A major emphasis is put on the effects of higher education on the labour market, on inequalities, on the polarisation of higher education. In addition to the theory, this topic will include applied articles and data analysis.
• SF2-A: “Intellectual property in ICT” is about deepening the knowledge and skills developed during the first year at the University of Turin and addresses specific but key issues for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) economics and policies. “Copyright and the industries of culture” (by F. Moreau) examines the specific regimes of intellectual property applied to the cultural industries with an emphasis on the music and publishing (with a in-depth case study of e-books) industries and on patrimony management. The policies of Internet regulation (including net neutrality and access to private data) are discussed. “Open-source software versus copyright/patented software” (by F. Moreau and A. Lebkiri) addresses similar questions from the perspective of the software industries, including theoretical aspects and the working experience of A. Lebkiri (lawyer and expert in IPR).
• SF3-A: “Intellectual property in medicines and biotechnologies” examines the economic and public policies related to intellectual property in the fields of health and biotechnology. The course on “Pharmaceutical patents, TRIPS and public health” (by B. Coriat) is dedicated to the study of the evolution and the role played by pharmaceutical patents as regards public health issues, especially in developing countries. It includes a presentation of the pharmaceutical sector, patenting strategies in this industry. The origins and impacts of TRIPS agreements, especially on developing countries patent laws, are addressed and illustrated, in particular regarding the treatment of pandemics. The students have to choose a second course: either (i)  “Exclusivity, public domain and Intellectual commons” (by F. Orsi and D. Meshaka) which deals with the question of the strengthening of IP as one of major phenomenon of the globalisation, analyses the debate and controversy about the consequences on the production and the access to knowledge and proposes a detailed analysis of the concepts of public domain and intellectual commons as alternatives to exclusive property, or (ii) “Environment, seeds and biodiversity” (by H. Tordjman).
• SF4-A: “Innovation”. It includes one course on “Economics of risk, innovation, R&D and intellectual property” (by B. Dumont) rehearses the basis of intellectual property right (IPR) and reviews the recent related theories and debates, especially the progressive extension of IPR to various fields of activity. Economic and legal stakes will be discussed. The possible models of IPR for the next decades are presented along with their possible economic consequences in terms of innovation, emergence of new markets, reinforced financialisation of the economy. The feasibility of alternative models is examined. Policy implications are discussed taking account of the national and international dimensions of IPR. In order to provide an up-to-date “state-of-the-art”, this course relies on several recent articles. The other course will be dedicated to the issue of “Financing risk and innovation” (by C. Cezanne). It will introduce an economics approach related to the special focus. This course will highlight the role of innovation in the competition among firms and countries in the age of globalisation, and the public and private modalities of financing the risk related to innovation (including intellectual property law) and corresponding calculation modes.

The fifth block is includes a group of seminars (“joint seminars”) for all the students aimed at creating a common culture on economic policies interdependencies.

The sixth block concentrates on languages.

The 3rd semester will provide (i) improved knowledge in innovation policies for students taking “option A” at the University of Turin. It will deepen the interdisciplinary aspects emphasising law and economics, and will have inputs from professional practitioners. It will offer also (ii) a broader approach to the interdependencies among economic policies in a globalised economy.

All the mandatory courses will be taught in English (i.e. blocks 1, 2, 3 and 5). At least one of the special focuses (block 4) will be taught in English, allowing students who want to study only in English to be able to do so.

Course details (teaching hours, ECTS, teaching staff) for Semester 3.

 Semester 4: Master’s dissertation.