Globalization is the turbulent background against which SKEMA's students are going to have to play out their careers.

Globalization is described by The Economist as "the death of distance". Martin Wolf describes it as the integration of economic activities, across borders, through markets". And Anne Krueger adds that its main consequence is that economic agents, in any given part of the world, are much more affected by events elsewhere than before. Basically, it is the worldwide extension of the market economy.

It is a broad concept that comprises an underlying combination of economics, finance, geopolitics, sociology, and history dimensions. As the new global economy raises the level of uncertainty and complexity for the international firm's cross-border strategy, global risk analysis has become today an essential component of strategy decisions regarding export, investment, partnership, mergers, as well as takeovers. Since 09/11, global terrorism shows there is no safe sanctuary, even in the world's largest economy. The seminar aims at providing students with a solid understanding of the concepts, historical perspectives, theoretical debates and methodologies surrounding the global economic system.