MSc Public Policy and Management

We live in an era of frequent and sometimes radical change in what governments do and how they are organised to do it. Sometimes the changes are generated within countries as responses to social, political and economic developments and sometimes they originate outside the country. The purpose of this course is to provide an analytical framework for understanding public policy and management in a variety of historical and comparative contexts. It will give you the means to make your own judgements about appropriate ways to make public policy and organise and deliver public services. The contents of the course include attention to different kinds of governments and rationales for intervention of the state in the economy and society, the process of policy-making, policy implementation and policy evaluation, the various forms in which public services can be organised and the principles and tools for aligning the behaviour of individuals to the pursue of public interest, decentralisation and change management.

The rise of the blockchain technology and Distributed Electronic Ledgers (DELs) resulted in various opportunities and threats to existing economic and societal systems. The module aims to provide participants with the basic theoretical knowledge and critical tools for a comprehensive understanding of blockchain and (DEL) technology and its implications for business, financial institutions and markets, government and society.

The rise of the blockchain technology and Distributed Electronic Ledgers (DELs) resulted in various opportunities and threats to existing economic and societal systems. The module aims to provide participants with the basic theoretical knowledge and critical tools for a comprehensive understanding of blockchain and (DEL) technology and its implications for business, financial institutions and markets, government and society.

This module will cover many aspects of fiscal governance. At the beginning of the course, we will review the systems, processes and tools of fiscal governance. We will then look at taxation and other sources of revenue for government. Next, we will pay attention to the process of financial planning, programming and budgeting, also including the issues that arise from the management of public debt. The final part of the course will look at problems of defining and measuring financial and non-financial performance in the public sector, and at the role of accounting and financial reporting.

We live in an era of frequent and sometimes radical change in what governments do and how they are organised to do it. Sometimes the changes are generated within countries as responses to social, political and economic developments and sometimes they originate outside the country. The purpose of this course is to provide an analytical framework for understanding public policy and management in a variety of historical and comparative contexts. It will give you the means to make your own judgements about appropriate ways to make public policy and organise and deliver public services. The contents of the course include attention to different kinds of governments and rationales for intervention of the state in the economy and society, the process of policy-making, policy implementation and policy evaluation, the various forms in which public services can be organised and the principles and tools for aligning the behaviour of individuals to the pursue of public interest, decentralisation and change management.

This module will cover many aspects of public governance, accountability and transparency. We will start the course by looking at the systems and processes of government, at the differences and relationships between the public and the private section, and at public policy decision-making. We will turn our attention, then, to issues that arise from stakeholder management and risk management in government. After the Reading Week, we will pay attention to issues related to fraud and corruption, internal control systems, auditing, ethics and integrity in the public sector. We will conclude the course by looking at the role of policy and programme evaluation in government.

This module will cover many aspects of fiscal governance. At the beginning of the course, we will review the systems, processes and tools of fiscal governance. We will then look at taxation and other sources of revenue for government. Next, we will pay attention to the process of financial planning, programming and budgeting, also including the issues that arise from the management of public debt. The final part of the course will look at problems of defining and measuring financial and non-financial performance in the public sector, and at the role of accounting and financial reporting.

The dissertation project brings together theory, method, collection and analysis of empirical evidence in a small-scale research project, the findings of which are analysed and critically discussed. The project typically involves, in addition to research of academic literature, the collection of primary and/or secondary data (of quantitative and/or qualitative sorts) through various means (such as, for example, interviews, focus groups, surveys, datasets, and simulations) and their analysis, as agreed with the supervisor.

The module covers the key issues relating to the regulation of both banking and securities business from a global perspective. It begins by considering the reasons for regulating the financial sector and examines the different approaches and models adopted by different jurisdictions in order to achieve them, with reference to examples including the UK, US, Mainland China, Hong Kong and South Africa. The global measures relating to capital adequacy are then addressed, including discussion of the question, to what extent the highly sophisticated provisions of Basel III are appropriate for developing countries. The module then goes on to examine deposit protection schemes, with the deposit insurance approach of Malaysia contrasted with the more guarantee scheme found in Europe, after which the global standards relating to bank resolution and recovery are considered. The module then goes on to examine the provisions designed to protect those who invest in securities markets: the conduct of business rules and the measures to combat market abuse. Finally, it turns to the regulatory framework of two of the major global financial centres.

The aim of this module is to introduce the philosophical, theoretical and practical bases of conducting academic research.

The purpose of the course is to describe and explain the evolution of Chinese managerial systems in ways that are both analytically sound and, at the same time, provide a range of knowledge that will be useful to those expecting to work in or with the Chinese business world. The course is designed to accommodate the needs of both those with little previous knowledge of Chinese affairs and those with limited background in management studies.

This course compares corporate governance systems in various major economies (both advanced and developing/transition economies), examining how systems do work and how they might work better. It introduces emerging Corporate Governance Guidelines and Codes of Best Practice in different countries. It analyses such practical questions as: How should boards of directors and executive teams be composed? How should executives and board of directors be remunerated given the legal, political and economic framework in the country? How do CEOs decide about the mix of debt and equity finance and how does the mix affect their discretion and control over cash flow?

This module is designed to develop cultural intelligence through a highly practical approach to enhance interpersonal and intercultural communication skills for future career in international teams and global business environment. The body of the module examines the fundamental concepts of cultural, assesses the impact of cultural values in intercultural business environment and explores the the impact of cultural difference on international team effectiveness, business negotiations, communication, and personal presentation.

The aim of this module is to introduce the key concepts of Human Resource Management (HRM) by examining the evolution, functions and processes of HRM within a theoretical and ‘best practice’ context. The module then focuses on HRM from a global perspective and assesses the operation of HRM across distinct cultural and business contexts.

This course has been specially designed to increase the depth of your understanding of macroeconomics by focusing on the relationship between financial markets and macroeconomics. We place the subject in a real-world context, aiming to show how theoretical and empirical knowledge of macroeconomics and financial markets provides ways to analyse the salient problems faced by modern macroeconomic policy makers.

This module provides students with a basic conceptual framework and practical knowledge regarding finance and investments in emerging markets. This module is concerned with the differences in financial systems between emerging markets and mature market economies; and how these differences explain the observed discrepancies in corporate financing behaviour between firms in emerging markets and those in mature market economies.

The module aims to analyse the current issues shaping the business, economic and institutional environments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and to analyse their implications for private and foreign investment, managerial decisions, and doing business in the region.

This course is designed to introduce students to a wide variety of issues that are important within the economic and social development of Japan and Korea, and the implications for International Business. The choice of issues is intended to reflect recent and contemporary developments. Selected topics will help students evaluate the nature, rationale and impact of contemporary developments in the region. Upon successful completion of this course, it is hoped that students with a variety of backgrounds will understand the major issues facing the two economies and PG students will be able to bring together all the topics within the course to critically evaluate the future of the two economies.

This postgraduate module on Project Management provides students with an in-depth understanding of essential techniques and methodologies utilized in modern project management settings. Students will explore the five key phases of project management: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closure.