Economic geography

Teacher(s)

Delloye Justin;

Language

French

Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Main themes

The first part of the course is devoted to the influence of various factors determining the location of the production activities: transportation costs, production organization, spatial competition, externalities. In the second part, we are interested in the economic operation of the regions, primarily the inter-industry trade, growth theories and the interregional exchanges The third part is devoted to the canonical model of Krugman of economic geography. A research task is requested from the students on the objectives, the operating mode and the assessment of the activity of some large world actors of the development policies.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	1. To understand the bases of the location theory of economic activities while insisting on the competitive framework in which they take place; 2. to understand the regional dynamics, in particular the factors influencing the concentration of activities and threatening the marginalization of areas

Content

The course is given in 3 parts. The first part includes a thematic and epistemological introduction to the discipline, a review of the economics prerequisites and an introduction to geographical political economics. The second part studies the themes of economic growth and international trade through quantitative models. Finally, Part 3 studies the fundamental models of location theory and discusses, among others, spatial competition theory and central places theory.

Teaching methods

The course content is taught in 11 sessions of ex-cathedra lectures held preferably in person at the Louvain-la-Neuve site.
The practical exercises related to the course will be carried out in 6 practical sessions. These will preferably be held in a computer room at the Louvain-la-Neuve site. Participation to practical exercises is mandatory.
If a fortuitous event (e.g. a pandemic) prevents the course from running smoothly in the above-mentioned manner, a team group will be created to continue the course remotely.

Evaluation methods

The student's final grade is a weighted average (rounded up) of the student's results in the following 3 assessments.

1. The theoretical examination (50% of the final grade). The aim of this exam is to assess the critical understanding of the concepts and models presented in the theory course during the semester. It is held in regular session and consists of a closed book written examination with open questions.
    
2. The practical examination (40% of the final grade). The aim of this exam is to evaluate the student's ability to solve simple problems using the technical and computer tools presented during the term in the practical sessions. It will be held outside the regular term and consists of a closed book but computer assisted written examination with open and/or multiple choice questions.
   Attendance at the practical sessions is compulsory. In accordance with article 72 of the General Regulations for Studies and Examinations, the course instructors may propose to the jury that it oppose the registration of a student who has not attended at least 80% of the practical work sessions during the January, June or September session.
    
3. Continuous research work (10% of the final grade). The aim is to assess the student's ability to use the course concepts to develop a critical understanding of current economic events. It consists of a short written discussion of a news article selected by the student. The instructions for the assignment are presented at the beginning of the term and the assignment is due at the end of the term. A mock test will be offered during the term with a sample article selected by the teacher. This will allow students to see the task at hand and to adapt their work if necessary.

The following principles apply to all three assessments.

• The default assessment language is French.
• The above procedures are valid regardless of the session in which the student submits the examination.

Online resources

Course materials, complementary readings and other useful resources will be shared on the course Moodle page.

Teaching materials

• matériel sur moodle

Faculty or entity

GEOG