Course name: International Digital Political Economy.
Digital technologies and changing attitudes toward surveillance and the commodification of knowledge has made the control of knowledge an increasingly central aspect of the exercise of power and wealth creation in the global political economy. In this seminar, we will examine the theoretical underpinnings of what Susan Strange calls the “knowledge structure,” and how the control of knowledge is increasingly shaping our lives. This course will be based primarily around the discussion of key texts and articles that focus on specific parts of the global knowledge economy
Describe the knowledge structure. In your answer, define the knowledge structure, drawing on the theoretical framework used and developed in class, and refer to all of the main books covered in this course . Your answer should include the key actors , organizations, and institutions, as well as the dominant and oppositional policy tendencies . Include also a discussion of the relative importance/power of state and non-state actors. This question is worth 60% of your exam grade.
Outline and discuss two policy challenges covered in class and/or in the course materials. What are the issues at stake? What recommendations can you make in these areas? What principles should be applied to address the problem(s)? This question is worth 30% of your exam grade.
