NU:BE_PH_PGB Political and Cultural Aspects - Course Information
BE_PH_PGB Political and Cultural Aspects of Global Business
NEWTON Universitysummer 2026
- Extent and Intensity
- 2/1. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
- Teacher(s)
- Laura Catarrasa, M.A. et M.A. (lecturer)
Laura Catarrasa, M.A. et M.A. (seminar tutor) - Guaranteed by
- doc. PhDr. Lukáš Valeš, Ph.D.
Centre for International Programmes – International programmes – NEWTON University - Timetable
- Wed 9:40–11:10 Zoom.Praha3, except Wed 18. 2.
- Timetable of Seminar Groups:
BE_PH_PGB/02: each even Thursday 8:00–9:30 PH Učebna 01, except Thu 19. 2., L. Catarrasa
BE_PH_PGB/03: each odd Thursday 9:40–11:10 Zoom.Praha3, L. Catarrasa - Course Enrolment Limitations
- The course is offered to students of any study field.
- Course objectives
A significant feature of the current global economy and business environment is the growing importance of political and cultural influences and the interconnection between business, politics and culture. This trend is related to the current state of globalisation, which has significantly linked world markets and thus different political, social and cultural systems, as well as to the onset of the 4th industrial revolution, the covid and post-covid crisis and the significant deterioration in international relations (USA vs. China, war in Ukraine, etc.). These, in turn, have reinforced deglobalization tendencies, the influence of the state and other public institutions, including the rise of political and economic nationalism. This has in turn contributed to the weakening of the influence of international and supranational organisations, economic and political integration in favour of nation states. This will mean a further strengthening of the influence of their political representations on the economic and business environment. Attention will be paid, among other things, to current issues such as international conflicts and migration and their political and security economic impact, a series of crises in the EU (Euro-crisis, migration, Brexit) and the rise of economically (militarily) powerful but undemocratic political systems - China, Russia, Turkey - at the expense of the democratic West, the struggle for a new world order and its impact on international trade, etc.
Course Objectives:
- to acquire the necessary knowledge of the workings of the contemporary world economy and politics;
- to understand the workings of today's world and to successfully apply this knowledge to the business environment;
- to learn how to regularly obtain information on world affairs and to process it critically;
- be able to analyse the risks and opportunities that today's globalised world provides for economic activity on a local, regional and global scale, including environmental, cultural, political and security aspects.- Syllabus
Main topics of the lectures:
1. Politics, culture and global business - introduction to the issues; historical development of globalization - competition between world economic and political centers - China, India, Europe, Turkey, Russia, USA.
2. The interconnection of economic and political power in contemporary international relations - the emergence of new or old powers China, India, Turkey, Russia.
3. Globalization, regionalization, localization and the 4th industrial revolution - definition of the terms, their development, present and prospects.
4. World economic crises, coronacrises and their economic-political consequences.
5. International economic-political institutions and their role in the present.
6. Economic and political integration - the example of the EU.
7. Possibilities and limits of European integration - current crises of the European integration process.
8. History and future of the EU - history of European integration, competing integration processes, institutional framework, development trends.
9. Security threats to world trade and business - current conflicts, terrorism, struggle for water and other world resources, climate change, overpopulation, etc.
10. The role of culture (and religion) in contemporary economic relations - peaceful cooperation or clash of civilizations?
11. Intercultural dimensions and their use in global business.
12. The role of the state, public administration and the market economy - what model for the 21st century.
Seminar topics:
1. The war in Ukraine as a manifestation of global systemic change, its economic and security policy implications for the world system and selected regions.
2. The current energy crisis - its causes, consequences and possible solutions, the development of prices of individual commodities - electricity, gas, oil and their economic and geopolitical context.
3. Current developments in the European Union - problems of the integration process - politics, economy, ecology, energy, security, etc., divergent interests of nation states, more or less Europe?
4. Current economic and political developments of world powers and regions (USA, China, India, Russia, Turkey, South America, Middle East, South East Asia, Africa, etc.) and the resulting changes in the international system - growth of new actors, changes in power arrangements, economic and technological competition, role of demographic developments on their prosperity.
5. Culture, economics, politics, business and international security - the role of culture and religion, conflict or cooperation?
6. Contemporary security, economic and environmental threats - war conflicts - causes, solutions, potential threats; climate change and its impacts; struggle for water and other strategic commodities, deglobalization and trade wars between the world's economic centres; demographic developments and migration - overpopulation, ageing populations, developed versus developing regions; global epidemics and health risks, etc.
- Assessment methods
- Ungraded credit: minimum attendance at seminars, obtaining a specified minimum number of points for activity at seminars and preparation of continuous assignments
Examination: written final test, oral examination (implemented by in-person or remote method) in remedial periods - Language of instruction
- English
- Enrolment Statistics (recent)
- Permalink: https://is.newton.cz/course/nu/summer2026/BE_PH_PGB