How does this course work?

This course includes a lecture and a section. While the lecture is the same for everyone, several sections on different topics are available. Choose the section that best matches your interests. You must register for a section before the start of the course, and this choice cannot be changed later.

Title

• Lecture title: Sustainable Economics
• Section title: Geopolitics of Energy, Trade and Finance

Instructors

• Lecture instructor: Prof. Jonas Bunte
• Section instructor: Jürgen Braunstein

Language

• Lecture language: German
• Section language: English

Topics of the lecture

The lectures in this course explore possible explanations for the decisions made by three types of actors: businesses, citizens, and politicians. How do businesses make decisions? For example, why do some businesses behave more ethically and environmentally consciously than others? Or why do some businesses engage in more lobbying than others? How do citizens make decisions? For example, why do we sometimes act rationally but other times not? Or why are some social movements successful while others are not? How do politicians make decisions? For example, why do some politicians act based on their convictions while others behave opportunistically? Or why do some politicians appear more competent than others?

Topics of the section

This course explores how energy, trade, and finance shape global politics and why international negotiations are so difficult even when states agree on the problems they face. Contemporary cases such as U.S.–Iran talks, the war in Ukraine, EU–Russia tensions, and decarbonization debates show why understanding the mechanics of negotiation matters. Through a G20 simulation, students will step into the role of policy actors, bargain over competing priorities, and see how power, interests, institutions, domestic pressures, and economic dependencies shape real-world agreements. The course examines green industrial policy, energy security, financial and monetary regimes, and the global shift away from fossil fuels. It asks who wins and loses from the energy transition, why countries defend different economic arrangements, and whether the EU should pursue resilience and self-sufficiency in key green industries.

The focus of this section compared to other sections in this course

Upon completing the course, students will have developed a solid understanding of the core topics within the Department of Socioeconomics, particularly regarding the environmental and climate crisis, globalization, inequality, and democracy. To achieve this, the course pursues three objectives:

1. Critically examine the fundamental assumptions of economic models. Are businesses truly only driven by profit, or are there other motivations? Are humans genuinely rational with fixed, exogenous preferences? Students will gain insights into the implications if such assumptions do not hold.
2. Develop and compare possible explanations. How can we explain situations where actors make different decisions despite similar circumstances? Students will learn to derive potential explanations for these puzzles, becoming familiar with various disciplinary approaches (political science, sociology, geography, history, law, and economics).
3. Explore implications for the future. Students will analyze how these insights shape the various options available to them. What do these findings imply for our future? What can we do to address current challenges?

Lecture

Attendance at the lectures is strongly recommended but not mandatory. If a lecture is missed, no explanation or excuse is required.

Section

Attendance in the sections is mandatory. This requirement is considered fulfilled if no more than one of the seven section meetings is missed. Absences known in advance must be communicated to the instructor beforehand via email. A session missed due to health reasons (e.g., illness or accident) will not count as an absence if a doctor’s note is submitted promptly. In such cases, there are no negative effects on attendance or participation.

However, if more than four section meetings are missed due to health reasons (with a valid doctor’s note), successful completion of the course is no longer possible. In such cases, the student will be de-registered from the course without a grade and may re-enroll in a future semester. Please note that de-registration does not occur automatically if a student does not attend. Students who wish to withdraw must contact the instructor directly before completing any graded coursework.

If graded assignments (e.g., Assignment 1 or 2) are missed, there is no entitlement to compensation or make-up work, even in cases of illness. Further details regarding the attendance policy will be explained in the first section meeting.

Lecture

The pedagogical approach of the lecture is designed to actively engage students. The lectures are therefore dynamic and include a mix of presentations, interactive exercises, and relevant case studies. Lectures are conducted in German.

Section

Each week, we’ll dive into one of three core themes — energy, trade, or finance. The first part of our session will center on active discussion of one key background reading and a contemporary newspaper article, using think–pair–share exercises to spark ideas and debate. In the second part, we’ll put these insights into practice through role plays, mini-simulations, or consultation exercises — turning theory into experience.

Additional Resources

• zuwi_va Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/zuwi_va/
• zuwi_va YouTube Account: https://www.youtube.com/@zuwi_va
• zuwi_va Course Website https://www.wu.ac.at/ipe/lehre/zuwi-vertiefung

Assessments

• In the lecture: 25 points + up to 4 bonus points
  • 25 points: Final exam
  • Up to 4 bonus points: 2 bonus points for the Pre-Course Survey and 2 bonus points for the Post-Course Survey. More information in the field "Bonus Points" below.
• In the section: 75 points
  • 25 points: Quality and quantity of participation
  • 50 points from two assignments determined by the section instructor: Creative Project (25 points) and Written Assignment (25 points)
• Final Grade
  • Students can earn a maximum of 100 points in the course.
  • A minimum of 60 points is required to pass the course.
  • The grading scale is as follows: scores between 60 and 69.9 correspond to a grade of "4," scores between 70 and 79.9 correspond to a grade of "3," scores between 80 and 89.9 correspond to a grade of "2," and scores of 90 or above correspond to a grade of "1."

Details of the Final Exam for the Lecture

• Date: 28. Jänner 2027
  • The exam takes place during the Main Examination Week. The exam date is fixed and cannot be rescheduled.
  • The exam will be conducted online on LEARN.
• Registration
  • No separate registration is required. Students are automatically registered for the final exam upon enrolling in the course.
• Rules
  • If participation in this session is not possible due to verifiable and serious reasons (e.g., illness, accident, death in the family), a make-up attempt during the next main examination week is allowed. Please send a (medical) certificate to your section instructor so they can register you for the next examination week.
  • Requests for expedited grading or early entry of the final course grade cannot be accommodated. Assessment follows the legally binding timelines of WU (Universitätsgesetz § 74 Abs. 4; Prüfungsordnung § 10 Abs. 5), which require that grades be issued within four weeks after completion of the final assessment. Since this course is offered three times per semester, students with time-sensitive application deadlines are advised to select the course session that best aligns with their schedule.
• Content
  • The final exam will cover only the topics from the lecture, not the sections.

Details of Section Assessments

• Assignment Types
  • Two assignments determined by the section instructor: Creative Project (25 points) and Written Assignment (25 points)
• Rules
  • No make-up opportunities will be granted for missed section assignments.
  • Once a section assignment has been submitted (e.g., a quiz), withdrawal from the course is no longer possible.
• AI Policy of the section
  • Artificial intelligence tools are not permitted during in class discussions and simulations. For written preparation, including the policy memo and trade debate template, students may use AI tools, but they must clearly disclose where and how these tools were used and demonstrate full understanding of their work. Students are expected to be able to explain and justify each step of their reasoning and choices in class, and reliance on AI without the ability to articulate the underlying process will negatively affect assessment.

Course Requirements

Students must register for the course via LPIS.

The topics of the available sections varies. For this reason, students are advised to carefully review the information about each section in the course catalogue before making their choice. Select the section that best aligns with your interests, as switching between sections during the semester is not permitted.

It is expected that students enroll in “ZuWi Vertiefung & Anwendung” immediately after completing the STEOP course “Volkswirtschaftslehre und Zukunftsfähiges Wirtschaften” rather than delaying for several semesters.

Waitlist

Enrollment during the registration period is on a “first come, first served” basis, with 20 spots initially available per section. Any additional registrations will be placed on a waitlist.

After the registration period ends, the capacity of each section will be increased to 30 spots. The 10 additional spots will be allocated to waitlisted students who do not yet have valid enrollment for this course, with swap requests not considered. The allocation of these spots is determined based on urgency and academic progress and is managed by the Vice Rectorate for Teaching, without influence from the course instructors.

Students who are absent during the first session of their section will lose their spot. These unclaimed spots will be offered to waitlisted students who attend the first session of the section. This allocation is handled by the section instructors and follows the order of the waitlist.

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Course Workload

• This is a 4-ECTS course. Each ECTS credit corresponds to 25 hours of student work (including class attendance, readings, studying, assessments, etc.). Consequently, the course requires a total workload of 100 hours, consisting of 25 hours allocated to the lecture and 75 hours to the section.

Details on Bonus Points

• General Policy
  • As part of this course, students have the opportunity to earn up to 4 bonus points.
  • Bonus points are voluntary and are not part of the regular assessment. The course can be successfully completed without bonus points and solely based on the regular assessment components.
  • Bonus points are awarded exclusively in accordance with the rules and deadlines outlined below. Retroactive consideration is not possible.
• Pre-Course Survey
  • Up to 2 bonus points can be earned by fully and correctly completing the Pre-Course Survey.
  • The survey will be sent to all students who are registered for the course as of the official semester start date. It will be sent to the WU student email address. Students who are not registered at that time are not eligible for these bonus points.
  • Survey invitations will be sent to the official WU student email address. Students are responsible for regularly checking their email. Technical or organizational issues (e.g., emails not received, spam filters, access problems) do not exempt students from meeting the deadlines.
  • The Pre-Course Survey will be sent on the first day of the semester. There is typically a gap of several days between the official start of the semester (e.g., March 1 or October 1) and the first lecture. The survey must be completed within this period, and no later than the beginning of the first lecture.
  • Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted. No exceptions will be made. Missed surveys cannot be compensated by alternative assignments or other means.
• Post-Course Survey
  • Up to 2 bonus points can be earned by fully and correctly completing the Post-Course Survey.
  • The survey will be sent to all students who are registered for the course at the time of the final exam. It will be sent to the WU student email address. Students who are not registered at that time are not eligible for these bonus points.
  • Survey invitations will be sent to the official WU student email address. Students are responsible for regularly checking their email. Technical or organizational issues do not exempt students from meeting the deadlines.
  • The Post-Course Survey will be sent on the day after the final exam. It must be completed within seven days after the final exam, and no later than 11:59 PM (server time) on the seventh day after the final exam.
  • Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted. No exceptions will be made. Missed surveys cannot be compensated by alternative assignments or other means.