The course is a distance learning course and requires no physical presence or plan B.

The global market for infrastructure finance is one of the biggest markets in the world with exponential growth rates. The G 20 estimate global demand for infrastructure finance until 2038 at 94 trillion USD, the majority of which will be invested in emerging economies with, sometimes, high risks and weak institutional structures.

The course addresses the challenges emerging in large-scale infrastructure investments in high risk countries. The complexity of megaprojects like the Hamaca oil field (Venezuela), the Chad-Cameroon pipeline or the construction of Hong-Kong Disney Land results in managerial and financial problems that are more pronounced than in traditional corporate investment. Projects are exposed to extensive political, financial and commercial risks. For foreign investors, risk management becomes a key consideration.

In the course, possible strategies for diversifying, transferring and mitigating risk are discussed based on case studies and empirical academic studies. Such strategies include financial strategies (project finance), contractual strategies (hedging, insurance, guarantees and non-financial contracts) as well as classical strategic and managerial considerations (alliances, co-investment, joint-ventures, management fallacies in megaprojects).

During the course, students

• Have acquired theoretical and conceptual knowledge on the nature and particularities of large scale- infrastructure investments.
• Become acquainted with the market for infrastructure projects, in particular in developing countries.
• Have a systematic understanding of risk management techniques in large megaprojects.
• Are able to analyze and implement a variety of interdisciplinary risk management strategies in international infrastructure investment.
• Become acquainted with a number of successful and unsuccessful cases of infrastructure projects.

The elective is a distance learning course that can be concluded entirely from a distance. Coachings will be offered online by the instructor.

Students watch weekly lecture casts on theory and submit week-to-week take-home assignments. In the meantime students work on group projects. This final exam session and the initial course welcome sessions are the only sessions that requires online presence at a predetermined time.

• The course is designed as an online, modular course that is taught entirely online on learn@wu. Students are expected to complete ALL weekly online learning components:
  
  - Pre-session mandatory readers
  - Recorded lecture casts (asynchronous)
  - Online assignments and learning extensions (videos & podcasts)
  - Final Exam
  -Group work
   
• Teaching language is English. Course materials and student papers should be in English.

• 30% Take-home assignments
• 50% Group projects
• 20% Online exam

Please contact masterexint@wu.ac.at for inquiries. The course is open for all international and WU students.

The course has no pre-requisites.