Disrupting Economics: New Metrics for a Sustainable Future

Harvard Extension School

MGMT E-7037

Section 1

CRN 17248

View Course Details
Protests over government policies have become more commonplace in both advanced and emerging countries around the world. Angry citizens complain about a wide range issues including inequality, privacy, democracy, immigration, trade, job security, health care, and climate change. Are governments really failing to deliver what societies need and citizens want? Perhaps the answer lies in the way success is measured. Amid globalization and the rise of the digital economy, traditional economic measures like gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment, and stock market performance may be leaving governments and citizens with a distorted worldview—and a shaky foundation for policy decisions. This course investigates limitations with conventional yardsticks used for assessing national output, employment, inflation, productivity, and trade, and asks what components of a successful society we fail to measure at all. Public policies that are based on inaccurate or incomplete data are likely to have unintended consequences leading to financial meltdowns, environmental degradation, economic inequality, and pandemics. Moreover, failing to fully account for true costs can skew individual, corporate, and governmental behavior towards short-term versus sustainability. As a response, many scholars—from economists to sociologists—are formulating new metrics and new philosophies to address such concerns and to utilize the unprecedented amount of data now available for analysis. This course hopes to inspire social entrepreneurs to develop innovative, superior, and sustainable approaches to economics and finance that make the world better for all.

Instructor Info

Peter Marber, PhD

Chief Investment Officer for Emerging Markets, Aperture Investors, and Adjunct Instructor, Finance, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School


Meeting Info

Sa 9:00am - 5:00pm (10/19 - 10/19)
Su 9:00am - 1:00pm (10/20 - 10/20)
F 5:30pm - 8:30pm (10/18 - 10/18)

Participation Option: On Campus

Deadlines

Last day to register: August 29, 2024

Notes

Students must be present for the entire three-day weekend to earn credit for this course. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals. International students see important visa information.

Syllabus

All Sections of this Course

CRN Section # Participation Option(s) Instructor Section Status Meets Term Dates
17248 1 On Campus Peter Marber Open Sa 9:00am - 5:00pm
Su 9:00am - 1:00pm
F 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Oct 18 to Oct 20
26889 1 On Campus Peter Marber Open Sa 9:00am - 5:00pm
Su 9:00am - 1:00pm
F 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Feb 21 to Feb 23