Political Economy minors are invited to join Professor Elizabeth Bennett’s International Political Economy Classes and the Environmental Studies Symposium for a simulated experience of carbon emissions trading. Join us for 3 hours of CarbonSim, the Environmental Defense Fund’s artificial intelligence-enhanced, multi-lingual, multi-user, software application that teaches the principles of emissions trading and brings markets to life.

Guest Speaker: Dr Ellen Alexandra Holtmaat

How can you know whether a product that you buy is actually sustainably produced? Sure, the seller says so, but can you trust it? Sustainability certifications aim to provide reliable information for these situations. But who sets these sustainability certifications? Can we trust them? And, are we sure there aren’t any hidden agendas?

Corporate Social Responsibility and Consumer Activism: Solutions to socio-economic problems? Or distractions from sincere solutions?

Organic food! ESG (environmental-social-governance) investing! Fair trade! Certified B Corps! Social entrepreneurship! Triple bottom line! For three decades, our economy has been marked by companies “doing well while doing good” and consumers “shopping for change.” Do these initiatives fight poverty, wealth inequality, and labor exploitation? Or do they simply distract us from more effective solutions?

Join Political Economy Director Elizabeth Bennett for a special event!

Council on Foreign Relations Webinar: U.S. Response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative

What careers do political economy minors pursue? How do the skills/knowledge from this minor contribute to making a meaningful contribution to the world? What strategies have alumni used to identify interesting jobs and receive an offer?