Bus/Inv Fragile High-Rsk Mkts

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This course prepares students to understand and navigate the complex realities of investing or doing business (operations, supply chains, etc) in fragile and conflict-affected markets, where opportunity and volatility coexist. Students will examine how global and local economic systems function in high-risk environments, how national, sub-national, and non-state actors shape economic incentives, and how to identify both risk and potential for long-term impact in places where formal institutions are weak or contested. Through a systems lens and real-world case studies, such as Facebook's role in Myanmar's genocide to LaFarge’s terrorism financing catastrophe in Syria, students will learn to analyze frontier and fragile markets as interconnected systems where decisions made by investors, corporations, and development finance institutions can either exacerbate instability or help create more inclusive, resilient economies and political systems. The course integrates cutting-edge tools from business strategy, political economy, and conflict analysis, preparing students for careers in global strategy, security sector engagement, international finance, development finance, risk consulting, and private sector roles in challenging operational environments.