Modern Economy of the Balkan & Circumpolar Countries – BA712

1. General

SCHOOL	SCHOOL OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES
ACADEMIC UNIT	DEPARMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE
LEVEL OF STUDIES	Undergraduate
COURSE CODE	BA712	SEMESTER		8
COURSE TITLE	Modern Economy of the Balkan & Circumpolar Countries
INDEPENDENT TEACHING ACTIVITIES			WEEKLYTEACHING HOURS		CREDITS
Lectures			3
Hours Lab			0
Hours Exercises			0
Total			3		6
COURSE TYPE	Scientific Field, Compulsory
PREREQUISITE COURSES	No
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION and EXAMINATIONS	Greek
IS THE COURSE OFFERED TO ERASMUS STUDENTS	Yes (upon request)
COURSE WEBSITE (URL)	https://

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning outcomes
After successful completion of the course, students are expected to be able to: 1. have knowledge and describe the specifics of economic reforms and problems of transition to market economy in the Balkan and Black Sea countries. 2. understand and explain the preconditions, processes, directions of creation and development of sub-regional economic integration in Eastern Europe. 3. describe the institutional system of the BSEC and SEECP. 4. analyze and explain the institutional framework of economic cooperation and the development of regional economic relations in the Balkans and the Black Sea region, as well as the position and role of Greece in the region. 5. compare and evaluate the structure of foreign trade of the Balkan and Black Sea countries (by commodity, service, country, region, economic organisation). 6. classify the position and analyze the current economic development trends of the BSEC and SEECP in the world economy and international trade. 7. evaluate energy and environmental cooperation in the Balkan and Black Sea region. 8. assess and synthesize the economic development prospects and economic strategies of the BSEC and SEECP countries in the context of globalization of economic trade and sustainable global development. 9. analyse the problems and prospects of Greek foreign trade, foreign direct investment and regional projects in the Balkan and Black Sea region. 10. critically compare and evaluate the benefits of Greeces economic transactions in the BSEC and SEECP. 11. explain and differentiate Greeces position and important role as a bridge connecting the Balkan and Black Sea countries with the EU.
General Competences
• Search, analysis and synthesis of data and information, using the necessary technologies • Adapting to new situations • Decision-making • Promoting free, creative and deductive thinking

3. SYLLABUS

• Pan-European and sub-regional economic integration in Eastern Europe.
• The development of regional economic relations in the Balkans and the Black Sea region during the Cold War period. The end of bipolarity, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the system of centrally planned economy in Eastern Europe.
• Economic reforms and problems of transition to the market economy in the Balkans.
• Inter-state agreements and regional stability and cooperation initiatives in SEE (EU initiatives: Stability Pact in SEE, Royaumont Process, SEE Cooperation Initiative - SECI).
• Balkan economic cooperation and the activity of regional economic organisations in South-Eastern Europe - NAE (NAE Countries Cooperation Process -SEECP, the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative -PAI).
• The Balkan countries path to EU membership. The EU Stabilisation and Association process (SAP) in the Western Balkans. The foreign trade of the Balkan countries and Greeces bilateral economic cooperation in the SEE.
• The Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC): institutions, objectives and responsibilities.
• Specificities of the transition to the market economy in the Black Sea countries. The position of the BSEC countries in the world economy.
• The international economic relations of the BSEC countries with the EU countries and the rest of the world. The bilateral trade and economic relations of the GCC countries.
• Greek foreign economic policy in the BSEC and its participation in the implementation of major regional projects. Greek foreign trade and investment in the Black Sea region and the Commonwealth of Independent States - CIS.
• Economic cooperation in the CIS: problems and prospects for development. Key transnational agreements on intra-Community economic relations. Bilateral and foreign trade of CIS countries.

4. TEACHING and LEARNING METHODS - EVALUATION

DELIVERY

Face to face

USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Use of the electronic platform e-class
During office hours
Presentations are made using Power Point.
There is also the possibility of electronic communication via e-mail to the teacher.
Providing electronic teaching presentations to Students, via e-class

TEACHING METHODS

Activity	Semester workload
Lectures	30
Studying on distributed problem sets	65
Individual Study	49

Course Total	144





Course total	288

STUDENT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

The evaluation of students, in order to provide them with options, preferences and use of their time, is done in two ways:
I. Progress (30%) and Written Examination (70%). Student participation in progress is optional. The grade of progress is taken into account if it is greater than 5 and if it is greater than that of the written exam.
II. 100% written final exam for non-progress students.
Evaluation Language: Greek
Final Exams: The exam schedule is announced 20 days before the exams on the secretariats website.

5. SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

-Suggested bibliography:

• EVANGELOS SIKOS, ADALAT MURADOV, KONSTANTIA DARVIDOU (2022) Black Sea and Transboundary Economic and Energy Relations. EVKONOMIA Publications. ISBN 978-618-85017-1-3.
• SIKKOS EVANGELOS (2002) The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the Regional Economic Integration of the Commonwealth of Independent States countries. Papazisis Publications.
• Papapanagos Harry, Laspas Christina (2010) The performance of the economies of Greece and the Balkans in the context of European economic integration.
• MARAGOS IOANNIS, BITZENIS ARISTIDIS (2007) The Economics of Transition Publisher: STAMOULIS PUBLICATIONS .
• PAPASOTIRIOU CHARALABOS 1999 Greece Southeast Europe Publisher: PAPAZISI PUBLICATIONS AEBE
• BITZENIS ARISTIDIS (2003) The Dynamics of the Balkan Markets ( vol: STAMOULIS PUBLICATIONS
• PAPAZOGLOU CHRISTOS 2005 The Economies of Southeast Europe Publisher: KRITIKI SA
• KARAFOTAKIS EVANGELOS (2001) Trade and Product Distribution and Supply Networks in FYROM and Bulgaria Publisher: STAMOULIS PUBLICATIONS
• P. Sklias (2001) International Political Economy. The Balkans, Central and Eastern, Europe (CEE), the countries of the former USSR and relations with the EU.Ed. Papazisis.
• PAPASOTIRIOU CHARALABPOS 1999 Greece Southeastern Europe Publisher: PAPAZZI PUBLICATIONS
• Babanasis Stergios (1997) Changes and business opportunities in Central Eastern Europe. Papazisis Publications.
• S. Valden, Balkan Cooperation and European Integration, Ed. Papazisis, Athens, 1994,
• Fakiolas, The New Economic Era of the Balkan Countries in Transition, Working Papers (EKEM Publications) Athens, 1995,
• Papasotiriou Haralambos . Greece, Southeast Europe and the New International System : the challenges of the 21st century. Papazisis, 1999.
• Bredomas Antonis . The bilateral conventions for the protection of Greek investments in the Balkans and the Black Sea . Ekd, Sakkula Athens 1997.
• Siskos E. Teaching notes for the course Trans-Balkan and Black Sea Economic Relations.

-Related academic journals: