China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Shanghai FTZ) was launched in September 2013, which is thought to be one of the largest regulatory reforms of China since the 1980s. Shanghai FTZ is expected to spark wider economic reform and trigger a new wave of trade and financial liberalization in China. The eleven-square-mile area also promises financial deregulation, convertibility of China’s currency and freer flow of capital. This course offers a practical as well as economic approach exploring related issues surrounding the Shanghai FTZ in an effort to prepare MIIS students deal with real-world business issues.

This is an immersive learning courses aiming to create unique, high-impact learning experiences that result in real-world solutions. Students are expected to think up a practical problem in the real world. Faculty advisors will help students to turn knowledge into judgment and judgment into action through project research papers. To experience the real world issues, impacts and policy implications of Shanghai FTZ, students are encouraged to travel to Shanghai during the March Spring Break. In Shanghai, students will meet local policymakers and industry professionals, talk to those with an interest in your question, and discuss related issues. Students will also have the opportunity to meet with faculty and students from the School of Management at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SHUFE). A roundtable discussion and professional seminar will also be hosted at SHUFE campus.

The course will be divided into THREE sections:

1. Classroom lecture on MIIS campus: this section include lectures and background building on the topic.

2. Shanghai FTZ visiting and onsite research at Shanghai: this section will include a trip to Shanghai, interview policymakers and researchers in various industries, and conduct survey in Shanghai.

3. In-depth research and case analysis at MIIS: after returning from Shanghai, students will continue working on a team project. Each team is required to present its team project, revise based upon comments received and finalize by the end of the class. Research paper proceedings will be published if possible.