ITIP Capstone

The International Trade & Investment Policy (ITIP) capstone course (IAFF 309) provides an opportunity for students to conduct research and apply the multidisciplinary knowledge acquired in the ITIP program to a practical real world international policy problem. The capstone is a one credit course graded on a Pass/Fail basis. It is generally taken in the final semester of the student's MA program. In the capstone students are grouped into small teams and complete a research project submitted by a sponsoring organization.

ITIP Capstone Guidelines
2007-2008 ITIP Capstone Projects

2008-2009 ITIP Capstone Projects

"Fisheries Subsidies: Launching Conservation International Into the Debate"

Capstone Group: Alex Sheets, Anne Flatness, Colleen Michaels, Jacob Mohs
Sponsor: Conservation International
This project will analyze the impact of fishing subsidies on fish stocks around the world and provide recommendations for future engagement by Conservation International at the local and global level, specifically at the WTO.
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"Global FDI Trends"

Capstone Group: Dylan Carlson, Justin Shepherd, Nadine Farouq
Sponsor: The U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration This project will investigate global attitudes towards Foreign Direct Investment and catalogue corresponding policy positions and resulting degrees of openness. Fifteen countries of diverse standing and nine industry groups of global importance are analyzed.
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"Increased Foreign Control of U.S. Air Carriers and the Implications for Labor"

Capstone Group: Chris Hedquist, David McCaleb, Jonathan Hjembo
Sponsor: The U.S. Department of Transportation
This project analyzes the impact potential liberalization of ownership would have on labor within the U.S. aviation industry. This project details a macro-and-micro perspective of the ways multinationals address labor issues; critiques the theory of a foreign ownership wage premium; and examines relevant findings from the liberalization of the telecommunications sector, and discusses case studies from the European airline sector following its liberalization in 1993.
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"China Manufacturing Cost Competitiveness"

Capstone Group: Charles Michael, Greg Tyng, Jessie Xi Yang
Sponsor: Global Insight
This study is an empirical analysis of relative changes in export market share and import market size to determine China's regional and global competitiveness in specific manufacturing commodity groups. Three case studies compare relative market share, and focus on Vietnam and China over the sample period 2003-2008.
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"Nuclear Energy Prospects in Three Middle East Countries"

Capstone Group: Jennifer Wu, Ji Woon Park, William Hultberg
Sponsor: The Ux Consulting Company, LLC
This report will enhance the knowledge and understanding of the growth of nuclear power in the Middle East region, specifically in Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The project assesses the viability and potential for the development of commercial nuclear energy generating capacity by the year 2030 for these countries, as well as determines the necessary conditions for initiation of a nuclear program.
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