Code
MGYE FIN 5773
Level
M2
Field
Finance
Language
Anglais/English
ECTS Credits
1
Class hours
21
Total student load
20
Program Manager(s)
Department
- Management, Marketing et Stratégie
Educational team
Introduction to the module
International Finance examines how macroeconomic, financial, geopolitical, and technological developments reshape international business ecosystems and strategic decision-making.
The course links foreign-exchange markets, monetary and fiscal conditions, global capital markets, country and sovereign risk, corporate finance, valuation, innovation, and competitive advantage. Particular attention is paid to the interdependencies among these dimensions and to the use of current digital data and information sources to identify trends, vulnerabilities, and emerging opportunities.
The course therefore moves beyond a descriptive introduction to international finance. It develops students’ capacity to monitor global and systemic change, interpret evidence, build scenarios, and formulate finance-informed strategic responses that are proactive, proportionate to identified risks, innovative, and conducive to sustainable performance in a supportive ecosystem.
Learning goals
- 5. Élaborer une vision stratégique et innovante, en s’appuyant sur les potentiels de l’intelligence digitale et sur un écosystème favorable
Learning objectives
- 5.1 - Monitor global and systemic changes in ecosystems in an international environment with a view to anticipating possible transformations and innovations and proposing proactive and proportionate responses to the major issues and challenges ahead.
- 5.2 - Lead or co-lead the development of an innovative, meaningful strategic vision, drawing on the potential of digital intelligence, within a set of identified constraints, to create the conditions for sustainable performance.
Course Learning objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Analyze global and systemic macroeconomic, financial, geopolitical, and technological developments and assess their implications for international business ecosystems. [5.1]
• Interpret macro-financial and market data from authoritative digital sources to identify trends, interdependencies, vulnerabilities, and early-warning signals. [5.1 / 5.2]
• Evaluate currency, interest-rate, sovereign, liquidity, and capital-market risks and compare proportionate financial and strategic responses. [5.1 / 5.2]
• Examine the alignment among corporate strategy, competitive advantage, financing policy, valuation, and international capital allocation. [5.2]
• Construct scenario-based strategic options for an internationally active firm under uncertainty, explicitly accounting for identified constraints, innovation, and sustainable performance. [5.2]
• Justify a finance-informed strategic recommendation using coherent evidence, critical reasoning, and appropriate international-finance concepts.
Content : structure and schedule
Indicative sequence (7 sessions x 3 hours):
Session 1 - International financial ecosystems and systemic interdependencies
Key actors, institutions, flows, transmission channels, and the links between finance, business strategy, and the international environment.
Session 2 - Macro-financial intelligence
Economic growth and development; inflation; employment; interest rates; monetary and fiscal policy; public debt and deficits; interpretation of macro-financial indicators.
Session 3 - Foreign-exchange markets and currency risk
Exchange-rate regimes and determinants; currency exposure; transaction, translation, and economic risk; hedging principles and strategic implications.
Session 4 - Global capital markets and cross-border financing
Bonds, equity, cost of capital, capital allocation, international financing choices, market integration, liquidity, and systemic risk.
Session 5 - Country, sovereign, geopolitical, and regulatory risk
Country-risk assessment; sovereign risk; policy and regulatory shocks; trade tensions; scenario construction and proportionate responses.
Session 6 - Innovation, digital finance, and changing ecosystems
FinTech, data and artificial intelligence in financial analysis, digital currencies, innovation and economic growth, and emerging strategic opportunities and constraints.
Session 7 - Strategic integration and the current world of international finance
Competitive advantage, business valuation, strategic alignment, scenario comparison, and formulation of evidence-based recommendations for sustainable performance.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth: Students examine the financial and macroeconomic conditions that support resilient growth, productive investment, employment, and sustainable corporate performance.
SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities: Students assess how exchange-rate movements, capital flows, debt dynamics, financial crises, and policy choices can create uneven effects across countries, firms, and stakeholders.
Number of SDG's addressed among the 17
2
Learning delivery
synchrone
Pedagogical methods
The course combines structured lectures, data-led analysis, scenario-based exercises, and facilitated discussion. The 21 in-class hours are designed to:
• Present and explain the core concepts, mechanisms, and analytical frameworks of international finance.
• Use contemporary macroeconomic, market, and policy information to connect theory with the changing international environment.
• Develop students’ ability to interpret graphs, indicators, short documents, and market signals drawn from digital information sources.
• Engage students in short, formative scenario and decision exercises requiring them to compare risks, constraints, and strategic responses.
• Stimulate critical thinking through evidence-based questions, debates, and the discussion of current international-finance developments.
Evaluation and grading system and catch up exams
The final grade is based exclusively on the following two individual components:
Final In-Class Examination - 70% of the final grade
Format: A 2-hour individual written examination, closed book, held during the final examination period.
Objective: To assess the student’s individual achievement of the course learning objectives and ability to connect international-finance analysis with strategic decision-making.
Possible tasks: Essay questions, short analytical answers, interpretation of an unseen graph or document, comparison of scenarios, and formulation of a justified strategic recommendation, calculation of foreign exchange conversion and impact on macro-economy.
Grading criteria: Accuracy of knowledge; appropriate application of concepts; analytical depth; interpretation of evidence; quality of strategic reasoning; clarity, structure, and precision of written communication.
Class Participation - 30% of the final grade
Format: Active, prepared, and constructive contribution to lectures, current-finance discussions, and short in-class analytical or scenario exercises.
Objective: To support continuous engagement with the course and to assess the student’s capacity to interpret information, articulate evidence-based views, respond to alternative perspectives, and contribute professionally to collective analysis.
Grading criteria: Relevance and analytical quality of contributions; use of evidence and course concepts; ability to build on the ideas of others; engagement in formative exercises; preparation, listening, and professionalism. Quality is more important than frequency; attendance alone does not constitute participation.
Catch-up / resit assessment: The catch-up assessment will follow programme regulations and will assess the same course learning objectives through an individual written examination.
Module Policies
The following policies support a focused, engaged, and professional learning environment:
• Note-taking and digital tools: Handwritten note-taking is expected. Laptops or tablets may be used only when explicitly authorised for a course activity or where an approved accommodation applies.
• Electronic devices: Mobile phones, smartwatches, and communication devices must be silenced and stored out of sight unless their use is expressly requested by the instructor for a learning activity.
• Punctuality and attendance: Students are expected to arrive on time and remain engaged throughout the session. Repeated lateness, avoidable disruption, or non-compliance with classroom rules will be reflected in the participation grade, in accordance with programme regulations.
• Professional conduct: Contributions must be respectful, evidence-based, and consistent with the standards expected in a business-school and professional environment.
Textbook Required and Suggested Readings
Required:
• Vernimmen, P. et al., Finance d’entreprise, Dalloz, 2025 - selected chapters specified by the instructor. Bokk available at the Mediathèque.
• Current documents, data extracts, and readings made available through the course learning platform.
Suggested sources for current analysis:
• Publications and databases of major international and monetary institutions, central banks, and reputable financial press, as directed by the instructor.
Keywords
financial ecosystems; strategic foresight; foreign exchange;