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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Politics and Economics of International Energy by Sciences Po

4.7
stars
1,767 ratings

About the Course

Energy issues have always been important in international relations, but in recent years may have become even more important than in the past due to the widespread awareness of existing limits to energy sources and negative climate impacts. The course discusses global trends in energy consumption and production, various available scenarios for potential developments in the coming decades, the availability of oil reserves and the evolution of the oil industry. It then discusses natural gas and highlights the differences between oil and gas. It will also discuss renewable energy sources, nuclear energy and EU energy policy. The course aims at providing students whose main interest is in international relations a background on energy resources, technology and economic realities to allow them to correctly interpret the political impact of current developments. It also aims at providing students, who already have a technical background in energy science or engineering, with the broad global view of energy issues that will allow them to better understand the social, economic and political impact of their technical knowledge. ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR : Giacomo Luciani Scientific Advisor for the Master in International Energy at the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) Sciences Po, Giacomo Luciani is also Adjunct Professor at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva and Director of the Executive Master in International Oil and Gas Leadership. For the period 2010-13 he was appointed Princeton University Global Scholar, attached to the Woodrow Wilson School and the Department of Near Eastern Studies. His research focuses on the political economy of the Middle East and North Africa and on global energy issues. RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND : The course requires no special scientific, mathematical or economic background; all key concepts are clearly and elementarily explained. It is expected that it will be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students in schools where an equivalent course is not offered (this being the case for the vast majority of schools). USPC Sorbonne Paris Cité Supported by Université Sorbonne Paris Cité IDEX Investissements d'Avenir Funded by Investissements d'Avenir - 'ANR. Info : Course content : Licence Creative Commons BY NC SA...

Top reviews

DP

Sep 10, 2016

Excellent delivery.

Fantastic external sources with clear and precise explanations from a graphical viewpoint.

Great range of industry expertise and professionals within the appropriate fields.

TB

Jun 14, 2017

Very interesting course ! Very well explained but maybe needs updates on current news (even if it may be hard I acknowledge) !

Really well balanced between definitions, geopolitics and science.

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26 - 50 of 442 Reviews for Politics and Economics of International Energy

By Yves L B

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Oct 25, 2023

Pretty good introduction, for 2019. A few updates necessary (Nord Stream 2 has been constructed, war in Ukraine happened). Still good fundamentals. Geopolitical insights on the preparation of War in Ukraine (with regards to Russian gas exports)

By Marcos O

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Aug 9, 2020

Content is very good, although in a very introductory level.

Quizzies are veryyyy bad. Questions aren’t clear enough, and could be easily fixed.

By Paulina R

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Jul 19, 2022

The course is good, but it should be updated.

By Kevin p

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Jul 1, 2018

Need some updates

By Spencer M

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May 26, 2020

The course lectures, outside videos, and readings are mostly very good and hit key points in understanding the material. The professor usually does a very good job in summarizing important ideas. I very much enjoyed the course and will be able to use the added knowledge in my career.

I really liked the case studies, such as when we talked about the natural gas relationship between Russia and Europe or the discussion of sanctions against Iran. However, I really would have liked to see a discussion of Venezuela at some point to look at its unique position and problems, which are so much connected to its abundant energy resources. There wasn't enough discussion of South America in my opinion, although I did find the insights on Brazil very interesting.

The course quizzes are an area that needs improvement. Some of the quizzes have questions that are poorly phrased such that the answer is not clear based on the provided material i.e. there are sometimes multiple answers that could be right or the right answer isn't worded carefully enough. (I remember the quiz on renewables being particularly frustrating.)

Thanks for a useful course!

By Charlotte J

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Apr 27, 2017

I learned a lot! Very interesting, educative, relevant and up to date issues/infos, eventhough it is not a 2017 course. The structure of the course makes a lot of sense. I enjoyed the teacher, easy to listen to. This course taugh me (as expect) about international politics through topics such as the difficult situation of gas pipelines. However it also encouraged me dig deaper on subject that should matter to any citizen. In fact, I found myself researching about my country's energy mix or recent green buildings in my city. Finally, I learned about technical and alternative option such as portable and safe nuclear energy -it did not even cross my mind that nuclear would be anything else than huge reactors -tricky to stop.

By Alejandro P

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Feb 4, 2020

This is a great course if you're interested in learning the introductory concepts of international energy. Not only does it provide a great backdrop of the past, but also where we should be going in the future. The course gives a well-balanced view about all aspects of the energy sector, from supply to consumption, and often delves in to technical aspects of the sub-sectors it covers. Lastly, this course is great for understanding the climate challenges that the world faces today, and the steps that need to be taken in order to start reversing the negative impacts of CO2 emissions.

By Cristian C F

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Dec 17, 2020

The Politics and Economics of International Energy MOOC provided by Sciences Po on Coursera was absolutely a great experience of e-learning. The course is focused on a variety of current issues, from #nuclearenergy to #decarbonisation and #energytransition. It is really important nowadays to understand the energy policies made at the international level and how the energy market works. I truly believe that is essential to provide a more #resilient, #green and #affordable future for the next generations. Thanks, Sciences Po and professor Giacomo Luciani, for this brilliant course!

By VOYANT

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May 11, 2021

A very useful course to understand the fundamentals of energy technologies, markets and policies. I think it is an ideal training course to begin in this sector, and it will give you access to many other subjects. Do not underestimate the basis of politics and economics of energy which will help you build a strong knowledge in this field.

On top of that, Professor Luciani is very clear in his explanation and will help you moving forward. Personally, I found that it was a bit longer than the estimation from the school. But it is worth taking time!

By Yin A

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Apr 27, 2020

This is very helpful and opened my eyes to a lot of things. I am not very well-versed with the current economics and status of the energy industry and this course really helped me a lot.

I finally know now that I should be more environmentally aware, conscious in my decisions and picking energy sources that can leave excessive carbon footprints and that SEA is pretty much reliant on coal still. My gained knowledge can help me further my aspirations and career goals in the Energy industry especially now that we're dealing with climate change.

By Samantha M

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Mar 27, 2020

This course is great! I think it recapitulates the most important aspects of how energy works internationally in a well-structured course which is easy to follow and enjoyable. It's a course made many years ago so some of the information might not be updated, I highly suggest learners to verify all of the information that may have changed to this day.

I would definitely recommend it to people who are introducing themselves on the subject.

By Vikram S R

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Jun 27, 2020

Thanks a lot Prof. Giacomo Luciani and SciencesPo and Coursera for the excellent holistic overview of the Politics & Economics of the International Energy. Highly recommended course to anybody interested in the Global Energy Issues. Some data are old which needs updation along with recent developments in oil supply & price crash events post covid19 scenario in the forthcoming session of the course. Thank you very much.

By Wadner P

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Jan 27, 2017

I will strongly recommend "Politics and Economics of International Energy" to anyone working or thinking about working on the energy field. This course is also an asset for those advising policymakers or policy -makers themselves. I have learned so much from this course though the materials and interviews. Yes it was challenging because it is good. I can only say that I am glad I made the decision to take the course.

By Nino V

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Jul 10, 2016

Very interesting course that provides a very insightful overview of the international energy issues. I like the way it is structured and how much of valuable information is given (taking into account relatively not big time commitment). I work in the electric power industry and I find information that I have learned during this course to be very helpful for my general understanding of the international energy issues.

By Poj H

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Oct 21, 2020

This course provides comprehensive perspectives on the sustainable development on energy. Influences of policies or strategies have been carefully considered in which all class of people in all countries will be closely satisfied and equitable. Learning through the past of energy revolution make learners more understand about the effect of power of resource possession to international economics and trade agreements.

By Divine M N

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Jun 2, 2017

The course syllabus is very well structured.

In addition, crucial and complex aspects of the international energy industry are explained in a simple and excellent style.

If I could make a suggestion, a course on law/legal aspects of international energy could be a very good complement for this course. Maybe Coursera and Sciences Po (or some other University) could offer such a course sometime in the near future?

By Jana B

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Jan 3, 2024

Volumous course with a lot of examples and extra reports. It is a great resource to gain a broad spectrum of understanding about the Energy Sector. some articles, videos, and games were no longer available. Very tough tests with the possibility of retaking after two or more weeks. Some data is outdated. Particularly on renewables. Overall, it was a tough, voluminous, and exciting course to take. Thank you

By David L

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Dec 12, 2018

A very comprehensive approach to the most well-known energy sources and their economic, social and political implications. I had no previous experience nor knowledge about energy before joining the course; now I can say I am way above average in my class. A recommendation would be to suggest more up-to-date papers regarding energy trends or websites that contain relevant updates to keep building knowledge.

By Chandra S A

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Nov 13, 2017

Fantastic course with amazing presentations through videos, graphs, interviews and excellent pictures or videos of related fields in the background made the course really interesting.

The interviews conduct by Respected Professor Giacomo Luciani

made me felt as we are really present in a class.

I am very impressed by the course content of Geo-Politics of Gas especially.

Great Course.

By Mohsen K V

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Feb 28, 2018

Very good and useful course. I have learnt a lot of things from Videos and seminaries about the global energy. But I think it would better adding up a final written work in the last season. Thank You.

Muy buen curso. He aprendido muchas cosas de los videos y seminarios sobre la energía global. Pero creo que sería mejor si habría un trabajo final escrito en el último apartado. Gracias.

By Ondrej Å 

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Oct 21, 2016

More like 4,5 a star, but still a very good introduction to International energy markets. It touches the economy of energy, the politics of energy and also provides a deep look into the actual technological process of drilling oil, gas, etc. Materials are visual, lots of graphs, sometimes articles and interviews. Tests are moderately hard. I would certainly recommend this course.

By Yuri V P

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May 18, 2020

The course is a great introduction to all of the major concerns and characteristics of the current international energy panorama. It is very well produce and has an excellent balance between technical explanations and practical examples, insightful interviews with experts as well as transmissions of conferences of major importance on the topics presented during the lessons.

By THEOPHILE A

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Jan 6, 2021

Good class to gain a global view of public policies concerning energy, and understand the importance of decarbonizing our energy system to mitigate climate change. The professors and guests are very interesting and quite engaging. Only markdown is for the quality of some of the videos: it was sometimes difficult to hear the audio, or look at the visual material presented.

By Raghul R

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Jun 11, 2020

This course is excellent with insights into all sectors of energy industry with focus on futuristic developments. The course stimulates to seek more than whats taught and makes one look out for the breakthrough changes/opportunities and brace up to lead the change.

It has been an enlightening one & helpful to understand the world energy in its broader sense.