International Human Economic Science Special Cours

【Course Outline】

This special course based on the philosophy of foundation of the Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology aims at actively promoting forms of mutual cooperation between the various disciplines of economic science. We will provide advanced multidisciplinary graduate education in the fields of economics, game theory, ethics (philosophy of law), brain science, computer science (programming and simulation), cognitive psychology and cognitive linguistics. All the classes are to be conducted in English, which is the first trial in our institute.

　

【Requirements】

Eight credits are necessary to be taken from the course subjects for the completion of the course and regarding the subjects below, credits earned before the commencement of the course can be acknowledged. To be specific, the credits earned before the inauguration of the course from “Public Policy and Project Valuation”,“Introductory Cognitive Psychology”(since 2007), “Embodied Economics and Cognition”(since 2007), “Embodied Economics and Language”(since 2007) or “Embodied Economics and Brain”(since 2008) may be included in the requirements.

　

【Recitals】

There is a possibility that new subjects related to advanced microeconomics and innovative communication skills would be added to the following list.

The students wishing to sign up for the course are requested to register in advance by sending email at Hiroyuki AKAMA <akama@dp.hum.titech.ac.jp>, associate professor of the Department of Human System Science.

For more information, please visit

http://www.ihes.hum.titech.ac.jp/

　

【Lecture Courses】

This list is tentative so subject to further important modifications. Additional subjects will be scheduled for the course. There will be some overseas professors included in the list of the adjunct professors to be announced later.

　

List of the Subjects Opened for the Special Course

Title	Credits	Lecturers	Semester	Recitals
Advanced Topics in Ethics and Economics	1−0−0	Makoto USAMI	Autumn	SOC, Intensive
Public Policy and Project Valuation	2−0−0	Noboru HIDANO	Spring	SOC
Recent Developments in Game Theory	0−1−0	Shigeo MUTO	Autumn	SOC, Intensive
Theory of Macroeconomic Dynamics	2−0−0	Akihiko KANEKO	Autumn	SOC
Econometric Analysis	2−0−0	Ryuichi TANAKA	Spring	MEI
Introductory Cognitive Psychology	2−0−0	Kimihiko YAMAGISHI	Spring	HUM
Embodied Economics and Brain	1−0−0	Steven Hackiey and Hiroyuki AKAMA	Spring	HUM, Intensive
Embodied Economics and Cognition	1−0−0	Adjunct Professors (TBA) and Kimihiko YAMAGISHI	Autumn	HUM, Intensive
Embodied Economics and Language	1−0−0	Adjunct Professors (TBA) and Hiroyuki AKAMA	Autumn	HUM, Intensive
Surveys and Experiments in Environmental Economics	1−0−0	Adjunct Professors (TBA) and Noboru HIDANO	Autumn	SOC, Intensive
Introduction to Bayesian Statistics	1−0−0	Shinichi MAEKAWA	Spring	HUM, Intensive
Human Economic Science by Matlab (SPM)	0−2−0	Carlos Edgar, Ken WAKITA and Hiroyuki AKAMA	Spring	HUM
Human Economic Science by Mathematica	0−2−0	Hiroyuki AKAMA	Spring	HUM
Human Economic Science by Grid MPI	0−1−0	Masahiro MOCHIZUKI	Autumn	HUM, Intensive

Abbreviations: SOC: Subjects provided by Dept. of Social Engineering

MEI: Subjects provided by Dept. of Mechanical and Environmental Informatics

HUM: Subjects provided by Dept. of Human System Science

　

Program

Advanced Topics in Ethics and Economics

Autumn term, 1-0-0, Makoto USAMI (Professor, Dept. of Social Engineering)

This course offers an ethical analysis of two central concepts in normative economics: justice and equality. Readings come from the works of contemporary philosophers and economic theorists, including John Rawls, Amartya Sen, Ronald Dworkin, and Derek Parfit. Some background in ethics and political philosophy is helpful; however, technical knowledge in these fields is unnecessary.

Public Policy and Project Valuation

Spring term, 2-0-0, Noboru HIDANO (Professor, Dept. of Social Engineering)

I intend to offer you the essence of cost benefit analysis and valuation methods for public policy and projects including revealed preference techniques for non-market goods, ordinal estimations for market goods and stated preference methods, such as contingent valuation, in environmental and ecological economics.

Recent Developments in Game Theory

Spring term, 0-1-0, Shigeo MUTO (Professor, Dept. of Social Engineering)

Students of the master and doctorate courses report on their research results on game theory. This is an intensive seminar including participants from our collaborated universities: Keio University, Waseda University, Seoul National University, and National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. Students improve their presentation skills in English through discussions with other participants.

Theory of Macroeconomic Dynamics

Autumn term, 2-0-0, Akihiko KANEKO (Associate Professor, Dept. of Social Engineering)

We discuss the theory of saving, consumption and investment based on dynamic optimization. Furthermore, we also explore endogenous growth theory and real business cycle theory as an application of dynamic optimization model, and monetary and fiscal policy as a related matter. This course assumes familiarity with macroeconomics and econometrics at the level of undergraduate textbooks and advanced microeconomics.

Econometric Analysis

Spring term, 2-0-0, Ryuichi TANAKA (Associate Professor, Dept. of Mechanical and Environmental Informatics)

Econometric Analysis introduces the first-year master students to multiple regression methods for analyzing cross-section and panel data (microeconometrics). The objective of the course is for the students to learn how to conduct and how to critique empirical studies in economics and related fields. Accordingly, the emphasis of the course is on empirical applications. In order to learn how to analyze data, the students will be assigned homework every week in which they are required to analyze data from the real world using econometrics software (Stata).

Introductory Cognitive Psychology

Spring term, 2-0-0, Kimihiko YAMAGISHI (Associate Professor, Dept. of Human System Science)

This lecture covers basics of cognitive psychology, with emphases on memory, learning, development, reasoning, and decision making.　 Being an introductory course, this course requires little familiarity with experimental psychology prior to registration.

Embodied Economics and Brain

Spring term, 1-0-0, Steven Hackley and Hiroyuki AKAMA (Associate Professor, Dept. of Human System Science)

In the modern science, it has been more difficult to complete research on human behavior without knowledge of brain functions. For example, in economics, “Neuroeconomics” in which they try to understand the function of brain in terms of neurology is receiving a lot of attention. Many of the latest knowledge about brain functions have been brought from the results of neuro-imaging technology such as fMRI and PET, and understanding of neuron imaging technology becomes very important to understand brain functions and human behaviors. This seminar, held as an intensive course in extra time slots, has an opportunity in which experts from medical and science departments outline the knowledge of biological analysis by body imaging technologies and latest neuron imaging technology. Also, demonstrations of experiments for brain function measurements are planned.

Embodied Economics and Cognition

Autumn term, 1-0-0, Adjunct Professors (TBA) and Kimihiko YAMAGISHI (Associate Professor, Dept. of Human System Science)

The concept of rational “economic man--homo-economics”, which is presupposition of economics has collapsed and research about the approach to economic activities under limitation of human cognitive ability has been focused. We study various common grounds of economics including behavioral economics, cognitive economics, neuroeconomics and cognitive psychology, and psychology of decision making related to preference and judgment.

Embodied Economics and Language

Autumn term, 1-0-0, Adjunct Professors (TBA) and Hiroyuki AKAMA (Associate Professor, Dept. of Human System Science)

In cognitive linguistics, which has a close relation to cognitive science, it is popular to consider human language behaviors as being embodied at the levels of human nerve system and this trends can be also found in behavioral economics, cognitive economics and neuroeconomics. We discuss the theory of embodiment which put value on meaning process in mind and body, and in perception and action.

Surveys and Experiments in Environmental Economics

Autumn term, 1-0-0, Adjunct Professors (TBA) and Noboru HIDANO (Professor, Dept. of Social Engineering)

We discuss theoretical issues such as incentive compatibility and reciprocity in research and experience, which come into question in environmental economics and practical issues in research plans. Trainings / Practices are also prepared.

Introduction to Bayesian Statistics

Spring term, 1-0-0, Shinichi MAEKAWA (Professor, Dept. of Human System Science)

Starting from mathematical preparation such as probability distribution, linear algebras, we will study the theory of Bayes and its extension, natural conjugate distribution, hierarchical Bayes, numerical resolution such as MCMC, other logit profit models and Bayesian network.

Human Economic Science by Matlab (SPM)

Spring term, 0-2-0, Carlos Edgar, Ken WAKITA (Associate Professor, Dept. of Mathematical and Computing Sciences) and Hiroyuki AKAMA (Associate Professor, Dept. of Human System Science)

We provide trainings for “Matlab” and “SPM” by using Tsubame Grid Cluster to increase necessary knowledge for the analysis of brain image obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The SPM (statistical parametric mapping) is a software package to analyze human brain activities and it is employed in many fMRI studies. In this lecture, students will learn the theoretical background of the SPM and practical usage as well as how to use the Matlab that is required to run the SPM.

Human Economic Science by Mathematica

Spring term, 0-2-0, Hiroyuki AKAMA (Associate Professor, Dept. of Human System Science)

Mathematica is a highly ingenious, extremely precise and among others user-friendly programming language. From the standpoint of the human economic science, it is the most suitable for 1) complicated symbolic computation including vast amounts of terms, 2) analytical or numerical solutions of equations, differential equations or minimization calculation, 3) accurate and aesthetic visualization of graphs or figures. In this class, we provide practices using“Tsubame”to learn how to manipulate “Mathematica”, which is necessary for the calculation of economics or cognitive psychology such as solution to equations, linear algebra (list, vector and matrix manipulation), statistics (Descriptive statistics, Regression, Anova), graphs and complex network, and simulation of complex systems.

Human Economic Science by Grid MPI

Autumn term, 0-1-0, Masahiro Mochizuki (Associate Professor, Global Scientific Information and Computing Center)

This course aims to introduce basics of parallel programming with MPI (Message Passing Interface) on a Supercomputing Grid Cluster named TSUBAME, as well as focusing on the design of parallel algorithms for solving problems in the area of human economic science.