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| Semester | spring semester 2021 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers | Aya Kachi (aya.kachi@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The purpose of this seminar is to guide you through the process of planning and completing your bachelor's thesis. Students in this seminar will work on topics that are related to energy and climate policy. Topics related to broader sustainability issues can be acceptable. This year (FS2021), there is a possibility for you to apply for a “special topic”, in addition to our Regular Track. For you to join the “special topic” group, there will be an additional selection process after you enter this thesis seminar. (In other words, Regular Track is guaranteed for all the participants of the seminar.) Please read the following description of the two tracks carefully. ** Regular Track ** At the beginning of the seminar, students will first identify relevant literatures and develop a research question by him/herself. During the first two kick-of meetings, we go over potential topics (but not research questions) in the area of energy and climate policy as well as an ideal thesis structure. This is why your attendance at these meetings are mandatory. Identifying an important and interesting research question requires a great amount of effort, but it is also a creative and exciting process. I welcome students who are motivated to engage in this process and those who are strongly interested in these topics. As a formal requirement of this seminar, we accept theses that attempt to answer research questions only by quantitative analyses. By quantitative analyses, we mean either (i) formal theory (game theory, social choice theory) or (ii) quantitative data analyses (such as regressions). Generally speaking, it is not easy to learn a new analytical tool (e.g., game theory models or regression models) as you work on your thesis during the semester. (There have been a few impressive exceptions in the past.) Therefore, you are expected to join the seminar already with at least one quantitative analytical tool at hand. In this seminar, we do not supervise theses that use qualitative empirical methods, such as comparative case studies, QCA, or CPT. During your study at the university, you can learn many things. However, there are not a plenty of opportunities where you can gain deep and thorough knowledge about a single topic. I hope that this thesis seminar offers you such an opportunity and, at the end of the semester, you can boast with confidence (and evidence) that you have developed good knowledge on certain issues related to energy and climate policy. ** Special Topic FS2021 ** A group of selected participants will work on given topics related to German coal phase-out (or coal policy, more generally). Your virtual interviews with German energy stakeholders, interview transcription, interview translation (to English), as well as the interview data analyses will be the basis of your thesis. In this track, you will be contributing to an on-going research project “COALSTAKE” (coalstake.org) by the instructors (Kachi and Duygan) and you will work closely with Mert Duygan with regard to the interview methods. Given the number of interviews one can achieve reasonably, the expected analyses will be qualitative (comparative) analyses. German language proficiency is a requirement, although your final thesis will be in English. Quite obviously, this track would move along a relatively tight time line and it is suitable for highly motivated students. Your admission to this track will be decided only after your official admission to this thesis seminar was determined by the WWZ Dean of Studies office (Studiendekanat). |
| Comments | The kick-off meeting is extremely important for completing your thesis. If you wish to enroll in this thesis seminar, please first mark your calendar for the kick-off meeting day as you plan your semester. (1) Kick-off meeting 1 (Lecture on thesis-writing and topics) March 1, 2021, 1015-1200 (2) Individual meetings to finalize your research question. (You will later sign up for a 30-minute time slot via Doodle) March 18 or 19, 2021 (3) Mid-term presentation on research questions March 22, 2021 (8:15 – 15:00 / This can become shorter if the class is smaller.) (4) Individual consultation is welcome as you work on your thesis during this time (By appointment.) (5) Submit the written thesis May 20, 2021 (6) Mini Conference: Final presentations and discussions. May 27 & 28, 2021 (8:15 – 14:00) Full participation at (1) (2) (3) (5) and (6) is mandatory. The “Special Topic” groups will have extra meetings. |
| Weblink | Weblink to ADAM |
| Admission requirements | Please read the “Inhalt” section carefully for the seminar’s formal methodological requirements. Admission is only granted to students who are enrolled at our faculty of business and economics, who have already completed their first year (60 credit points) and in addition have gained at least 50 credit points in the “Aufbaustudium”. Highly recommended lecture: 43029 International Political Economy of Energy and Climate Policy Required: 10150 Arbeitsmarktoekonomie or 10199 Angewandte Oekonometrie (if you plan to write an empirical thesis) Required: 23347 Einführung in die Spieltheorie und Experimental Economics (if you plan to write a formal/game theory thesis) Those who completed these lectures will be allocated with a higher priority. |
| Course application | The application for this seminar is done centrally until January 6th, 2021 with the Studiendekanat. The link to the online application form and more information can be found here: https://wwz.unibas.ch/de/studium/bachelor/aufbaustudium/bachelorarbeit/ The registration is binding. In case of non-participation after registration it will be noted as "nicht erschienen" in the transcript. For a break up after recieving a subject and title, there will be a "1.0" recorded. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| unregelmässig | See individual dates | ||
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 01.03.2021 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 22.03.2021 | 08.15-15.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Thursday 27.05.2021 | 08.15-14.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Friday 28.05.2021 | 08.15-14.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Modules |
Module: Bachelor's Thesis II (Economics) (Bachelor's Studies: Business and Economics) |
| Assessment format | seminar credit |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Registration/deregistration: faculty |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,1 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Business and Economics , studiendekanat-wwz@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Faculty of Business and Economics |