“Global Commons Negotiations and Business in Network Technologies “

PGP Term 4 & 5, 2021

(Amended Digital Mode Version)

Faculty: Prof A Damodaran

Course Outline

3 Credits

Context, Objectives and Scope

The context of this course is the changing landscape of global commons in the past five
years. The concept of Global Commons has gone beyond global environmental resources
such as Climate and Biodiversity and today includes global peace, zoonotic global
pandemics like COVID 19 and the global financial order. A classic case of the
importance of global peace as a Global Commons is that of the volatile situation created
by North Korea, which not only affects the Korean peninsula but peace in different parts
of the world which are affected by North Korea nuclear supply chain. This apart, global
biodiversity financing is slated to reach a minimum range of US $150billion while
Climate Change resource mobilization is targeted to be of the order of Euro 55– 80
billion each year during the period 2010– 2020. International financing such as the
World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and the Global
Environmental Facility are at work to build portfolios on climate change and
biodiversity by way of direct investments and transfer of new patented technologies in
the low carbon technologies. Block chain technologies find applications in non-financial
spheres as well. Similarly patented renewable energy, biotechnology and
nanotechnologies are being sought for transfer by those who desire their
commercialization.

 Expose participants to the economics of new global commons including global

crisis induced by the pandemic COVID 19 and the Korean Peninsula Crisis
 Exposure to global commons network technologies like blockchains, IoTs and AI
from a policy and economics perspective
 Exposure to Mechanisms set up to facilitate transfer of technologies protected by
Intellectual Property (IP) rights to needy countries/companies that desire to
contribute to the protection of global commons.
 Exposure to financing instruments associated with prominent global commons
like climate change and biodiversity

1
  Exposure to the theory and practice of diplomacy and negotiations process and
strategies in multi country public forums through game theoretic approaches

Course Structure
The course is organized around 5 modules.

Attendance
For guest Lectures (equivalent to 1 class sessions) attendance is compulsory . Rest is
subject to the minimum attendance norms as laid down by Institute .

Grading Scheme
As per PGP Office Norms for Term 4/5 Online Courses in 2021.

Pedagogy
Lectures by the Instructor. Virtual Conference Participation and Lectures by Experts

PPTs will be provided by the instructor for all modules to cover readings.

Essential Reading
Materials to be provided by the Instructor in the form of PPTs for readings indicated.
The following essential reading that cuts across the five modules is recommended:

 Damodaran, A. (2010): Encircling the Seamless; India, Climate Change and

Global Commons, Oxford University Press, 2010. (Chapters 3 and 11 )

(E Book version to be supplied by PGP office)

Evaluation Components and Weights

 Quiz 1 (20%) (Module 1)

 Mid Term (40%) Modules 2 and 3
 End Term Exam (40%) (Cumulative -All Modules except Module 1 )

Notes on Module wise Digi Exam based Evaluation

All exams are open book. The exams will have short questions for which answers will
have to be provided in Question paper booklet.

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Session Wise Break up of Topics/ Modules

Session
Module Topics/ Readings
s
- Changing definition of Global Commons
Political Economy of
- Structure of the Course: An Illustration
Global Commons and the
1 to 4 - Managing Global Commons : Lessons from
COVID as Global
COVID 19 : Introduction to CITES , CBD and
Commons
Global Food Safety Laws and Vaccines
(Module 1)
- Political Economy of Global Commons

The objective of this module is to introduce on how

Privately provided new Common Goods (Bitcoins, AI,
Block Chains and IoT) can be availed by countries
5 to 7 Public Goods (Module 2)
like India

Materials: To be provided by the Instructor

The focus of this Module is on the following tools

proposed to finance global commons:
 Technology
Transfer and
Absorption
 Mobilizing
Financial
Resources
through
8- 10
 Market Based
Financing New Age Global Instruments such
Commons Technologies as Carbon
(Module 3) Markets and
Biodiversity
Offsets
 Multilateral
Funds
(UN/World
Bank) for
Transfer of
Technologies of
relevance to
Global Commons

3
11-13

Economics of Intellectual Intellectual Property Rights, Data Protection and

Property Privacy
(Module 4)

•Negotiations frameworks for resolving Global

14-18 Commons Problems (including bilateral talks on
issues having a global commons impact like India
Negotiations Frameworks
-China talks )
and Global Commons
•Political Economy of GC/UN and International
Crisis
Organisations
(Module 5)
•The North Korean Crisis
•Geopolitics of COVID 19 and global commons
•Global Crude Oil Crisis
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‘The Art of Multilateral
Diplomacy’,
Guest Talk