COURSE NUMBER: MBA 218A.1* Cross-listed with EWMBA

***NOTE: THIS COURSE DESCRIPTION IS FROM THIS PAST SEMESTER (SPRING 05), AND REPRESENTS OUR MOST CURRENT VERSION FROM KATHLEEN CONNELL. WE WILL UPDATE THIS COURSE DESCRIPTION IF WE RECEIVE A NEWER VERSION.***

COURSE TITLE:  International Finance

UNITS OF CREDIT:  3

INSTRUCTOR:  Dr. Kathleen Connell

E-MAIL ADDRESS: kconnell@haas.berkeley.edu

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION (HTTP URL):

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Tuesday, 6:00-9:30 p.m.

PREREQUISITE(S):  None

CLASS FORMAT: Each class will include lectures, case studies, and a guest speaker(s). All lectures will be supplemented by a number of relevant articles from various journals and selected chapters from different books. All such readings are required and will be made available in a course packet. Guest speakers will include executives from Cisco, Bechtel, Genentech, News Corporation, Texas Pacific Group, Deutsche Bank, Wilshire Associates, CalPERS and various Wall Street firms. Each student case study team will be invited to two of the informal coffee break sessions with guest speakers during the class.

REQUIRED READINGS:

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE:

· Cases: 50%

· Individual Paper: 25%

· Final Presentation: 25%

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
This course is a broad overview of International Finance focusing on the multitude of challenges confronting the multinational enterprise ranging from cross-cultural communication, currency exposure and risk management, investment criteria in emerging markets, tax management and accounting strategies for multinational balance sheets, licensing risks and accessing of sources of global funding through joint ventures, equity funds, and direct investments.

Case Study Presentations
Cases will be assigned weekly. Many will be mini-cases of a few pages in length while several will be extended discussions. A written analysis of the assigned cases is to be prepared by groups consisting of no more than four students in each group. Students will form their own groups during the first class. Cases are due at the beginning of class and will be graded. Classroom participation in the discussion of the case studies will be factored into the case study grade.

Student Individual Paper
Students will select one of the thirteen course lecture topics as the subject of their 10-page paper. This paper will examine the topic as it presently impacts a multinational entity which the student has identified. For example: licensing violations confronting Microsoft in its Asian operations.

Group Final Presentation
Each group will present its approach/solution to a final case study problem to be assigned in the last four weeks of class. Students' oral presentations will be graded on their knowledge of the issues, creative responses and integration of investment techniques reviewed in the class.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Kathleen Connell has twenty five years of diverse experience in finance, investment banking, government and graduate business school education. Previous positions include State Controller of California, president of an SEC/NASD registered investment banking firm, vice president of a New York headquartered money center bank, chair and faculty member at UCLA Anderson School and lecturer at the Berkeley Haas school. While State Controller from l995-2002, Dr. Connell was a Trustee for both the CalPERS and CalSTERS retirement funds, the largest pool of assets in the world. She also chaired the state tax boards having daily interface with the nation's largest corporations.

Dr. Connell has a Ph.D. from UCLA with a dissertation on "Timing the Markets"and holds six securities licenses.