University of Geneva
Global Statistics - Composite Indices for International Comparisons
University of Geneva

Global Statistics - Composite Indices for International Comparisons

Taught in English

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4,248 already enrolled

Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

Stefan Andreas Sperlich
Juan Manuel Rodriguez Poo (in Partnership with UNIGE)

Instructors: Stefan Andreas Sperlich

4.6

(48 reviews)

Intermediate level
Some related experience required
15 hours to complete
3 weeks at 5 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

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There are 6 modules in this course

Welcome to the first module of this course. In this welcome module, you will be introduced with the Professors that will take part in this course on composites indices. We explain the rationale for composite indices (CIs) and show how they can be of interest. This course is open to NGO members, politicians, journalists, students and all persons interested in understanding, creating and/or interpreting CIs. By the end of this first module, you will have an overview of the content of the course week by week.

What's included

2 videos5 readings

This module contains four lessons. The first lesson is an introduction to CIs. It defines what a CI is, introduces their mathematical notation and reviews some core historical aspects of their development, the need and use of CIs. The second lesson focuses on the demand for CIs while the third lesson develops a qualitative framework for the construction of CIs. More specifically, the intrinsic quality of CIs is discussed by reviewing their pros and cons. Finally, the last lesson of this introductory module sketches the steps involved in the construction of a CI. Learning outcomes: by the end of this module you will have a clear idea what a CI is (definition, ingredients, history, objective), know why it is needed and where it is used (needs and demand), be familiar with the quality requirements and have a first idea steps involved in the construction of a CI.

What's included

10 videos4 readings1 quiz1 discussion prompt

This module is organized along four lessons. The objective of this module is to familiarize you with the key steps to undertake when constructing a CI. The first lesson will develop a theoretical framework to support CIs’ construction. Notably, it will cover topics such as variables selection and data issues. The second lesson will introduce a unifying approach to construct CI by discussing aspects related to transformation functions and the elasticity of substitution. The entire third lesson will be devoted to an essential aspect in the construction of a CI: the choice of weights. Finally, the module will conclude by addressing questions arising after the construction of a CI. For instance, lesson four will discuss how to assess the robustness of the resulting CI. By the end of this module you will be familiar with all the most important technical (or say statistical) steps involved in constructing CIs.

What's included

10 videos4 readings1 quiz

In this module, you will discover two popular indices developed by ETH Zurich: the Young Labour Market Index and the KOF Globalization index. In the first lesson of this week, you will learn more about the Youth Labour Market Index (YLMI). The KOF YLMI captures various aspects of the youth labour market situation of countries across the world. You will learn which indicators are included in the KOF YLMI and how these are aggregated into a single index. Furthermore, you will get to know an online tool that invites you to analyse the youth labour market situation yourself. In the second lesson of this module, you will learn about the KOF Globalization Index which is a widely used composite indicator that measures the degree of globalization for every country in the world since 1970. It distinguishes between three dimensions of globalization: Economic, social and political globalization. In the following module, you will learn why it is important to measure globalization and what the different stages in constructing the KOF Globalization Index are. A critical discussion of the Index sums up the module.

What's included

10 videos8 readings1 quiz2 discussion prompts

This module focuses on trade indices developed by the International Trade Centre, the Export Potential Index (EDI) and the Product Diversification index (PDI). Frictions often create a gap between what a country could export and what it does export to markets around the world. Trade advisers could better address these frictions and help firms realize greater exports if they knew exactly which products and markets offer best chances. During this week, you will learn about the Export Potential Assessment (EPI and PDI), which indicates products, sectors and markets for trade development activities for over 200 countries and 4,000 products. Based upon an assessment of the exporting country’s supply capacity, the target market’s demand and tariff conditions as well as the bilateral links between the exporting country and the target market, it provides a ranking of untapped opportunities.

What's included

12 videos3 readings1 quiz1 discussion prompt

During this week you will be exploring two indices. The first index, the Liner Shipping (Bilateral) Connectivity Index (LSCI/LSBCI) computed each year by UNCTAD since 2004. It provides an overall indicator of a country maritime connectivity related to liner shipping. Throughout this lesson, we give some insights on why the LSCI and LSBCI were developed. We also cover the methodology to build both indices. We then discuss some stylized facts. The second index presented this week is the Human Development Index (HDI) developed by UNDP. During this lesson, you will be slightly introduced with the history of the HDI. We explain the steps of constructing the HDI, i.e. choosing the three dimensions (health, education and living conditions) composing the HDI and their respective indicators, normalizing the indicators and aggregating the indicators and dimensional sub-indices using different methods. Then, we use a practical example to calculate the HDI for one country. At the end, we discuss some limitations of the HDI and give some elements for future improvement.

What's included

18 videos7 readings1 quiz1 discussion prompt

Instructors

Instructor ratings
4.4 (13 ratings)
Stefan Andreas Sperlich
University of Geneva
1 Course4,248 learners
Juan Manuel Rodriguez Poo (in Partnership with UNIGE)
University of Geneva
1 Course4,248 learners

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