Course Catalog

Corporate governance is a crucial topic with growing importance particularly in an era of increasing debate over corporate purpose and economic nationalism. The course will explore several contemporary and emerging governance issues including director obligations (climate change, ESG, product safety); why some financial institutions repeatedly engage in misconduct; market capitalism compared to state-centric capitalism in the context of moral hazards; and explanations for repeated corporate scandals in Japan. The class will examine these issues in the contexts of several governance models shareholder, stakeholder, and enhanced stakeholder, as well as national models such as the U.S., German, Japanese, and Chinese governance systems thereby providing students with an understanding and knowledge of governance in different jurisdictions. The course should be of interest to students focusing on corporate law, economics, and corporate governance models. Students will have a choice of answering one essay out of potential four essays (students can pick any one of the four essays to answer) to be answered on the last day of class. The essay questions will be provided to the students on the first day of class.