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Doctor of Business Administration
DBA in International Trade, Foreign Economic Activity and Global Business Management
Professional specialism: Chief Foreign Trade Officer (CFTO)
The curriculum analyses international business systems across trade, contract law, economic diplomacy, finance, logistics, investment, compliance and emerging technologies. Eighteen modules connect comparative international practice with applied research.
Programme Overview
The curriculum analyses international business systems across trade, contract law, economic diplomacy, finance, logistics, investment, compliance and emerging technologies. Eighteen modules connect comparative international practice with applied research.
The Academy's academic model joins research methodology, advanced analytics, international professional practice and the continuous review of scientific and regulatory knowledge. The academic structure is organised around the programme’s principal research subjects and professional applications.
Academic research profile
International economic systems and foreign trade
Analyse world economic architecture, cross-border business, economic diplomacy, international contracts, trade finance, logistics, compliance, investment and the transformation of global markets.
Intended research capabilities
Compare international market-entry alternatives; examine jurisdiction-specific trading obligations; construct supply-chain and financial-risk assessments; develop a research-based international business strategy.
Teaching and research materials combine the Academy's four core dimensions: methodological design, critical analytics, comparative international practice and the review of current scientific and jurisdiction-specific evidence.
DBA academic framework18 modules · 110 chaptersResearch-based curriculum
Structure and Curriculum
Explore all eighteen research modules and 110 chapters of the author’s 2027 curriculum, including seven-chapter units on international finance and global logistics.
0 of 18 curriculum sections open
Module 1Architecture of the World Economy and International Business
Chapter 1The Multilayer Governance of World Trade: National, Supranational and Private Rules
Chapter 2The Evolution of International Business: From Trading Houses to Ecosystems
Chapter 3International Division of Labour and Global Value Chains
Chapter 4International Economic Organisations and Regional Integration
Chapter 5Geoeconomic Competition and New Centres of Economic Growth
Chapter 6The Digital Economy and Structural Trends in World Trade
Module 2Geoeconomics, Global Markets and Economic Diplomacy
Chapter 1Geoeconomics as a Framework for International Business Analysis
Chapter 2National Economic Interests and Foreign Economic Policy
Chapter 3Economic Diplomacy, Trade Missions and Export Promotion Agencies
Chapter 4Regional Markets: North America, Europe, MENA, Asia, Africa and Latin America
Chapter 5Geopolitical Risks, Trade Restrictions and Business Resilience
Chapter 6Corporate Strategy in a Multipolar World Economy
Module 3International Law and Legal Support for Foreign Economic Activity
Chapter 1Sources and Structure of International Commercial Law
Chapter 2The CISG, Incoterms and International Contract Terms
Chapter 3Governing Law, Jurisdiction, Arbitration, Mediation and Enforcement
Chapter 4Intellectual Property, Licensing and Technology Transfer
Chapter 5Legal Mapping of Multi-Jurisdictional Operations
Chapter 6Legal Risk Governance and the Corporate Contract Playbook
Module 4Strategies for Entering International Markets
Chapter 1International Growth Strategy and Models of Global Expansion
Chapter 2Overseas Market Research and Priority Country Selection
Chapter 3Export, Agency, Distribution, Leasing, Subsidiaries, Joint Ventures and Franchising
Chapter 4Localisation of Products, Services and Operating Models
Chapter 5Investment Appraisal and Finance for International Market Entry
Chapter 6Scaling and Long-Term International Market Presence
Module 5International Marketing, Brand Management and Export Sales Development
Chapter 1Demand Research, Market Segmentation and Target Customer Selection
Chapter 2Value Propositions, International Pricing and Unit Economics
Chapter 3Global Brand Identity, Localisation and Reputation
Chapter 4Export Sales, Distributors, Agents and Partner Networks
Chapter 5E-commerce, Marketplaces and Digital Market Entry Channels
Chapter 6CRM, Demand Analytics and Commercial Performance Management
Module 6International Finance, Investment and Trade Finance
Chapter 1The Global Financial System and International Capital Markets
Chapter 2Cross-Border Payments, Foreign Exchange and Banking Infrastructure
Chapter 3Letters of Credit, Guarantees, Collections, Factoring, Forfaiting and Export Credit
Chapter 4Working Capital, the Cash Conversion Cycle and Credit Insurance
Chapter 5Currency, Interest-Rate, Country and Bank Risk; Hedging Strategies
Chapter 6Global Treasury, Project Finance and Financial Strategy
Chapter 7Non-Cash Settlement Methods and Countertrade Transactions
Module 7International Logistics, Global Supply Chains and Transport Systems
Chapter 1Foundations of International Logistics
Chapter 2Global Supply Chain Architecture and Network Design
Chapter 3Sea, Rail, Road, Air and Multimodal Transport
Chapter 4Trade Corridors, Ports, Hubs, Free Zones and Distribution Centres
Chapter 5Demand Forecasting, Inventories, Lead Times and Service Levels
Chapter 6Supply Chain Visibility, IoT, Digital Twins and Predictive Analytics
Chapter 7Alternative Routes, Business Continuity and Crisis Management
Module 8Export–Import Management and International Commercial Transactions
Chapter 1Corporate Foreign Trade Systems and the End-to-End Transaction Life Cycle
Chapter 2Import Strategy and the Mapping of Critical Import Dependencies
Chapter 3Customs Classification, Origin, Valuation and Non-Tariff Measures
Chapter 4Import Contracts, Incoterms® 2020, Documentation and Risk Allocation
Chapter 5Alternative and Parallel Imports: Intellectual Property, Authenticity and Post-Import Controls
Chapter 6Landed Cost, Unit Economics, Working Capital and Digital Import Controls
Module 9International Procurement, Contract Management and Supplier Relations
Chapter 1Procurement Strategy, Category Management, TCO and Make-or-Buy Decisions
Chapter 2International Supplier Sourcing, Qualification, Audit and Due Diligence
Chapter 3Competitive Tendering, Negotiation and Procurement Business Models
Chapter 4Contract Lifecycle Management, Performance, Claims and Remedies
Chapter 5Capital Equipment Imports, Localisation and Supplier Development
Chapter 6Sustainable and Digital Procurement, Analytics, AI and Crisis Sourcing
Module 10Digital Transformation of International Business, E-Commerce and Artificial Intelligence
Chapter 1International Business Digital Strategy and Enterprise Data Architecture
Chapter 2ERP, CRM, TMS, WMS, CLM and Trade Compliance Systems
Chapter 3EDI, Electronic Trade Documents, Blockchain, Smart Contracts and MLETR
Chapter 4Platform Economics, E-commerce and International Marketplaces
Chapter 5AI for Market Intelligence, Contracting, Procurement, Customs and Supply Chains
Chapter 6Cybersecurity, Data Protection, AI Governance and Human Oversight
Module 11International Compliance, Sanctions Regulation and Corporate Risk Management
Chapter 1Compliance Management Systems and Management Body Accountability
Chapter 2Sanctions, Export Controls and Restricted-Party and Goods Screening
Chapter 3AML/CFT/CPF, KYC/KYB, Beneficial Ownership and Payment Transparency
Chapter 4Anti-Corruption Controls, Conflicts of Interest and Internal Investigations
Chapter 5Enterprise Risk Management, Business Continuity, Scenario Analysis and Risk Appetite
Chapter 6Internal Control, Audit, Monitoring, Incident Management and Remediation
Module 12International Corporate Governance, Leadership and Development of Global Organisations
Chapter 1International Models of Corporate Governance
Chapter 2Boards of Directors, Owners and Executive Management
Chapter 3International Group Structures, Holdings and Centres of Expertise
Chapter 4The CFTO Operating Model: Mandate, RACI, Committees, KPIs and Data
Chapter 5Business Ethics, Responsible Business Conduct and Stakeholder Engagement
Chapter 6Transformation, Decision Rights and International Business Dashboards
Module 13Human Capital and Intercultural Communication in International Business
Chapter 1Workforce Planning and the International Market for Management Skills
Chapter 2National Business Cultures and Intercultural Communication
Chapter 3Global Leadership, Management Teams and Talent Development
Chapter 4Expatriate Assignments, Relocation and International Mobility
Chapter 5Organisational Culture, Change and Conflict Resolution
Chapter 6Corporate Learning and the International Learning Organisation
Module 14International Investment Projects, Public–Private Partnerships and Sustainable Development
Chapter 1International Investment Flows and Investment Strategy Selection
Chapter 2Business Cases, Valuation, Financial Modelling and Project Risks
Chapter 3Public–Private Partnerships, Concessions and Infrastructure Project Governance
Chapter 4ESG and Responsible Business Due Diligence: Climate and Social Impacts
Chapter 5Development Banks, Blended Finance and International Financial Institutions
Chapter 6Post-Investment Value Realisation, Localisation and Project Resilience
Module 15International Negotiations, Corporate Diplomacy and Strategic Partnership Development
Chapter 1International Negotiation Strategies and Decision-Making Models
Chapter 2Corporate Diplomacy and Government and Stakeholder Relations
Chapter 3Intercultural Communication, Protocol and Business Etiquette
Chapter 4Strategic Alliances, Joint Ventures and Partner Ecosystems
Chapter 5Reputation, Corporate Public Diplomacy and Crisis Communication
Chapter 6Corporate Representation in International Business Institutions
Module 16Innovation Management, Technological Development and International Business Competitiveness
Chapter 1Innovation Portfolios and Technology Strategy
Chapter 2R&D Centres, Clusters and International Innovation Ecosystems
Chapter 3Intellectual Property, Licensing and Technology Transfer
Chapter 4Corporate Venturing, Start-ups and International Innovation Alliances
Chapter 5AI, Automation, Robotics and Emerging Operating Models
Chapter 6Scaling Technology to Build International Competitive Advantage
Module 17The Future of the World Economy, Emerging Global Markets and Twenty-First-Century Business Strategies
Chapter 1Megatrends, Weak Signals and Scenarios for Global Development
Chapter 2Geoeconomic Scenarios and the Restructuring of Trade Flows
Chapter 3Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technology, Space and Biotechnology Markets
Chapter 4The Energy Transition, Climate, Critical Minerals and CBAM
Chapter 5Resilient International Business Models for 2035–2050
Chapter 6Foresight, Early-Warning Indicators and Strategic Options Portfolios
Module 18Applied Research Methodology, the DBA Final Research Project and Defence of a Management Project
Chapter 1Practice-Based Problems, Research Questions and the DBA Project Contribution
Chapter 2Literature Review, Evidence Base and Conceptual Models
Chapter 3Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed-Methods Research Design
Chapter 4Research Ethics, Data Quality, Reproducibility and Responsible AI Use
Chapter 5Dissertation Writing, Publication and Implementation Planning
Chapter 6Research Defence, Impact Assessment and Benefits Realisation
Research Approach
Academic development begins with a clear research question and appropriate methodological design. Analytical models are examined alongside international cases and applicable jurisdiction-specific legal requirements. Scientific and regulatory claims are evaluated through source verification and continuing methodological review.
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