MSE 744Science and Technology Policy

Science and Technology are increasingly viewed as important tools to promote the social, economic, and political goals of modern economies. Accordingly, science and technology (S&T) policy issues have assumed prominence in contemporary policy discourse. Firms are often operated under different policy environments and their strategies should be formulated under the various environments. This course provides students with the background and tools needed to critically evaluate issues in S&T policy debates. After reviewing the basics of science and technology policy, we will discuss a few instruments of S&T policy, e.g., intellectual property rights, tax and subsidy, public funding for research, and prizes. Throughout the course, we will integrate the theoretical discussions with cases of contemporary S&T policy issues. Previous study of economics is required, such as MSCI 607.