The Role Of Brics In International Trade & Investment Research Proposal Samples

Introduction

The introduction will present a context for the research paper and will help the researcher clarify how fulfilling the research aims and objectives will contribute to international trade and investment. The discussion will start with a background analysis and purpose of the research study, and then explain the focus of the research and a brief overview of the approach the current research will make towards literature search. The final part of the introduction will be a thesis statement.

Background and Purpose

The current global political and economic environment is marred with great uncertainties. In the early periods of the twenty-first century, the global economy experienced a serious financial crisis that tainted the leadership and role of the European Union and the United States. Numerous economies started doubting the ability of the European Union and the United States to make political advances and spur economic growth. Emerging economies succeeded in getting out of the financial crisis, and they became important drivers of global political and economic growth. Thus, the role of emerging economies in international trade and investment has attracted significant academic interest. China, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa are assuming a center stage in international trade and investment (O’Neill, 2001). BRICS are arguably the most attractive economies in the world in terms of trade and investment, and economic power is shifting from the traditionally rich to the emerging economies.

Research Focus

There is a widely held view that emerging economies are causing a power shift from the rich economies towards the BRICS. Researchers note that emerging economies have been increasing their share of the global manufacturing export and production because of their low costs of wages. Among the emerging economies, BRICS are the most successful and competitive countries. With the increasing participation of BRICS in the international market, the current research project will probe the role of BRICS in international trade and investment. According to Cohn (2009), BRICS are causing a power shift in the global market and the current research project will explore how these countries are changing their fortunes.

Approach to Literature Review

A review of the available literature starts with an overview of the link between the development trends of the BRICS countries and their role in international trade and investment. The most important postulation for the current project is that readers must understand the trend of the BRICS countries for them to understand the role of such countries in international trade and investment. The current research project will explore the rise of the BRICS countries and their impact on international trade and investment. It will also explore some of the factors that have led to the success of the BRICS countries in the global market. An overwhelming part of the literature review will be theoretical with a few exceptions of sources of literature discussed in academic journals and market reports. Academic sources will be used to support arguments and ideas. In some instance, the researcher will provide fundamental views on the current research topic.

Aims and Objectives of the Research

Cohn (2009) notes that BRICS are causing a power shift in the global market because attention is shifting from rich countries to emerging economies. For instance, BRICS are increasing their share of the global manufacturing sector in terms of their exports and production because of their low cost of wages. Following from this, the aim of the current research project is to contribute to the discussion on the role of BRICS in international trade and investment. To do so, the current research project will explore the factors behind the success of the BRICS countries and analyze how such factors influence international trade and investment. Economists reveal that foreign direct investments and the increasing participation of the BRICS countries in international trade has transformed the position of emerging economies in global politics and economics. The second objective is to investigate the various positions of the BRICS countries in international trade and investment bodies. This objective aims at exploring the influence of the BRICS countries in international trade and investment. The two objectives will raise the following research questions:

What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the BRICS from an international trade and investment perspective?

What is responsible for the rise of the BRICS countries in the international trade and investment market?
What are the tools that the BRICS countries are using to improve international trade and investment?
Proposed Research Method
The current research method will utilize descriptive research to explore the role of the BRICS countries in international trade and investment. The study will explore various economic reports to identify factors that enable the BRICS countries participate in international trade and investment. Areas to be covered by the current research project will include:

Macroeconomic analysis of the BRICs

The WTO and the BRICs
The IMF and the BRICs
The World Bank and the BRICs

References

Cohn, T. H. (2009). International Political Economy: Theory and Practice (in Greek). Gutenberg: Athens.
O’Neill, J. (2001). Building Better Global Economic BRICs. Global Economics, 66.