The course focuses on the characteristics and development tendencies of the contemporary world economy with emphasis on the position of the European Union within the world economy. The course includes the definition of the subjects of the world economy, forms of relations, the division of the world economy into trading blocks, the history of European integration and the current position of the EU in the world economy and its competitiveness, the position of the Czech Republic in the globalized economy, new currencies emerging as an alternative to national and international currencies, the causes and consequences of the divergence of developing countries and the topic of sustainable development of society.