Overview
This course examines the strategic and operational management of international sourcing and licensing for products, creative assets, technologies, brands, and intellectual property. Topics include global supply networks, supplier discovery and qualification, manufacturing and service procurement, licensing models, royalty structures, exclusivity, territory, duration, quality control, and rights management.
Students analyse trade terms, landed cost, pricing, currency exposure, logistics, tariffs, customs, payment methods, and contract fundamentals. The course also addresses trademark, copyright, design, and brand licensing boundaries; labour standards; environmental responsibility; modern slavery risks; traceability; cultural appropriation; data protection; and geopolitical disruption.
Applied learning develops supplier comparison matrices, sourcing briefs, due-diligence checklists, negotiation plans, licensing term sheets, and risk registers. Students evaluate international partners, calculate total acquisition cost, recommend sourcing and licensing structures, negotiate sustainable terms, identify compliance obligations, and design contingency plans through a simulated cross-border negotiation and final proposal.
Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate international suppliers, licensors, and global supply network structures using strategic, financial, operational, and ethical criteria.
- Calculate total acquisition cost by integrating pricing, trade terms, currency exposure, logistics, tariffs, customs, insurance, and payment conditions.
- Analyse licensing models, royalty structures, exclusivity, territory, duration, quality control, and intellectual property rights management.
- Prepare supplier comparison matrices, sourcing briefs, due-diligence checklists, licensing term sheets, and risk registers for cross-border transactions.
- Assess compliance obligations relating to contracts, trademarks, copyright, designs, brands, labour standards, modern slavery, environmental responsibility, data protection, and customs.
- Negotiate mutually sustainable sourcing and licensing terms through structured cross-border negotiation strategies.
- Design contingency plans that address geopolitical disruption, supplier failure, logistics interruptions, regulatory change, and reputational risk.
- Synthesize evidence into a professionally justified sourcing or licensing proposal aligned with organizational objectives and stakeholder responsibilities.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Seminar | 1 hour | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Practicum | 2 hours | Weekly | Second term |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Sourcing brief and supplier comparison matrix | 15.00% |
| Assignment | Licensing term sheet and due-diligence checklist | 15.00% |
| Test | Individual test on cost, trade, licensing, and compliance principles | 15.00% |
| Deliverable | Risk register and contingency plan | 15.00% |
| Capstone | Simulated cross-border negotiation | 20.00% |
| Capstone | Final sourcing or licensing proposal | 20.00% |
Prerequisites
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
