In The News

Thais Flock to China for Higher Education

February 21, 2002
The number of Thais attending Chinese universities has grown six-fold in recent years. Lower fees, China’s growing economic power, and the fact that many are third generation Thai-Chinese are reasons cited for the increased enrollment. Favored courses include Chinese language, medicine, acupuncture and business. Despite having one of the largest education budgets, Thailand was ranked 45th out of...

Why Are Globalizers So Provincial?

Alice H. Amsden January 31, 2002
A quick review of the national origins of leaders at the upcoming 2002 World Economic Forum reveals the provincial nature of purportedly global economic organizations. In order for institutions like the World Trade Organization to live up to their name, says MIT scholar Alice H. Amsden, leaders from semi-industrialized countries like Brazil, Mexico and China must be allowed among international...

Spread of AIDS in Rural China Ignites Protests

Elisabeth Rosenthal December 11, 2001
Chinese officials are suppressing open discussion of AIDS, hindering already limited efforts to combat the spiraling epidemic. Rural areas - particularly in central China - emerged as the epicenter of the HIV-AIDS epidemic as farmers were exposed to the virus while selling blood. For years, the infected farmers remained ignorant about AIDS because the government withheld vital information. Now...

How Islam Won, and Lost, the Lead in Science

Dennis Overbye October 30, 2001
While Europe was lost in the superstition of the Middle Ages, science reigned in the Muslim world as thinkers strove to understand the workings of Allah. The Koran was at once a source of inspiration for studying natural phenomena and comprehending them. Thus, astronomy, math, and other sciences flourished across the Islamic belt for centuries until science, for many reasons, began to decline....

Dueling Images Woo India’s Women

Ashwini Devare September 24, 2001
As cultural images and role models spread around the globe, India’s film industry is producing movies that portray women as “daring, sexy, and modern.” While the image of the cosmopolitan, independent woman is liberating to some, it has also led to a backlash and calls for a return to traditional women’s roles in the home and family. - YaleGlobal

Guggenheim, Bilbao, and the ‘hot banana’

Leslie Crawford September 4, 2001
Since building the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao has witnessed extraordinary growth in tourism. Now, many policy makers see Bilbao and the Guggenheim as a model for urban renewal. But not all are in agreement. Tourism is an uncertain industry, and museums are attractive as long as they are unique. Furthermore, the novelty of attractions wears off; and without a plan to keep the momentum of economic...