In The News

BRICS Not That Sturdy

Harsh V. Pant March 22, 2013
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa represent about 40 percent of the world’s population and nearly 25 percent of its economic output. Yet momentum of the organized grouping of strong emerging economies could be fading, suggests Harsh V. Pant of King’s College. A major challenge to potential clout of BRICS is China’s dominance: “China’s power makes the other members nervous, leading...

The World Wants Vancouverism – Shouldn’t Canada?

Doug Saunders March 5, 2013
The city of Vancouver touts its diversity, green initiatives, parks and mass transit and remains a popular destination for immigrants, who account for 40 percent of the metropolitan population. Vancouver has managed fast-growing urbanization with good planning that includes eliminating vast parking lots. “Vancouver has been remade dramatically, rendered into a thickly vertical city jammed with...

The Route of the Problem

Nayan Chanda February 25, 2013
The pace of growth for India is slowing. With a young workforce and high technological skills, the country shows promise. But it must “clean up the governmental morass and think holistically about what needs to be done to take advantage of its global connections and promote sustainable growth,” argues Nayan Chanda in his column for Businessworld. Strong growth and prosperity require reliable...

Will China Ever Be No. 1?

Graham Allison, Robert D. Blackwill February 20, 2013
Speculating on economic growth of nations has become a sporting event – with diplomats, policymakers and investors “placing their bets,” suggest Graham Allison and Robert Blackwill in a Foreign Policy essay, introducing the thesis of their book about Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. As prime minister from 1959 to 1990, Lee monitored and advised Chinese and US leaders. Lee contends that China’s rapid...

An Interview with John Dramani Mahama

John Dramani Mahama February 18, 2013
In an interview with Nayan Chanda, Ghana's Vice President John Dramani Mahama, now President, says how stigma of homosexuality hampers fighting AIDS, talks about the role of telecommunication in political transformation, voices concern about NATO attacks on Libya, and Ghana's effort to avoid the curse of wealth from natural resources. – YaleGlobal

Is China Choking on Success?

Robert A. Manning February 15, 2013
China’s citizens are paying a steep price for rapid economic growth. The government struggles to mask environmental problems, yet China is home to seven of the world’s 10 most polluted cities. Smog often blankets the nation’s cities. Robert A. Manning, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center for International Security and former US State Department official, points out that...

Heading South?

Niveen Wahish February 15, 2013
A thriving national economy requires a political system that’s supported, or at least tolerated, by citizens. Political instability is threatening the Egyptian economy, driving inflation and deterring foreign investment. Currency woes contribute to shortages of basic commodities that could add to more unrest. “People needing to change hard currency into Egyptian pounds are now going to the black...