In The News

Public and Government Views on Migration Diverge

Joseph Chamie October 16, 2009
There is a surprising gap between government and public views on migration. Most governments tend to be favorably disposed to immigration, while the public remains fearful of admitting foreigners. Such a divergence in opinion is likely to cause significant turmoil in the future, according to Joseph Chamie, research director at the Center for Migration Studies. Less than 20 percent of governments...

Challenges for China at Sixty – Part I

Pranab Bardhan September 25, 2009
China is in many ways a land of contradictions, confounding outside observers. And such contradictions are nowhere more obvious than in China’s economy: a market-driven allocation of resources overseen by the Communist Party. But as Berkeley Economics Professor Pranab Bardhan notes, the contradictions lie at an even deeper level. Simply establishing private ownership of some of China’s largest...

How Not to Kill the Oceans for Fish

Alex David Rogers September 18, 2009
The oceans and the seas – lifegivers to billions of people through sustenance and subsistence – are being quickly depleted of their fish through wasteful fishing methods, fisher overcapacity, and illegal fishing, writes Alex Rogers, Scientific Director of the International Programme on the State of the Ocean. The degradation not only affects the sustainability of an important food source and the...

Lessons of Failed States: Rebuilding Sierra Leone and Liberia

Humphrey Hawksley August 20, 2009
As elections are held in Afghanistan, the memory of 9/11 seems to have all but faded. But, as journalist Humphrey Hawksley writes, the lesson of 9/11, that failed states are a breeding ground for malignant forces with a global reach, must not be forgotten. World leaders need to balance placating an electorate uneasy about continuing involvement with finding a long term solution to securing a...

Can Governments Till The Fields Of Innovation?

Steve Lohr June 24, 2009
Innovation has long been seen as the product of hard work, luck, belonging to the private sector. But governments around the world are now trying to accelerate and influence domestic innovation. Several countries now have governmental leaders or even whole departments designed to spur growth through innovation. Much of the governments’ presence in the field of innovation deals with attempting to...

India’s Election Shows Equitable Globalization Can Succeed

Sadanand Dhume May 21, 2009
India’s Congress Party’s big win in the recent election has as much significance for citizens of that country as it does for citizens of the world. It shows that democracy and development can go hand in hand, according author Sadanand Dhume. A country that is slated to grow above 5 percent amid the financial crisis is a model for developing nations. That India can do this while sporting the world...

Despite Setback, Asean Has Important Role

Simon Tay April 27, 2009
After a threat by rioting protesters led to the cancellation of the Asean – Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Summit, there have been fresh concerns about the relevance of the regional grouping. But Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, argues that despite the recent setback, Asean’s role as a hinge for regional cooperation makes it too important to be...