In The News

Lawyers Wanted: Abroad, That Is

John Bringardner December 8, 2008
As a result of a credit crunch, closure of major investment banks and economic recession, many American law firms seek to expand internationally to sustain profits. Previously, lawyers were unwilling to move abroad, but the economy is shifting attitudes, as evidenced by increasing numbers of applicants to law firms abroad, especially in wealthy places like Dubai and Hong Kong. Lawyers anticipate...

India’s Reverse Diaspora

Steven L. Raymer December 5, 2008
Indians still move abroad to work or study, but increasing numbers of restless immigrants are now turning to their ancestral land for opportunity. “By several estimates, between 50,000 and 60,000 information-technology professionals alone have returned to India from overseas since 2003, most to the suburbs of New Delhi, Hyderabad and especially Bangalore, the nexus of what Indians call their...

Unilateral Delusions

Joseph P. Quinlan October 20, 2008
US voters have an independent streak, preferring to overlook just how much American prosperity depends on foreign labor, capital and natural resources. Presidential candidates find it easy to attract voters, especially those worried about jobs and the economy, with anti-trade messages, and this year’s campaign is no different: Democrat Barack Obama criticizes firms that ship jobs overseas, while...

Outrage Over Offshoring Goes Off-Target

Ann All October 17, 2008
Offshoring work overseas by US companies is a handy populist issue during a US presidential campaigns. The issue distinguishes the two candidates: Republican John McCain staunchly supports free trade and low taxes; Democrat Barack Obama supports free-trade agreements, but urges tax incentives for companies that keep jobs inside the US. Many US workers bitterly blame the loss of high-skilled...

Why the Critics of Globalization Are Mistaken

Jagdish Bhagwati October 8, 2008
The centuries-old process of globalization – people in search of the best locations for their families, the best ideas for organizing daily life – has become an easy target in a more crowded world: workers fear factories and jobs relocating overseas, environmentalists worry about development shifted to countries with minimal enforcement, and savers fret about irresponsible spending and investment...

Generation Faithful

Michael Slackman October 6, 2008
The city of Dubai is has been in a storm of transformation in recent years, going from oil- and gas-based growth to a real estate, trade and financial hub in the Middle East, meshing a population consisting of 80 percent emigrants from more than 200 ethnicities. Such tremendous growth and diversity have led to a "socially freewheeling yet unmistakably Muslim state" that raises...

Chinese Companies Face Uphill Path for Profit in India

Wei Gu September 26, 2008
Chinese manufacturers have long been able to manufacture products at a fraction of the cost of production elsewhere, setting the standard for production models in recent years. However, with a surplus of producers in their domestic market, Chinese companies look west to India. As journalist Wei Gu notes, India is both the alluring “prize” of emerging markets as well as a steppingstone to Western...