In The News

China-IBM Computer Deal Marks a New Era

Jean-Pierre Lehmann April 1, 2005
The recent Chinese acquisition of the IBM PC division does not illustrate China's rise at the expense of the US. Rather, it signals a deeper shift in the information technology (IT) business, which has been changing the global economic landscape. Jean-Pierre Lehmann contends that the shift arises from the emergent IT stars – China, India, and the United States – adapting to the realities of...

Friendship Across Continents

Ibrahim Nafie April 1, 2005
The term "transatlantic relations" usually refers to Europe and the United States. But if current Latin American initiatives succeed, "transatlantic relations" may soon describe the growing ties between Latin America and the Middle East. Brazil will host the first ever summit of South American and Arab countries this May. Not only will the conference highlight the two regions...

Millions of Indians Await Benefits of Globalization

Jessica Einhorn February 25, 2005
At a time when many analysts predict a booming future for the Indian economy, India remains hesitant to fully embrace globalization. India and its neighbor China have been tagged as the world's next economic superpowers. Yet while China industriously makes its shores hospitable to foreign capital, Indian reformers continue to grapple with a long history of intransigent domestic opposition to...

A Fiesta of Protest at Porto Alegre

Dominic Sachsenmaier January 31, 2005
Each year, over 2000 corporate and political bigwigs congregate in a luxurious skiing resort in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum. Simultaneously, at the far less opulent locale of Porto Alegre, a much larger, less well-heeled, and considerably more diverse body gathers at the World Social Forum. This diversity, however, may be its weakness, argues Professor Dominic Sachsenmaier....

Preparing for a New Global Threat – Part II

Thomas Abraham January 28, 2005
Almost as quickly as scientists upgrade vaccinations, communicable viruses are adapting – by genetic mutation – to break through vaccine barriers and transmit faster. Thomas Abraham warns against a "biological tsunami" that is "brewing deep within the microbial world": avian influenza virus, or H5N1. Bird-to-human transmission was once believed impossible, but recently...

How Globalization Train is Overrunning Nigeria

Etim Imisim January 27, 2005
A member of the World Trade Organization for the past ten years, Nigeria should be well-situated to reap the benefits of free trade. Yet thanks to a set of domestic and international factors, the country may even be sliding backwards. In an interview with Nigerian newspaper This Day, development expert Bankole Olubamise argues gloomily that much has gone afoul in Africa's most populous...

Preparing for a New Global Threat – Part I

David Heymann January 26, 2005
From the historic Spanish Flu to the recent SARS outbreak, communicable diseases have periodically challenged the world community. SARS was caused by a new strain of coronvirus that was identified and stopped. But the latest threat comes from avian influenza virus of the type that could mutate and pass on to humans. Due to their genetic instability and swift multiplication, influenza viruses are...