In The News

Peter Thiel: We’re in a Bubble and It’s Not the Internet – It’s Higher Education

Sarah Lacy April 25, 2011
Analysts prowl for the next bubble, and venture capitalist Peter Thiel argues that higher education is a likely candidate. In an article for TechCrunch by Sarah Lacy, Thiel compares higher-education costs with US housing prices: Both are touted as investments, promising long-term financial security; highly exclusive homes and educations can convey what Thiel calls “an unhealthy sense of...

Going Home: The Polish Migrants Who Lost Jobs and Hope in UK

Amelia Gentleman April 11, 2011
For Poles, the UK has long been a destination for opportunity. But the promise of prosperity is deceptive, as higher wages in the UK are accompanied by a higher cost of living. Competition for employment is intense, with a strained UK economy and dwindling numbers of construction, janitorial and restaurant jobs, writes Amelia Gentleman for the Guardian. Young migrants from Poland increasingly...

Visa Curbs Will Cut Overseas Students by 80,000, Says Theresa May

Alan Travis March 29, 2011
Great Britain’s dynamic campuses draw ambitious students from around the globe, the likes of India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former US President Bill Clinton and Charles Kao, the so-called Father of Fiber Optics. But campuses may be less inviting as the government aims to reduce total net immigrants to 100,000 per year. Students account for the bulk of visas issued to non-EU immigrants,...

Li & Fung Warns of End of Cheap China Goods

Rahul Jacob March 28, 2011
The era of low prices – thanks to low-cost labor in China – is over, warns Li & Fung, a Hong Kong product sourcing firm, as reported by the Financial Times. China laborers overall enjoyed a raise of about 20 percent this year, reports Rahul Jacob. Retailers must now decide how much of the extra costs they can pass on to consumers and how much can be taken away from profits. Even as...

Now Feeling Free, But Still Without Work, Tunisians Look Toward Europe

Scott Sayare March 28, 2011
Zarzis and other cities of Tunisia celebrate new openness and freedoms since the 14 January departure of longtime dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. But jobs and economic promise have been slow to materialize. The revolution and fears of violence even exacerbated economic challenges, including a slowdown in tourism and investment, reports Scott Sayare for the New York Times. Sayare adds that youth...

Westward Ho: Asians March Into Africa – Part I

Johan Lagerkvist March 16, 2011
New trade routes are taking hold, linking Africa’s rich resources with the industrial needs in Asia and South America, and this two-part YaleGlobal series analyzes the emerging economic, political and security partnerships. The 2008 global economic crisis and slow recovery for the US and Europe have only reinforced the South-South partnerships, shifting trade relations and fueling economic growth...

Last Defense at Troubled Reactors: 50 Japanese Workers

Keith Bradsher, Hiroko Tabuchi March 16, 2011
In a disaster, society often depends on a few courageous individuals who risk their lives to stabilize equipment and minimize damage. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan battered the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, adding new dangers to operations that had already carried ample risks. Most staff was evacuated, but a small crew volunteered to stay behind, working with flashlights and last...