In The News

The Politics of Globalization

Peter Mandelson April 8, 2011
The politics of globalization can be improved, argues Peter Mandelson, former European commissioner for trade in an essay based on a March 2011 keynote speech on the future of globalization. Governments have the capability to tame what seems to be a senseless race to devour resources and amass profits. Collective action is the only way to control dangerous competition, prevent unreasonable...

India Graduates Millions, But Too Few Are Fit to Hire

Geeta Anand April 8, 2011
According to statistics, Indian strength is its youthful population and an increasing number are graduates. But corporations report that it’s challenging, sometimes impossible, to recruit qualified applicants for an expanding workforce. Analysts pin the blame on an outdated education system, which unlike the economy, did not enact reforms in the early 1990s. Schools endure corruption, prize rote...

China Bubble: Empty Mega Mall and Million Dollar Pooch

Vikram Mansharamani April 6, 2011
China remains one of the world’s fastest growing economies, yet numerous signs point to a speculative mania underway. While investors anticipate China’s economic growth to continue apace at 8 percent – reinforcing the flurry of demand, easy money and excessive building – a slowdown to 5 percent is not outlandish, explains Vikram Mansharamani, Yale lecturer and author of a book on spotting...

Stop This Race to the Bottom on Corporate Tax

Jeffrey Sachs April 1, 2011
With the entry of China and Indian into global markets and greater international opportunities for corporations, the impact of globalization has forced down wages around the world and concentrated wealth in the hands of the rich, suggests Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs in an essay for Financial Times. At the same time, the US, the UK and other developed economies are facing gaping...

Libya Exposes Fault Lines in the Mediterranean – Part III

Joseph Chamie March 30, 2011
The United Nations authorized intervention in Libya, as protests continue throughout the Middle East. In a speech on Libya, US President Barack Obama noted, “The change that is taking place across the region is being driven by the people of the region.” In this YaleGlobal article, the third of a four-part series, demographer Joseph Chamie analyzes the region’s young people and their anger about...

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...

Confluence of Horrors, Global Impact Makes Japan's Tragedy a Transcendent Event in History

Joji Sakurai March 21, 2011
As humans learn from the experience of others and make accommodations, the tsunami and nuclear accident could transform many future endeavors, explains Joji Sakurai in an essay for the Canadian Press. Japan, an advanced economy, has been the second most generous foreign aid donor in the world and now welcomes financial and technological assistance from around the globe. The internet and...