In The News

Grexit Grumblings: Germany Open to Possible Greek Eurozone Exit

Nikolaus Blome, Giorgos Christides, Christian Reiermann and Gregor Peter Schmitz January 6, 2015
The eurozone has economies in flux. Lithuania celebrates entry while Greece ponders an exit. Greeks vote in parliamentary elections on January 25 and many resent austerity measures imposed by Germany and other neighbors, explains an article in Spiegel Online: “the North-South conflict's focus is the German-designed austerity and reform program that all crisis countries have had to adopt in...

Europe’s Cheap Borrowing Costs Lure Corporate Fundraising

Sally Bakewell and Cordell Eddings December 30, 2014
Borrowing costs in Europe have fallen against dollar rates, to near half in some cases, and Bloomberg anticipates US firms to issue more bonds in euros. “Apple Inc. (AAPL), Verizon Communications Inc. and Albemarle Corp. led 68 billion euros ($83 billion) of bond issuance by American borrowers this year, the busiest since 2007 and 45 percent higher than 2013, according to data compiled by...

Danish Canal Customers

Niveen Wahish December 3, 2014
The Suez and Panama canals are in competition as shipping traffic grows and container ships get bigger. With a new growing middle class throughout Asia, shipping containers are increasingly headed west to east rather than the other way around. Writing for Al-Ahram Weekly, Niveen Wahish reviews shippers’ concerns as expressed to Egyptian journalists attending a tour arranged by the Danish-Egyptian...

Afro-Optimism: Has the Pendulum Swung Too Far?

Raila Odinga December 2, 2014
Development and economic growth in Africa offer great potential, yet poverty, conflict, preventable infectious disease and other challenges remain. Leaders cannot rest easy, warns Raila Odinga, former prime minister of Kenya in an article based on his remarks during the Annual Coca-Cola World Fund Lecture at Yale University, October 9, 2014. Odinga reviews Africa’s many accomplishments over the...

Creativity, Corporatism and Crowds

Robert J. Shiller November 26, 2014
Inventors and inventions drive economic growth, and it’s not just the titans like Thomas Edison who created new industries by filing hundreds of patents for products like the phonograph, the movie camera, an incandescent light bulb. By experimenting and comparing results, workers at different levels can streamline operations or create new products. Many inventions emerge at the workplace, but the...

A Disservice to the Diaspora

Nayan Chanda November 26, 2014
India’s strong diaspora, 25 million in all, contributes to economic growth in many ways. India is the world’s biggest recipient of overseas remittances, with amounts that surpass foreign direct investment. A large section of the diaspora often goes under-appreciated, comments Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal editor in his Businessworld column: “Remittances from the diaspora have risen from a mere $2.1...

10 Insights From a Decade of Measuring the Gender Gap

Saadia Zahidi November 20, 2014
Fair wages motivate employees to work hard to produce and innovate. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index suggests that unequal pay for women represents a huge lost opportunity for many nations. The index tracks national differences and progress, reports Saadia Zahidi of the World Economic Forum: Women are more educated than before though gaps linger for even primary education, and...