Events

Allies and Partners: Indo-Pacific Strategy in a Shifting International Order
Oct. 30, 2024 | Video
Allison Hooker discussed the importance of the United States’ Indo-Pacific allies in the increasingly turbulent global environment and shifting international order. She drew from 20 years of experience working in State Department and White House roles, discussing how these relationships have changed significantly in recent years and how they will continue to evolve — regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election in November.

Euroshock: Saving Greece and Securing the Eurozone
May 20, 2024 | Video
Charles H. Dallara provided an insider account of the unprecedented restructuring of Greece’s debt in 2012—the largest restructuring in history. This is the story of how the Eurozone was stabilized and how Greece was saved from exit from the Euro and economic calamity. Dallara presented his highly acclaimed book "Euroshock" and joined a moderated discussion with Dean Caroline Freund.

Democracies in Danger
May 2, 2024 | Video
This in-person-only talk was with former Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs Heraldo Muñoz. Latin America is confronting a serious decline of democracy and its institutions. Unlike the past, coup d'états have been replaced by a phenomenon of gradual erosion of democracies — by what Muñoz calls the "kidnapping of democracies" from within by governments initially elected more or less democratically but that end up taking over the legislative and judicial branches. The decline of democracy interacts with problems like corruption; the rise in transnational organized crime, violence and insecurity; the Trump demonstration effect; and enduring social inequalities. Governing has also become more difficult, as new challenges and identities have emerged. Populists take advantage of people's fears and anxieties to offer security in exchange of giving up fundamental freedoms. Democratic consensus should focus not only on the forms of access to power but also on how it is exercised.

Challenges for Business Sustainability Practices in Emerging Markets
April 17, 2024 | Video
In today's business world, companies are facing significant challenges when it comes to sustainability. While they aim to achieve growth along with doing good, incorporating sustainability practices introduces additional objectives and costs to their operations. In this talk, Pacific Leadership Fellow Veerathai Santiprabhob discussed the sustainability challenges facing companies in emerging markets.

Asia's Challenges and Opportunities in a Changing Global Economic Order
Feb. 7, 2024 | Video
Former Trade Minister of Korea Myung-hee Yoo discussed the shifts in the global economic order, from rules-based to security-driven trade governance, coupled with the shift toward a net-zero society. She examined how Asia, traditionally flourishing under open, rules-based trade, can adapt to these changes, seizing opportunities to reconfigure supply chains and enhance its position in the global economy in this rapidly transforming era.

Slack, WhatsApp, ChatGPT: How Tech We Use at Work Shapes Democratic Change
Jan 31, 2024 | Video
Roy E. Bahat, head of Bloomberg Beta, discussed whether our experiences at work can shape our ability to be successful citizens in a modern democracy. The U.S. formed on the idea that our right to participate as equals in a democracy is inalienable. This implies that everyone is born already equipped to be a citizen. What if a successful democracy requires its citizens to be skilled in the trade of being citizens, in the same way that we learn to read and write or to practice our occupations?

Indian Climate Policy and the Future of Global Climate Collaboration
Oct. 11, 2023 | Video
Gain valuable insights into the pivotal role India plays in the global fight against climate change and how this harmonious collaboration is paving the way for a sustainable and brighter future.

Social Science for a World in Crisis – Episode 23: New Visions for Effective Worker Influence
May 2, 2023

There is a lot of talk about the importance of "worker voice" but much less about how it comes about. As a matter of law and policy, there is a chicken-and-egg problem: existing U.S. labor laws and regulations are wildly outmoded. They incentivize overly narrow and parochial bargaining units, enable employer resistance, hamper organizational experimentation in unions, and preclude some organizational alternatives altogether. But changing the law requires that workers’ organizations and their allies apply sustained political pressure beyond what they appear capable of delivering. Precarious employment, fissuring workplaces, and distributed supply chains are making it harder for workers to develop the occupational identities and dense networks of coworkers that supported the organization-building of the past. Can we build effective workers' organizations now? Do we need to jettison existing law to do so? We joined John Ahlquist, Oren Cass, and Veena Dubal in conversation with Roy Bahat as they explored these challenges and questions.

Sponsored by the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University. Cosponsored by the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy's Center for Commerce and Diplomacy and Peter F. Cowhey Center on Global Transformation.

Is This the Asian Century?
Feb. 15, 2023 | Video
We joined Pacific Leadership Fellow and professor at Korea University Jong-Wha Lee as he talked about the economic relationship between Asia and the West, focusing on the shift of economic power and the rise of the U.S.-China tensions in the world economy. He discussed major internal and external challenges for China and the Asian economy to achieve more inclusive and sustainable growth and enhance their global influence.

The Future of Nuclear Power
Feb. 7, 2023
We joined a discussion with Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), the developer and operator of one of the world's largest new nuclear power plants, located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The plant is offering a massive supply of clean energy in the region and is a model for how foreign investment can help transform the nuclear power industry. The conversation focused on how that model was developed, implications for the region, particularly in the run-up to the UAE-hosted COP28, the role of nuclear energy in decarbonization and the relationship between all this and regional energy security.

Anchoring of Inflation Expectations: Do Inflation Expectations Matter?
Jan. 25, 2023 | Video
In this talk, Carlos Viana de Carvalho, who served as the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Brazil (2016-2019), provided his insight on how to manage inflation and what goes into public expectations of future price changes. He also discussed how central banks manage inflation.

The Return of the Marcoses: Will relations with the U.S. and China change?
Nov. 9, 2022 | Video
Marites Vitug discussed maritime disputes in the South China Sea. The election of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – the son and namesake of the late dictator – completes the restoration of the Marcoses after they were removed from power in 1986 by a popular revolt. His presidency, which comes at a time of increased rivalry between the U.S. and China, will be tested in the contentious maritime dispute in the South China Sea. After former president Rodrigo Duterte's pivot to China, how Marcos will navigate this perilous terrain will be a defining moment in his presidency.

Digitization of Governance and Public Services
Oct. 24, 2022 | Video
Estonia is one of the most digitally advanced nations through innovative policies that invested heavily in the future. In this talk, we learned how former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves (2006-2016) spearheaded his country to become a leader in digital governance and cyber security.

An Intellectual History of Development from the 1940s to the Present
Oct. 19, 2022 | Video
We gathered in person to hear Pacific Leadership Fellow David M. Malone discuss international development and what it aims to achieve: the progressive improvement of livelihood and quality of life in developing countries.

Sustainable Development through Moonshot Thinking: Rethinking Models for Investing for Innovation with a Focus on High Returns-on-Impact
April 13, 2022 | Video
At a time when the world is trying to address key moonshots as represented by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, should we rethink how we approach and fund innovation to encourage moonshot thinking to enhance social impact. We joined Pacific Leadership Fellow Maurizio Vecchione as he talked about the models and strategies to reframe innovation in terms of high return-on-impact.

The Economic Value of Immigrants, in the World and in the U.S.
March 31, 2022 | Video
Immigration has been a fundamental force shaping the U.S. economy and society for more than 100 years. Based on recent research, the lecture will look at migration trends in the world and to the U.S. during the last four decades, identifying some key facts about immigration and migrants, and discuss the effects of immigration on the U.S. economy. Peri discussed both migration of workers and of skilled professionals, innovators and scientists. The talk concluded with a look at the recent evolutions of immigration during COVID-19, its possible consequences and some consideration of U.S. immigration policies and politics.

Harnessing Digital Data to Save Lives
Feb. 16, 2022 | Video
We joined Pacific Leadership Fellow Kate Wilson who spoke about digital data and its impact. During this talk, we explored our fears, discuss the benefits of this data use, and consider efforts by some countries around the world to build trusted citizen empowered systems.

Conversations for an Engaged San Diego: The Future of High-Skill Migration and Technology in the United States
Feb. 24, 2021 | Video
The United States has a long history of "importing" talented workers from around the globe while simultaneously providing world-leading training for the next generation of scientists, engineers, managers and medical professionals. Students and workers from India have been particularly visible in the recent U.S. technology boom. But recent trends in U.S. immigration policy, competitive forces from other countries and new outsourcing opportunities present challenges. The incoming Biden Administration will have its hands full. Join Ambassador Nirupama Rao and Professor William Kerr to hear more about how we got here and what we can expect in the near future.

Conversations for an Engaged San Diego: Making Deep Cuts in Warming Emissions from the United States – A Plan
Dec. 3, 2020
As part of the ongoing Conversations for an Engaged San Diego series, the Pacific Leadership Fellows program welcomed two leading thinkers and practitioners on climate change: Jeffrey Sachs and David Victor. Gordon McCord moderated a virtual discussion where Sachs and Victor tackled the challenge of achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050 while also putting Americans to work building a vibrant, clean and innovative economy.

Conversations for an Engaged San Diego: The Rhetoric and Application of AI in Policing & Criminal Justice
Nov. 18, 2020
The Pacific Leadership Fellows program welcomed two distinguished experts on the law, civil rights and AI to discuss the opportunities that new technologies present in the criminal justice system while also highlighting the potential for unintended consequences, differential impact on communities of color and possible misuse and abuse.

The Global Financial System of the Post War Era; Its Breakdown and What Lies Ahead
Feb. 12, 2020
Pacific Leadership Fellow Charles Dallara, Chairman of the Americas and Advisory Partner of Partners Group, as well as Director of the Bank of Nova Scotia and Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), discussed the Bretton Woods international financial system, its breakdown in the 1970s, the evolution over the last half century and what may lie ahead. He covered exchange rate arrangements, financial flows, macroeconomic policy and trade issues.

Is populism reshaping social protection in Latin America?
Jan. 29, 2020
Pacific Leadership Fellow Tiago Falcão, who currently serves as the national secretary of Income of Citizenship of the Ministry of Social Development in Brasil, offered insights on how the emergence of charismatic leaders, coupled with increases in social expenditures and the launch of conditional cash transfer programs (CCTs), have changed social protection in Latin America.

India in the Indo-Pacific World
Nov. 6, 2019
Pacific Leadership Fellow and former Indian Ambassador and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao discussed issues confronting the world’s largest democracy, India, in her lecture. India’s emergence as an Indo-Pacific power is a given in 21st century Asia. The dynamics of her relationships with China and the U.S. are crucial determinants for defining the contours of the future of the maritime world of the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

Corporate Accountability and the Future of Democracy and Human Rights
Oct. 16, 2019
Pacific Leadership Fellows Bennett Freeman, a leading corporate responsibility advocate and former U.S. human rights diplomat and Rebecca MacKinnon, an influential authority on the internet and human rights, offered insights from working with companies, activists, investors and policymakers to set standards for corporate responsibility and accountability.

Is Globalization Dead?
May 1, 2019 
Today, when many skeptics are raising questions whether one of the most powerful forces that have shaped recent human history is on the decline, if not dead, hear a very different view. Rather, globalization is not dead, and in fact, it is accelerating but it in a very different way. Arindam Bhattacharya gave a talk on this new globalization and what it means for public policy, industry structures and global business models.

Fulfilling Social and Economic Rights
Jan. 29, 2019 
In her award-winning book "Fulfilling Social and Economic Rights", Center on Global Transformation Fellow Terra Lawson-Remer examined one of the most ambitious legacies of the 20th century – the universal commitment to ensure freedom from want as a human right. Lawson-Remer discussed the central themes of the book and issues related to social-economic rights.

Generation Mobile: Digital Media and Youth in China
Dec. 3, 2018
Vice President of Tencent and Pacific Leadership Fellow Caitlyn Chen discussed the topic of digital media and youth in China. 

Brazil’s Public Administration in the Aftermath of Presidential Elections
Nov. 7, 2018
Mayor of Vitória, Brazil and Pacific Leadership Fellow Luciano Rezende provided his assessment of the challenges to succeed in local administration in a period of crisis and discussed the challenges that the new president will face.

The Elusive Quest for Prosperity in Mexico
Oct. 16, 2018
Vice President for Sectors and Knowledge at Inter-American Development Bank and Pacific Leadership Fellow Santiago Levy discussed the flawed microeconomic policies that have suppressed growth and highlight substantive changes to Mexico's tax, labor and social insurance regimes that will allow the country to prosper.

Digital India: Opportunities and Challenges
Oct. 3, 2018
PLF Aruna Sundararajan discussed aspects of India’s ongoing technological transformation and the public policy lessons that emerge from this engagement.

The Future of Digital Health
May 9, 2018 | News story | Video | Photos
Global President of Nokia Technologies and Pacific Leadership Fellow Gregory Lee discussed the business opportunities and challenges for healthcare and related technologies. How do we bring the doctor’s office into the home? The digital disruption may soon make this possible. Digital health promises faster diagnosis, improved monitoring, higher rates of adherence, better preventative care, and overall higher efficacy and lower costs in healthcare. But how will we get there, and what will it take to make the system safe and sound? 

Visions of Ukraine With Slava Vakarchuk
Feb. 20, 2018 | Photos
Pacific Leadership Fellow Sviatoslav (Slava) Vakarchuk is a Ukrainian civic activist, musician and the lead vocalist and founder of the band Okean Elzy. He spoke candidly on the domestic and geopolitical challenges facing Ukraine.

Trade in the Americas: Its Importance, Challenges and Future
Feb. 13, 2018 | Video | Photos
Dean of INCAE Business School of Costa Rica and Pacific Leadership Fellow Alberto Trejos presented a public talk discussing the value of trade among partners in the Western Hemisphere. Analyzing today's political climate, he described current challenges and proposed a course for future economic engagement.

Curbing Inequality
Jan. 24, 2018 | News story | Video | Photos
What is the case for curbing income inequality in the U.S. and other nations? How would doing so affect economic growth around the world? Do we have the policy and business tools to address inequality? Eduardo Porter, economic scene columnist at The New York Times, discussed the power and limits of redistribution and assess other tools to mitigate inequality in market incomes.

U.S.-Cuba Ties: A Thaw, Revisited
Jan. 17, 2018 | Photos
In 2014, the U.S. announced that it would end its policy of hostility and look to engage Cuba. With the change in U.S. administrations in 2016, this optimism turned to pessimism as President Trump threatened to roll back the Obama administration rapprochement. Ultimately, the Trump administration's policies reinstate restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba and U.S. business dealings with the military-run conglomerate. These changes take place against a backdrop of a nation preparing for a successor to President Raul Castro in 2018. This panel discussion looked at the recent developments and new constraints for the future relationship between the two countries.

ASEAN: Opportunity and Risk
Oct. 30, 2017 | News story | Video | Photos
President of the Thailand Development Research Institute and CGT PLF Somkiat Tangkitvanich shared his views on how Southeast Asian countries will continue to accelerate economic growth in the current global economic and political climate. He discussed how countries in the region are working to accomplish the goals laid out in ASEAN Vision 2020.

Brazil’s Future as an Energy Superpower
May 31, 2017 | Video | Photos
A lively discussion on Brazil’s energy future was held, followed by a concert by Sonic Impact — a global ensemble featuring musicians from China, Korea, Japan and U.S. In this conversation, Mauricio Tolmasquim, professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and GPS Professor David Victor discussed where Brazil stands today, what the country’s energy future may look like, and what role Brazil will play globally in tackling energy challenges such as limiting emissions that cause global warming.

Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy
May 11, 2017
In his newly released book "Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy,” Council on Foreign Relations Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow Edward Alden explained why the political consensus in support of trade liberalization has collapsed, and how to correct the course. Edward Alden explained more and talks about his newly released book with GPS Acting Dean Gordon Hanson, followed by a short question and answer portion and reception.

San Diego Global Forum: Europe Between Brexit and the Migration Crisis
April 12, 2017 | News story | Video | Photos
Former Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta, and current dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po, shared his views on the changing priorities of the European Union with regard to the migration crisis and its shift toward foreign policy. 

Maintaining an Independent Judiciary in Face of Political Challenges
March 8, 2017 | Video | Photos
Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Tassaduq Jillani shared his views on how the judicial system in Pakistan has established its independence from the other branches of government. Following his presentation, the Honorable M. Margaret McKeown of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit provided a comparative perspective and discuss the current challenges facing the U.S. courts.

Remote Sensing Analysis at Scale with Google Earth Engine
Feb. 28, 2017 | Photos
In this talk, Nick Clinton, a Developer Advocate at Google Earth Engine, discussed new possibilities for geospatial analysis at scale and how the research community can use Google Earth Engine as a tool for planetary-scale cloud-based analysis.

San Diego Global Forum: Japan-U.S. Relations Going Forward
Feb. 15, 2017 | Photos
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Environment in Japan, the Honorable Professor Yoriko Kawaguchi shared her views on Japanese-U.S. diplomatic relations with regard to the economy, the environment, and geopolitics and Asia going forward. Following her presentation, Professor Ulrike Schaede led a conversation on how these matters affect global trade and San Diego.

New Insights from the Brain Mapping Project in Japan
Nov. 16, 2016
Professor Hideyuki Okano, dean of Keio University School of Medicine and Dr. David Brenner, vice chancellor for Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine at UC San Diego spoke on “New Insights from the Brain Mapping Project in Japan: Modeling Human Diseases with iPS cells and Transgenic Non-Human Primates.”

China’s Governance in Transition: Sokwanlok Distinguished Lecture
Oct. 10, 2016
In the second Sokwanlok Distinguished Lecture on China, YU Keping, a renowned scholar and advocate of reform in China and PLF addressed the great changes in governance since the economic reform. He traced the principal lines of governance reform in China since the 18th Party Congress and assessed the main challenges going forward.

Biomedical Research: Lessons from Global Health
Oct. 5, 2016 | Video | Photos
Sir Tadataka Yamada, the former director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Program, discussed key global health issues and current trends of biomedical research and its impact.

Thinking Locally: An Alternative Perspective of Public Security in Mexico
May 17, 2016 | Video | Photos
Mexico needs a cutting-edge generation of security policies driven by a “local” rationale, comprising accurate information, evidence-based diagnostics and targeted to design territorially delimited policy interventions. Edna Jaime, Director General of México Evalúa, elaborated on this topic during her talk, which was followed by a discussion moderated by GPS Professor Craig McIntosh.

The Whack-a-mole Problem: Game-changing Organizations for Game-changing Solutions
May 12, 2016 | Photos
We are engaged in a growing list of "wars" — against crime, terrorism, drugs, disease, climate change, etc. — where the premise is the need for total victory, but the reality looks more like an open-ended struggle.  One way or the other, however, we clearly need not only game-changing solutions, but game-changing forms of organization. In this talk, Leon Fuerth, founder and director, The Project on Forward Engagement explored and expanded on this challenge.

Asian Internet Companies and the Global IT Industry Dynamics
A Conversation between Eric Gan and Peter Cowhey
May 4, 2016 | Video | Photos
Asian IT and Internet firms, as well as Internet-based consumer-oriented services, now dwarf the U.S. market. This has created a new competitive dynamic in the global IT industry, and its associated providers, producers, and startup activities in the software, shopping, games, social media and other industries. Meanwhile, regulatory restrictions as well as privacy concerns loom large. How is this industry shaping up, and what do we need to know to understand its dynamics?

Do Bad Times Make Good Economic Policy? Managing Indonesia's Economy in a Globalized World
April 6, 2016 | Video | Photos
This presentation examined internal debates regarding the political economy of managing Indonesia's economy in a difficult global context, as well as their relevance for other countries facing similar challenges.

San Diego Global Forum: What Does NAFTA Have to Teach Us about the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
March 30, 2016 | Photos
In this lecture, Pacific Leadership Fellow Ortiz-Mena discussed the lessons that NAFTA holds for the implementation of TPP. Recognizing that trade agreements generate both winners and losers, he addressed how government, business and civil society can work together to maximize the gains and minimize the losses from expanding trade.

Geospatial Big Data: Using Google Earth Engine for Data Science and Analysis
Feb. 24, 2016 | Photos
Satellite imagery is the next frontier in big data. As new generations of satellites make high-resolution images of the planet available over ever shorter time intervals, researchers will be able to study changes in human activity and the natural environment at scale and in near real time. CGT and the Big Pixel Initiative at UC San Diego hosted Nick Clinton, Ph.D., developer advocate at Google Earth Engine.

Lifting Iranian Nuclear Sanctions
Feb. 11, 2016 | Video | Photos
Lifting sanctions are expected to create huge impacts on the Iranian and regional economy, as well as raise important questions. For investors, what conditions, risks and opportunities will they find? And for Iran’s leadership, what political and economic challenges will occur as they pursue new avenues for growth and foreign investment?

Singapore’s Emerging Role as Asia’s Innovation Hub
Nov. 4, 2015
In this talk, Dr. Poh Kam Wong examined the recent policy initiatives by the Singaporean government to enhance the city’s role as a leading innovation hub in a rapidly changing Asia, and discussed the need for policies aimed at fostering Singapore’s indigenous innovation capabilities and an entrepreneurship support ecosystem.

Symposium on “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” and the UC San Diego Helen Edison Lecture Series presents Thomas Piketty
Oct. 22, 2015
What drives wealth and inequality? Attendees met Thomas Piketty, author of the best-selling book “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” and the researchers that worked with him in producing this widely discussed text, translated around the world.

Japanese Business Strategies under Abenomics
Oct. 7, 2015
In this talk, Reiko Akiike examines "Abenomics” – a new policy regime under Prime Minister Abe – which aims to revive the Japanese economy by addressing macroeconomic challenges and pushing Japanese companies to a new level of global competitiveness. Even as some observers remain critical, Japan has, in fact, introduced a large number of measures that change the incentives and pressures faced by Japanese CEOs. How have they responded? What is happening in the business strategy realm in Japan as of 2015, and what are the truly important developments that should not be overlooked?

New Approaches for the Promotion of Innovation, Science and Technology: Bridging Japan and San Diego
May 19, 2015
This one-day conference brings many high-ranking guests from Japan and San Diego to discuss universities and entrepreneurship, science policy, commercialization in the IoT and biotech industries, and the current business climate in Japan. Download the Agenda and Conference Participants’ Bios

Japan and San Diego: An Evening of Art and Science
May 18, 2015
We celebrated our new initiative to connect San Diego with Japan through a variety of business-related activities focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT), biotech and wireless health industries. Dr. Hiroshi Fujiwara, founder and president of Tokyo-based firm BroadBand Tower (BBTower), delivered opening remarks. 

Asian Economics in 2015: Prospect, Opportunities and Challenges
April 14, 2015
Wei Shang-Jin, chief economist of the Asian Development Bank and professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, presented a public talk. 

The Global IT Industry and Entrepreneurship: Where Did We Come From and Where Are We Headed?
April 6, 2015
Sachio Semmoto and Peter Cowhey discussed the next horizon industry is the “Internet of Things" (IoT) — high-valued products embedded with electronics, software and new connectivity sensors — which has put companies such as Nest and Fitbit on the radar. From wireless health to automobiles, the IoT will profoundly change how businesses and consumers interact.

China's Incursion into Latin America: Myths and Realities
Feb. 19, 2015
Ambassador Jorge Guajardo talked about the myths and realities of this new Chinese presence in the region using his six years of experience as the ambassador to China to illustrate what is real and what is a misconceived perception in the West of the role China plays in Latin America.

The Internet with Chinese Characteristics: How Internet Entrepreneurship is Changing China
Feb. 11, 2015
James Ding’s talk explored how the Internet developed in China, and how it will further disrupt all sectors of the economy and continue to foster entrepreneurship.

Democracy and Cultural Expression: Confronting Modernization in the Philippines
Jan. 28, 2015
Alternately hailed as a beacon of democracy in Southeast Asia and yet also seen as a place of corruption and human rights abuses, the Philippines continues to be an often-baffling cradle of contradictions. Jose Dalisay explored how culture mediates this divide and offers reflection, relief and hope to the otherwise disempowered.

The Economics of Public-Private Partnerships
Jan. 22, 2015
The financing of public infrastructure – including roads, bridges, railways, ports and airports – is one of the most vexing economic challenges of the 21st century. Eduardo Engel, a widely recognized authority on economic policy, evaluated when PPPs are the optimal choice for financing infrastructure facilities and how they should be designed and managed.

Defining Mexico’s Role in the Global Economy
Nov. 5, 2014
Twenty years after the signing of NAFTA, Mexico is now Latin America’s second largest economy. However, economic growth in Mexico remains sluggish and there is continued debate on the extent to which the agreement has helped the country integrate into the global economy. Will President Pena Nieto’s ambitious package of reforms in energy, telecommunications, security and education put Mexico on the path to prosperity? Will these reforms increase Mexico’s stature in the global marketplace? Gordon Hanson joined Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan in a lively discussion to help answer these questions and more.

Creating an Environment for Innovative Research and Industry Growth
Oct. 30, 2014
One of Japan's biggest current challenges is the transition to a dynamic market for innovation and entrepreneurship, and the medical industry is a prime example of this transition. Given the industry's fast pace of breakthrough innovation and new market developments — such as in regenerative medicine — the formulation of new policies is particularly difficult. Kan Suzuki, former politician of the Democratic Party of Japan with Greg McKee, CEO of CONNECT discussed this topic. 

UC San Diego and the Local Ecosystem: Insights from Wireless and Biotech
May 15, 2014
UC San Diego has played a central role in the development of the San Diego high-technology economy in both the wireless and biotechnology industries. Dean Mary Walshok (UC San Diego) and Professor Steven Casper (Keck Graduate Institute) will present results from their chapters on UC San Diego in the forthcoming Stanford University Press book “Public Universities and Regional Growth: Insights from the University of California” edited by Martin Kenney (UC Davis) and David Mowery (UC Berkeley).

Green Economy in China: Actions, Effects and Challenges
May 14, 2014
After three decades of rapid economic growth with unchecked environmental pollution, the Chinese government has recently started to promote “green economy" to achieve sustainable development.Xia Guang discussed the policy instruments and obstacles on developing a green economy. Cosponsored by the 21st Century China Program and International Affairs Group.

Can e-payments fix India's social safety net?
May 7, 2014
Karthik Muralidharan, assistant professor of economics and Paul Niehaus, assistant professor, both at UC San Diego spoke at a PDEL Research Innovations Workshop. 

U.S. Leadership in the 21st Century: The Human Rights Viewpoint
April 21, 2014
UC San Diego’s International Affairs Group presented Carroll Bogert, deputy executive director of Human Rights Watch, for a discussion on whether rising powers of the global south will incorporate human rights into their foreign policies and whether China will remain a dissenting voice on human rights. This event was co-sponsored by Center on Emerging and Pacific Economies, 21st Century China Program and San Diego World Affairs Council.

The Emerging Export Engine: Small and Mid-Size Enterprises
April 16, 2014
Kati Suominen, founder and CEO of Nextrade Group LLC discussed the role of SMEs in international trade in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as other parts of the world, presenting policy recommendations on ways to unlock this export engine.

Creating New Connected Economies: How ICT and Mobile Technology are Rapidly Changing Emerging Economies
April 16, 2014
Chris Locke and Professor Craig McIntosh gave a talk on how emerging economies benefit from leapfrogging to a 21st century technology industry model and the opportunities and challenges this brings to governments and policy makers.

Night on Earth: Spatiotemporal Observations of Anthropogenic Processes from Night Lights
April 2, 2014
Christopher Small, geophysicist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, spoke on his current research interests focusing on quantifying the spatiotemporal changes of Earth's surface and understanding the causes and consequences of these changes.

Global Manufacturing and Japan's Energy Challenges
March 11, 2014
Panelists: Hideichi Okada, former Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); Jeffrey Rector, Energy Project Finance attorney, Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton LLP and president of the IR/PS Alumni Association; and Ulrike Schaede, Professor of Japanese Business, GPS, UC San Diego
Much of the world's manufactured goods are produced in Asia, and Japan is one of the region's leading players. Japanese companies provide leading products to consumers as well as critical-input parts and materials to the global supply chain anchored in the region. But can Japan sustain this role? On the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and related events at Fukushima, panelists discussed Japan's global manufacturing system and the domestic challenges of creating a supportive setting, in particular in terms of energy policy.

Toward Global Coordination of Monetary Policy?
Feb. 20, 2014
During the past six years, central banks around the world have thrown away the rulebook for monetary policy. As the global economy appears on the verge of returning to normal times, what comes next for monetary policy and how do central banks responsibly unload the trove of assets they have accumulated? Masaaki Shirakawa, former Governor of The Bank of Japan, spoke on this topic. 

China Internet Battles
Feb. 4, 2014
Charles Zhang is one of the handful of Internet CEOs who are driving the technological and policy transformation of China’s dramatically expanding Internet. Drawing on his own experience, he described the cut-throat competition among the Internet firms and discussed his ideas about what role government policy and legal system should play to guarantee the fairness and public service orientation of this competition.

Japanese Manufacturing Strength: Monozukuri and Genba Management
Feb. 4, 2014
Masakazu Sekiguchi oversees procurement, manufacturing management, global production administration and logistics, and mold technology and manufacturing. In this luncheon, he presented his basic management approach.

Changing Dynamics in East Asia and Korean Politics
Jan. 22, 2014 | Interview | Video of Talk
Hak-kyu Sohn, former Governor of the Gyeonggi-do province in South Korea, spoke about his time as an activist in the democratic movement beginning as a student and as a university professor at Inha and Sogang universities.

Peru: The Andean Jaguar
Jan. 9, 2014
Daniel Schydlowsky reviewed the fundamental drivers of Peru´s recent growth, related it to external market as well as internal political factors, assessed the role of policy and evaluated how much room there is for continued growth.

Nov. 6, 2013 | Interview | Video of Talk
In his public talk, Joaquín Vial discussed the issues created by demographic transitions, dependence on commodity exports and the challenges for macroeconomic policy in the region.

China and the Future of Global Manufacturing
Oct. 8, 2013 | Slideshow | Interview | Video of Talk
In his public talk, James Fallows discussed the economic, political, and technological trends in China, in the United States, and elsewhere that are shaping the prospects for the next wave of innovation, corporate success, and the growth of manufacturing jobs around the world.

Fukushima and the Politics of Japan’s Energy and Innovation Policy
Sept. 20, 2013
In this public talk, Kiyoshi Kurokawa discussed the ongoing politics of Japan's energy and innovation policy in relation to his role with Fukushima.