Europe in Emerging Asia


Book Description

In light of the Eurozone crisis and the growth of Asian economies, have new challenges emerged for the relations between nations in these regions? As the Asian consumer class grows and its culture globalizes, what does this mean for the export of Eurocentric values and norms? And what does the future hold for the economic, political, and cultural policies between these two powerful regions? This book explores the relationship between European and emerging Asian economies, as globalization changes the international economic and political landscape. Reflecting on past interactions and possibilities for the future, the book brings together Asian and European perspectives from former politicians, diplomats, and academic experts to examine questions around trade and security, rights and climate change, identity clashes, and the colonial legacy. The book is a timely consideration of highly topical questions that will shape international politics in the twenty-first century.




Skills, Not Just Diplomas


Book Description

Future growth in the countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) will increasingly depend on innovation. And innovation requires skills. This makes it important, as countries plan for recovery, to undertake reforms to reduce the skills shortages that the previous growth episode exposed. Education systems have a very important role to play in creating the right skills. But education systems in the region fall short of the demands of their economies in two major ways. The first is that despite high levels of enrollment they do not produce enough graduates with the right skills. Students graduate with diplomas, not with skills, because the quality of the education for many students is poor. In large part this is because education systems remain focused on providing an excellent education to a few at the expense of improving the quality of learning for the majority. Moreover, the systems are still making the transition from teaching the basics to inculcating higher order skills such as critical-thinking and problem solving. The second way in which education systems fall short is that outside of a few countries in the EU there are few opportunities for adults to retrain, or acquire new skills. This book argues that generating more of the right skills requires a fundamental change of approach in the education systems in the region so that they aim for, and deliver, higher quality education for the vast majority of students (“not just diplomas but skills”). To start with, education systems need to “turn the lights on” and take seriously the measurement of what students actually learn as opposed to measurement of the inputs into the education process on the implicit assumption that learning follows. Policy makers also need to move away from the focus on inputs and processes and increase the emphasis on incentives.




Global Strategies for Emerging Asia


Book Description

The multinational corporate guide for thriving in the Asian marketplace Led by China and India, the rise of emerging Asia is transforming the structure of the global economy. By 2025, if not sooner, China will almost certainly overtake the U.S. to become the world's largest economy. By then, India is likely to have overtaken Japan to become the world's third largest economy, after China and the U.S. Besides China and India, Asia also includes other fast-growing economies such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Added together, by 2025, these developments are likely to make Asia's economy larger than those of the U.S. and Europe combined. It is clear that, for every large company, leadership in Asia is rapidly becoming critical for leadership globally. This important resource brings together the latest ideas and in-depth case analyses from leading academics and practitioners to provide a comprehensive guide to succeeding in Asia. Explores how to develop a strategy to benefit from new patterns of 21st century trade Explains how companies can fight and win against low-cost competition from Asian companies Shows how to transfer homegrown management practices to Asia Reveals how to safeguard the company's intellectual property in China Brings to light how to leverage India as a platform to revitalize the company's innovation capabilities A resource for competing in today's international market, this book offers executives and managers a guide for navigating the new global reality—that of Asia as the world's emerging center of gravity.




Emerging-market Multinational Enterprises in East Central Europe


Book Description

The rise of multinational enterprises (MNEs) from emerging markets is topical, important and poses a number of questions and challenges that require considerable attention in the future from academia as well as business management. The recent takeovers of high-profile companies in developed or developing countries by non-European emerging-market MNEs (EMNEs) – such as Lenovo, Wanhua (China), Hindalco (India), CVRD (Brazil), Cemex (Mexico), Lukoil (Russia), etc. – as well as the greenfield or brownfield investments of emerging companies (such as Huawei, ZTE, Tata, Pepco, etc.) show a new trend where new kind of firms become major players globally. EMNEs have become important players in several regions around the globe, ranging from the least developed countries of Africa through the developing markets in Latin America and Asia to the developed countries of the United States or the European Union, including East Central European (ECE) countries. EMNEs presence on the global level has resulted in numerous studies in the international literature but those research results barely cover EMNEs’ activities in the ECE region (in the East Central European EU member countries, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia). The existing books typically focus on the investment activity of a single country or region (such as China or East Asia) but a comprehensive analysis is still missing in this regard. The novelty of this edited volume is that it aims at exploring EMNEs location determinants, strategies, activities and challenges in East Central Europe by discussing its anomalies to the traditional theories as well as to other types of MNEs in the ECE region. The authors focus on EMNEs not only from China but from other important emerging countries, too, such as Russia, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Brazil or South Africa.




The Housing Challenge in Emerging Asia


Book Description

The Housing Challenge in Emerging Asia: Options and Solutions provides new insights and ideas to best design and implement housing policies aimed at improving access to affordable and adequate housing. The book offers an innovative theoretical framework to conceptualize and analyze various housing policies. It also critically reviews housing policies of various countries and draws lessons for others. The countries studied include advanced economies within and outside Asia, such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as emerging countries within Asia, such as the People's Republic of China and India.




Outsourcing in European Emerging Economies


Book Description

"Drawing on a range of European cases, this edited volume analyses the offshoring and outsourcing of foreign companies, with a focus on territorial embeddedness. The book opens by developing a theoretical framework and then presents a range of international case studies, exploring the experiences of the service hub cities of Dublin, Bratislava, Budapest, Prague and Cracow. Attention is also given to internal and external determinants of embeddedness, with chapters on the employee perspective, the Fintech industry, corporate social responsibility and the role of universities. This volume will be of interest to advanced students and researchers in regional economics, economic geography, innovation studies, industrial economics, European economics and international business."--




Global Trends 2040


Book Description

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic marks the most significant, singular global disruption since World War II, with health, economic, political, and security implications that will ripple for years to come." -Global Trends 2040 (2021) Global Trends 2040-A More Contested World (2021), released by the US National Intelligence Council, is the latest report in its series of reports starting in 1997 about megatrends and the world's future. This report, strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, paints a bleak picture of the future and describes a contested, fragmented and turbulent world. It specifically discusses the four main trends that will shape tomorrow's world: - Demographics-by 2040, 1.4 billion people will be added mostly in Africa and South Asia. - Economics-increased government debt and concentrated economic power will escalate problems for the poor and middleclass. - Climate-a hotter world will increase water, food, and health insecurity. - Technology-the emergence of new technologies could both solve and cause problems for human life. Students of trends, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, journalists and anyone eager for a glimpse into the next decades, will find this report, with colored graphs, essential reading.




Five Years of an Enlarged EU


Book Description

The Fifth Enlargement that took place in 2004 and 2007 was a milestone in the history of the European Union. Not only because of the large number of acceding countries but also because of their recent political and economic experience. Ten of them had undergone a profound transition from a totalitarian regime to democracy, and from a centrally planned economy to a market-based system. Most of them had income levels signi?cantly below those of the then EU-15. Now, 6 years later, we can clearly see that the process of European integration, both before and after 2004, was what enabled Europe to overcome the gaps between various parts of the continent. The enlargement made Europe a better and wealthier place and streng- ened its position in the world. Integration into the European Union has always been one of the strongest incentives for reform in the new Member States. Particularly important in my view have been the development of ?nancial markets through foreign direct investment and capital in?ows, and the opening of labour markets – which was a two-way phenomenon, with markets being opened up in acceding as well as the incumbent Member States. The Fifth Enlargement was thus an exercise of glo- lisation in miniature, a practice run for the Union to tackle the challenges of the ever smaller world.




Colombia


Book Description

This staff report on Colombia’s arrangement under the Flexible Credit Line highlights economic policies and development. Colombia’s economic performance in recent years has been very strong, underpinned by a very strong institutional framework and prudent macroeconomic management. Following a sharp slowdown in 2008–2009, output growth rebounded vigorously, and inflation stayed within the official target range. A very strong policy framework—comprising an inflation-targeting regime, a flexible exchange rate, effective financial sector supervisionand regulation, and a medium-term fiscal framework—provided policy space to undertake timely and effective countercyclical measures to mitigate the effects of the global financial crisis, and skillful policy management helped maintain strong growth with low inflation.




Colombia


Book Description

Colombia’s strong institutional frameworks and sound policy management have underpinned a strong macroeconomic performance and contributed to reducing vulnerabilities. The Colombian economy exhibited great resilience during the global crisis, and the output recovery is well entrenched. The impact on fund finances, risks, and safeguards are discussed. The Colombian authorities viewed that the uncertainties surrounding the external environment remain elevated and that a successor flexible credit line (FCL) arrangement with a duration of two years would provide useful protection against continuing external risks.