Empowering the young in an ageing society: Selene Biffi of Youth Action for Change
Influential decision makers are seldom youthful, but in Italy young adults could qualify as a marginalised minority group. Precarious and poorly-paid employment is endemic even for university graduates. Unemployment for those aged 15 to 24 is among the highest in Europe at nearly 20 per cent, and hovers roughly fourteen points higher than Italy’s general population.
KLM: Aviation has to become 'more sustainable'
Airlines cannot shirk the responsibility that comes with being major producers of polluting greenhouse gases and must aggressively pursue policies to minimise their environmental damage. ThatÂ’s the view of Jan Ernst de Groot, managing director of the Dutch company KLM Airlines, which by its own estimate gives off some 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year from its fleet of 194 aircraft.
Mapping out the challenges for social innovation research
Social entrepreneurs and enterprises may have limited resources but they’re resourceful and are capable of tackling failed markets, as well as intractable ‘wicked’ problems. But the key question, according to Pamela Hartigan, Director of Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Said Business School, Oxford University, is how far can social innovation help forge a new global order that is more sustainable, responsible, and humane than what has gone before?
Helping China's elderly come to terms with a digital world
As the world’s most populous nation, China is expected to have 248 million people who are 65 years of age and above by 2020 – and those numbers will continue to grow.
With life expectancy progressing well into the 80s, the elderly will pose an interesting challenge for society, and the Chinese government in particular.
Discussion about the Moldavan Legal System
Student Group Speaker Series Discussion about the Moldavan Legal System October 28, 2010 International Law Society | email International Law Society Do you know anything about the Moldavan Legal System? Yes? No? A little bit? In this podcast, five distinguished appellate judges from the Republic of Moldova discuss the legal framework of a new country [...]
"The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy"
A panel featuring John J. Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen M. Walt of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. "The Israel Lobby" was originally published in the London Review of Books in March 2006. It provoked both howls of outrage and cheers of gratitude for challenging what had
"The Next Great Clash"
A talk by Michael Levin. In The Next Great Clash, Michael Levin presents evidence of a global political order on the verge of a historic power shift from West to East. A reemerging China is the only nation with the latent capacity to challenge American hegemony, and Levin demonstrates that such challenges to the status quo usually lead to war. From the World Beyo
Alash Ensemble Concert
A performance by the Alash Ensemble at International House.
Tuvan throat-singing and traditional Tuvan instruments and music.
Sponsored by the Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies.
“Invoking Chola and Maratha Pasts in Colonial Thanjavur: King Serfoji II's Reinvention of the Brih
A talk by Indira Viswanathan Peterson, David B. Truman Professor of Asian Studies, Mount Holyoke College. From the South Asia Seminar.
How Firms can Reap the Rewards of Innovation
These days almost every company worth its balance sheet insists that it invests in "innovation." But does it make or lose money on these investments? That is the question that James Andrew and Harold Sirkin tackle in their new book titled, Payback: Reaping the Rewards of Innovation. According to the authors, who are senior vice presidents and directors of The Boston Consulting Group, a new idea is just an invention -- and not a true innovation -- unless it generates financial returns. In an inte
Part IV: Timing Is an Art Form
Cisco SVP Dan Scheinman and Wharton's Saikat Chaudhuri Discuss Acquisitions and Innovation, Part IV: Timing Is an Art Form
Dana Gioia on the Close Connection between Business and Poetry
Dana Gioia (pronounced Joy-a) claims to be the only person in history who went to business school to be a poet. Having earned a degree from Stanford's graduate school of business, he worked 15 years in corporate life, eventually becoming vice president of General Foods. In 1991, Gioia wrote an influential collection of essays titled, "Can Poetry Matter?" in which he explored, among other themes, the nexus between business and poetry. Since 2002, he has been chairman of the National Endowment of
Finding That Sweet Spot: A New Way to Drive Innovation
Larry Huston was vice president of knowledge and innovation for many years at Procter & Gamble. During that time, he was the architect of its Connect + Develop program, the creator of P&G's Brand Bootcamp operation, and innovation leader for the company's global fabric and homecare business, among other initiatives. He is now managing partner of 4INNO, and recently joined Wharton's Mack Center for Technological Innovation as a senior fellow. Knowledge@Wharton asked Huston to talk about innovatio
Craigslist's Craig Newmark: '100% of What We Do Is Based on Community'
Jon Spector, a former Wharton vice dean and now CEO of the Conference Board, spoke with participants at the Community 2.0 conference in Las Vegas earlier this year to explore how companies are trying to harness communities to reshape their businesses. In this podcast, Spector speaks with Craig Newmark, founder and customer service rep of Craigslist.com. Spector is a co-author, with Barry Libert, of the forthcoming Wharton School Publishing book, "We Are Smarter Than Me: How to Unleash the Power
Looking for a Company to Run? Search Funds Could Be the Answer
For those entrepreneurs who want to run a company but prefer to skip the start-up stage, search funds offer a possible alternative. A specialized form of private equity first launched in the mid-1980s, search funds are becoming increasingly popular -- and their supporters claim they can offer investors attractive returns and business owners a compelling exit strategy. What does this trend in private equity mean for investors, and for small businesses that might be acquisition targets for these f
The Son Also Rises: Donald Trump, Jr., on Real Estate Opportunities in Emerging Markets
Back in the heady days of the real estate boom, property prices in New York City soared along with those in the rest of the U.S. When the subprime mortgage crisis hit and prices collapsed, the city's market held out longer than others -- for two reasons. First, it is a major financial center with strong demand; and second, the weak dollar made it possible for international buyers and investors to find deals at discounts as high as 40%. Where will the New York market be in 2009? Where are the mos
Providence Equity's Gaurav Sharma: 'Private Equity Is Now a More Mature Market'
In the world of private equity, Providence Equity Partners is a specialist. The firm, whose headquarters are in Providence, R.I., specializes in deals involving media, entertainment, information and communications companies. In 2007, Providence Equity opened its New Delhi office, headed by Biswajit (Bis) Subramanian, who had earlier been a managing director in the firm's London office. By mid 2008, Providence Equity had invested more than US$1 billion in Idea Cellular, which, according to media
FCC's Cable TV Ruling: Will the Competitive Landscape Change?
For cable TV companies in the U.S., August 28 was a day to celebrate. Ending several years of regulatory battles, a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals came down in favor of Philadelphia-based Comcast, which sought to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's contentious 30% market share limit on cable TV operators. Not everyone is happy about the ruling, fearing it will lead to cable monopolies. In contrast, Peter S. Fader, professor of marketing and co-director of the Wharton Interactiv
22 Oct 2010: Baker Institute Student Forum: Grade the President
With the 2010 midterm election rapidly approaching, the Baker Institute Student Forum presents a Rice University student-led discussion on the first two years of the Obama administration. Four students from the Rice University Young Democrats and four students from the Rice University Conservatives Forum will evaluate President Barack Obama in four major policy areas. The audience will be encouraged to participate in the conversation through a question-and-answer session with the panelists, and
Panel Discussion: Obama One Year On
Writer Courtney Martin moderates a panel exploring the state of America one year after the inauguration of Barack Obama. This event took place at the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art on January 30, 2009. Video courtesy Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation.
