Civil Engineering in Developing Countries
Based on working on exercises on project decision making and planning, the specific context of working abroad in general and in developing countries in particular is illustrated, with regard to socio-cultural aspects, planning and financing of projects, roles of (consulting) engineers and contractors, local materials, techniques and knowledge and environmental issues. Study Goals: define projects in several phases of the project cycle (feasibility, identification, design and construction, evalua
"Recent Developments in Indonesia's Forests: Revival, Resurgence, or Business as Usual?" (video)
A Program on the Global Environment Distinguished Lecture by Lesley Potter, Associate Professor, Department of Human Geography, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.
Despite the global paradigm shift from centralized to decentralized forest management, this process has been slow to develop in "forest rich" Indonesia. Alth
“The Future of the South African Dream: Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, and the South African Electionsâ€
A talk by South African author and journalist Mark Gevisser.
Mark Gevisser is currently The Nation's Southern African correspondent. In South Africa, his work has appeared in the Mail & Guardian, the Sunday Independent, the Sunday Times and many magazines and periodicals. Internationally, he has written widely on South African politics, culture and society,
Nikesh Arora Discusses Google's Investment Decisions and the Shifting of Ad Spending Online
Chrystia Freeland Interviews Nikesh Arora
Jeremy Siegel on the Fed's Decision to Pause Interest Rate Hikes
Wharton Finance professor Jeremy Siegel speaks with Knowledge@Wharton about about the Fed's Decision to Pause Interest Rate Hikes, among other topics.
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
The Auto Industry: On the Road to Disaster or Recovery?
Last May, Knowledge@Wharton spoke with John Paul MacDuffie, a management professor at Wharton and co-director of the International Motor Vehicle Program, about the state of the auto industry. It seems that not much has changed since then, except maybe for the worse. 2006 was the first year since 1991 that Detroit's Big Three were all in the red. Ford's situation seems direr than ever; Chrysler, which was profitable until mid 2006, is now preparing a restructuring plan to roll out this month; and
Presidential Politics in France: What to Expect from Nicolas Sarkozy
On May 6, conservative Nicolas Sarkozy won the French presidential election, defeating socialist Segolene Royal and taking over from Jacques Chirac, who had held the positon for 12 years. The election drew a very high 85% turnout, which many saw as a sign that French voters recognize the need to get out from under their economic stagnation and social unrest. Sarkozy is depicted as a friend, but also a critic, of the U.S.; as a supporter, to some degree, of the European Union; and as a reformer b
Kenneth Shropshire, director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative -- 2007 Wharton Economic Summ
During the recent 2007 Wharton Economic Summit, Knowledge@Wharton recorded nine podcasts with speakers and panelists at the event, whose theme was "Next Moves in a Global Economy." This interview is with Kenneth Shropshire, director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative.
Jeffrey R. Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles Football Club -- 2007 Wharton Economic Summit
During the recent 2007 Wharton Economic Summit, Knowledge@Wharton recorded nine podcasts with speakers and panelists at the event, whose theme was "Next Moves in a Global Economy." This interview is with Jeffrey R. Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles Football Club.
Shiv V. Khemka, vice chairman, SUN Group -- 2007 Wharton Economic Summit
During the recent 2007 Wharton Economic Summit, Knowledge@Wharton recorded nine podcasts with speakers and panelists at the event, whose theme was "Next Moves in a Global Economy." This interview is with Shiv V. Khemka, vice chairman, SUN Group.
Shellye L. Archambeau, CEO of MetricStream -- 2007 Wharton Economic Summit
During the recent 2007 Wharton Economic Summit, Knowledge@Wharton recorded nine podcasts with speakers and panelists at the event, whose theme was "Next Moves in a Global Economy." This interview is with Shellye L. Archambeau, CEO of MetricStream.
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
Changing Course: The Chrysler Deal, Rising Gas Prices and Other Car Talk
Earlier this month, Cerberus Capital Management bought 80.1% of Chrysler Group from German auto maker Daimler-Chrysler, effectively ending a nine-year marriage between the two that never quite worked out. The expectations created by this acquisition are huge, and revolve in part around Cerberus's ability to make a deal with the United Auto Workers union that would include restructuring billions of dollars of retirement and health-care benefits -- a burden that both Ford and GM -- but not Toyota
David Marshall: The China Wake-up Call for American Real Estate
David G. Marshall, CEO of Amerimar Realty in Philadelphia, has made a career of seeking out bitter lemons and turning them into sweet -- and profitable -- lemonade. Through the years, he has taken over distressed properties -- such as The Rittenhouse in Philadelphia, Pier 39 in San Francisco and Denver Place in Colorado -- and made them into successful enterprises. Marshall recently went to Shanghai as part of the Wharton Fellows program and came to the conclusion that what is happening in Chine
WebEx's Diane Davidson: 'We Defined a Community Ecosystem'
When Google bought YouTube recently for $1.65 billion, the world of business sat up to take serious notice of social networks. Today, many companies are looking into how they can tap into -- or develop -- communities as a way to make better decisions and increase profits. 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 r
Home Truths about the Housing Market
The sub-prime mortgage crisis and the credit crunch that has followed in its aftermath are taking their toll on the housing market. On August 28, the S&P Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index fell 3.2% in the second quarter. According to the National Association of Realtors, the inventory of unsold homes is at a record high. As sales have fallen, many home builders have seen their stock prices drop by more than 60% during the past year. How serious is this situation? Is there light at the
Philips Lighting CEO Rudy Provoost: Innovation Means Putting Consumers' Needs First
Approximately 19% of the world's electricity bill comes from lighting, according to Rudy Provoost, CEO of Philips Lighting. As such, Philips, the world's largest producer of industrial and consumer lighting products, has a big role to play in the ongoing transformation from incandescent to solid-state lighting using LED technology. Provoost, who until last year was CEO of Philips Consumer Electronics, is no stranger to new technologies, which he says are "just a vehicle to respond to needs." Fig
The Bernard Madoff Case: Trust Takes Another Blow
Successful marketplaces -- indeed, all social systems -- require a level of ethical behavior among their participants. In an interview with Knowledge@Wharton, professors Maurice E. Schweitzer and G. Richard Shell, who have conducted extensive research on the role of trust in markets, explain why even the most sophisticated investors put their faith in Bernard Madoff, the New York City financier recently accused of running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. That breach of trust has damaged the broader m
