“Afghanistan and the Future of Peace Operations” (video)
A speech by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO. In his first visit to Chicago as Secretary General, Anders Rasmussen discusses Afghanistan, the lessons learned after eight years, and implications for future operations.
"Between Globalization and Global Warming" (video)
A talk by Dipesh Chakrabarty, Lawrence A. Kimpton Distinguished Service Professor of History, South Asian Languages and Civilizations and the College, University of Chicago and David Archer, Professor in the Department of Geophysical Science at the University of Chicago on the global climate crisis. As part of the quarterly Workshop on the
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
What is Ahead for Financial Markets? Perspectives from Jeremy Siegel and Jacob Wallenberg
After a terrible August, when the U.S. stock market appeared to be headed for the pits, October 1 saw a massive rally that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average soaring above 14,000. The following day, however, stocks began to fall again, mainly due to a sharp drop in home sales. In short, Wall Street still seems to be sending out mixed signals. What will be the long-term effects of the Fed's decision to cut interest rates? Will the U.S. economy move past the sub-prime mortgage mess? How will th
It Is a Bird...a Plane...a Recession, Or Is It?
It's been quite a week. Stock markets around the world showed sharp declines on Monday; on Tuesday, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point. The rate cut helped stem the losses on some indexes, but by January 23, the volatility had returned. The obvious fear is one of recession -- a possibility that the White House and Congress are trying to avert by coming up with a stimulus package that will keep the economy off life support. How effective wi
Jeremy Siegel on the Fed's Latest Cut, $4 Gasoline and the Best Strategy for Investors
The economy seems to be sinking toward recession, with new home sales at their lowest since the early 1990s. At the same time, inflation is picking up. Some Americans are paying $4 for a gallon of gas and coming home from the supermarket with sticker shock. Today, the Fed deemed recession the bigger worry and cut short-term interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, from 2.25% to 2%. Was this the right choice? How will it affect the financial markets? Should investors bet on a stock mark
Cisco-K@W on Enterprise Security Threats and Trends: Part 2
Cisco Chief Security Officer John N. Stewart and Wharton's Andrea Matwyshyn discuss the enterprise security impact of emerging Web 2.0 technologies and collaboration tools. This is the second of a two part series on Enterprise Security.
BCG-K@W Procurement Report: Part 8: Peformance-based Logistics
These days, when the U.S. Department of Defense buys a fighter jet from Lockheed Martin, it doesn't simply pay Lockheed for the physical product. Instead, the government has a "performance-based contract" with the defense supplier, according to Serguei Netessine, professor of operations and information management at Wharton. This contract says, in effect, that the government's reimbursement to Lockheed hinges on the jets' performance -- that is, how often the planes are able to fly. In this inte
AIG Rescued but Crisis Continues
After refusing to bail out Lehman Brothers, the government agreed to an $85 billion loan to insurance giant AIG, effectively taking over the company. Knowledge@Wharton talked to Wharton insurance professors Olivia Mitchell and Kent Smetters to find out how the world's largest insurer got into this situation and how it can be prevented from happening again.
BCG's Hal Sirkin on 'Globality' and the New Two-way Street of Global Business
According to Hal Sirkin, senior partner and managing director at The Boston Consulting Group, The age of globalization is over. In its place is a new reality that Sirkin and BCG colleagues Jim Hemerling and Arindam Bhattacharya define in their recently published book, GLOBALITY: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything. In an interview with Knowledge@Wharton, Sirkin describes how rapidly developing economies like India and China have changed global business from a one-way street be
Economists to Obama: Get the Government out of the Banking Business
On the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration as president of the United States, Wharton finance professor Richard J. Herring discussed with Knowledge@Wharton some of the advice offered to the new chief executive by the Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee, a group of economists, former regulators and lawyers, of which Herring is a co-chair. Among the recommendations: As quickly as possible, unwind federal investments that helped keep U.S. banks afloat. Herring also assessed the deepening woes at C
The Road to China: Fresh Insights into the World's Fastest-growing Economy
Earlier this year, Harbir Singh, Wharton’s vice-dean for Global Initiatives, launched a series of trips to foreign countries as a way for faculty to gain a deeper understanding of international economies and then use this knowledge in their teaching and research. Six professors recently visited the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and met with executives from Lenovo, Haier and Huawei, among other companies. Knowledge@Wharton asked three of the participants – Singh, m
'Badge' Value: Finding and Promoting Products That Inspire Customer Loyalty
Alex Panos and his colleagues at TSG Consumer Partners, a San Francisco-based investment fund, believe that consumers will always be interested in products that enhance their lives, even if it means paying more than they have in the past. That philosophy has brought impressive results for TSG primarily in the beauty, food and beverage areas. Panos, who joined the 23-year-old firm in 1998, spoke with Knowledge@Wharton about the company's strategy, why it favors family-owned businesses, where to f
Brazil's Gold: How Rio Won Its Olympic Bid
Last fall, after losing previous bids, Rio de Janeiro -- Brazil's second-largest city -- won the approval of the International Olympic Committee to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. According to Carlos Roberto Osorio, secretary general of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, this time around, Rio had learned from its earlier failed bids and had the success of hosting the 2007 Pan American Games under its belt. That, combined with Brazil's "special circumstances" of economic stability amid the glob
What Does the Drooping Book Business Need? How About a Jolt of Espresso?
What if you could print a perfect-bound volume for as little time as it takes to brew a cup of coffee? That is the premise behind the Espresso book machine, which turns digital PDF files into paperbacks in minutes. Jason Epstein and Dane Neller, chairman and CEO respectively of On Demand Books in New York, the company behind the Espresso book machine, believe their technology has the potential to transform book publishing. Epstein, who was editorial director of Random House for 40 years, recentl
27 Oct 2010: Arab Voices: What They are Saying to Us, and Why It Matters
James Zogby, Ph.D., is the founder and president of the Arab American Institute and a senior adviser with the polling firm Zogby International. He writes a weekly column appearing in 20 Arab newspapers and hosts a weekly call-in discussion program on Abu Dhabi television. Zogbys book Arab Voices: What They are Saying to Us, and Why It Matters reveals the results of the 2009-2010 Zogby International polls conducted across a number of Arab countries covering Arab opinions about America and the Mid
Autistic savant Stephen Wiltshire draws Rome from memory Stephen Wiltshire from London, also known as 'the living camera', accurately draws a large, detailed panorama of Rome after only one 45 minute helicopter ride above the city.
Magnesium and Carbon Dioxide Reaction Watch the reaction between magnesium and carbon dioxide as it is placed between two blocks of dry ice.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates Together: Part 1 of 10 In their rare joint appearance at All Things Digital 5,
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates discuss their contributions to the technology
