Category: International

Business and Technology, International

Why the Doomsayers are Wrong about Robots

In the early days of automation, machines ruthlessly decimated workers’ place in the commercial order, and it did create jobs – with a twist.  Many of those who were displaced were either too geographically immobile (they could not physically access these opportunities), or more commonly, too occupationally immobile (they did not have the necessary skills).  Fortunately, increased dynamism in the workforce has dismantled these impediments, refashioning robotisation … Continue reading Why the Doomsayers are Wrong about Robots

Unknown's avatarSean TanLeave a comment
Business and Technology, International, Interviews

Interview with Gerard Lyons: the future of semiconductors

Gerard B Lyons is a Business Researcher at the Centre for Policy Studies, the UK’s most influential centre-right think tank, which produces reports and advises the Government on a host of domestic policy areas – ranging from taxation and economic growth to welfare policy and the green agenda.  He covers financial regulation, tax and innovation policy. Coming from a financial communications background in the City of London … Continue reading Interview with Gerard Lyons: the future of semiconductors

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Asia, Development, Finance and Markets, International

Microfinance: What went wrong?

In 1983, Mohammed Yunus founded the Grameen Bank. His idea was simple: the bank would grant tiny loans, often no more than $100, to women in rural Bangladesh who had no access to credit. In the following decades, repayment rates for some schemes were as high as 98%, and Yunus attracted major funds from backers such as the Ford Foundation. In 2020, more than $50 billion of credit was being given to the poor – this time, by giant global banks, … Continue reading Microfinance: What went wrong?

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International

The Struggle of Hosting the Olympics

The summer and winter Olympic Games are undeniably two of the world’s most prestigious sporting events, and hosting either of these mammoth occasions is generally seen as a privilege and an economic opportunity for the host city. However, taking a deeper look into the potentially crippling economic costs combined with the minimal benefit for cities hosting the games reveals massive issues that leave future hosting … Continue reading The Struggle of Hosting the Olympics

Unknown's avatarLucas PinsentLeave a comment
International

Econophysics

What is Econophysics?  Econophysics is an interdisciplinary field that combines concepts and methods from physics and economics to study complex economic systems. It applies statistical physics, network theory and other physical models to understand financial markets and the behaviour of economic agents.   History of Econophysics   The term ‘Econophysics’ was coined in 1995 by H Eugene Stanley in reference to the outrageously large number of papers … Continue reading Econophysics

Unknown's avatarEtonomics2 Comments
Development, Environment, International

Tourism and Development: the path less travelled

Recent decades have seen an unprecedented amount of economic development as ’emerging nations’ have sought to raise incomes per capita and reduce levels of absolute poverty. Their economies have grown, and citizens have experienced an improvement in their overall standard of living.  Developing countries share some characteristics such as lower growth, lower standards of living, worse education, and lower life-spans, when compared to developed countries. Many … Continue reading Tourism and Development: the path less travelled

Unknown's avatarZihan TianLeave a comment
Europe, International

The likely implications of sanctions on Russia

On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a significant escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War (which began In 2014); in response, several countries imposed economic sanctions on Russia. The sanctions saw the various countries introduce an oil embargo, financial sanctions and a freeze of Russia’s currency reserves. The purpose of the sanctions was twofold: to put pressure on the war effort and Putin by undermining … Continue reading The likely implications of sanctions on Russia

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Asia, International

The Dying Tiger: The Challenges Facing ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an economic bloc consisting of ten nations, is no stranger to praise.  By lifting tariffs on nearly 8,000 goods, increasing business access to neighbouring markets and lowering prices for consumers, it has reached an annual GDP growth of 4.6% (exceeding the global average of 3.2% by a sizeable margin), and has been frequently portrayed as an “unexpected success story … Continue reading The Dying Tiger: The Challenges Facing ASEAN

Unknown's avatarSean TanLeave a comment
International

How Far Can Central Banks Chain Inflation?

After interest-rate cuts and huge quantitative easing in 2020, investors felt that central-bank stimulus would last forever. But free money was coming to an end as COVID-stricken economies began to recover. A tide of inflation was carried alongside them, reaching peaks not seen for 40 years. Central banks scrambled to minimise the impact by increasing rates; the Bank of England (BoE) was first, announcing rate … Continue reading How Far Can Central Banks Chain Inflation?

Unknown's avatarZihan TianLeave a comment
International

The IPL: A blessing or a curse?

The Indian Premier League (IPL), founded by Lalit Modi and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2007, has been a huge asset since for world cricket. Its fast-paced, explosive, shorter format of the game, known as 20/20 cricket, has taken a sport criticised for slow, actionless entertainment and transformed it into something consumable and enjoyable to watch. The sheer scale of … Continue reading The IPL: A blessing or a curse?

Unknown's avatarSachin Thakrar1 Comment