Year after year, the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum solidifies its role in sculpting the international agenda, pinpointing new and evolving issues and challenges, and bringing together influential figures for meaningful dialogues and initiatives. Similarly, Global Agenda aims to spearhead discussions and shape opinions on critical global issues. Striving to ignite thought and stir debate, it ensures balance and equity in its approach. The platform is dedicated to including diverse perspectives from all societal sectors.
In these times of profound uncertainty and complexity, long-established truths are now questioned. Scepticism, doubt, and apprehension have replaced the trust we once relied on. Ensuring that voices from various domains — business, civil society, and government — are heard and considered is more crucial than ever. Echoing the mission of the World Economic Forum, Global Agenda is committed to being a crucible for issue exploration, idea validation, and catalysing change.
Stem cell research offers great hope for treating previously incurable diseases, says Oliver Brüstle, if only governments will allow it to be undertaken Stem cell technology has sparked huge controversy. On the one hand is the hope that embryonic stem cells can be used to generate cells to replace those damaged by diseases such as…
The poor wish to engage in the market, as buyers and sellers, says Antony Burgmans. With help from business, they can do so Unilever, which I chair, is a company that touches people’s lives. This may sound a little disingenuous from a businessman, but let me explain why our long-term business success is intimately connected…
Optimistic pragmatism: that is what the world demands from each and every one of us at this moment. Optimistic, because it is only with an enthusiastic willingness and openness to work with others in partnership that we will achieve our goals; pragmatism because we must work with the world as it is, with governments and…
Diseases passed from animals to humans are on the rise. Hu Zhihong, Zhang Shuyi and Chen Zhu explain why and what we should do to tackle them [In hidsight, when we now know that the C***s was almost certainly leaked from the W***n Institute of V***y, which puts this article in a different light.] Zoonoses…
The world has changed dramatically since the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944, says Rodrigo de Rato, but the IMF’s role is as vital as ever – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was founded in 1945 on multilateral principles, which stood in sharp contrast to the unilateralism and beggar-thy-neighbour policies of the 1930s. The international community…
While financial markets tend to reward a “branded house” approach to doing business, David Reibstein says there are also advantages to being a “house of brands” Over the past 50 years there has been a remarkable transition in the determinants of a firm’s value. Fifty years ago, nearly 80% of a typical firm’s value was…
Smart sensors embedded in the wireless network could help reduce pollution, says Deborah Estrin, and even improve our response to natural disasters Sensor networks are an exciting class of computing systems that combine distributed sensing, computation and wireless communication. This technology is touted as being as disruptive and enabling as the Internet, with broad applications…
Granting every child a $500 investment pot at birth fulfils a number of goals, says Jon Corzine. It encourages investment and extends equal opportunity A new proposal is at hand that promises to redraw the landscape for national savings in America. Not only will it revolutionize the investment habits of young adults, it will also…
Corporate governance codes and laws are simply a baseline, says George Dallas. Stakeholders ought to examine each company closely to understand how well run they are Should we all sleep better now that we have Sarbanes-Oxley? Have all the laws, regulations and codes of practice around the world raised the bar for public companies so…
Japan has to contend with deflation, a strong yen and long-overdue privatization of the post office in order to secure its recovery, says Takatoshi Ito The past 10 years are now commonly considered Japan’s “lost decade”. Repeated recessions have plagued the country, and the economy has suffered deflation since 1998. But, by 2004 the economy…
