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Curated by Project Syndicate

What's on the WEF's Agenda?

10 commentaries

The World Economic Forum's 2014 Summit on the Global Agenda kicks off this weekend in Dubai, with experts from government, civil society, business, and academia gathering to discuss today's most pressing global issues. What insights will be gleaned, and what policies are under consideration?

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  1. APEC at the Apex
    Woman looking asia map Adaptor Plug/Flickr

    APEC at the Apex

    Nov 8, 2014 Kevin Rudd says that the main action at APEC's Beijing summit will occur on the sidelines.

  2. Rebooting Nuclear Security
    Atomic Bomb Little Boy Replica of Little Boy/Open Threads/Flickr

    Rebooting Nuclear Security

    Nov 7, 2014 Lassina Zerbo highlights the continuing risk posed by humanity's most destructive weapon.

  3. The Economics of Inclusion
    Team hands joined inclusive DG EMPL/Flickr

    The Economics of Inclusion

    Nov 7, 2014 Ricardo Hausmann argues that efforts to ensure "inclusive" growth too often address exclusion, not its causes.

  4. The New Frontiers of Loyalty
    Reenactment historical trade route Bob Wick/Flickr

    The New Frontiers of Loyalty

    Nov 7, 2014 Mark Malloch-Brown calls for new rules in a world where states' authority is waning fast.

  5. Redefining Business Competence
    Business team diversity Penn State/Flickr

    Redefining Business Competence

    Nov 6, 2014 William Boulding wants corporate executives to value more than the bottom line.

  6. China’s Questionable Economic Power
    China and US US State Dept/Flickr

    China’s Questionable Economic Power

    Nov 6, 2014 Joseph S. Nye, Jr. argues that however the Chinese economy's size is measured, it lags far behind the US.

  1. stiglitz331_serggnGetty Images_techregulation serggn/Getty Images

    A Big Defeat for Big Tech

    Joseph E. Stiglitz

    Tech companies know that if there is an open, democratic debate about data security, consumers’ concerns about digital safeguards will win out. And while the industry's lobbyists tried to ensure that no such debate could ever occur, one of their more cynical moves has now been exposed and thwarted.

    details how the industry tried to slip extraordinary protections against regulation into US trade agreements.
  2. zizek27_Giles ClarkeGetty Images_jimmycherizier Giles Clarke/Getty Images

    Haiti’s Proud Boys

    Slavoj Žižek

    If we measure a failed state by the cracks in the edifice of its power, reflected in brewing ideological civil wars, deadlocked assemblies, and increasingly insecure public spaces, we must recognize that the United States is not so unlike Haiti. Both have given rise to violent gangs with political ambitions.

    warns that rich Western democracies are not immune to politically motivated gang violence.
  3. hedegaard11_y Dursun AydemirAnadolu via Getty Images_parliament elections Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Unity Is Europe’s Greatest Asset

    Connie Hedegaard emphasizes the importance of stability amid persistent economic and geopolitical crises.
  4. qian34_PEDRO PARDOAFP via Getty Images_immigration PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

    The Truth About US Immigration

    Nancy Qian warns that overheated campaign-season rhetoric is dangerously polarizing and ultimately self-defeating.
  5. mueller51_ David McNewGetty Images_gop trump David McNew/Getty Images

    The Zombification of Political Parties

    Jan-Werner Mueller argues that Donald Trump’s capture of the GOP’s organizational machinery recalls authoritarian tactics elsewhere.
  6. basu100_David Dee DelgadoGetty Images_newyork David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

    The Economic Consequences of Legal Behavior

    Kaushik Basu highlights the potential benefits of emphasizing adherence to the spirit of laws, if not their letter.
  7. brown106_KOLA SULAIMONAFP via Getty Images_nigeriaschool Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images

    For Nigeria’s Schools, Safety Must Come First

    Gordon Brown writes that the latest mass abduction of students underscores the dilemma facing parents throughout the country.
  8. owoo1_disabled iStock / Getty Images Plus

    Give Women with Disabilities a Chance

    Nkechi S. Owoo explains what is needed to protect and empower one of the world’s most vulnerable demographic groups.
  9. op_mkurz3_Spencer PlattGetty Images_rustbelt Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    How Capitalism Became a Threat to Democracy

    Mordecai Kurz examines the economic policies and market dynamics that have ushered in America's Second Gilded Age.

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