International

Reimagining Our Future
Totnes is a small medieval town, home to a little over eight thousand people, on the mouth of the Dart River in South West England. Walking down high street (main street in British lingo), one would not necessarily be aware... Continue reading...

How the World’s Largest Oil Reserves Couldn’t Save an Economy
In recent months, media outlets have portrayed a bleak picture of Venezuela: citizens waiting in line for basic items such as toilet paper and flour, babies being delivered in cardboard boxes and the national currency, the bolivar, being used as... Continue reading...

“Dieselgate” Scandal One Year Later – Can Volkswagen Recover?
The repercussions of the alleged “diesel dupe” from last September are still evident in the global market economy, now that information is revealing just how short Volkswagen fell of its promised objectives from last autumn to completely repair all of... Continue reading...

Ever-Emerging Markets?
Emerging markets have often been quoted as one of the strongest investment opportunities because their yearly growth far outpaces that of the developed world. Very simple analysis would lead any observer to believe that developing economies simply do not have... Continue reading...

The Negative Interest Rate: A Venture into Uncertainty
On Jan. 29, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) announced that, effective February 16, it will be adopting a negative interest rate policy, bringing down the interest rate to -0.1 percent. This move puts Japan in a group alongside the European... Continue reading...

A Lesson from Brazil’s Backwards Development
At the start of the twenty-first century, Brazil’s economy was floundering. Record levels of unemployment, high inflation and the woes of its trading partner Argentina were just a few of the factors contributing to a Brazilian economic rut. But global... Continue reading...

Crude Oil: How Low Can It Go?
The last few months have not been easy on the price of crude oil. Since May 2015, Brent Crude, the global benchmark for crude oil value, has fallen over 60 percent, reaching a decade low of $28.55 a barrel on... Continue reading...

Africa: A New Ground for Social Entrepreneurship
The mention of “Africa” typically does not echo back notions of “technology,” “innovation” or “entrepreneurship” in the minds of many people. Many countries within the continent are still associated with ideas of war, poverty and famine – but this is... Continue reading...

20 is the New 40: Understanding and Forecasting the Oil Plunge
The oil industry is in one of its deepest downturns since the 1990s. On January 15, oil prices crashed six percent, with the Brent and WTI Index both closing at below $30 a barrel for the first time in 12... Continue reading...

Real Estate Pains: Why China and the U.S Need to Stop Chinese Foreign Investment
While many companies are fighting to sell their products in China, one market brings potential Chinese buyers to American soil. The American real estate market has welcomed potential Chinese investors, often taking advantage of the Chinese desire for market stability.... Continue reading...