Alexandra Wolf: Human Trafficking in Thailandnews@Northeastern, June 30, 2011
Alexandra Wolf talks about her experience on co-op at the Development and Education Programme for Daughters and Communities Centre in Mae Sai, Thailand. The NGO was established in 1989 to work on the prevention side of the trafficking of women and children into the sex industry or other exploitative child labor situations.
Kimberly Jones: For Middle East Peace, More Heat than Lightnews@Northeastern, May 31, 2011
The prospects for peace between Israel and Palestine, and U.S. policy on the complicated issue, captured the world's attention earlier in May, as President Obama delivered a major speech on the Middle East, followed by a daylong meeting between the president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Netanyahu's subsequent address to Congress. Kimberly Jones, a faculty associate in Northeastern's Middle East Center for Peace, Culture and Development, assesses the impact of these developments.
Kwamina Panford: In Ghana, Are New Resources a Blessing or Curse?news@Northeastern, May 3, 2011
Kwamina Panford, an associate professor of African American Studies at Northeastern University, wants to know whether the African nation of Ghana will fall victim to the Resource Curse. That is the phrase social scientists use when countries plentiful in natural resources mismanage those resources, often resulting in unbridled conflict and corruption.
Grant Expands Mideast Studiesnews@Northeastern, April 20, 2011
Northeastern's Middle East Center for Peace, Culture and Development recently won the grant from the Social Science Research Council, a New York City nonprofit devoted to advancing social science research . The purpose of the grant is to broaden the understanding of Islamic traditions and Muslim societies through global experiential learning opportunities for students and interdisciplinary seminars for the Boston community
Danielle Moore: An Empowering Experiencenews@Northeastern, March 31, 2011
Danielle Moore, a senior pursuing a dual major in human services and international affairs, speaks about her experiences on co-op with the Harpswell Foundation in Cambodia. She helped empower young women from rural areas who are attending universities in the capital city through English language classes, leadership training, and current-event discussions.
Michael Pollastri: Calling Attention to Neglected Diseasesnews@Northeastern, March 24, 2011
Chemistry professor Michael Pollastri and his team of 12 post-doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students are combining their science skills and idealism to bring attention - and solutions - to diseases neglected by Big Pharma research.
news@Northeastern, February 25, 2011
Denis Sullivan, Professor of Political Science, was recently featured in a February 25, 2011 news@Northeastern article discussing the impact of recent revolts in Egypt, which toppled President Hosni Mubarak. In February, only a few weeks after the revolts, Sullivan returned to Egypt to gauge the situation as both a self-described “student of Egypt” and as part of a safety assessment for the Dialogue of Civilizations program. Sullivan describes Egypt as beginning to return to normal- almost. Although there are still lingering protest activities, people for the most part are trying to return to their daily routines. When asked about the mood in Cairo, Sullivan stated: “There’s a combination of pride, optimism and caution. Egyptians are so proud of what they accomplished — a peaceful overthrow of a corrupt, horrible regime."
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"India a Mix of Opportunity and Challenge for Western Multinationals"
February 17, 2011
Ravi Ramamurti, Distinguished Professor of International Business and director of the Center for Emerging Markets at Northeastern, was the first speaker on the opening panel at The Economist’s recent India Business Summit in Paris. In a recent News@Northeastern article, he discusses the opportunities and pitfalls for Western business in India.
news@Northeastern, February 15, 2011
In a February 15, 2011 Q&A with news@Northeastern, Professor of Political Science Denis Sullivan commented, along with history professor, Ilham Khuri-Makdisi, on the recent events in Egypt. They stated that the revolution in Egypt is "a turning point in the Arab world: the wall of fear has been broken, and there is no turning back." According to Sullivan and Khuri-Makdisi, the events in Egypt will have a major impact on intra-Arab politics, on US-Arab relations, and on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
India's 'War for Talent'
North Jersey Media Group, February 7, 2011
In an article dated February 7, 2011, Ravi Ramamurti, CEM Director and Distinguished Professor of International Business, tells North Jersey Media group that the recent HOV Services, Inc. lawsuit against Cognizant Technologies Solutions is indicative of a larger 'war for talent.' Although India has a large population, it suffers a lack of skilled workers who are "trained to the standards of US clients." As a result, there are high turnover rates among outsourcing companies, as employees move from one company to another, says Ramamurti.
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"Egypt: From Social Networks to Social Movements"
Intlawgrrls.com, January 31, 2011
In a blog written in January 2011 for Intlawgrrls.com, Professor Hope Lewis of the Law School discussed the relationship between social networks and social movements in Egypt. Lewis states that the people are aware of their rights and that new technologies offer a new way to articulate them. Indeed, Lewis says "the hopes and dreams of the people in the streets sound very familiar even though new and unpredictable technologies and consequences may surround them."
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Professor Ravi Ramamurti Speaks at India Business Summit
The Economist Conferences, January 25, 2011
Professor Ravi Ramamurti of the College of Business Administration spoke at The Economist's India Business Summit, which was held on January 25, 2011 in Paris, France.
Sherman Comments on Leasing Account Change
Reuters, January 3, 2011
In a recent Reuters article on the proposed FASB changes that would bring billions of dollars worth of leases onto corporate balance sheets, accounting Professor David H. Sherman, commented on the potential disruptions that may arise from the changes. Sherman states: "It's definitely going to be a disruption and [companies] would rather not have it in the middle of these uncertain economic times. There's a whole industry that's been structured around those rules. With the rule change, some leasing companies will lose a key driver of their business."
Q&A with Ravi Ramamurti
College of Business Adminstration Website
Professor Ravi Ramamurti of the College of Business Administration discusses the global economic implications of President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
"Engineering Students Named 'Emerging Leaders'"
news@Northeastern, December 9, 2010
Engineers Without Borders-USA recently named two Northeastern University students "Emerging Leaders" for building clean-water distribution systems for more than 1,000 villagers in Honduras and Uganda. According to News@Northeastern, "Ann Polaneczky and Matt Walsh were two of only nine collegiate or professional engineers in the 12,000-member nonprofit humanitarian organization to earn the distinction."
Bloomberg Businessweek, October 28, 2010
In a recent Bloomberg Businessweek article, Ravi Ramamurti, director of the Center for Emerging Markets, commented upon the emerging-market bubble debate of 2010. Ramamurti argued that developing economies are struggling with their newfound riches: “They are not desperate for capital inflows, and currency appreciation is hurting their exports.” Currently, opinions amongst investors are divided between “those who predict an emerging-market bubble and those who see a permanent shift in global equities…Many investors now worry that the ardor for emerging markets will destabilize the global economy. Others see a long-overdue rebalancing.”
news@Northeastern, October 27, 2010
The recent “Symposium on Managing Favors in a Global Economy” held at Northeastern University, drew top international business scholars from seven U.S. states and three continents. The event, organized by professors Sheila Puffer and Daniel McCarthy, was sponsored by the College of Business Administration’s Center for Emerging Markets, and funded by the McKim-D’Amore Distinguished Professorship and the Cherry Family Senior Fellowship. The symposium focused on the requesting and providing of favors in the process of doing business. It touched on key questions: How are these gestures executed and what are their ethical implications in emerging markets compared to developed economies? Where does the line blur between favor and bribery? A major theme of the conference, as quoted in news@northeastern, "is that whether favors are accepted and deemed ethical 'is deeply based in the culture.' Certain actions that facilitate business — in China or Russia, for example — are culturally ingrained and therefore accepted, but wouldn’t find the same acceptance in Great Britain or the United States."
Why the Future Belongs to Emerging Markets
Emerging Investor, October 19, 2010
Distinguished Professor of International Business and Director of the Center for Emerging Markets, Ravi Ramamurti, has written a column for Emerging Investor in which he discusses the role of emerging markets in the world economy. Ramamurti argues, “The rise of emerging economies is a long-term phenomenon, not a passing fad…it will be one of the defining megatrends of the 21st century.” The rise of emerging economies depends on two key factors: “Growth in the rich economies will slow relative to historical rates, while in emerging economies it will continue to be high or even accelerate.” Current conditions favorably support these expected trends.
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SEC probe revisits thorny accounting questions
Reuters, Oct 14, 2010
Accounting Professor H. David Sherman responds to a recent SEC probe of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. Sherman states: “revenue recognition has been and always will be one of the key accounting issues.” It "involves a good deal of judgment and managers naturally tilt the reporting to show their business in a good light.” As a result, revenue reporting practices remain inconsistent both across and within industries.
Stephany Reyes-Seri, an NU social entrepreneurship student, is currently developing a new social enterprise initiative for undocumented Haitians in the Dominican Republic. She has attracted the attention of Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Upon graduation, Reyes-Seri hopes to work with Yunus in the field of global social enterprise.
Ravi Ramamurti, Director of the Center for Emerging Markets, was recently quoted in an Investor’s Business Daily article where he advised U.S. companies to be cautious regarding India's growing economy. Ramamurti warns, “Multinational companies are lured into China and India by the promise of top-line growth, but oblivious to the challenges of achieving bottom-line growth." Although India’s economy has experienced high growth, foreign entrants face several challenges: price competition, stringent government policies, rising costs of raw materials, and tight consumer budgets. Furthermore, Ramamurti states: “local companies…often know better what local customers value. Many MNCs (multinational companies) are forced to slice their margins to unattractive levels just to stay in the game."
H. David Sherman, Professor of accounting, was featured in an American Banker article where he talked about the repercussions of a controversial Financial Accounting Standards Board proposal aimed at using fair-value as the default standard for all assets and liabilities. The proposal conflicts with FASB’s goal of converging U.S. and international accounting standards. Sherman states: "Even if you thought neither system was better or ideal, at this moment to come out with this divergence is really kind of shocking…Not only is it a lot of change, it's also very costly for companies at a time when the world economy is in miserable shape and nobody wants to spend more money than they have to.”
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Ravi Ramamurti dicusses India’s burgeoning infrastructure industry India New England, Aug 17, 2010
On August 3, 2010, IndUS Entrepreneurs Boston chapter sponsored an event on “Infrastructure and the Path Forward” to discuss the growing infrastructure industry in India. Three panelists, including Ravi Ramamurti, Distinguished Professor of International Business and director of the Center for Emerging Markets, discussed the successes and challenges faced by India’s government regarding infrastructure projects. Ramamurti stated, “Private-public partnerships between the Indian government and private equity firms are central to the success of India’s current and future [infrastructure] projects.” However, he cautioned that India must first address problems such as homelessness, as infrastructure development may displace homeless people who are unable to find low-cost housing elsewhere.
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MBA programs court minority Ph.D.s Boston Business Journal, July 30, 2010
In a recent Boston Business Journal article, Senior Associate Dean and Dean of Faculty William Crittenden discussed a collaboration between five Massachusetts business schools- including University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Bentley Univerity, Salem State College and Northeastern Univerity- formed to increase the number of minority professors. While universities usually compete for the best talent, this collaboration plans to share information about their respective PhD candidates to promote racial diversity within business faculties. Crittenden states: “We understand that students need diverse educational experience to make them culturally aware. In order to give them that diverse experience, it includes having faculty representation from the underrepresented populations.”
news@Northeastern, August 6, 2010
On August 6, 2010 the Center for Emerging Markets (CEM) hosted a day-long symposium on emerging markets. The presenters, including Ron Somers President of the US-India Business Council, examined opportunities for US firms in China, Brazil and Russia. Ravi Ramamurti, director of the CEM, hosted the program and discussed growth, innovation and production in emerging markets. Photo by Mary Knox Merill
Emerging Investor , July 07, 2010
Ravi Ramamurti, Professor of International Business and Director of the Center for Emerging Markets, was recently featured in an article discussing the sustainability of the trend towards emerging market economies. Ramamurti states that emerging markets are the new engines of global GDP growth and will account for 60 percent or more of world GDP growth in the coming decades. Emerging markets present various opportunities for global companies, including: a growing middle class with increasing purchasing power, an attractive base for low-cost production of goods and services, and they are the hot-beds of innovation. Ramamurti advises, “No global firm can afford to ignore these markets.” However, companies have to carefully develop a strategy for each emerging market.
FOXBusiness, July 02, 2010
Ravi Ramamurti, Professor of International Business and Director of the Center for Emerging Markets, states “we’re at the beginning of the end with China as the world’s low-cost labor factory.” Recent workplace disputes in China and a new labor contract law, enacted in 2008 to provide more rights to workers, have resulted in rising labor costs for nearly 80% of American-owned businesses in the region. Ramamurti adds, “The cheap labor pool of even 10 years ago has mostly disappeared, replaced by a young population smaller in size than previous generations…These younger Chinese also grew up in a time when China began taking its place as growing economic and international power.” As a result, a small but growing number of international companies are now considering moving operations elsewhere.
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The Complexities of Bank Acquisitions
Morningstar, July 01, 2010
Accounting Professor H. David Sherman was recently quoted in an article discussing the complexities of bank acquisitions. The article stated that banks purchased through FDIC brokers require complicated accounting practices. This allows banks to record distorted gains, and because surviving banks assume the loans and assets of the acquired bank, it can be difficult to predict future cash flows. As a result, the article advises investors to start asking questions if management repeatedly revises expected cash flows upward. Because disclosure quality varies among banks, reporting inconsistencies occur. “The way you make those judgments can really affect the earnings stream,” says Sherman
Professor Ravi Ramamurti discusses China's labor struggles and their impact on the global economy. He states that recent developments in China, including wage increases and worker demands, could "open the door for other countries," allowing them to become "prime candidates for relocation" in industries such as footwear and textiles.
Ethisphere Magazine, June 07, 2010
In an article entitled “How Nike is Changing the World, One Factory at a Time," Christopher Robertson, Associate Professor of International Business, comments upon Nike’s approach to corporate social responsibility. Referring to international components of a supply chain, Roberts believes, “Western firms have played a significant role in raising standards in [the developing world by demonstrating] how we think, how we do things and how we treat our people.” However, Robertson admits: “It’s an uphill battle in some areas and the ebb and flow of investment into a country has major impacts on the standards and what can be done.”
MIT.edu, April 29, 2010
Gordon Adomdza, Teaching Associate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, was recently quoted in an MIT News article about a project that will help bring water filters to one million people in Ghana. The non-profit company Pure Home Water has so far sold over 100,000 filters to people in need and given their proven business model "they can then reinvest that money to help support the filter deployment," says Adomdza.
New York Post, April 5, 2010
Jay Mulki, Assistant Professor of Marketing, was quoted in an article on potential pitfalls for telecommuters. According to Mulki, "Most of the people telecommuting were doing it out of choice and saying, 'I'll have more flexibility...' That's not happening anymore. What they thought was that they would be able to balance work and life. More and more people are finding that they are not, partly because they're always tethered to the phone or voice mail or e-mail."
GlobalAtlanta.com, March 29, 2010
Ravi Ramamurti, Professor of international Business at Northeastern University and CEM Director, was quoted in an article regarding the potential of economic growth in India. "The state is incompetent," Ramamurti said. "As somebody said, 'China's success is because of the state and India's success is despite the state." Although India has experienced some measure of political and social problems, they have maintained steady economic growth and have become a destination for businesses and investment.
CNNMoney.com, Mar 22, 2010
Fareena Sultan, Professor of Marketing and CEM Faculty Associate, was quoted in an article about Google's recent pull-out from China. Google will now operate from Hong Kong, forcing the Chinese government to censor material they deem "controversial." Google's continued ad sales business operations on the mainland will vary depending upon mainland Chinese users' ability to access the Hong Kong site. Sultan was quoted saying, "Both parties realize they need each other, so some sort of compromise will come from this in the long run."
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"CEO firings precipitated by not meeting board expectations"
Forbes, Jan 25, 2010
Research by Professor Sheila Puffer, Walsh Research Professor and Cherry Family Senior Fellow of International Business and CEM Faculty Associate, was quoted in a Forbes.com article. Professor Puffer's study, done with Joseph Weintrop of Baruch College, found that CEO firings tended to be caused by not meeting board expectations.
Boston Globe, Jan 10, 2010
Professor Mike Zack, Executive Faculty Director of online graduate programs and CEM Faculty Associate, was quoted in an article on the increasing popularity of online degrees. Professor Zack was quoted as saying: "Our general approach has been to look at online as just another delivery method."
Professor Ravi Ramamurity, Director of the Center for Emerging Markets discusses the CEM's purpose, goals and current projects.
"Social entrepreneurship: profit versus poverty"
Tonic.com. June 16, 2009
Executive professor of entrepreneurship and innovation, Dennis Shaughnessy, was quoted in an article on a recent College of Business Administration course. CBA students helped locals in the Dominican Republic plan and build profitable, sustainable businesses."Profit is the key to fighting poverty," said Shaughnessy.
news@Northeastern. June 9, 2009
CEM symposium on helping business expand their reach into emerging markets, organized and hosted by Ravi Ramamurti, CEM director and Distinguished Professor of International Business.
Financial Chronicle. June 02, 2009
Director of Distance Learning Programs, Dee Masiello, was quoted in an article on the new online MBA program specifically tailored for IBM managers in India. "The target is to register a maximum of 20 managers from India to reach our first year target of 50 students for this unique online MBA course," said Masiello. "The course is completely online, no residency requirement now," she said.
Financial Times. May 24, 2009
The College of Business customized an online MBA program for IBM managers in India. The program was conceived by Dean Tom Moore after speaking with Peter Lynt (BS '83), vice-president for global process delivery for IBM. "By getting these high potential managers into an MBA programme, we're adding value to IBM and helping the company recruit and retain workers," says Dean Moore.
Investor's Business Daily. May 21, 2009.
Professor Ravi Ramamurti, director of the Center for Emerging Markets, was quoted in an article on India's recent democratic election and the new government's propensity towards growth. "Just because the government will focus more on growth doesn't automatically mean they are going to open the floodgates to foreign direct investment," Ramamurti said. "In India's case, growth can come from giving a freer hand to the domestic private sector."
CFO.com. Mar 04, 2009
H. David Sherman, professor of accounting and former SEC academic fellow, was quoted in an article about auditor liability in connection with fraud allegations. One of the most recent examples is the Satyam Computer Services scandal involving Price Waterhouse India. Professor Sherman says that the audit firm is at fault to some extent because it did not discover the fraud issue.
news@Northeastern. April 29, 2009
An overview of mirco-finance: Is it effective in helping the poor? And how are students engaging in mirco-finance programs?
Denise Garcia, assistant professor of political science and international affairs, discusses the $50 billion per year illicit arms industry. Garcia's research, which is part of the 2008 Index of African Governance housed at Harvard University, examines treaties on the ease of access to small arms in three African countries. She says the results of the Index project "will give African countries a more complete understanding of their capacity to create or enforce new laws, help them seek outside political, legal, and financial assistance from international donors and empower them to improve the governance and the safety of their citizens."
CIO.com. Jan 30, 2009
The Satyam scandal, the Indian IT-services industry, and US business response: an article by Professor Ravi Ramamurti, director of the Center for Emerging Markets.