-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14 rostraeconomica development aid 2.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Africa’s share of world exports fell from 4.5% in 1980 to
2.6%
job loss in developed countries is understandable, it is also harming their and others economies. Not willing to take their own medicine. Even though the developed world is reluctant to reduce the level of protectionism in their economic policies, they simultaneously press developing countries to do the opposite. In fact, tariffs and subsidies have been cut in many African and Asian countries, which has created a great misbalance. Rich countries have not met trade liberalization in the developing with the same tariff and subsidy reductions.This has made farmers and manufacturers in poorer parts of the globe even more exposed to the negative consequences large subsidies for western farmers cause. The round has aimed at inducing growth by making it easier for underdeveloped countries to export their products. However the reality is that it became harder for them to protect domestic markets and producers from imports coming from developed states. Furthermore, industries, both agricultural and manufacturing, in the developing world are in many cases still in their infancy. Due to this reason, it would make sense for them to be protected against the wellestablished western ones. However the unfairness and one-sidedness of what has happened in the Doha round so far has arguably made developing countries worse off. What are we doing about this? In the beginning, the Doha round had been supposed to be the Seattle round, launched in 1999. A mass of activist protests, which lasted for several days on the streets of Seattle forced WTO ministers to delay the negotiations and move to Qatar. The protesters were not against free trade, but saw the injustices in the decision making process. That was 13 years ago, today trade protests are basically non-existent. Instead, we buy fair trade chocolate, donate money to UNICEF and order more lattés at Starbucks when they decide to give a small
in 2007.
percentage of the price to a development cause. Unfortunately, these kind yet tiny actions of charity create an illusion that we have done our part in helping our fellow human beings. What developing countries really need is a strong civil society like in developed nations, which would push for real political change that would make the global economy not only more efficient, but also more fair. Perhaps Pascal Lamy was right stating that it is the lack of knowledge and understanding that is killing the Doha Development Agenda.
-------------------------------------------2009 saw global trade take such a big hit, that it was called the Great Trade Colapse So should we burry Doha for good? Despite all the problems multilateral trade negotiations have, there may be hope left. The developed world is facing a crisis of mass proportion and the most effective and sustainable way to spur economic growth is efficient production and trade. Recently economists have been stressing that better trade around the world is crucial to ending the economic mess we are all in today and sparking the recovery. Perhaps this will encourage world-leading economies to take development seriously, provide leadership and promote the benefits of global free trade in their home countries. The Doha round and its focus on development were inspired by the surge of solidarity after the devastating 9/11 attacks. Hopefully the current crisis will remind us that we are all in this together and bring us back on track towards building a more inclusive and fair global economy and society. Otherwise, the Doha round will only go round and round and round…
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Two students Who GET AHEAD BY GoING abroad Nike: I’m really happy to have lived in Milan and actually dreaded the moment that I needed to go home How is the academic climate? Bocconi is a really good university. They have a lot of amazing guest speakers, I had a guest lecture from Christian Wulff and Mario Monti opened the Academic Semester. Probably partially because it is a private university, all students are ridiculously ambitious and motivated. Moreover, the lectures are very interesting, because many professors worked at high-end companies (McKinsey, Armani) before starting teaching at Bocconi. How is Bocconi socially? I’m really happy to have lived in Milan and actually dreaded the moment that I needed to go home. Bocconi organizes many things for exchange students (mainly parties and trips). To be honest, I didn’t participate in those, because I’d prefer to experience the ‘real’ Milan and Italy instead of the touristy and ‘shallow’ version that is seen when most of your social life revolves around the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) activities. Milan itself is a city that might seem a bit harsh at first, but when you get to know your way around and get
into the network of students and young workers, it is an amazing and vibrant city to live in. Should students go on an exchange? I would recommend it to anybody, since it is an amazing experience. You learn a lot about yourself and you have time to travel around. Was it difficult to arrange the exchange? Going abroad obviously requires quite some preparation, but overall I think it is quite straight forward and easy. For more information on studying abroad visit www.student.uva.nl/eco
---------------------------Madalina: It taught me to be creative and take initiative and I proved my abilities to a potential employer Madalina Tafta from Romania completed the Finance programme at the FEB. She did a nine month internship at ABN AMRO in Amsterdam. How? I got the contact information from the Internship Office and sent my CV directly to the manager I would
Nike Festen Exchange at Bocconi University in Milan.
Madalina Tafta Internship at ABN AMRO.
be working with at ABN AMRO rather than to ABN’s HR department. This saved a lot of time. After an interview with the project manager at the bank I was able to start right away. What? I was assigned to a project that dealt with the demerger of ABN AMRO and the Royal Bank of Scotland. I assisted various departments such as Finance, IT and Legal by providing them with the necessary information for the transition. I monitored charges to the bank for the demerger process. I would prepare a case and negotiate with the opposite party to determine how much ABN AMRO should pay for certain services. These negotiations were what I enjoyed most about the internship. can win. Afterwards I was offered another job at ABN AMRO dealing with the merger of Fortis Bank. Why? The internship was a valuable experience on many levels. It taught me to be creative and take initiative and I proved my abilities to a potential employer. It was the next step in my professional learning process: applying academic knowledge in the workplace. I received good feedback from my manager and I’m now a business analyst for Dutch private clients of ABN AMRO’s Finance department. Find the full interview on www.student.uva.nl/internships