Global Law and Business

Infrastructure Finance - Prajakta Chitre

In Episode #20, we discuss:

• The role of the World Bank in global development and how to access a career in international development.

• How the World Bank, as a lender of last resort, classifies countries and balances a country's financing needs with its geopolitical and other risks.

• Key risks in infrastructure finance in developing nations.

• Key trends in PPPs, project finance, and infrastructure finance pre-, during-, and post-Covid.

• How developing nations are faring through Covid and their prospects for recovery.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Prajakta

    • The World Bank's PPP Blog article "COVID-19 and Infrastructure: A Very Tricky Opportunity" by Richard Abadie

    • The Financial Times and The Economist

  • Fred

    • "How China Controlled the Coronavirus" (The New Yorker), by Peter Hessler

  • Jonathan

    • "Coronavirus Stalks Southeast Asia's Once-thriving Unicorns" (Nikkei Asian Review), by Shotaro Tani, Wataru Suzuki, and Peter Guest

Note, the opinions expressed are solely Prajakta Chitre's and do not express views or opinions of the World Bank Group as an institution.

Uyghur Crisis - Rayhan Asat

In Episode #19, we are privileged to engage in a fascinating, if at times sad, conversation with Rayhan Asat, a Washington, DC-based attorney and Uyghur advocate. We discuss:

• Who are the Uyghurs and what are the root causes of their current human rights crisis?

• The imprisonment by the Chinese authorities of Rayhan’s brother, Ekpar, after he participated in the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

• Uyghur forced labor in China supply chains and what companies can do to avoid getting entangled in the problem.

• The connections between the different Turkic peoples, including the Uyghurs.

• Rayhan’s views on Turkey, as a former resident of Istanbul.

Mexico - Patricia Alamda

In Episode #18, we talk with Patricia Almada, a Mexican criminal defense attorney. Topics covered include:

• How criminal practice differs in Mexico from common-law jurisdictions such as the United States.

• The due process implications of the shift to online hearings in Mexico and elsewhere as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Concerns over Mexican government initiatives that jeopardizes property and contractual rights.

• The Constellation Brands controversy in Mexicali.

• Being a woman in Mexico's male-heavy criminal courts.

International Oil and Gas / Nigeria - Ebele Onyeabo

In Episode #17, we sit down with Ebele Onyeabo, a Nigerian attorney who specializes in oil and gas law. We cover:

• How the Resource Curse has impacted and continues to impact Nigeria's economy and people.

• A rundown of the international oil and gas industry and what aspiring attorneys in this field should expect in order to excel.

• The gender imbalance in the oil and gas industry, as well as the greater energy industry, along with ideas to further promote women's participation.

• Nigeria's prospects for international business and future growth.

• Recent developments in Africa and West Africa of which international businesses should be aware.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Ebele

    • Why National Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson

    • Becoming by Michelle Obama

    • BoJack Horseman (Netflix original series)

    • YouTube channels of Vice and Vox for accessible information on interesting topics

  • Jonathan

    • Nikkei Asian Review's article: Malaysia's Najib [Razak] to be Jailed for 12 Years After 1MDB Conviction

  • Fred

    • Forvo's website for a database of pronunciations in various languages

We’ll see you next week for another discussion on the global business environment as we discuss the practice of criminal law in Mexico and other topics with our guest Patricia Almada.

Mexico - Mariana Gallegos

In Episode #16, we sit down with Mexican attorney Mariana Gallegos García Conde. We cover:

• How an aspiring psychiatrist ended up becoming a lawyer.

• The challenges and rewards of running your own law firm.

• Women and the Mexican legal profession.

• How a focus on compliance helps grow healthier businesses.

• What the new USMCA (T-MEC) means for Mexico in terms of compliance (and beyond).

• Mexico’s relationship with trade partners outside North America, including China.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Mariana

    • TED Talk: The Power of Vulnerability, by Brené Brown

    • Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck

    • Cracks podcast

  • Jonathan

    • WSJ’s The Future of Everything podcast

  • Fred

    • The Silence of Others, directed by Robert Bahar and Almudena Carracedo

International Schools - Arlo Kipfer

In Episode #15, we discuss international schools with Arlo Kipfer. We cover:

• An overview of the global international school market.

• The Chinese legal and regulatory environment for its international schools.

• Important issues for foreign schools to consider when establishing their school brand in China.

• How Covid-19 is impacting K-12 international schools.

• Advice for people who want to teach in international schools around the world.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Arlo

    • Redshirts by John Scalzy

    • Short Walks from Botoga: Journeys in the New Colombia by Tom Feiling

  • Jonathan – Nikkei Asian Review's Death of the Coffee King: Power and Money in Corporate India

  • Fred – Hardcore History podcast episodes titled Supernova in the East by Dan Carlin

Australia and China - Simon Lacey

In Episode #14, we discuss a variety of topics with former Huawei executive Simon Lacey, now a senior lecturer in international trade at the University of Adelaide. We cover:

• Australia’s strategic rethink of its relationship with China.

• Negative coverage of China in the mainstream media.

• The good, the bad and the ugly of working at Huawei as a foreigner.

• A long-term resident’s views on Indonesia.

• Which countries in Asia have gotten it right? The importance of a healthy sense of paranoia.

• The proper role of the state in markets.

• Transitioning from the business world to academia.

China - James Moore

In Episode #13, we discuss what it’s like working for the Chinese government as an American with former Senior Government Consultant, James Moore. We cover:

• China’s general business environment pre-Covid and post-Covid.

• The division of labor between Chinese provincial governments and local governments with regard to business and fostering entrepreneurship.

• What it is like to work inside the Chinese government as a foreigner.

• Major draws to foreign businesses to continue to engage with China.

• Major limitations toward foreign businesses doing business with China.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • James – The Economist’s dual language app 商论 (Shanglun) and the US-China Business Council’s newsletter.

  • Jonathan – The Ugly Chinaman by Bo Yang

  • Fred – The China Fantasy by James Mann

Iran - Miles Hansen

In Episode #12, we discuss Iran with World Trade Center Utah's President & CEO, Miles Hansen. We cover:

• -How Utah, a modestly populated landlocked state, punches above its weight in international business activity.

• Significant developments in Iran’s recent history.

• How Iran is perceived by the Saudis and its other neighbors in the Middle East and Asia.

• Iran’s interactions with China and other state actors that affect global business and security.

• What the West should know about the Iranian people as compared to the Iranian government.

Chile - Juan Cristóbal Palma Orellana and Mario Tapia Echeverría

In Episode #11, we discuss Chile with attorneys Juan Cristóbal Palma Orellana and Mario Tapia Echeverría. We cover:

• The role inequality has played in the protests that have affected Chile since late 2019, and the lessons that can be drawn.

• Chile's response to COVID-19 and the pandemic's impact on the country

• How Chile is strengthening its intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, in light of its continued inclusion in the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) Priority Watch List.

• Opportunities for foreign investment in the fisheries and aquaculture industries, as well as the tech sector.

• Our guests' views on Chile's prospects going forward and its place in Latin America.

• China's role in the Chinese economy.