July, 2009
Global Economic Crisis: Ongoing Research Activities
CIGI has engaged in ongoing research on the global economic crisis. CIGI researchers collaborate with experts worldwide to assess the crisis and develop recommendations to alleviate its impact and spur growth. A series of events featuring leading experts have been held, and scholarly outputs are being produced.
Democracy, Free Trade Among Canada's G8 Priorities
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is set to boost his reputation for being one of the world's most vocal advocates for free trade and open markets, as that is one of four priorities he has laid out for Canada's G8 presidency next year.
The Evolving G8 and Emerging G20
CIGI maintained a multimedia G8 Summit blog to track and assess developments in L'Aquila, Italy, as they unfolded. The legitimacy of the G8 as an international decision-making body has been challenged by the creation of the G20, a more representative institution that acknowledges the growing strength of emergent powers such as BRICSAM.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner takes to the road to soothe nerves in Mideast
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who has taken to the road this week to shore up confidence among some of his country's biggest debt holders, is trying to get their attention by acknowledging that Washington has a “special responsibility” to maintain stability in the global economy.
Leaders put focus on free trade
For the first time since the onset of the financial crisis, there's reason to feel optimistic about world trade.
Canada's Innovation Gap
Canada just can't keep up. The decline of Nortel coincides with a troubling reality: Research spending is shrinking, productivity is sliding, and we're still leaning too heavily on our resources