The ability of credit-worthy businesses to access trade financing is essential to international trade, and in turn, the growth and development of economies around the world. However, despite its importance, experts believe there will be a trade financing gap of over $2 trillion in 2022 (Kim et al., 2021). To put this number in perspective,…
Despite major changes in laws and norms surrounding the issue of same-sex marriage and the rights of LGBT people around the world, public opinion on the acceptance of homosexuality in society remains sharply divided by country, region and economic development. In Kenya, for example, only 1 in 100 said homosexuality should be accepted in 2002,…
The metaverse is deemed to be the future of society – specifically in our social interaction as well as in the sectors of gaming, finance, and entertainment. Because of this focus, the metaverse has gained a somewhat negative reputation, especially prevalent in developing economies where access, awareness and regulation are limited, as explored in my…
The summer of 2022 will be remembered for several reasons in the UK – the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, historic inflation rates and rising cost of living, the UK government crisis, chaos at airports as the travel industry struggles to cope up with pent up demand, and so on. However, one thing that will not be…
It is summer 2022, yet your wardrobe remains woefully in winter. You could take a stroll down 5th Avenue, head to Oxford Street or swing by Causeway Bay to check out the latest store catalogues. But with the rise of online shopping, especially during the pandemic, going to shop in person has become so blasé…
It’s June 2021. You are in Manila, and the temperature is touching a sweltering 310C. Normally you would be at work, but since the COVID-19 pandemic took over the world in March 2020 and forced you and everyone you know into a (seemingly never-ending) lockdown, you have been let go by your previous employer. Your…
If you live in a developed country, you have the luxury of turning on a faucet and witnessing a gush of drinkable chemically treated water emerge. Anytime there is a drought in an area, such as in my home state of California, the government usually handles it by rapidly importing or sourcing water from various…
Following the 2021 COP26 summit (formally known as the United Nations Climate Change Conference) in Glasgow, there are a few pressing questions around challenges and knowledge gaps that may impact implementation of the agreed-upon measures – how do we encourage private investment by better aligning efforts of public institutions with needs of the private sector?…
Gazing down the dirt street, with houses stretching on either side. Houses that look like crooked teeth, wooden slats cobbled together with large gaps between, some constructed with only a partial roof, structures that can easily be destroyed when the rains come. A guard standing at the entrance, working on behalf of the traficante (drug…
“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive” Mahatma Gandhi. If you ask the average person from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region whether they have a standard checking or saving account, they will likely respond “No”. MENA countries consistently rate among the lowest in participation of the population in the…
