The construction of China’s first overseas military base has quickly directed the world’s attention to one of the smallest countries in the Horn of Africa – Djibouti. Currently, observers are obsessed with the military base and transit port. They have, unfortunately, overlooked the economic potential of the country with geopolitical advantage and a good natural…
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,…
Firestone is one of the oldest and largest natural rubber plantations in the world. Founded in 1926 in Liberia by Harvey Firestone, the plantations continue to provide employment for thousands of Liberians to date. Till Trojer, a post-doctoral researcher at the Wheeler Institute, anthropologist and filmmaker, travelled to Liberia last year in May to film…
In our first two articles about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Alexandra, we explored the typical challenges faced by microentrepreneurs and informal entrepreneurs operating in South African townships, before looking at the institutional ecosystem in which these entrepreneurs operate. Our third and final post in this 3-part series will explore the way forward: Can the disconnect…
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 cost-of-living crisis and the UK economy With rising prices, economic downturn, a higher cost of borrowing and looming fiscal deficits, the cost-of-living and energy crises remain front page news for government, businesses, entrepreneurs and people living in the UK. How can we make sense of everything that is happening – and what should we…
I-Venture @ISB with the support of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development at London Business School hosted last week’s London Conference 2022: Building the India-UK Startup Corridor, aimed at fostering collaboration between two leading startup ecosystems – India and the UK. The conference brought together founding teams and key members of the ecosystems in…
Wheeler Institute launches new micro website showcasing business research with a focus on development. The Wheeler Institute has launched a micro website under the banner ‘Business research for impact’. Spanning every urgent social issue from climate change to political economy and gender discrimination to global conflict, the new microsite brings together the Institute’s research into…
The Wheeler Institute is delighted to welcome three new pre-doctoral researchers. They reveal what brought them to London Business School and what they hope to achieve in their research.
A recent event of the Royal African Society (RAS) and Standard Chartered saw Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered, in conversation with Arunma Oteh, OON, Chair of the RAS, about how to fund sustainable growth in Africa. The event was supported by the Wheeler Institute and the LBS Africa Club. Africa’s massive financing gap The…
