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World Economy Featured trade

How much research talent could Europe grab from the US?

The policies of the Trump administration have put the research environment in the United States under pressure. Public research funding cuts, hostility towards academic freedom, climate science denial and the detaining or exclusion of foreign researchers have unsettled the scientific community in the US. Researchers question the US’s traditional role as a safe haven for […]

Economy Business Featured trade

Human capital formation as a key component in Europe’s defence build-up

Government spending on defence, particularly defence R&D, can have significant economic spillovers. This column argues that the forthcoming European defence build-up must include a long-term strategy to develop high-quality human capital. Military human capital development serves a dual-purpose role: it is crucial for the modern (largely non-combat) battlefield, and also valuable for long-run productivity growth. […]

Featured Banking Economy Finance

Gold rises as Fed flags economic uncertainty; Sino-US trade talks in focus

Gold climbed on Thursday after the Federal Reserve warned of rising inflation and labor market risks fuelling economic uncertainty, while investors awaited the outcome of the U.S.-China trade talks this weekend. Spot gold rose 1.4% to $3,409.76 an ounce, as of 0223 GMT. U.S. gold futures firmed 0.7% to $3,416.70. “I think it’s mostly a […]

Development Featured Innovation Productivity

Short-term labour mobility drives innovation in Africa

A growing body of research highlights the importance of mobility in the global knowledge economy, but has largely focused on high-income countries. This column addresses the crucial role of international labour mobility in fostering innovation in Africa, demonstrating that short-term visits, especially for business or professional purposes, significantly increase the likelihood of firms innovating in […]

Development Featured trade World

Trade policy for developing economies

Developing economies face a far more challenging international trade environment than they did at the start of the 21st century. Yet trade remains an essential component in reaching development objectives. This column offers possible policy options for developing economies to leverage untapped opportunities for cross-border cooperation and improve domestic conditions that will make trade more […]

Politics Economy Featured World

Article-level slant and polarisation of news consumption on social media

Over the last two decades, social media has become a primary news source for millions of people, raising concerns over ‘echo chambers’ and ‘filter bubbles’. This column uses US data covering over a million Facebook articles classified by political slant to show that Democrats and Republicans consume sharply different content on the platform, largely driven […]