The Center for Emerging Markets co-organized the 6th Annual Global Strategy and Emerging Markets (GSEM) Conference with the Jack Austin Center for Asia-Pacific Business at Simon Fraser University (lead organizer); the Emerging Markets Institute at Cornell University; and the Center for Global Business at University of Texas at Dallas.
The theme of this year's GSEM conference was “Geopolitics, Emerging Markets, and Global Strategies.” The global world order – a system of rules, norms, and practices driving business activities – has been under pressure as exemplified by the growing rivalry between China and the United States, a rise in protectionism and investment restrictions, and the enhanced nationalistic sentiments triggered by COVID-19. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have been challenged to navigate in an uncertain world characterized by increased political, economic, environmental, and health risks.
The conference brought together scholars, corporate executives, and policymakers to explore three interrelated topics—geopolitics, climate change, and energy transition—and to understand how multinational enterprises navigate an increasingly uncertain environment.