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Economics Trend Watching

Economy in Brazil: Lula elected President

Brazilians voted out their far-right leader, Jair Bolsonaro, after a single term and replaced him with former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

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Readings Software

Information Technology in Brazil: Startup joins group run by the UN and Bill Clinton

The startup PagPop –creator of a system that allows Hairdressers, hot dog vendors and other small entrepreneurs to receive payments by credit card on smartphones — has joined the Business Call to Action, a group of companies that develop business models focused on solving Millennium goals […]

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Design Innovation Readings

Watch Alastair Parvin’s “Architecture for the people by the people” talk at TED

Designer Alastair Parvin presents a simple but provocative idea: what if, instead of architects creating buildings for those who can afford to commission them, regular citizens could design and build their own houses? The concept is at the heart of WikiHouse, an open source construction kit that means just about anyone can build a house, anywhere. Alastair Parvin believes in making architecture accessible to 100 percent of the population […]

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Economics Trend Watching

Doing Business in Brazil: Official guide advises Britons on Brazilian Culture

The recommendations and observations such as avoid talking about Poverty and Argentina come from the UK Trade and Investment Agency (UKTI) and were included in an official guide published to help British entrepreneurs who is planning on doing business in Brazil […]

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Economics Trend Watching

Watch Esther Duflo’ “Social experiments to fight poverty” talk at TED

Alleviating poverty is more guesswork than science, and lack of data on aid’s impact raises questions about how to provide it. But Clark Medal-winner Esther Duflo says it’s possible to know which development efforts help and which hurt — by testing solutions with randomized trials […]

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Design Economics Innovation

Watch Emily Pilloton’s “Teaching design for change” talk at TED

Designer Emily Pilloton moved to rural Bertie County, in North Carolina, to engage in a bold experiment of design-led community transformation. She’s teaching a design-build class called Studio H that engages high schoolers’ minds and bodies while bringing smart design and new opportunities to the poorest county in the state […]

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China Economics

Education in China: Village students often ‘forgotten’

Children from remote mountain villages in Chongqing municipality struggle against the cold weather during long walks to get to school – proof of their desire to go to school and learn […]

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China Economics Information Technology Trend Watching

Watch Hans Rosling’s “Let my dataset change your mindset” talk at TED

Talking at the US State Department this summer, Hans Rosling uses his fascinating data-bubble software to burst myths about the developing world. Look for new analysis on China and the post-bailout world, mixed with classic data shows […]

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Design Economics Innovation

Watch Paul Romer talk about a radical idea: “Charter Cities”, at TED

How can a struggling country break out of poverty if it’s trapped in a system of bad rules? Economist Paul Romer unveils a bold idea: “charter cities,” city-scale administrative zones governed by a coalition of nations […]

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Economics Information Technology

Watch Gordon Brown’s “Wiring a web for global good” talk at TED

“We’re at a unique moment in history”, says UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown: we can use today’s interconnectedness to develop our shared global ethic — and work together to confront the challenges of poverty, security, climate change and the economy […]