corporate diplomacy

SA will, in the coming months, approach fellow members of the Bric bloc Russia and China to train local diplomats in commercial diplomacy. Diplomats trained in commerce and economics are indispensable in negotiating favourable trade and investment agreements with other countries . Russia, and more particularly China, have been aggressively pursuing trade deals abroad .

I had the great fortune to be in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago leading a group of MBA students from USF as part of their Global Immersions study abroad program. Most of the students are executives pursuing their MBA part-time and this was for many their first visit to the region.

January 19, 2011

Research In Motion, the Canadian company that makes the BlackBerry smartphone, found itself in a number of high-profile spats with Asian governments in the past year... But RIM has no stranger or more persistent foe than Indonesian Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring.

The prestigious and competitive ACE is designed to recognize the important role that U.S. businesses play in advancing good corporate governance and democratic principles worldwide. The award honors exemplary business practices, corporate responsibility and innovation in a company’s overseas operations.

These new investments are a significant vote of confidence in the continent’s future. Looking beyond Africa’s image as a poverty-stricken, war-torn continent, Walmart and Coca-Cola are making substantial investments to capture the business of Africa’s rapidly growing middle class.

Tommy Hilfiger has become one of the best selling international brands in India thanks to a little unexpected help from actor Shah Rukh Khan, says Mohan Murjani, who built the brand in the U.S. and brought it to India six years ago.

If there ever were a time for a new beginning in this country, it is now. The recession is still very much with us. Global crises and disasters compound daily. Our national attention is consumed with political candidates on both sides of the aisle who seem to have completely lost their minds. And yet amidst the absurdities, there are signs of real hope and cause for optimism.

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