Protocol - and Economic Development

David Brooks' recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, called "The Protocol Society" is worth reading.

He begins:

In the 19th and 20th centuries we made stuff: corn and steel and trucks.
Now, we make protocols: sets of instructions. A software program is a protocol
for organizing information. A new drug is a protocol for organizing chemicals.
Wal-Mart produces protocols for moving and marketing consumer goods. Even when
you are buying a car, you are mostly paying for the knowledge embedded in its
design, not the metal and glass.

This column provides a brief reflection on a recent book - From Poverty to Prosperity (edited by Arnold Kling and Nick Schulz).

The success of an economy depends on its ability to invent and embrace new
protocols. Kling and Schulz use North’s phrase “adaptive efficiency,” but they
are really talking about how quickly a society can be infected by new
ideas.

A protocol economy tends toward inequality because some societies and
subcultures have norms, attitudes and customs that increase the velocity of new
recipes while other subcultures retard it. Some nations are blessed with
self-reliant families, social trust and fairly enforced regulations, while
others are cursed by distrust, corruption and fatalistic attitudes about the
future. It is very hard to transfer the protocols of one culture onto those of
another.

Study in Africa Changes Lives

Research shows that even short-term study abroad changes lives.

For example -- see this story about an MU student's experience in Rwanda.

Last year MU enrolled over 3,000 students who earned academic credit across borders (incoming + outgoing). This is serious work that deserves more attention.

Re EU - Two Observations

As a more than casual observer of the European Union, I stumbled across two disparate developments that might be of interest...

First, appearing before a Subcommittee of Foreign Affairs in the US House of Representatives, Phillip Gordon reported on: "The Lisbon Treaty: Implications for Future Relations Between the European Union and the United States".

(Major) changes in the EU institutions attract very limited media attention in the US. The Treaty of Lisbon deserves more reflection on our part. Nevertheless, I'm encouraged that the US State Department has a deeper appreciation of its effects on Transatlantic relations and world affairs.

Gordon concluded his testimony:

The United States faces a daunting array of global challenges that no one country can handle on its own. For a variety of critical issues, from climate change, to the Doha Round of trade talks, from the Balkans, to Iran, solutions will require working in close concert with our European partners. We believe that the Lisbon Treaty represents a serious effort by our EU partners to streamline their policymaking process. We understand that, as with all efforts to reform complex institutions, this is a work in progress, and that it may take time for the new institutions to demonstrate their impact. Nevertheless, we hope that the changes brought by Lisbon will make the EU a stronger partner for the United States, and increase the role of Europe on the world’s stage. We want the EU to be that stronger partner and we certainly intend to do our part to engage closely with the new institutions, but in the end their ultimate effectiveness will be determined by the will of EU Member States to invest in them.

***

Second, I note that the EU is assembling more programs and resources to foster cultural and economic relations with China. For example, see the project named simply, "Understanding China". Several organizations across Europe, including the University of Antwerp, are working together in this project to provide executive training, policy dialogue forums, news summaries and a virtual community for European people and companies that want to learn how to do business in China. This is an interesting model. Perhaps US universities would do well to emulate.

More on Climate Change from MU Geographers

There's a lot of noise and confusion about climate change and its implications for global security.

In that context, it's really great to follow events in Copenhagen from the perspectives of our own MU professors Mark Cowell and Mike Urban, blogging here .

They provide timely clear, succinct accounts of what's going on -- with great photos.

For some quick background on the issues and evidence, and for a chance to test your own knowledge, check out this site provided by the BBC.

MU Student Earns Marshall Scholarship

Brian Pellot -MU senior student has earned a prestigious Marshall Scholarship award to study at Oxford University. (News story here).

Brian is an incredibly gifted and determined student. He's the first MU student to be selected for this highly distinguished award.

Brian received great assistance from the MU Fellowships Office. This office works tirelessly with dozens of students each year to help them apply for competitive programs. (Check out other student fellowship success stories here).

Congratulations, Brian!

MU Geography Professors Participate in Copenhagen

MU geography professors Mike Urban and Mark Cowell are participating in the COP15 Climate Change conference in Copenhagen.

You can read a news story here, and follow their blog throughout the conference.

For more brief background reading on the Copenhagen conference (including an atlas of climate change and a time line on climate change scientific findings), see the New York Times Talk here.

Web Tools to Organize Travel Plans

For personal and professional reasons, I have been continuously traveling and living out of a suitcase for two weeks.

I was reading the New York Times just now, and found this article. If you're preparing to travel soon, and you're looking for ways to organize the tickets, reservations, itinearies, etc., you'll see some interesting web tools.

A Key to University Financial Sustainability

I'm travelling in Brussels this week. Between meetings, I note a recent report issued by the European University Association, called Financially Sustainable Universities: Toward Full Costing in European Universities.

The findings and recommendations in this report can well be applied by US public universities.

Stricter Rules for Skilled Workers is a Mistake

The Council on Foreign Relations recently published this interview, which highlights the economic importance of skilled foreign workers in the US.