Ireland: the High Cost of Austerity

Our Ireland study abroad program was a great success. My students were dynamic and engaged. I think we all learned much from the trip -- both in and out of the class meetings.

One of the two courses -- Facing the Future: Ireland Responds to Economic Crisis -- focused on the current economic, social and political conditions of a small struggling country. I'll share more about this experience shortly.

If you're interested, this recent article in the New York Times provides a good overview of the dilemmas Irish people face.

Globalization -- and Asia's Return to Economic Supremacy

This week, our study abroad program is visiting at University College Dublin -- comparing the response to global economic crisis in Ireland and the US, and assessing the long-term effects on these two countries.



Today, we had an excellent presentation by Dr. Niamh Hardiman (of UCD's Geary Institute) entitled Liberalism in Crisis. She showed well the magnitude of economic, fiscal and political challenges European countries now face.



Tonight, I read this essay by Michael Hennigan at Finfacts.



It will take time, but I think you'll find it worth reading.

Bad Luck for the Irish Economy

I just arrived in Dublin -- to lead an MU study abroad program in Ireland/N. Ireland. (See here, here and here for more background).


I teach a course called Facing the Future: Ireland's Response to Economic Crisis. Ironically, today a friend sent this post.


It's worth reading -- including the comments.

Volcano -- More Transatlantic Flight Delays

With many MU study abroad programs starting in Europe shortly, we track the volcanic ash plume pretty closely.

See the latest report on flight delays and re-routes.

Also - for real-time information on European airspace issues, see Euro Control (The European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation)

Mexico Travel Warning - Expanded

The US State Department expanded its travel warning to several states or regions in Mexico.

If you (or your loved ones) are preparing for a trip there, please read this carefully.

Travel warnings issued by the State Department should always be taken very seriously.

For a list of current warnings, and for additional assistance, please see this page.

China's Role in World Food Prices

A good colleague, Pat Westhoff at MU's Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, provided this excellent guest post on how developments in China may affect food prices through out the world. This work appeared in the New York Time's Freakanomics Blog.

Pat is also the author of a newly published book on the economics of food. If you're concerned about food security -- check this out.

More on Irish housing surplus

As a quick follow up to this recent post -

Here's a piece about what it's like to live in one of Ireland's 621 newly-developed, but largely unoccupied housing subdivisions.

One in five housing units is now vacant in Ireland.