Prof discusses global economics

The School of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School of Business kicked off their joint colloquium series Friday with speaker Stephen Haggard, a professor in the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California-San Diego. In his speech entitled "The Political Context of Business and Development in East Asia and Latin America," Haggard examined the economic and political impact of the emergence of these regions as world powers. Haggard discussed the reasons for dramatic economic reform in the two regions and the economic and political effects of these changes. "The '80s economy was unkind to developing nations," Haggard told his audience of more than 50. But Haggard acknowledged that the economy of the '80s had varying effects on South America and East Asia. "The economic shocks of the '80s put more pressure on Latin America than Asia to make reforms," he said. Haggard also discussed the different underlying political systems of the two regions. He explained that while the United States confronts two major powers in East Asia -- Japan and China -- it faces no major opponents in the West. Haggard is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served as a consultant to the World Bank, the Agency for International Development and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. He is also the author of Pathways from the Periphery, which compares the development strategies of newly industrialized countries in East Asia and Latin America. Haggard is also currently working on two new publications -- "The Political Economy of Democratic Transitions" and "Developing Nations and the Politics of Global Integration." The colloquium was established to offer opportunities to both schools to examine shared intellectual interests, according to event organizers. The event was held in Lauder-Fischer Hall Friday at noon.