The European Business Program Meetings “IT R&D: the case of APAI” with Dr Lagomarsini

The European Business Program Meetings “BTO: Buy Tourism Online” with Dr Carniani

Kent State University and George Washington University

are proud to invite you to

The European Business Program Meetings

“Business Coffee Hours”

with

Dr. Giancarlo Carniani

“BTO – Buy Tourism Online”

on Wednesday, March 16^th 2011

9.15 a.m.

Information

Kent State University – Florence Program
Vicolo dei Cerchi n.1, 50122 Florence, Italy
PHONE +39-055-2658365 FAX +39-055-2658124

info@ksuflorence.net

Jacqueline Turk #4 – U.S and E.U Seem to Have Their Own Interests in Mind Whilst Proposing “Remanufacturing” to the WTO

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other. The major purpose of this organization is to settle trade disputes, and facilitate trade to flow as freely as possible between countries. There are 153 countries included in this organization, as of July 2008. The WTO prides itself on being run by its member governments and decisions are normally taken by consensus. Though the WTO attempts to liberalize trade, it can be a difficult process reaching an agreement between members.

Ivy Lumpkin #4 – World Trade Organization

I learned from this article that the Doha Development, whose objective is to lower trade barriers around the world to increase trade globally, has withstood seven years of negotiations. Talks about issues, such as agriculture and industrial tariffs and non-tariff barriers and trade remedies, that have come to a halt due to significant differences between developed nations including the United States, Japan, and the European Union and major developing countries represented by Brazil, China and India, to name a few.

Sarah Josephs #4 – Russia’s Potential Membership in the WTO and the Problems the Country Must Overcome in the Process

This article shows just how difficult it is to become a member of the WTO and how strict the laws are to which each nation must abide. The WTO is a highly important institution for the international trade market and helps to promote fair trade and a competitive market among its member nations. However, as it is to be expected, to enter this exclusive association, a nation must prove that it is reputable and willing to work fairly with the other members.
Currently, the EU and the United States expect Russia to be able to join the WTO by 2012. This process of initiating Russia has been running for 17 years, but with Barack Obama taking an active approach to making it happen, 2012 is said to actually be the year.

Chealyn Jackson #4 – WTO and LDC

A very important obligation the World Trade Organization is to help under developed country benefit the most from trade. Currently Eastern and Southern Africa fall into the category of regions that need organizations like the WTO and many others to help promote better trade. During this week of February, Lesotho Kingdom is holding a three day in Eastern and Southern Africa to work in this issue.

Bria Nelko #4 – Pact of Uncompetitiveness

Next month the euro-zone will be holding its first ever summit meeting where the discussion to take place will be in regards to a “pact of competitiveness,” which would result in closer integration. The pact would suggest some positive changes such as, raising the retirement age to 67 and getting rid of the current indexation system which links wages to prices. This pact suggests that all members of the European Union would be governed by one federal government under a theoretical umbrella. It would be necessary for members to adopt the euro and be willing to put in money to help bailout other countries from debt, so they would potentially be receiving less benefit than they donated to the funds.

Emily Ake – World Trade Organization: Database

On November 10, 2010, a new database was launched by the WTO which shares information on trade-related technical assistance. It is called the GTAD and is used with technical assistance programs for partner agencies, beneficiaries, and donors. GTAD’s purpose is to reduce the duplication of activities and enhance the efficiency of their delivery. The database is so technologically advanced, it can display information by subject, country, and/or agency.

Sandy Hajek #4 -European Union and the Environment

The European Union is very environment conscious and is has some of the highest environmental standards in the world. There are four main categories that the European Union focuses on in the environment and they are climate change, emissions trading, preserving biodiversity, reducing health problems from pollution and using natural resources more responsibly. The European Union is working to on bettering the climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and cutting the overall energy consumption by twenty percent.

Chris Linville #4 – WTO – As effective as the League of Nations in preventing WWII?

Through reading several articles on the WTO in preparation for this blog, it seems like most contests and decisions made by the governing body are a matter of pointing fingers and that every country is trying to sneak around the rules in one form or another. The article I read dealt with US imposing high tariffs on its importation of Chinese made tires. The US claims that the Chinese are selling their tires at such a low price that it is hurting US jobs/production of tires as well as devaluing the US dollar due to China’s pegged currency. China denies this, claiming that the dollar is hurting to the US Federal Reserve system’s policies of monetary expansion.