Analyzing Global Trends for Business and Society

The world is changing rapidly. Populations are ageing, people are moving from the countryside to the cities, there are more people suffering from obesity or who are overweight than people who go hungry, and the middle-class is growing fast in the emerging economies while it is shrinking in Europe and the United States. These forces are putting pressure on governments around the world as they seek to cope with the consequences. The race for energy, natural resources and food is intensifying, and the global financial architecture based on the U.S. dollar is seriously out of whack with the new realities of the 21st century.

Expect to learn about these and other global trends in this class. Be ready to realize how fast the world is changing, and what are the consequences for markets, businesses, and society at large. Learn how to analyze global trends, understanding their magnitude and how they are related to one another. Realize how the world can cope with massive change.

Week 1: Globalization

Week 2: Demographic Trends

Week 3: Inequality and the Global Middle Class

Week 4: Global Economic and Financial Imbalances

Week 5: The Shifting Geopolitical Landscape

Week 6: The Quest for Sustainability

Week 7: Global Powers of the 21st Century