Member Views

The Root Causes of Geopolitical Fragmentation

BWC member Hung Tran writes that the way to address economic and geopolitical fragmentation is to "address domestic challenges and build more inclusive economies in order to create the necessary internal political support for international cooperation."

The Role of the IDB in the Time of COVID

The IDB is the leading source of development financing in the region. Since September 2020, it is under new leadership, which has numerous challenges on its agenda, some of them associated with the pandemic that are without precedent. 

The Role Model: Kathy Matsui, Goldman Sachs

Japan’s banking system is a tough place to work for ambitious women. But Kathy Matsui shows it is possible to rise to the top.

The Prospects for a Recalibration of China's Taiwan Policy

If the opposition party wins Taiwan's presidential election, "the trajectory and dynamics of the cross-Strait relationship could change, probably giving the U.S. and China some room to manage their strategic competition," according to BWC member Hung Tran.

The Precarious Global Debt Picture

A critical issue policymakers need to address urgently is the amount of debt plaguing the UK, the US and the global economy, and the impact the growing status of China as creditor to both the west and the developing world will have on that. 

The Power of Money

BWC member and economist Paul Sheard has written a new book called The Power of Money: How Governments and Banks Create Money and Help Us All Prosper.

You can pre-order it now, and in the US it will be released on May 9th.

The Potential Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Families, Small Businesses, and Communities

Diana Farrell, Fiona Greig, and Chris Wheat give insights from five years of big data research.

The Pandemic Is Not Under Control Anywhere Unless It Is Controlled Everywhere

High-income countries have cornered global supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, but they are clashing with one another over hoarding their doses, while sending poor countries to the back of the line.

The Oil Collapse: A Pandemic and a Price War Have Together Brought Energy Markets to a Crisis

The global oil market has never in history collapsed as precipitously as it has right now. The oil and gas industry, which provides almost 60 percent of the world’s energy, is engulfed in a double crisis that would have been dismissed as unthinkable at the start of this year.

The Next World Bank President Has a Huge Task on Their Hands

"From climate change to reconstruction, the institution has failed to tackle a range of urgent challenges," writes BWC board member Afsaneh Beschloss. Whoever succeeds Malpass will do much to decide whether this fabled institution ultimately perishes or survives, she argues.