Agenda

The stories shaping the Global, Regional and Industry agendas

Global Agenda

The 10 best countries to be a woman

As Iceland enjoys a decade of being the best country for gender equality, there’s a new nation in the top 10 for the first time.

Kate Whiting 18 Dec 2018

Agriculture, Food and Beverage

Vegetarianism is good for the economy too

A plant-based economic approach could save billions of dollars for countries around the world

Vijay Eswaran 18 Dec 2018

Arts and Culture

Here’s what a Korean boy band can teach us about globalization 4.0

The popularity of BTS suggests the Americanization of global culture is not inevitable

Peter Vanham 18 Dec 2018

Education, Gender and Work

These 4 Nordic countries hold the secret to gender equality

These nations share a belief in family-friendly policies that encourage women into work and challenge the gender pay gap.

Johnny Wood 18 Dec 2018

Fourth Industrial Revolution

Here are 3 alternative visions for the future of work

Workforce transformation, not workforce displacement, is key to understanding how robots and AI will affect tomorrow's jobs.

Renee McGowan 18 Dec 2018

Media, Entertainment and Information

You don't see reality, views on women leaders and other top stories of the week

Also in the round-up: meet this year's Crystal Award winners, find out why cybersecurity needs arts graduates, and much more.

Adrian Monck 14 Dec 2018

Cybersecurity

Why the Fourth Industrial Revolution needs more arts graduates

With governments increasingly focused on building a STEM pipeline, they are potentially excluding those with the backgrounds required to maximize the benefits of technology.

William Dixon and Amy Jordan 11 Dec 2018

Arts and Culture

Davos 2019: Meet the Crystal Award winners

Marin Alsop, Haifaa Al-Mansour and Sir David Attenborough will be honoured at Davos 2019 for their leadership in advancing positive change.

Hilde Schwab 10 Dec 2018

Gender Parity

How do we really feel about women leaders?

The all-new Reykjavik Index for Leadership has found that sexist attitudes towards women’s public roles continue to exist in some G7 countries.

Silvana Koch-Mehrin 10 Dec 2018

Regional Agenda

Environment and Natural Resource Security

China generates more waste than any other country. How does it deal with it?

China is perfectly placed to innovate digital solutions for waste, especially in its fast-growing food industry.

Angela Chen 13 Dec 2018

Climate Change

We can’t rid Asia of natural disasters. But we can prepare for them

Projects that empower local communities to take charge will boost disaster resilience across the region.

Nathanial Matthews and Deon Nel 11 Dec 2018

China

The geopolitical impact of China’s approach to fighting climate change

China has been championing the concept of 'ecological civilization', which aims to achieve harmony between people and nature. But what does this mean for the rest of the world?

James Pennington and Ariel Kastner 07 Dec 2018

Future of Mobility

China greenlights first underwater high-speed railway

China's high-speed rail network is the largest in the world, and it's about to expand under the sea.

John McKenna 06 Dec 2018

Fourth Industrial Revolution

MI6 chief calls for espionage 4.0 in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

From terrorists to hacktivists, all the way up to state-orchestrated cyber-warfare, staying alert in the new threat landscape calls for new skills and capabilities.

Sean Fleming 06 Dec 2018

Education, Gender and Work

Tunisia wants to change inheritance rules to boost gender equality

The government is pushing ahead with legislation that would give women the same inheritance rights as men, despite protest from Islamic scholars.

Sean Fleming 04 Dec 2018

Human Rights

South Africa still hasn’t won LGBTQ+ equality. Here are 5 reasons why

This month, South Africa celebrates the anniversary of its pioneering gay-marriage decision. But the reality on the ground lags far behind the legal situation.

Rivonia Pillay 30 Nov 2018

Africa

Blockchain can revolutionise the energy industry in Africa

The secure ledger will give consumers control of their energy requirements and consumption.

Nsikak John 29 Nov 2018

Migration

What Ghana can teach us about integrating refugees

Ghana's 14,000 refugees have the same legal rights as ordinary citizens - they can live, work and own property. It's the perfect place to trial economic and social integration solutions f...

Rya G. Kuewor 27 Nov 2018

Industry Agenda

Brazil

Politics is failing to protect the Amazon. It's time for finance to step up instead

Forests are an ally in the fight against climate change. But deforestation in the Amazon is approaching a tipping point, after which the area will emit more carbon than it stores. Compani...

Beatrice Crona and Victor Galaz 14 Dec 2018

Financial and Monetary Systems

How the finance industry can save the world

The bleak future of our planet is the result of a system-wide failure in our financial system, and it will take a similarly systemic change to correct it. Regenerative capitalism is the a...

Jonathan Wichmann 11 Dec 2018

Biotechnology

Scientists have created biodegradable microneedles to fight eye disease

Researchers in Singapore have developed a contact lens-like patch covered with microneedles that deliver drugs to treat eye diseases.

Rosamond Hutt 07 Dec 2018

Financial and Monetary Systems

Banks can fight financial crime. But we can’t do it alone

Partnerships between banks and public bodies are the only way to stop criminals moving their ill-gotten gains.

Erik Barnett 07 Dec 2018

Workforce and Employment

Should tech companies pay us for our data?

As we advance in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, data will become an even more valuable commodity.

Manuel Ochoa Ayala 06 Dec 2018

Future of Mobility

How China raised the stakes for electric vehicles

With confidence in future demand from the vast Chinese market, carmakers’ ambitions took off.

Andrew Steer 05 Dec 2018

Future of Energy

Universal access to energy is a major challenge for the Arab world. Here's why

Drawing a path to sustainable energy equity in the Arab world begins with identifying and understanding the challenge, in all of its dimensions, more clearly.

Sarah Mousa and Deena Mousa 05 Dec 2018

Future of Energy

How revealing the cost of coal makes us all better off

A free online tool tracks the economic risks of coal-fired electricity throughout the world, plant by plant. Its data empowers policy-makers, investors and civil society to give the taxpa...

Matt Gray 05 Dec 2018

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

This AI-powered app aims to help people with autism improve their social skills

A company that uses artificial intelligence to help people with autism is part of a wave of education technology start-ups attracting millions of dollars of global investment.

Emma Charlton 30 Nov 2018