Globalization, migration, populism, and war
Dec 2022
How to rewire globalization
The increasing interdependence of world economies is a key aspect of globalization which comes with a multitude of consequences for the world population. Yet there are numerous worrisome effects, commonly referred to as the globalization backlash. Resurgent nationalism and increasing populism, rejection of free trade, opposition to immigration, growing global inequality, and a retreat from multilateralism: These are the defining issues of our time that fuel the globalization backlash. What are the causes of these phenomena and what are effective solutions to address these issues? Answers to these and other important questions are provided by numerous experts in lectures, interviews, and papers made possible by the UBS Center.
The increasing interdependence of world economies is a key aspect of globalization which comes with a multitude of consequences for the world population. Yet there are numerous worrisome effects, commonly referred to as the globalization backlash. Resurgent nationalism and increasing populism, rejection of free trade, opposition to immigration, growing global inequality, and a retreat from multilateralism: These are the defining issues of our time that fuel the globalization backlash. What are the causes of these phenomena and what are effective solutions to address these issues? Answers to these and other important questions are provided by numerous experts in lectures, interviews, and papers made possible by the UBS Center.
Quotes
We either swim together, or sink together.
Forum for Economic Dialogue, 16.11.2015
Nobel laureate Mohammed ElBaradei
The Captain Swing riots of the 1830s are a reminder of the potential of new technologies to cause economic, social and political disruption.
UBS Center Policy Brief No 2/18
Joachim Voth
There is evidence that excessive, uncontrolled migration reduces social cohesion.
Wirtschaftspodium Schweiz, 10.4.2017
Sir Paul Collier
The national migration policies have met their limits.
Wirtschaftspodium Schweiz, 12.4.2018
Mario Gattiker
Globalization is something that we design ourselves.
Forum for Economic Dialogue, 13.11.2017
Dani Rodrik
We should not forget that the last quarter of a century – which has really been globalization coming back with force – has probably been the best quarter of a century for mankind ever.
Forum for Economic Dialogue, 13.11.2017
Carl Bildt
Publications
The UBS Center offers two publication series. The Public Paper series makes research on topics of key social relevance available to a broader audience in a simplified, compact, and highly readable format. The Policy Brief series can give governments and businesses the rigorous and clear insights necessary for informed debates and decisions. They are a condensed and non-technical version of some of our top research papers.
The Economics of Peace – Can “Swiss” Institutions Do the Job?
Much of the economics and political science literature on wars and conflict has focused on things that are hard for policymakers to change (natural resources, ethnic composition, weather shocks). While Public Paper No 5 by Dominic Rohner (University of Lausanne) also touches on them, the focus clearly lies on the parts that policymakers can affect. This paper shows how conflict-torn countries can escape the vicious cycle of war and destruction.
Rage against the machines – New technology and violent unrest in industrializing England
Under what circumstances might the adoption of labor-saving technology lead to extreme social instability? Policy Brief No. 2/2018 by Bruno Caprettini and Joachim Voth examines the case of the Captain Swing riots in the industrializing England of the 1830s, bringing new insights to this old episode by collecting original data on the diffusion of the threshing machine, an innovation that led to severe labor unrest in wheat-growing parts of the country. The evidence illustrates that while new technologies typically boost output overall, not everyone benefits – and the losers may not always suffer in silence. Societies need to find ways to cushion the blow of technological unemployment, perhaps by offering alternative work or providing minimum income guarantees.
The UBS Center offers two publication series. The Public Paper series makes research on topics of key social relevance available to a broader audience in a simplified, compact, and highly readable format. The Policy Brief series can give governments and businesses the rigorous and clear insights necessary for informed debates and decisions. They are a condensed and non-technical version of some of our top research papers.
The Economics of Peace – Can “Swiss” Institutions Do the Job?
Much of the economics and political science literature on wars and conflict has focused on things that are hard for policymakers to change (natural resources, ethnic composition, weather shocks). While Public Paper No 5 by Dominic Rohner (University of Lausanne) also touches on them, the focus clearly lies on the parts that policymakers can affect. This paper shows how conflict-torn countries can escape the vicious cycle of war and destruction.
Event highlights
The Center’s events come in different formats, including two annual conferences with leading representatives from the academic, private, and public sectors debating a key contemporary economic issue. The Opinion events feature top representatives from academia to voice their views in public speeches. The Center hosted several events on the topic of labor market and the future of work in the past 10 years.
The Economics of war and peace – UBS Center Forum 2015
At the UBS Center Forum for Economic Dialogue 2015 the analysis of economic drivers for, and economic consequences from, current conflicts took center stage. Panel sessions included "The economics of war and peace", "The economics of terrorism", and "Russia and the West - an economic perspective". In addition to these sessions, the Forum featured keynote speeches by Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, Didier Burkhalter, and Steven Pinker. Panel speakers included Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, Tim Harford, François Heisbourg, Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, Sergey Karaganov, Ambassador Livia Leu, Edward Miguel, and Vaira Vike-Freiberga.
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Does Switzerland need a new migration policy? – UBS Center Podium 2017
A functioning migration policy is more important today than ever before. For the success of such regulations, a precise understanding of the causes and consequences of migration is an important prerequisite. Chipping away at the many misconceptions surrounding migration is just a first step toward finding viable solutions to this highly charged topic. This was one of the main insights of the UBS Center Podium 2017 where top specialists, such as Sir Paul Collier, Rolf Dörig, Reiner Eichenberger, Mario Gattiker, Peter Grünenfelder, Bruno Sauter, and George Sheldon discussed the migration problem and its consequences for economy and society.
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How to Deal with the Globalization Backlash – UBS Center Forum 2017
Resurgent nationalism, rejection of free trade, opposition to immigration, growing global inequality, and a retreat from multilateralism: These are the defining issues of our time that fuel the globalization backlash, which reached seismic proportions in 2016. Does it herald the end of the economic and political consensus that has underpinned the international order since the end of the Cold War? At the UBS Center Forum for Economic Dialogue 2017 this was the question for leading thinkers and academics, such as Leszek Balcerowicz, Dani Rodrik, Laura Alfaro, Carl Bildt, David Dorn, Karl Gernandt, Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch, Grover Norquist, Kevin O’Rourke, and Beatrice Weder di Mauro.
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Social and economic origins of populism – UBS Center Forum 2019
What is populism, what are the challenges and how does it threaten democracy and liberty? To understand this multifaceted phenomenon, we need to dig deeper. Can we explain today’s rise of populism with economic grievances, or does it have its roots in a cultural backlash against liberalism and immigration? What are the economic consequences of populism: progress, stagnation, or regression? How should we act on the challenges related to the rise of populism? These questions took center stage at the UBS Center Forum for Economic Dialogue 2019, where leading scholars and politicians, such as Barry Eichengreen, Kishwer Falkner, Joschka Fischer, Luigi Guiso, Matthew Goodwin, Cornelia Koppetsch, Moisés Naím, Elias Papaioannou, Torsten Persson, and Yanis Varoufakis discussed new insights on how to deal with this multidimensional phenomenon.
Learn more
The Center’s events come in different formats, including two annual conferences with leading representatives from the academic, private, and public sectors debating a key contemporary economic issue. The Opinion events feature top representatives from academia to voice their views in public speeches. The Center hosted several events on the topic of labor market and the future of work in the past 10 years.
The Economics of war and peace – UBS Center Forum 2015
At the UBS Center Forum for Economic Dialogue 2015 the analysis of economic drivers for, and economic consequences from, current conflicts took center stage. Panel sessions included "The economics of war and peace", "The economics of terrorism", and "Russia and the West - an economic perspective". In addition to these sessions, the Forum featured keynote speeches by Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, Didier Burkhalter, and Steven Pinker. Panel speakers included Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, Tim Harford, François Heisbourg, Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, Sergey Karaganov, Ambassador Livia Leu, Edward Miguel, and Vaira Vike-Freiberga.
In the media
Die Ökonomie des Terrorismus NZZ vom 16.11.2015 lesen
Krisenregion Nahost - Europa muss sich stärker engagieren Radio SRF - Echo der Zeit vom 16.11.2015 hören
Luftschläge werden den IS nie besiegen Schweiz am Sonntag vom 15.11.2015 lesen
Die Kosten des Grauens SRF TV - ECO vom 16.11.2015 schauen
Friedensnobelpreisträger über Terror SRF TV - Tagesschau vom 16.11.2015 schauen
Bis Terroristen Atomwaffen haben ist es nur eine Frage der Zeit Tagesanzeiger vom 16.11.2015 lesen
Vom Ende der Barbaren UZH News vom 18.11.2015 lesen
Der Feind, die Maschine Finanz und Wirtschaft vom 12.11.2018 lesen
Merkel und die Moralkeule NZZ vom 17.11.2017 lesen
Die Schweiz ist ein gutes Modell SRF vom 18.11.2017 hören
Wir brauchen nicht noch mehr Offenheit NZZ vom 21.11.2017 lesen
Die Grünen dürfen jetzt nicht überschnappen Tagesanzeiger vom 23.11.2019 lesen
Global Risk-Briefing: Der Populismus ist nicht nur eine Generationenfrage NZZ vom 14.11.2019 lesen
Der Wähler von Populisten ist oft ein Verlierer – und der Populist ebenso NZZ vom 14.11.2019 lesen
David Dorn über die Wurzeln des Populismus SRF vom 12.11.2019 | Tagesgespräch hören
Wurzeln des Populismus Finanz und Wirtschaft vom 10.10.2019 | Meinungsartikel von Joachim Voth lesen