After a few introductory weeks of theory my International Trade and Legal & Political Analysis of the Global Trade Regime classes are starting to converge on some very interesting topics.   In the Legal and Political Analysis class, we have been reviewing the history and make-up of the GATT/WTO.  Some of our topics of concentration include how tariffs are actually reduced in negotiation rounds, how disputes are resolved, and what it means for an organization to operate on a ‘consensus’ decision-making basis.

On the other hand, in Trade class we’ve been discussing in great depth the classical theories of Ricardian Comparative Advantage and Heckscher-Ohlin two-factor production.  Our topic for this week is more or less to question the future of free trade.  Our authors have suggested that infant-industry protection should not be frowned upon as it is how countries like the US and UK developed; and that in today’s world the concept of ‘free trade’ is often unfairly influenced by small interest groups like the American sugar industry, or transnational corporations seeking to lower duties on their products manufactured abroad.  One of these authors suggested that a global system of cooperation in the realm of trade needs to exist in order to reduce these inequalities.

It was then interesting to note that the author wrote his piece a few years before the Uruguay Round and the creation of the formal WTO.  I couldn’t help but wonder how his ideas would change today given the WTO’s status as an international body formed to promote freer trade amongst all nations.  Further, the WTO’s allowance for ‘special and differential’ trading status for developing countries may also tacitly allow certain aspects of infant industry protection.  However, the collapse of the Doha Development Round also suggests that the move toward competitive equality amongst all trading nations is far from being realized.

Perhaps the most interesting issue these classes are touching on is trade’s affects on labor standards and the environment.  Theory suggests that wages will remain low in a country until its entire workforce (not just the export sector) raises its productivity, yet from the perspective of a developed country low wages tend to be seen as an atrocity.  In addition to lower wages, developing countries tend to have lower standards for environmental protection both in the export sector (Southeast Asian lumber) and for domestic reasons (loss of Brazilian rainforest).   Some academics and non-profit organizations have suggested the WTO create binding regulations for these issues, much like they’ve done for intellectual property rights protection.  Others feel such regulation belongs to the International Labor Organization, treaties like Kyoto, and domestic regulation.  It is certainly not my place to use this as a forum for my personal opinions, but needless to say I feel a very interesting discussion coming on in class tomorrow!

It’s been a very relaxing break filled with visiting friends and family, horseback riding, skiing and going to the movie theatre – first time in 6 months!  However, I have been somewhat productive.  Earlier this fall I applied to become a Destiny Capital Corporation Mentee, a program that offers two second-year GFTEI students each year the opportunity to have a personal mentor that aids them through the job application process.  Fortunately, I am one of those two students who Mr. Musick has chosen to mentor.   What this means is that over the course of the year Mr. Musick will help me narrow down my preferred work locations, review my finances to determine a salary for which I should aim, critique my resume, put me through mock interviews, etc.  Due to my abundant free time over break, Mr. Musick and I accomplished many of these goals, allowing me to feel far more confident in my job search.

But now that it’s January I’m back to school.  Classes started up yesterday, but my first class isn’t until tomorrow.  I’m finally taking International Trade – a core class that most GFTEI students take their first or second quarter.   I’ve been looking forward to Dr. DeMartino’s return from sabbatical in order to take the course from a professor that I’ve heard such great things about.  As mentioned in my last post I’m also taking a class in the practical application of microfinance as well as others on the Legal/Political Analysis of the Global Trade Regime and Financial Management and Fundraising for Non-Profits.  It seems that I’ve saved my most tortuous class load for my final full quarter – eek!

The stress of finals is finally over!  Now it’s time to relax, watch way too much tv, read books that don’t challenge my brain, and maybe start that job search.  However, being a student at this school means I can’t completely give up on my routine, so a few other students and I are starting a mini-book club over break.  We’ve all read parts or heard tales from Confessions of an Economic Hitman, so we’re keeping up our reading and discussion habits with something non-academic for a change. 

Beyond reading and tv, I’m getting very excited for a class that I’m starting next quarter.  FIN 4700 Social Entrepreneurship and Microfinance is a small class taught through the Daniel’s College of Business.  Professor Mac Clouse offers the chance to “make a difference in development” by working in partnership with Deutsche Bank in a two-course sequence focused on the effects of microfinance.  The impetus for this course is the growing interest in microfinance as a part of the solution to “the bottom of the pyramid” challenges associated with finance. This exploding fascination has resulted in new and different types of funds appearing almost daily.  The course offers an exclusive educational partner with Deutsche Bank in its $80 million microfinance fund as part of its Global Commercial Microfinance Consortium.  It is highly selective and more complicated than other courses to join, due to the fact that you must submit a cover letter and a resume to be considered for a seat.

I was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of this year’s students.  This class will provide me with the opportunity to interact personally with DB managers as they perform due diligence and complete annual loan reviews of microfinance institutions in Kenya and Uganda.  The best part?  As a part of this due diligence I will be visiting microfinance institutions in the aforementioned nations over spring break!

The reception for Steve Musick went very well!  It was an interesting opportunity to listen to what some of my fellow GFTEI students did for their internships this summer.  A few people had worked for microfinance institutions as far away as Kenya and Guatemala, and another is going to present a paper at a conference in New Delhi!  It was also a great opportunity to announce our new CIFTE board.  The second years, myself included, are graduating soon, so we’ve selected our new members and will help them learn how to run a student organization over the next few months.  They’ve already suggested some interesting topics for speakers and our Brown Bag Lunch Series so I’m very intrigued by what they’ll contribute to student life at Korbel.

Steve and Elaine Musick, Dr. Ilene Grabel and several GFTEI students

It’s also week 10 of the quarter and finals start this Friday.  Unfortunately, three out of four of my professors have decided to have my final due on Friday.  So this week I’ll have my nose buried in an impact assessment of the Nam Theun Dam, articles on winners and losers in global trade, and a marketing analysis of Singapore Airlines.  This is all while still attending the final week of classes!

The light at the end of this tunnel is that our DU Pioneers will be playing the UND Fighting Sioux this weekend!  I spent four years of undergrad booing the Sioux so I’m very excited to keep it up here in Denver.  Even better is that my alma mater, the SCSU Huskies, will be coming to town next weekend!

Midterms have come and gone, so now I just get to wait to hear my grades!  All in all, I wrote a paper comparing two methodologies for critiquing hypotheses in IPE, a memo to the President of a company advising him on the downfalls of some hypothetical sales opportunities for IBT, completed the first half of a marketing plan for a US company looking at entering Vietnam, and a project proposal for mitigating animal waste pollution in Lake Tai, China.  Clearly very different research for all of them!

Tonight, CIFTE is hosting a reception for a very important alumnus, Mr. Steve Musick.  Steve’s company, the Destiny Capital Corporation, donates funding for internships and learning initiatives specifically to GFTEI students.  I received funding from his company to do my internship with the Commercial Service this summer, so I’m very excited to have this opportunity to thank him in person.  We’re rolling out the red carpet and serving hors d’oeuvres and wine, dressing in business casual and inviting all of our faculty and students.  Maybe we’ll be able to convince a few International Studies or Development students to switch their concentration to GFTEI!

Welcome to the blog written by current Korbel students for those interested in what we have to say!  My name is Kylle, I’m a second year MA student in the Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration (GFTEI) program with a concentration in Sustainable Development.  I’m originally from Minnesota, so the transition from the ‘land of 10,000 lakes’ to the ‘mile high city’ has certainly been interesting and fun!  I earned my B.A. in International Relations and French at St. Cloud State University, and after graduation, I took a little time off from school to get a better idea of how I wanted to use my degree towards a career.  I interned for the State Department at the American Embassy in Paris, worked as an import specialist for a company in Minnesota, and finally as a member of the communications team for a London-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainable development.  I really loved my work at the non-profit so I decided to pursue my master’s degree in the areas of economics and sustainable development.

This quarter I’m taking 17 credits, working 20 hours a week, and I’m also involved in a few student groups organizations here at the University of Denver, including the Council on International Finance, Trade and Economics (CIFTE) and the Sustainable International Development Institute (SIDI).  You better believe I’ve learned the meaning of time management!  However, I do still have a social life, in fact I’ve been to 7 Rockies games this month alone!

My classes this quarter include International Project Analysis, International Marketing, International Business Transactions and International Political Economy.  Can you tell this is a school for international studies?  However, my international marketing class is actually taught through our Daniel’s College of Business.  One great perk about JKSIS is that you can take some of your electives through other colleges on campus, such as the business school, communications school, and the school of economics.  Anyway, we’re getting close to midterms so I’m busy working on a few group projects, and I’ll be getting some paper assignments later this week.  Hooray!