Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The last thirty years of globalization were focused on national growth, revolutionary technology, global trade, and the establishment of institutions to build and construct. Some see globalization as a good thing. According to Amartya Sen, a Nobel-Prize winning economist, globalization “has enriched the world scientifically and culturally, and benefited many people economically as well”. Others may not agree. Can it be that starting now, the next thirty years will focus on sustainability, where the world’s nations and corporations preserve what was built, create a new order, and emphasize well-being, while the consumer is the stakeholder? How can trade adopt sustainability into corporate operations, marketing, and strategy? How should we manage the controversial issues of global warming, energy, water, and others to implement the new world order and elevate people’s well-being, safety, and existence? Will we move from exploiting resources to leadership in sustainability, corporate and environmental across borders, cultures and industries? Can we now start focusing on how we can increase quality of life and improve how it is distributed among countries? Can the forces of globalization have the power to eradicate poverty in the twenty-first century? Is now the right time to start taking advantage of all the growth, technology and advancement to create a more noble and fair world order so the next generations can use as a foundation to build on? This discussion offers a practical worldview from a scholar and professional born in Eastern Europe and currently living in the USA.