Economics
Trade for Texas: Strength in North America
By Dr. Beverly Barrett –This spring, within two weeks, the United Kingdom has requested two extensions to determine the country’s way forward in relationship to the European Union (EU), regarding “Brexit.” Since the British popular referendum nearly three years ago, these extended deliberations remind that trade is politically charged and important given the trade rules…
Read MoreBusiness Schools and the Financial Crisis
By Dr. Hassan Shirvani—Business schools have been widely criticized for causing the recent financial crisis by teaching deeply flawed financial models and by failing to instill in their students an adequate appreciation of socially responsible behavior. As a result, many of their graduates, armed with their defective financial models and lacking in ethical standards, are accused…
Read MoreCognitive Biases and Rational Behavior
By Dr. Hassan Shirvani—As you might have heard, the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Richard Thaler for his pioneering work in the field of behavioral economics, a school of thought dedicated to the application of psychology to economics. The main point of this school is that humans are subject to too many…
Read MoreProfiting from Harvey
By: Gavin Brown & Sajjad Meghani–Houston recently suffered from the onslaught of Harvey, a once-in-a-thousand-years flood which devastated large parts of the city. Given the dire situation in Houston and seeing an opportunity for profiteering, some individuals were quick to make money by taking advantage of those who had been adversely affected by this horrific…
Read MoreAn Economic Explanation for Why Donald Trump Won the 2016 Presidential Election
By Dr. Pierre Canac – With real GDP growing at 3.2% during the third quarter of 2016 while unemployment was running at 4.6% in November and 178,000 jobs were created during the month, we could have expected that the voters would have returned the incumbent party to the White House. However, it did not happen.…
Read MoreFriendship Ambassador Award Gala: US – China People’s Friendship Association
By Dayuan Peter Liu – On Friday October 28, 2016, at the Kim Son Downtown Ballroom, the US-China People’s Friendship Association (USCPFA) Houston Chapter hosted the 10th Annual Friendship Ambassador Award Gala. The University of St. Thomas is a Silver Sponsor of this event and has been in a good relationship with USCPFA for many…
Read MoreAdvertising and Economics
By Dr. Hassan Shirvani–Advertising is an important feature of our daily economic life. As we watch TV, listen to radio, read newspapers and magazines, and use social media, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements. For this “privilege,” we are asked to pay some $325 billion per year, roughly 2 percent of our annual national income. Given this heavy demand of advertising on our…
Read MoreInsight from Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers: Global Perspectives Speaker
By Jeffrey Coburn—On September 27, 2016, the Federal Reserve of Dallas, Texas, held its Global Perspectives Speaker Series, featuring Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers. I was interested in going to the event because I want to learn more about financial economics and international economics, and two of the CSB professors, Dr. Hassan Shirvani and…
Read MoreHow to Succeed in the Cameron School of Business: An Insider’s Scoop
Whether a student is a first generation college student or comes from a long line of college graduates, college can be a new world of experiences and challenges for students. Many times students aren’t aware of the skills, behaviors, and habits that can make or break their academic career. The Cameron School of Business is…
Read More15 Days in Cuba: A Unique Study Abroad Experience
By Barbara Bordon –After the relaxing of the US embargo to Cuba in 2016, the island has received a considerable number of US travelers. The University of St. Thomas organized a study abroad trip to Cuba in August, and there were several undergraduate and graduate students interested in enrolling. I was not the exception. As…
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