Global Awareness
Playing Defense in the Pandemic
By John E. Simms, Ph.D., Ed.D., CMA, CSCA We have heard so many individuals arguing that they have a Constitutional Right not to wear a mask, and the argument has been presented as an issue of individual rights, states’ rights, and even declaring that the Covid-19 vaccine is a means of implanting computer chips into…
Read MoreRestarting the transatlantic relationship in the global economy
By Dr. Beverly Barrett Beverly Barrett, Ph.D. The transatlantic relationship is being renewed, as the world emerges from the pandemic. U.S. President Joe Biden’s discourse on his recent travels to Europe indicate a unique commitment to the relationship with partners Europe. Grounded in in decades of cooperation grown out of the partnership of post-World War…
Read MoreAI and the Future of Human Decision Making: Winter is coming! Is it though?
By Dr. Pooya Tabesh—Will we lose our jobs to an army of intelligent machines? Will artificial intelligence (AI) systems advance to the point that human decision making becomes obsolete? Should we get prepared to defend ourselves against killer robots? Is “winter” coming? While these important questions have been around for a few decades, efforts to…
Read MoreTrade 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 MoreWhy Should we Read the Encyclicals?
By Mayra Addison—During the first class of my course “Energy & Environment: A Sustainable Approach” we go over the syllabus and main topics…. and then we reach the part when I say “we will study two Papal Encyclicals.” After more than 8 years teaching this course, the reactions and the looks on the faces of…
Read MoreThe Knowledge Economy and the Globalization of Higher Education
By Dr. Beverly Barrett— Nearly two decades into the new millennium, the pace of technological change behind globalization continues to advance exponentially. This rapid technological progress has, in turn, necessitated the internationalization of higher education with emphasis on the development of high quality skills needed in the global knowledge economy. In my recent book Globalization…
Read MoreLiberal Arts in a Business Curriculum: “Humbug!” or “Hmmm . . .”?
By Dr. Samuel B. Condic—While there is a general acknowledgment that the liberal arts can contribute to the practice of business, the contribution is typically seen exclusively in terms of utility. For example, my business school colleagues observe that undergraduates from our own institution perform well in the MBA program in large part because they…
Read MoreCanadian Crude Oil Blends
By Ali Oktay—Canadian crude oil blends are trading at steep discounts due to pipeline constraints. Let’s start with basics. In the chart below, you can see the different benchmark crudes lined up according to their API gravities. Canada is a major heavy oil producer, and WCS pricing has been recently hit by the pipeline constraints.…
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…
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