Aniket Kaushik

INTB 6000 – International Business

Spring 2018 Supplemental Assignment
Professor: Merrily Kautt

Supplemental
Assignment – 1
Aniket Kaushik
INTB 6000 – International Business
Spring 2018 Supplemental Assignment
Professor: Merrily Kautt

a) What is its purpose?

The World Economic Forum is committed to improving the state of the world, is the
International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.

The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to
shape global, regional and industry agendas.

It was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in

Geneva, Switzerland. It is independent, impartial and not tied to any special interests.
The Forum strives in all its efforts to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public
interest while upholding the highest standards of governance. Moral and intellectual
integrity is at the heart of everything it does.

Forum’s activities are shaped by a unique institutional culture founded on the

stakeholder theory, which asserts that an organization is accountable to all parts of
society. The institution carefully blends and balances the best of many kinds of
organizations, from both the public and private sectors, international organizations and
academic institutions.

b) What are some of the major topics covered in the past several years?

The Davos Manifesto - 1973

Davos Goes Global - 1975

Bridging the Arab World and the West - 1976

Opening the Door to China - 1979

The First IGWEL - 1982

Invitation to India - 1984

Entrepreneurship in the Global Public Interest - 1989

Committed to Improving the State of the World - 1997

New Home - 1998

Aniket Kaushik
INTB 6000 – International Business
Spring 2018 Supplemental Assignment
Professor: Merrily Kautt

Davos in New York - 2002

Building the Centre for Global Industries - 2005

A Global Brains Trust and the Crisis - 2008

Shaping the Post-Crisis World - 2009

Recognized as an International Organization - 2015

c) Who have been some of the speakers (identify three) addressing these above-
referenced topics over the past several years, and what were their positions vis-a-vis
these topics, issues?

The Davos Manifesto - Aurelio Peccei, the Italian industrialist, delivered a speech
summarizing The Limits to Growth, a book that had been commissioned by the Club of
Rome, the global think tank that he founded. When it was published in 1972, the study
had caused a sensation for calling into question the sustainability of global economic
growth. The authors outlined the choices that society had to make to reconcile
economic development and environmental constraints. The landmark publication sold
more than 12 million copies and was translated into over 30 languages.

Issues were:

 the launch of Synopsis, a documentation service that provided European business

leaders with information on public policy and government strategy
 the holding of two roundtables – the first on Europe at the European Commission in
Brussels in May and the second on Germany in Bonn in November – to promote
interaction between the business community and European governments, including
the European Commission
 the creation of the European Club for Cooperative Management, the first high-level
community of the Forum

Bridging the Arab World and the West - Opening the meeting, Schwab said:

“The overwhelming interest in this Symposium shows the need for multinational, direct
and practical contacts between the top decision- makers in the industrial, economic and
financial life of the Arab and European countries. Instead of the 1,000 participants we
had planned for, more than 1,500 have come and are now assembled here; hundreds
Aniket Kaushik
INTB 6000 – International Business
Spring 2018 Supplemental Assignment
Professor: Merrily Kautt

had to be turned away owing to lack of space. The great success of this Symposium,
which we can foresee before it has even started, is evidently based on a genuine Euro-
Arab partnership.”

Davos in New York - “Davos in New York” took place in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in
midtown Manhattan, with more than 2,700 participants from 102 countries under very
tight security.

Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani told participants of the significance of the
Forum’s decision to bring the Spirit of Davos to the Hudson River:

“We can’t think of a more appropriate, courageous and optimistic milieu for the Davos
Meeting to be held than in the most diverse city in the world, which also happens to be
the financial capital of and a global economic partner to the world. This is a tremendous
vote of confidence in our city. It sends a message that New York is back in business, and
that New York is the place to be for world leaders and decision-makers.

d) Have you previously heard of the World Economic Forum and were you aware of its
function prior to this assignment?

I heard of the world economic forum on numerous occasions, but was not aware of its
functions before now.