Abstract

While some prominent commentators have concluded that globalisation is “dead”, the data on the state of globalisation presents a mixed picture. This is partly because globalisation comprises many different dimensions that could move in different directions: cross-border flows of trade, investment, finance, data, ideas, technology, and people including workers and tourists. This presentation uses the global trade openness index – defined as the sum of world exports plus imports divided by world GDP – a reasonable and commonly-used proxy for economic integration, to assess trends in globalisation. The webinar will examine different phases of globalisation and de-globalisation in the modern period and examine how recent factors (including COVID-19) have led to a new wave of de-globalisation since the Global Financial Crisis in 2008. Finally, the webinar will discuss whether recent trends spell the end of globalisation, or just a partial reversal that might be resolved with time.

About the Speaker

Pradumna B. Rana is Visiting Associate Professor at the Centre for Multilateralism Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. He is an international economist with expertise in the areas of international macroeconomics, trade, and development issues focusing on Asia. He was the Senior Director of the Asian Development Bank’s Office of Regional Economic Integration which spearheaded ADB’s support for Asian economic integration. Prior to that, he held various senior positions at the ADB for many years. He has teaching and research experience at NTU, National University of Singapore, and the Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He obtained his PhD from Vanderbilt University where he was a Fulbright Scholar and a Masters in Economics from Michigan State University and Tribhuvan University where he was a gold medalist. He has published widely in the areas of Asian economic development and integration, financial crises, and economic policy reforms in transition economies. These include 20 authored or edited books, over 25 chapters in books, and over 50 articles in international scholarly journals. His recently co-authored books are China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Impacts on Asia and Policy Agenda (Palgrave Macmillan), Jumpstarting South Asia: Revisiting Economic Reforms and Look East Policies (Oxford University Press), South Asia: Rising to the Challenge of Globalisation (World Scientific Press), and Asia and the Global Economic Crisis: Challenges in a Financially Integrated World (Palgrave Macmillan). His recently co-edited books are Pan-Asian Integration: Linking East and South Asia (Palgrave Macmillan) and National Strategies for Regional Integration: South and East Asian Case Studies (Anthem Press). He has published widely in internationally reputed journals such as the Journal of International Economics, The Review of Economic and Statistics, Journal of Development Economics, World Development, International Trade Journal, Journal of Asian Economics, Singapore Economic Review, East Asian Economic Review, Global Governance, and Global Policy.