Center for Global Business Releases Book on Emerging Markets Forum

The Center for Global Business at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland announces the release of the new book The Rise of New Economic Powers and America’s Future by Kislaya Prasad, academic director of the center and research professor at Maryland Smith. The volume is a commemorative record and culmination of the center’s Emerging Markets Forum (EMF) series that was held annually from 2011 to 2018. The EMF series and the volume were supported in part by the Centers for International Business Education program (CIBE), a Title VI grant provided by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Consistent with the CIBE mission of enhancing the ability of U.S. businesses to compete globally, the EMF series was originally created in recognition of the importance of rising new economic powers in the world economy, and to understand their impact on U.S. businesses. The conference series sought to inform students, academics, and industry professionals about opportunities, challenges, and business practices in emerging markets. Each chapter in the volume revisits the theme of the forum from a particular year and details the essential arguments of each session, in which industry and thought leaders shared their expertise on trends, regions, and current events. Over the course of the eight years, EMF featured over 110 speakers from organizations and companies such as the Brookings Institution, World Bank, IMF, Ford Motor Company, GE, the Tata group, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and some of the leading universities in the world. It hosted over 900 audience members from the academic, student, diplomatic, and industry communities.

The content remains timely and relevant for understanding the impact of emerging markets on the global economy and U.S. business. Readers of the book will find answers to questions such as: Does the rise of emerging markets come at the expense of U.S. prosperity? What role are women playing in the economic transformations in emerging markets? Is Africa an attractive place for U.S. companies to do business? What does India bring to the table? What do people need to understand about changing attitudes in the Arab world? How is the ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging markets changing? Has greater trade with emerging markets contributed to the growing sentiment against globalization?

“I think the central premise of the conference series, that the rise of new economic powers is fundamentally important to us here in the U.S., is more true today than it has ever been.” says Prasad, “These countries will continue to affect our fortunes, in both positive and negative ways. Emerging markets present opportunities for U.S. businesses, but will also be a source of friction for both our domestic and foreign policy. My hope is that readers of the book will find useful insights that help them deepen their understanding of emerging markets.”

In keeping with the Title VI CIBE mission of making international business resources widely accessible, the center will make the book available for free to faculty, educational institutions, and other organizations. Individual community members may request a copy of the book by contacting the Center for Global Business at global@rhsmith.umd.edu. While physical copies are limited, the electronic version of the book is available on the center’s website.

To learn more about the other activities and programs of the center, go to the Smith School's Center for Global Business website.