With the internet offering a plethora of virtual events, webinars have become the new normal for hearing experts and commentators discuss current events and issues. Gabriel Daudy attended a webinar on behalf of the Press Office to discover more:
We are at a crossroads. We can now choose to work together and deal with the problems that our interconnected world faces or we can isolate, and quickly become overwhelmed.
This was the message from Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at Oxford University, who last month gave a widely anticipated webinar exploring ‘the world after Corona – globalisation, risk and the future’.
Professor Goldin explained the myriad of challenges that humanity faces, including antibiotic resistance, huge levels of debt, rising inequality and an imminent environmental crisis, to name a few. Globalisation has dramatically accelerated the threat that some of these issues pose. With the outbreak of coronavirus, it has become clear that we need to support countries overwhelmed by this crisis with loans, ventilators and by sharing scientific research. The globalisation of ideas is already taking place, but political isolationism and nationalism is becoming increasingly widespread.
Professor Goldin proved that to counteract this, big sacrifices are necessary. More loans and more support are required for countries in Africa and large parts of South America in particular, concluding that “we can only prosper if the rest of the world prospers”.
Coronavirus is a chance to re-evaluate our priorities and ensure that nobody is left behind and failed by globalisation.
If you would like to hear more about politics, economics and current debates and issues, the Press Office recommends these resources:
