Zambia’s Kafue National Park is on the frontline of the global fight to save endangered species. Despite an international moratorium on the ivory trade, recent years have seen Kafue’s elephant population pushed to the brink of extinction. A global black market for ivory products is thriving today, enabled by porous borders and weak enforcement, and linking ruthless poachers in Africa to warlords, terrorists, and unscrupulous collectors across the world. How are NGOs and governments attempting to disrupt the global ivory trade? And in the face of an intensifying struggle to protect the world’s endangered species, what lessons can be learned from the battle for Kafue?

Moderated by Karen Weigert , Senior Fellow, Global Cities. SHARE Wednesday 04/13/16 7:30 am Could the next emerging market be, in fact, the West? And where does the future of the world economy lie? Antoine van Agtmael and Fred Bakker join Council fellow Karen Weigert in a conversation on the new hotspots for global innovation. They will examine the transformation of “rustbelts” to “brainbelts,” where visionary thinkers, universities, regional government initiatives, start-ups, and big corporations are collaborating to reinvent cities that were once traditional centers of manufacturing. By producing smart products that are transforming industries, van Agtmael and Bakker argue these Western cities that had previously been written off are creating a new economy that is turning globalization on its head.

Boasting many of the world’s top universities, the United States is a magnet for talented students from across the globe. As graduates, these students are an enviable asset to the economy, adding critical knowledge and skills to the workforce and boosting productivity. But current US immigration laws limit the avenues in which international and undocumented students can transition to employment in the United States after graduation. Join Giovanni Peri, author of a new Council report on the economic impact of retaining US-educated foreign-born students in local economies, and a panel of experts as they discuss the challenges presented by current immigration laws and offer recommendations to maximize the contributions of this talent.

Literacy is considered a human right, yet an estimated 250 million children around the world are unable to read or write. A lack of resources and unequal access to education—especially in crisis and conflict zones—have left 62 million girls out of school. The global fight for literacy goes beyond reading and writing; educating girls can be a tool for poverty alleviation, economic reform, and can create healthier and safer communities. How can the public and private sectors work with communities to increase literacy rates? Christie Vilsack discusses innovative efforts to eradicate global illiteracy and USAID’s latest international education initiatives.

Major sovereign bond markets are the cornerstone of the financial system. They not only provide a method for governments to raise funds but also offer low-risk, long-term assets for pension funds and insurance companies to invest in, serve as a yardstick for other asset prices, and give investors a means to hedge interest rate risks. Yet, their smooth functioning cannot be taken for granted. Flashes of extreme volatility have punctuated periods of extraordinary calm. This year, record amounts of European and Japanese government bonds—as much as $6 trillion—yielded negative interest, implying that lenders paid governments to borrow rather than the other way around. What does this mean for markets, investors, and the global economy?

This was to be “The Chinese Century.” Lower-cost cars, textiles, and smart phones produced in China have fueled a manufacturing juggernaut that now accounts for 25 percent of global production. But the low-wage labor supply chain that propelled China’s historic growth has started to stagnate even while China’s consumer market evolves into a global economic force. Western manufacturers in China hoping to reach new Chinese customers are facing increased costs, greater environmental regulations, and industry-specific restrictions enforced by the government. What do China’s challenges mean for business leaders and consumers alike? How has the Shanghai free-trade zone changed the market for Western businesses? What will “Made in China” mean in the future?

The United States is seemingly addicted to excess. When it comes to food consumption, 38 percent of Americans are now obese, which is more than twice the average for all rich countries. When it comes to burning fossil fuel, America’s per capita carbon emissions are also twice the European level. Robert Paarlberg argues that America’s excessive consumption is likely to persist, since it grows out of the nation’s fundamental demographic and resource endowments, its distinct and easily deadlocked political institutions, plus its unique culture celebrating individual freedom. What does this mean for the rest of the world? Join the Council on Global Affairs in exploring the dark side of American exceptionalism.

Emerging markets seem to be in trouble. Long touted as the new economic engines of the world, places such as China, Brazil, Russia, or Turkey have lost their luster. Growth is down, investors are retreating, and corruption and political instability seem to be on the rise. Yet many emerging markets boast world-class firms, large middle-classes, and vast natural resources. What fueled the boom of the last decades and the current bust?

Five years on from the protests that forced Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak from power, the hopes of Tahrir Square are unfulfilled. Indeed, rather than beginning to transition toward democracy, Egypt has been backsliding toward dictatorship. What factors determine whether a nation under authoritarian rule—in Tunisia, Myanmar, Cuba, Venezuela, or several Middle Eastern nations—will succeed in transitioning to sustainable democracy? What lessons can today’s reformers learn from those who have succeeded in making such transitions in recent decades?

The modern financial system—centered on money and banks—has facilitated unprecedented economic growth in the last two centuries. Yet it has also produced a long string of economic catastrophes, including hyperinflation, deflation, bank failures, the recent global recession, and the current stagnation in many parts of the world. According to Lord King, the mechanisms of capitalist society rest on faith in a financial system that often defies reality and common sense. How can we avoid the boom–and–bust cycle? What must be done to provide a clear path to durable prosperity? Join Lord King in conversation with Bethany McLean as they discuss money, banking, and the future of the global economy.