A Harvard professor said developing countries were forced down an economic path in the 20th Century that lacked innovation, entrepreneurship and technology. As a result, he said, they had stunted development, while many other nations prospered. Professor Calestous Juma tells the story of dueling economic theories. One based on new ideas and risk taking, and the other on pessimism and ignorance. Its a story of the haves and have nots. Juma is professor of the Practice of International Development and Faculty Chair of the Innovation for Economic Development Executive Program. In 1911, an Austrian economist by the name of Joseph Schumpeter published a book called The Theory of Economic Development, which proposed that economies grow over time through innovation. Through new combinations that involved the application of new technologies. And this book became really a standard on how to think about economic transformation through the use of technology and entrepreneurship, he said. Juma said Schumpeter took a different view on what was needed for robust economic growth. It was new because up to that point people believed that economies grew because of extraction of natural resources not because of application of technologies. It was also new because he proposed that the use of new technologies resulted in revolutionary changes in economic systems. Schumpeter, he said, based his theory on what he saw happening in developed nations. He made the observation by looking at the impact of railroads in Europe and America. So, rich nations were already doing it, but it had not been explained in a clear and explicit way, which had to do with this idea of introducing new combinations in the economy, which technological combinations -- but also the recognition that these new technological transformations were being driven by entrepreneurs. So entrepreneurship became a very central part of his thinking. Professor Juma said new industries develop through whats called creative destruction. His idea was that when you introduce, say, railroads in a community, which didnt have railroads before, so theyre using stage coaches, railroads will destroy stage coaches. That industry will disappear, but it will create a new industry, which is a faster industry with a greater opportunity for economic expansion. If you think of it in modern times, if we introduce downloading of music, it destroys CDs. So, its destructive to the CDs, but it creates new industries, which is downloading of music, he said. Such developments are common today. But many economists in the 20th Century thought the developing world was not ready for Schumpeters ideas. Juma said, So the critics said emerging economies dont have new technologies. Secondly, he said, the agent of change is entrepreneur. Then they argued that the entrepreneur is not the biggest player in poor economies you need big government. You need bureaucracies. And thirdly, he put a lot of emphasis on industrial production. His critics said what the poor want is not production. They want consumption. So we give them some products that have been developed elsewhere. But it doesnt make sense to enable them to produce themselves. Juma does not think racism was behind their beliefs, but rather pessimism about developing countries. Because they looked at them and said theyre so poor, we cannot possibly give them the latest technologies because they are not even able to absorb them. So lets find them older technologies. So, I dont think it was racism. I think it was a mindset that was more colored by pessimism and less by an appreciation that even poor countries are able to solve their own problems when given a chance, he said. Instead, they were given so-called -- appropriate technologies. Juma said instead of a modern water supply with sewers, they were told to dig wells. Instead of building modern electric grids, they were given fuel efficient stoves. During the HIV/AIDS epidemic, many doubted African nations had the capability to distribute and administer antiretroviral drugs. And as a result, they said the drugs could not be effective. African nations proved them wrong. Again that was another example of pessimism. Of saying theres really very little you can do for these countries because they dont have the infrastructure. The same infrastructure they had been denied from building in the first place, said Juma. In the 20th Century, many had thought Ghana had the potential to become an economic powerhouse that it would become what South Korea is today. Juma said, Its very interesting you bring up the case of Ghana because Ghana at independence got a foreign economic advisor a Nobel Laureate in economics Arthur Lewis. He was one of the critics of Schumpeter, who did not believe that a country like Ghana was capable of transforming itself technologically, whereas South Korea was able to do that. At that time, there wasnt a big difference between South Korea and Ghana. Juma recommends giving priority to innovation, technical and engineering fields, transformative infrastructure and entrepreneurship. The Harvard professor is working on a new book containing his ideas. It has the tentative title of How Economies Succeed: Innovation and the Wealth of Nations. Its due out in 2015.
翻拍电影《天师斗僵尸》将在拉斯维加斯拍摄
《阿凡达》加长版今年秋季重映《泰坦尼克号》3D版2012年春重映
《欲望都市2》首映 克里斯汀戴维斯秀粉色长裙
那些精美隽永的英伦电影佳作(4)
《波斯王子:时之沙》值得一看的十大理由
2010年度不容错过的20部暑期电影(上)
2010夏季电影前瞻-卡通儿童篇
秋季剧剧透:绯闻女孩 吸血鬼日记 邪恶力量
那些精美隽永的英伦电影佳作(6)
那些精美隽永的英伦电影佳作(2)
《绝望主妇》本季结局5大看点
那些精美隽永的英伦电影佳作(8)
比原著成功的十大小说改编电影
2010最值得期待的欧美动画电影大全
《暮光之城》男女主角齐聚《奥普拉秀》40分钟
《LOST 》即将谢幕—大结局将留给大家无限想象
《暮光之城》女主角全新写真 坚持个性拒绝性感
2010夏季电影前瞻-动作电影篇
《阿凡达》女星登《Essence》杂志:“无性不欢!”
重拾童真 最受欢迎的十部动画片
2010夏季电影前瞻-浪漫爱情篇
绯闻女孩Gossip Girl第3季大结局第22集预告
《暮色3》曝5支新片段 狼人吸血鬼丛林大战
Eclipse月食获得第4届英国国家电影奖最令人期待影片
那些精美隽永的英伦电影佳作(3)
暮光女主角拍摄英国版《ELLE》杂志7月刊幕后花絮
《蝙蝠侠3》《特种部队2》将于2012年暑期上映
新版《简爱》剧照曝光 《爱丽丝》女星主演
北美暑期档十五部必看大片
2010年度不容错过的10部美国大片续集
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |