#selinalee

by Selina Lee

October 15, 2014

No country is completely free from the corruption of public officials. According to regular surveys conducted by Transparency International, this is a sad truth despite much effort to eradicate it. Corruption, it seems, is an inevitable fact that we as a society must endure. However, how can it be ensured that society as a whole is not totally undermined by distrust and dishonesty?

This question was discussed and explored in depth at the 15th Annual World Knowledge Forum in Seoul. A panel featuring Lanny A. Breuer, vice chairman at Covington & Burling LLP and former assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Herbjorn Hansson, CEO of Nordic American Tankers Limited, and Young Chul Kang, head of the Regulatory Reform Office of the Office of Government Policy Coordination in Korea, shared their insights on the ways corruption inhibits society.

“Corruption is what stands in the way of a young student having the confidence that if they work hard, study hard, and try hard, they can achieve their dreams,” Mr. Breuer said. If it becomes clear that success is instead determined by bribery, he believes that people will be utterly demoralized.

There are a myriad of laws in a multitude of countries that are aimed at preventing corruption, according to the panelists. Unfortunately, many of these policies have not been, and continue not to be, enforced.

“If a law doesn’t have teeth, people don’t care about it, and they don’t follow it,” Mr. Breuer said. 

Mr. Breuer emphasized that global collaboration and effort is crucial in ensuring that laws are not merely passed but properly followed. 

Mr. Kang agreed with this idea, and expanded it further by commenting that citizens need to fully understand the legal framework of their nation, and that power within that nation needs to be balanced.

He elaborated on the idea of a “corruption food chain,” in which the legal system actually supports and sustains dishonesty. Bureaucrats enjoy power and often abuse it, resulting in a cycle of income and power disparity in society. Laws that hold institutions and people accountable for systematic dishonesty need to be created, and adhered to, Mr. Kang stressed.

Mr. Hansson similarly believes that it is vital to achieve a societal understanding of the immorality of corruption, which can be established with appropriately severe penalties for offenses.

“It has to do with the legal system, but also with the notion of trust,” he elaborated. “And this notion is extremely valuable.”

Mr. Breuer believes that it is important to have an appropriate resolution, especially since it is virtually impossible to please everyone in any given country. He offered the United States as an example.

“You’ll never get people in our country to agree on anything,” Mr. Breuer said.

Thus, he said, each case of corruption should be resolved by following the actual facts and the rule of law, disregarding politics or public sentiment. In Mr. Breuer’s view, establishing a sense of fairness through concrete rules and clear policies is essential in fighting corruption.

Mr. Hansson also pointed out that it is important not to focus too much on the legality of the matter, as corruption requires more attention to practicality and morality.

“You can’t go up to a pirate and say, ‘Here is a UN resolution! You’re not allowed to attack us!’”

In his opinion, it will be equally important to integrate and incorporate the issues of dishonesty into the principles of business ethics.

While there is certainly no clear solution to the question of corruption, the bottom line is that people should not lose hope in the battle to rid society of it.

“We want to encourage more businesspeople to say, ‘Absolutely not, it’s wrong, and we’re not doing it,’” Mr. Breuer remarked. More leaders need to step up and make it clear that corruption is unacceptable.

“We should tackle one thing at a time,” Mr. Kang added. 

by Selina Lee

October 15, 2014

A nation’s societal and economic development is greatly influenced by the welfare systems, pension plans, and tuition policies in place. Issues regarding these facets of the economy are actively examined and debated, with many nations internally conflicting on their policies. Sweden, however, has successfully created a welfare program that the world could learn from, as the topic was highlighted at the 15th Annual World Knowledge Forum. 

The former prime minister of Sweden, Carl Bildt, offered his insights on Sweden’s achievement of establishing its welfare system as a role model. He believes equal opportunity is a crucial aspect of Sweden’s model system. 

For one, he said, Sweden’s current advanced education system has emerged from a simple concept.

“The idea that everyone should learn to read and write was fairly rudimentary, but it was the basis of the basic education system that has now become exceedingly important,” said Mr. Bildt.

Additionally, the extension of childcare benefits was the primary motivator in integrating women into employment, which was necessary to balance the deficit of the labor force.

Difficult periods forced the Swedish government to repeatedly evaluate and reevaluate their systems in order to materialize new frameworks and reforms. Mr. Bildt said that Sweden was therefore able to handle the global financial crisis of 2008 better than other nations because of its history and experience handling such problems.

However, Sweden did not always do well, he explained. In fact, in the 19th century, Sweden was one of the poorest countries in Europe, according to Mr. Bildt. It was a “rapid miracle” that the nation was able to quickly transform into one of the world’s fastest developing economies, as well as one of the richest. In his view, the most basic decisions were key in laying the foundation for Sweden’s economic turnaround. 

The former prime minister also asserted that nations learn best from tackling prevalent problems. Sweden was a corrupt society in the past, but, as Mr. Bildt emphasized, that issue was precisely what “made the anti-corruption revolution” possible.

Although Sweden now has a stabilized and renowned system of social and economic policies, it is far from being perfect, Mr. Bildt explained.

“Problems? Yes, we do have problems in Sweden,” said the former prime minister.

The increase in immigration to Sweden could bring to light one point of concern, he noted. Mr. Bildt believes that integration of immigrants into the labor force needs to become a priority, and establishing policies to support that integration are key.

“If [immigrants] are outside [of the labor force] too long,” he said, “there are risks of tension, exclusions and more problems.” Solving this will be a challenging, but absolutely necessary, step towards sustainable reform, according to Mr. Bildt.

Another aspect of integration into the labor force deals with demographics. Younger generations are entering the labor market much later than in the past, Mr. Bildt noted, adding that the amount of time spent in employment is diminishing. To sustain economic growth rates and avoid tax increases, Mr. Bildt believes that societal structures need to be adjusted in order to increase labor force participation.

The current success in Sweden’s economy does act as a model for other nations, but Mr. Bildt said it was “no guarantee for the years to come.” He maintained that future-oriented goals should be prioritized for sustainable growth. He believes that all nations should be geared up for the future, and continually prioritize competitiveness.

by Selina Lee

October 14, 2014

We live in a world where personalization is becoming increasingly dominant in many consumer choices. Your daily cup of coffee can be customized to perfectly suit your preferences, and digital hardware can be engraved with your initials. Now, imagine a world where this concept can be applied to bigger aspects of life. At the 15th Annual World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, South Korea, this kind of personalization is what will make up the new dynamic for today’s economy, according to Bernard Charlès, CEO of Dassault Systèmes.

Mr. Charlès explained that what has become more important is the value of user experience rather than the value of the product being used itself. He called this the “experience economy.”  Appropriately, this new kind of economy has opened up completely different methods and possibilities on how to use materials, energy, and resources.

Mr. Charlès used his company’s 3D printing vision to illustrate his ideas.

“The beauty of printing,” he said, “is that you can imagine the impossible, work on the impossible, and make it possible.” Charlès explains that by applying the 3D techniques, it will become possible to test products and services in a virtual world without consequences, and make them more global, personalized, and accessible for people.

Health science is one area where 3D printing is paving a more hopeful, innovative path, and Mr. Charlés pointed out one of the biggest problems for cardiologists has been understanding the patients’ individual needs. However, 3D printing has made it possible to create simulations of each patient’s heart. This way, a true representation is available for the doctors to test out solutions and new techniques digitally, without worrying about unfavorable outcomes. Thus, he explained, optimal results can be achieved by taking into account each individual’s needs.

3D printing also opens up more possibilities for society to experiment and print advanced material, from biological tissue to prostheses. Society will therefore be able to store, share, and rebuild new types of knowledge, he said.

Mr. Charlès also applied the concept of simulation and customization to his idea of the future city. In this vision, the new city will engage more with the citizens and communicate actively to achieve rapid urban growth.

“It’s about the people understanding each other and creating a new level of understanding,” he said.

It is virtually impossible to test hypothetical scenarios on a real city, even though it is the best way to learn, according to Mr. Charlès. However, as with the case of cardiologists, experts are able to test the possibilities on virtual representations.

“This mass information is going to be a huge value to better improve not only the quality of life, but safety for citizens,” said Mr. Charlès.

In the dawn of this new kind of world and its endless possibilities, he insisted global collaboration and sharing human knowledge will be key in reshaping society and daily life. Personalization and innovation will continue to evolve.