Globalization experts to lead conference at USF

Florida policy makers, industry leaders and various trade-related organizations will gather at Florida’s Global Frontiers: Impacts of Trade Liberalization, a conference held at the USF Embassy Suites on Thursday and Friday.

As the first comprehensive forum for understanding Florida’s role in the global economy, the conference includes keynote speakers Jagdish Bhagwati, a world-renowned economist, and Anthony J. Villamil, Florida’s state economic advisor.

“Florida is a leading globalization-oriented state through international trade, financial capital and migratory flows,” Villamil said. “Attending this conference and learning the various perspectives on globalization impacts is critical to increasing USF staff and students’ knowledge on this ongoing process that affects, positively or negatively, all of us.”

Villamil will speak during Friday’s luncheon at 12:25 p.m.

During his lecture, “Thinking Globally and Acting Locally in Florida,” Villamil will present an analysis of the fundamental factors driving the globalization process and their impacts on Florida. He said he will also recommend public policies that expand economic opportunities available to Florida under globalization.

The director of the Globalization Research Center at USF, Mark Amen, urges students to attend the conference.

“Globalization impacts many majors here at the University; such as education, arts and sciences, business administration, public health and architecture,” Amen said, explaining that students seeking employment after graduation should attend the conference to better understand the dynamics of the job market.

Panel discussions include the unveiling of commissioned research detailing four areas where globalization has impacted Florida: industry, labor, environment and public policy.

Researchers and stakeholders active in public-private partnerships who are leading Florida’s economic growth and development will participate as panelists examining the challenges and opportunities of globalization in Florida.

“The conference increases the knowledge of the participants; it enhances their ability to make decisions in both the economic and political realms. An informed citizenry is a key foundation of a well-functioning representative democracy,” said Villamil.

The conference was organized in collaboration with International Business and Globalization Centers at the University of Central Florida, Florida International University and the University of Florida.

For more information contact USF Conferences and Institutes at 974-5731.