Global issues research
Our interdisciplinary research projects draw on the expertise of members of èƵ College, the University of Cambridge and the wider global research community.
Current research projects
Acting on climate change
This research project explores the opportunities and challenges of tackling climate change through practical initiatives including emerging technologies, financing mechanisms, and carbon markets. Our focus is on how the targets agreed at the COP meetings can be achieved in practice.
This research was supported by the first of our Global issues dialogues on the climate change topic, co-chaired by Lord Adair Turner, Chairman Energy Transitions Commission and Former Chairman of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change, that brought together a diverse group of experts to examine the potential of green hydrogen, advanced battery technology, the next generation of offshore wind, and synthetic biology. Our results to date are presented in the report Acting on Climate Change: Technology and Financing Options.
Global digital governance
This research project explores the need for improved global governance arrangements for the information and communications technology industries and seeks to develop options for new approaches to global cooperation in digital governance. As part of this research we have collected ideas and viewpoints from over thirty experts drawn from academia, business, governments, and international organisations in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Lead contributors include Professor Rui Aguiar of Universitário de Santiago Portugal, Professor Mischa Dohler (then of Kings College London and now with Ericsson USA), Professor Dimitra Simeonidou of University of Bristol, and Professor Rahim Tafazolli, Regius Professor, University of Surrey.
Our results to date are presented in:
- The Dynamics and Direction of Global Digital Governance, A.Cainey, 2022.
- From 5G to 6G Governance, M.Dohler and D.Simeonidou, 2022.
- Global Digital Governance, M.Dohler, 2022.
- Digital Industry Governance and 5G, Tafazolli, 2021.
Data ethics and multinational technology companies
This research project explores how executives and employees at technology companies, policymakers, lawyers, and tech entrepreneurs should think about the issues of data ethics that are arising from their increasingly global activities. Our first results are presented in this Data Ethics discussion paper.
Previous research projects
China’s digital transformation
This research project sought to gain a better understanding of the digital transformation underway in China and the implications for its economy, culture and society.
Conducted in partnership with the Intellectual Forum at èƵ College, the project focused on the antecedents of digital innovation and the rise of the digital economy in China and the implications for the global competitiveness of Chinese companies.
Our results are presented in the .
Other previous projects researched the evolution of globalisation and recent pressures for de-globalisation, economic de-coupling and re-shoring and well as the internationalisation of companies headquartered in emerging economies, including China.
Publications
The Centre is committed to promoting dialogue through the dissemination of its research and the results of its activities to a wide audience.
Recent published works
- “De-Globalisation and Decoupling: Post-COVID-19 Myths versus Realities”, Management and Organization Review, 2021, doi: 10.1017/mor.2020.80 P.J. Williamson.
- “Responses to global financial standards in emerging markets: Regulatory neoliberalism and the Basel II Capital Accord” International Journal of Finance and Economics, 2021 F.H. Alvi & P.J. WIlliamson.
- "MNE liability of foreignness versus local firm-specific advantages: The case of the Chinese management software industry." International Business Review, 2020, 29(1): 1-10. F. Wan, P.J. Williamson and N.R. Pandit.
- "Rivalry between emerging-market MNEs and developed-country MNEs: Capability holes and the race to the future." Business Horizons, 2019, 62: 157-169. R. Ramamurti & P.J. Williamson.
- "How Real are the Opportunities for Multinationals in China?" The Oxford Handbook of Management in Emerging Markets, 2018 P.J. Williamson and F. Wan.
- "The role of suppliers in enabling differing innovation strategies of competing multinationals from emerging and advanced economies: German and Chinese automotive firms compared." Technovation, 2018, 70–71: 46-58. P. Hertenstein and P.J. Williamson.
- "Emerging market multinationals and the concept of ownership advantages", International Journal of Emerging Markets, 2018, 13(3): 557-567. P.J. Williamson and F. Wan.
- "An alternative benchmark for the validity of China’s GDP growth statistics", Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, 2018, 16(2): 171-191. P.J. Williamson, S. Hoenderop and J. Hoenderop.
- "Building and Leveraging Dynamic Capabilities: Insights from Accelerated Innovation in China", Global Strategy Journal, 6(3), 2016, pp. 197–210. P.J. Williamson.
Contact us
If you would like to be involved in any aspect of the Global Issues Dialogue Centre's work, please contact the Chair, Professor Peter Williamson, or the Deputy Director, Liying Guo.
