Tag Archives: faculty
In Alan Kohler’s insightful article in the Weekend Australian, 15-16 April, p 23, links are drawn between the “low interest rate policies” of the advanced countries’ central banks, debt accumulation, low productivity and wealth inequality. While I am certain these links are valid, they are subtle and multi-faceted and so warrant some expansion.
Central to understanding them is the post-GFC transformation of central banking in the advanced economies. These central banks once managed portfolios of assets that amounted to little more than a twentieth of their nations’ GDP levels, and these were used solely to trade in, and thereby control, yields only on short maturity government debt. Such debt instruments tend not to be traded abroad or, indeed, by any but the major financial institutions within a country. The modest balance sheets had therefore been sufficient to manage the domestic money supply and, more particularly, the inflation rate, throughout the “great moderation” since 1990.
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Family business has a hybrid identity – that is, it combines the family with the business and, while sometimes this doesn’t work out well, most of the time it does. The 70% of businesses in Australia that are family businesses say so!
But in this changing environment, family businesses have to become as agile as any other business. Agility is not just about business agility but includes emotional agility.
Emotional agility is about developing a positivity to manage that includes being optimistic and confident about the future, building resilience, but importantly, developing grit or a determination to wade through the challenges.
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Few things are as important to a student’s education as good teaching. Student will remember those school and university teachers who inspired and challenged them long after they have finished their studies, and this inspiration will often go on to mould their personal and professional lives. Here at the UWA Business School we take the art and science of teaching very seriously, and pride ourselves on helping students prepare for meaningful and successful careers. Excellent teaching is critical to ensuring our programs provide a rich and rewarding learning experience, and that they prepare students to be lifelong learners.
The Business School’s Teaching and Learning Awards were held last month to recognise and appreciate excellence in teaching, and to acknowledge the considerable time and effort faculty members put into their teaching. The award recipients are determined based on student feedback, making the honours particularly coveted.
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Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Warren Buffet – what do all of these famous billionaires have in common? Other than their vast wealth, they all share a passion for philanthropy. These generous billionaires have kick started a discussion in recent years about the obligation on those who have been successful in their careers to “put something back”. In many cases, this is a recognition of the fact that their success would not have been possible without the contributions of earlier generations. The provision of scholarships and other forms of support for current students from alumni is an obvious example.
Like all good habits, philanthropy is one that is best learned from an early age. In the case of those who are still undertaking their university studies, giving back financially is not always feasible. However, there are a number of other ways in which students can make significant contributions.
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Global precious metals markets are BIG. The annual gold trade has reached US$20 trillion, silver US$5 trillion. Australia plays no small role in this – we are the 2nd largest gold producing country, 4th largest in silver. While gold trades in just about every corner of the world, from curb side vendors in Ahmedabad to the famed gold vaults in Zurich, the two dominant trade centers are London and New York. Amongst all this buzz of trading, a relatively calm ritual took place each day known as the London ‘fixing’.
The London Fixing was a daily teleconference auction among a handful of the world’s largest banks which set the benchmark price for gold, silver, platinum and palladium. While at any one time there may be over 300 differing publicly quoted prices for gold, it is the London Fixing price all markets look to.
