China’s ‘White Elephant’ Investment Race May End in Crises (Lynette Ong)
December 7, 2012
“Financing the Middle Kingdom’s recent building boom has been expensive: Estimates put local government debt alone at between $800 billion and $2 trillion, or around 13 to 36 percent of GDP. If the real estate bubble pops, financial and social crises will follow1.” Dr. Lynette Ong discusses succession of power in China to Xi Jinping […]
[Book Review] During life under perfect tyranny, compromises with a fickle state
December 5, 2012
by Jeffrey Kopstein, The Globe & Mail They were uninterested in mere compliance or obedience; they wanted devotion. That was the moral of a story related to me by one of my first college professors, a refugee from communist Hungary. In 1952, on a normal workday, he was summoned to an office meeting of the […]
Post City Magazine names Clifton van der Linden one of Toronto's Top Young Innovators for 2012
December 4, 2012
2012 INNOVAT.O.RS 12 big ideas and game-changing inventions from some of the GTA’s brightest young minds The vote rocker CLIFTON VAN DER LINDEN Picking who to vote for at election time is a bit like choosing between cupcake flavours. You rule out the ones that are too wacky or just plain unpalatable, and from the […]
Indebted Dragon: The Risky Strategy Behind China's Construction Economy
November 28, 2012
Article written by Lynette H. Ong; published in Foreign Affairs For four decades, the Chinese economy has grown by between seven and ten percent each year. It is the envy of the world, despite its relatively sluggish recent performance. Visitors to Beijing, Shanghai, and other major Chinese cities are quickly awed by impressive skyscrapers, glittering […]
Is the Ford ruling undemocratic?
November 27, 2012
Article by Wendy Gillis, Toronto Star The ruling has created an “unusual situation,” admits Stephen Clarkson, a University of Toronto political science professor. But far from undercutting democracy, Hackland’s decision speaks to its health, he says; in a democracy, the idea that no one is above the law is a “no brainer.” He points to […]
Remembering Tom Delworth, distinguished diplomat, academic leader, and Political Science lecturer
November 19, 2012
Diplomat Thomas Delworth had brilliant government career, dies at 83 Article by Andrew Cohen, The Globe & Mail In the summer of 2011, two former diplomats wrote a pointed commentary for The Globe and Mail. Unlike most submissions from this quarter, theirs was about art. They were protesting against the removal of a pair of […]
China’s new leader Xi Jinping calls for ‘better life’ for the country
November 19, 2012
By Bill Schiller, Toronto Star …[Xi’s] charm is a clear departure from his predecessor Hu Jintao, who was always expressionless and wooden. But political reform is likely to remain a difficult issue, just as it was for Hu. “No one really knows,” whether Xi will bring a reformist agenda to his leadership, says Lynette Ong, […]
Lynnette Ong joins The Morning Show, Global, to shed light on China's political transition
November 12, 2012
Congratulations to Matthew Gordner, 2012-13 Trudeau Foundation Scholar
November 6, 2012
The Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation was established in 2001 as a living memorial to the former Prime Minister by his family, friends and colleagues. Through this scholarship, the Foundation supports highly gifted individuals who are actively engaged in their fields and are expected to become leading national and international figures. While travelling, researching, and living […]
Congratulations to Ella Street, 2012-13 Connaught International Scholarship Recipient
November 6, 2012
The primary purpose of the Connaught International Scholarships for Doctoral Students is to assist graduate units in recruiting and supporting outstanding international scholars to the University of Toronto’s graduate programs. Ms Street graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in Political Science from Colorado College, where she received multiple awards and honours, including the Edith […]