The paper is devoted to an econometric analysis of learning foreign languages in all parts of the world. Our sample covers 193 countries and 13 important languages. Four factors significantly explain learning, two of which affect the broad decision to learn, while two concern as well the choice...

The proposed Australia-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) has been in the offing since 2005 and survived a change of government in Australia. While little of a conclusive nature has been achieved, given that such free trade agreements have a gestation period of between 15 to 20 years, there is...

Vertical specialization is one of the most notable trends in the international organization of production (Hummels, Jun and Yi, 2001; Yi, 2003; Desai, 2009). Thanks to reductions in communication, transportation and other trade costs, multinational firms are slicing up their value chains and are...

The paper is devoted to an econometric analysis of learning foreign languages in all parts of the world. Our sample covers 193 countries and 13 important languages. Four factors significantly explain learning, two of which affect the broad decision to learn, while two concern as well the choice...

This article offers a discussion of Russia’s post-Soviet search for international legitimacy, informed by the notions of social antagonism and hegemony elaborated by E. Laclau and C. Mouffe. It is argued that discourse on humanitarian cooperation in the CIS is at the heart of Russia’s...

China has been actively engaged in developing strategic partnerships with third countries, particularly since the early 2000s. These partnerships have proven a prominent instrument in China’s diplomatic toolkit, in order to guarantee a benign environment for its rise. As China rises, and as...