The weak global GDP growth since the financial crisis in 2007-2009 has coincided with unusually weak growth in global trade. Organisations that monitor international macro-economic development have identified growing protectionism – not least the increase in non-tariff barriers to trade, such...

This second of a series of seven papers co-authored by M. Nicolas J. Firzli and David Weeks looks at the notions of private markets – PE, VC, private debt and infrastructure – and the "quest for yields" in a low interest rates environment, which where discussed at two recent global...

The East African Community (EAC) is working towards establishing deeper integrationbetween its six partner states. The EAC partner states are: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda,South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. This paper analyses the lessons the EuropeanUnion may offer the EAC in guarding against base...

This paper co-authored by M. Nicolas J. Firzli and David Weeks looks at the notions of long-term asset allocation and the ‘quest for yields’ from the perspective of AUS, European and North American pension investors and board members (trustees), which where discussed at two recent global...

The debate surrounding the United Kingdom leaving the European Union has focussed on negotiations between the parties. But there are many important actions that the UK government can take in preparation for leaving the EU customs union and pursuing an independent trade policy. These include...

Public pension funds are, by far, the world's preeminent asset owners, with more than $ 25 trillions in combined assets. The largest pension funds are found in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Netherlands and the UK ("pension superpowers"). How they are managed, their funding...

The rapid rise of private asset markets has been one of the most remarkable phenomena in the institutional investment space since the start of the Great Recession (2008 – 2014). This trend is contributing to a pro-found transformation of the financial ecosystem as a whole. This unprecedented...

The dynamic process of integration of national economies has a long history, with two distinct waves: one, from the middle of the 19th century until its interruption with outbreak of the First World War in 1913 till the end of the Second World War in 1945. The second wave is ongoing dating from...

We show that, with benevolent policymakers and fiscal leadership, monetary unification reduces inflation, taxes and public spending. These disciplining effects of a monetary union, which rise with the number of fiscal players in the union, are likely to raise welfare. Joining an optimally...

The use of forward interest rates with a settlement time after the start of EMU (1 January 1999) allows us to derive probabilities attached by the market to the occurrence of EMU. We use the DM/ECU forward interest rates as our central source of information. We arrive at the conclusion that the...