Center for Business and Government

13 June 2003

Dear CBG Faculty, Fellows, Staff and Friends:

I'm writing to you from Durban, South Africa, where we have just concluded our second workshop on "HIV/AIDS and Business in Africa and Asia: Building Sustainable Partnerships." Driving through the streets of this city on the Indian Ocean, I saw a sign in a store window with huge letters - "caskets galore." This is just one symbol of the fact that this province, KwaZulu-Natal, is the epicenter of the South African HIV/AIDS pandemic and it underscored the appropriateness of this city as the setting for our workshop. We successfully convened over 110 representatives from business, government, and civil society. It was clear that the participants valued the opportunity to hear a wide range of perspectives and benefit from each others' experiences. We learned a great deal from the participants about workplace programs that have already been put in place in large companies and have begun the process of understanding the particular challenges facing smaller businesses and the informal sector as they formulate their responses. The importance of multi-sector approaches to address the complex challenges of HIV/AIDS could not have been more apparent. I look forward to our next meeting in September, at which we will be able to explore these critical issues further. I want to extend a special note of thanks to Kathrine Meyers, Jordana Rubel, and Ellen Stiefvater for their superb work. Their tireless efforts and creativity made this workshop a success.

Meanwhile, just before graduation, CBG celebrated the work of its fellows over the past year. Their experiences and research, supported by our faculty and staff, give a great sense of the scope and breadth of CBG's activities. This year's team of fellows produced more than a dozen published articles, op-ed pieces and chapters of books during the past year.

As corporate scandals dominated the financial news, faculty and fellows presented papers on the structural, legal and external aspects of corporate management. The research was discussed during sessions of the Corporate Governance Working Group, part of the Regulatory Policy Program. Michael Hilb, Ian MacInnes, and Eric Orts all contributed.

In addition to published pieces, fellows were involved in several panel discussions including one on creating a new agenda for the Securities and Exchange Commission and another on the difficulties faced by whistleblowers and whether any change comes out of whistleblower complaints. Michael Michael, for one, was very helpful in these efforts. A spring workshop series by Linda Peek Schacht focused on the role leaders play in the workplace. Paul Vaaler presented at an RPP lunch seminar on competition in technology-intensive industries.

Asia Programs benefited from a host of fellows, including Wenhao Cheng, Qingguo Meng, Jun Uesaka, Susumu Matsuo, Feng Lu, Heng Quan, and Andrew Wong. Discussing topics ranging from the institutional weakness of anti-corruption institutions in China and deregulation in Japan's electric power industry, they presented their work and research at the Asia Focus Research Roundtable.

Prof. Jane Fountain addressed the role of technology in government with her seminar series "Future Directions in Digital Government." During the seminar, researchers, including fellow Maria Scharf, discussed the relationship between information technologies and government organizations, institutions, and networks, and what impacts future technologies may have over the next decade.

HEPG also hosted two fellows - Juan Rosellon and Tarjei Kristiansen, from Mexico and Norway respectively. Their work helped apply HEPG's knowledge to a more international environment.

Thanks to Elizabeth Bulette and Alene Tchourumoff for their good work supporting our fellows over the course of the year.

All in all, my first year has been a very enjoyable and has shown me how truly diverse and invigorating the Center's activities really are. Now, we will take the next couple of months to plan for September. I wish you all a happy summer and look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Cheers.

John G. Ruggie
Weil Director, Center for Business and Government
Kirkpatrick Professor of International Affairs