Verona, Italy

The Fate of the West

when 4 June 2018 - 22 June 2018
language English
duration 3 weeks
fee EUR 5000

Western-style liberal democracy has been the world’s most successful political idea, as measured by the extraordinary success and spread of this form of constitutional government and market economy to more and more countries around the world since 1945, ranging from Italy to Japan, from Chile to South Korea, from France to Spain to Taiwan to Canada – and of course the liberal democratic homeland, the United States. Now, the idea seems in trouble. But how much trouble, where will it lead, and what can businesses and individual citizens do about it?

First, we need to understand the causes of the apparent decline of the West: why Donald Trump was elected, why Britons voted for Brexit, why inequality has been rising and why public finances are so strained that mainstream political parties have found it so hard to respond to. The 2008 financial crisis lies at the heart of the explanation, but why did that happen? Why has globalisation become such a dirty word?

Second, we need to comprehend how longer-term trends are interacting with post-2008 woes: the impact of demography and the aging of societies; the impact of technology, especially AI and other automation; the impact of the rise of China and other emerging economies.

As we seek such understanding, we need to keep current woes in historical perspective: how our fears today compare with those of past decades, and how societies evolved and adapted their way out of trouble. But finally, and above all, we need to look at what all this means for business and for us as citizens: how we can adapt and have an impact ourselves.

Course leader

Bill Emmott, former Editor in Chief of The Economist.

Target group

Undergraduate and Graduate international students.

Credits info

Italia Innovation does not directly provide credits but partners with the students' home Universities that do.

Fee info

EUR 5000: The Tuition Fee amounts to 5.000 Euros. This does not include round-trip flight to Italy, accommodation and meals. It does include local transportation for the days of the program activities.

Scholarships

Thanks to its Founders and Partners, Italia Innovation offers several funds to directly cover your scholarship need.
Students in need of financial aid can apply at https://italiainnovation.com/admissions/financial-aid/apply.