As nations continue to emerge from the Great Recession, they face similar challenges in the effort to rebuild and strengthen their economies. But successful transformation does not come without growing pains: As they look to what worked in the past, businesses and governments face the future knowing that some things must change — whether that means embracing new technologies, shoring up inadequate infrastructure or borrowing ideas from different cultures.

In this special report, students from the Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies offer unique perspectives gleaned from interviews, observations and research into the struggle for self-improvement by nations.

In Tunisia, government officials and business owners are trying to draw a new kind of tourist who is willing to wander away from the all-inclusive beach resorts to explore the country’s rich history and culture. In Brazil, the world’s second-largest producer of ethanol, significant technological advances present an opportunity to adapt new, more efficient production methods. Japan is pushing itself away from traditional attitudes about money to develop a stronger private equity market. And in Colombia, high fashion is rapidly rising as a star of the economy, ready to give Paris and Milan a run for the money.

From a small shift to a sea change, transformation is taking place around the world. Some countries will win; others won’t be so successful. But for those who persevere, the payoff will be big.

The full report can be downloaded as a PDF from this page.

Contents

Growing an Economy: How Nations Build Their Baseline

Tunisia’s Tourism Strategy Shifts from Sand and Sea to Culture

The Global Push for Talent Development

Colombia’s Fashion Industry Moves Forward

Rio 2016: Winning the Olympics Bid

The Chinese Investor: Monolith or Mosaic?

Getting to Scale: Colombian Startups Look to International Growth

The Flower Industry in Colombia: Current Trends and Challenges

The Global Oil Industry and Africa’s Role in Its Future

Colombia’s Informal Sector

Something Different: Technology Changes Everything

Second-generation Ethanol Production in Brazil: A Historic Opportunity

How the U.S. and China Each Nurture Innovation

Back to the future? Germany’s Evolving Startup Scene

Help or Hindrance: Why Infrastructure is Important

Transportation Infrastructure Development in Asia: A Comparison of Indonesia, Vietnam and China

Favelas: Brazil’s Lingering Infrastructure Problem

Living in the Shadows: How Rural Workers Pose a Challenge to Chinese Urbanization

New Traditions: When Culture Clashes With Progress

Why the Organic Food Industry in China Hasn’t Taken Off

The Social, Political and Economic Impact of Chai in India

Entrepreneurship and the Custo Brasil

A Nation Apart: The Development of Private Equity in Japan

Breakfast in China: How 1.4 Billion People Start Their Day

Le Gaspillage Alimentaire: Stopping Food Waste in Europe

Female Entrepreneurship in China: Women Hold up Half the Sky

The State of the Arts: Realities and Implications of France’s Cultural Subsidy System