Najam Moderates Alumni Panel on the Rise of Populism

Adil Najam, Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, held two days of meetings with London-based alumni now working in a variety of sectors and moderated a March 7, 2019 panel discussion with BU alumni on the rise of populism and its risk for global markets. 

The panel discussion, entitled “The People’s Economy: The Rise of Populism and Its Risk for Global Markets,” featured Pardee School Dean’s Advisory Board member Aamer Sarfraz (Questrom’02), Founder and CEO, Draper Oakwood Companies; Clemencia Corradine (CAS’86), Head Business Development Europe at CapitalStructure; and Michael Simpson (CAS’92, Questrom’93), Head of Barings Latin American Equity Team.

Najam, who was introduced by Kim Vigilia (COM ’04), gave the alumni in attendance an update on developments at the Pardee School since its establishment in 2014, as well as on the school’s future plans. Najam outlined the current structure and future plans of the Pardee School and many alumni expressed pride and surprise at how much it has grown since they were part of its predecessor units. 

The panel explored how most of the recent elections around the globe have raised the serious possibility that populism and nationalism will play a much larger role in advanced economies in the next several decades than in the last several. The panelists explored how to measure this political risk in the face of deep divisions within the public in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe.

Following the panel, there was a networking reception with esteemed London-based alumni leaders.