The Future of SMEs: A South-South Dialogue
Inspired by the 1955 Bandung Conference, the first Asian-African conference, Cornell professors of emerging markets, private sector players, and Indonesian government officials are planning to organize an international conference to facilitate a South-South dialogue across national and continental boundaries to explore ways in which small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and social enterprises in the Global South can engage with each other and more fully participate in the benefits of global markets. International organizations have long used the term “South-South cooperation” to refer to collaboration among developing countries. Under the aegis of South-South cooperation, many laudable initiatives involving collaboration between governments, government agencies, and public institutions have emerged. South-South interactions and transactions in various private sector industries, particularly amongst SMEs, are taking place every day but with less fanfare in the media, in policy circles, and in academic research.
The SMART Challenge
With the goal of hosting an international dialogue in Indonesia in late 2024 or early 2025, a major effort is needed to organize the participation of international agencies and private sector players. A secretariat (or some other organizational model) will need to be established to implement day-to-day activities. Students will be tasked with researching and writing a report that addresses the following questions:
- What organizational models are available for planning and implementing such a South-South conference?
- What are the underlying trends in SME contribution to economic development in selected Asian and African countries?
- What are the best practices in creating an enabling environment for SMEs?
- Who are the innovators in South-South cooperation, product development, and knowledge exchange?
2023-2024 SMART Fellows
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Barbara Batycka
Master of Public Administration, Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy
Project: The Future of SMEs: A South-South Dialogue
Barbara is a Polish Fulbright Scholar pursuing a Master's in Public Administration and concentrating in Economic and Finance Policy. She has experience in data analysis, sustainable management, and conference organization and is currently a threat assessment analyst focusing on the European Union. Barbara holds a degree in International Studies with a minor in Business Administration from Ewha Womans University in South Korea, where she researched North Korean leadership and civil rights and gained motivation to pursue public policy. Barbara’s interest lies in policy applications to support economic development and South East Asian urbanization. Upon graduation, Barbara will return to Poland and hopes to work at an international level addressing economic disparity.
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Keya Dutta
Bachelor of Arts in Global Development, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Project: The Future of SMEs: A South-South Dialogue
Keya is a fourth-year student pursuing a degree in Global Development with minors in Applied Economics and City & Regional Planning. Originally from New York City, she studied abroad in Spain and completed an independent research project in rural India with Tata Cornell Institute where she collected qualitative data on migration and nutrition. This past summer, Keya worked in economic consulting where she built her skills in economic modeling and analysis programs. On campus, she writes for Cornell Policy Institute, edits for Cornell Diplomat and has consulted for a NFT-based social enterprise. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, Keya will work in economic consulting and later apply to a PhD program in development economics.
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Grace Ryan
Bachelor of Arts in Classics, College of Arts and Sciences
Project: The Future of SMEs: A South-South Dialogue
Grace is a senior in pursuing a major in Classics with minors in Law and Society, and Applied Economics and Management. Grace is interested in law and plans to be a lawyer. Grace has interned at the Bridge Alliance, a nonprofit trade association for civic engagement organizations, and the Middlesex District Attorney’s office in their asset forfeiture and special investigation units. At Cornell, Grace is a member of Cornell’s mock trial team, Phi Alpha Delta, Cornell’s largest pre-law fraternity, and the Cornell Economic Society. Grace is passionate about the intersection between law and economics and hopes to continue to explore this intersection throughout her legal career.
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Mutty Un
Bachelor of Science in Global Development, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Project: The Future of SMEs: A South-South Dialogue
Mutty is majoring in Global Development with minors in International Relations, and Southeast Asian Studies. Growing up in Cambodia, he witnessed firsthand the economic and social recovery of a war-torn country. This motivated him to pursue the study of development, where he seeks to explore the role of public-private sector partnerships in fostering equitable development and its consequences on society. He is actively involved with Cornell University’s Southeast Asia Program and serves as the student engagement chair of the Department of Global Development’s student advisory board. Mutty hopes to bring his experiences in multicultural working environments, research experience, and knowledge of sustainable development discourse to the team.
Project Lead and Faculty Advisors
Professor, Director of the Emerging Markets Program and Professor of Emerging Markets at Cornell University
Professor Ralph D. Christy is Director of the Emerging Markets Program and Professor of Emerging Markets at Cornell University, where he teaches and conducts food marketing research and leads various educational programs focused on the economic performance of markets and distribution systems. Christy has advised industry leaders and public policymakers on food marketing strategies, economic development, and the organization of the global food economy. He is past President of the American Agricultural Economics Association and currently serves as a Board Member of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Winrock International, and the Agribusiness Capital Fund. Christy has authored numerous publications, including three books: A Century of Service: Land Grant Colleges and Universities, 1890-1990(1992); Achieving Sustainable Communities in a Global Economy (2004); and Emerging Markets(2020). His most recent research calls attention to the role of creating an enabling environment for accelerating agro-industries contributions to sustain economic growth and development. Christy holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics.
Professor, Applied Economics and Policy, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
Iwan is Professor of Emerging Markets within the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and was the Director of Graduate Studies, Regional Science program (2005-2010), Cornell University where he has taught since 1992. Prior to that, he was the Chair of the Department of Economics and the Director of the Inter-University Center for Economics at the University of Indonesia. Iwan has served as a consultant to several governments and organizations in Asia and taught as a visiting professor in Japan, Australia, Singapore, and Indonesia. He previously served as the appointed Head of the Office of Regional Economic Integration at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), during which he became the Interim Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund-Credit Guarantee Investment Facility (CGIF), and member of the International Policy Advisory Group. He is currently advising the Indonesian Central Bank and the Deposit Insurance Corporation, and a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
Lin Fu
Research Fellow, Emerging Markets Program, SC Johnson College of Business
Lin Fu is a research fellow with Cornell's Emerging Markets Program, housed in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. She was previously a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. Her research interests include political economy, economic development, entrepreneurship, and food and agricultural policy. She has been a consultant on research projects for various organizations, including the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Asian Productivity Organization, and Control Risks. Prior to Cornell, she worked for a number of years in finance and project management consulting. Lin holds graduate degrees from Cornell University and the London School of Economics.
Field Dates: Jan 15-19, 2024
Field Location: Washington, DC
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