by Francesca Sanna-Randaccio, University of Rome 'La Sapienza'

An important initiative to keep alive the memory of Sanjaya Lall was recently undertaken at Oxford University, by establishing the Sanjaya Lall Visiting Professorship in Business and Development at the Saïd Business School. The first visiting professor will be appointed in 2010. Initial funding for the professorship is made available by the Sanjaya Lall Memorial Fund, following substantial fundraising efforts made by Mrs Rani Lall ( see Oxford University Gazzette 30 July 2009: University Acts).

Sanjaya Lall was a prodigiously productive and innovative development economist and a key protagonist of Third World industrial development. He has been an advisor and consultant for a wide spectrum of governments and international development organisation deeply influential on the thinking of leading development institutions. He served, for many years, as the Principal Consultant to UNCTAD on its World Investment Report, and to UNIDO on its Industrial Development Report. Among his many important legacies is his extensive work on the role of multinationals (MNCs) in developing countries. According to Lall, the characteristics of the local firms and of the host country are decisive determinants of the extent to which the potential benefits created by the presence of foreign MNCs are exploited. He saw the development of technological capabilities at the firm and national levels as a precondition for a developing country to benefit from globalization. He also maintained that there is no ideal policy on FDI, as government strategy has to suit the particular conditions of the country at the particular time, and evolve as its needs change and its competitive position in the world alters.

The panel members during the Sanjaya Lall session in Fribourg

In 2006, to honour this great scholar and friend, I organized the EIBA Fellows Panel devoted to: “Multinationals, Technology and Development: in honour of Sanjaya Lall”. Sanjaya was one of my supervisors at Oxford University, and I greatly admired him both for his bright mind and for his personal qualities. The panel chaired and introduced by John Dunning, included presentations by John Cantwell (on the emergence of new countries as contributors to technology generation in the world economy), Anne Miroux (on Lall’s role as principal consultant to the World Investment Report), myself (on FDI and development, highlighting the main policy issues) and Karl Sauvant (on Emerging Countries MNEs). All presentations focused on the main lessons learned from Sanjaya Lall works, explaining why such lessons remain very important. During this occasion, two lovely photos were taken by our official paparazzo (Danny Van Den Bulcke) (see below).
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See A. Saith (2005) “Sanjaya Lall: Demystifying Technological Change”, Development and Change 36(6): 1215-1218; G. Wignararaja and B. Harriss-White (2005) Obituary, Oxford Development Studies 33(3&4): 331-332, and the special issue of Oxford Development studies in honour and memory of Sanjaya Lall (Oxford Development Studies (2008) 36(1)).
 

The University of Fribourg announced the creation of the Center for Competitiveness. Its mission is to promote scientific knowledge and rigorous learning in the area of competitiveness, with special emphasis on the role of economic and social policy. The Center is linked to the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness (ISC), led by Professor Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School (HBS).

Based at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Fribourg, the Center for Competitiveness is dedicated to extending the research in the field of competitiveness and disseminating it to students, scholars, practitioners and citizens on a global basis.

The Center for Competitiveness collaborates with regional, national and international institutions as well as with private entities. Its activities are conducted in collaboration with other Centers and Institutes for Competitiveness such as the ISC of the Harvard Business School, the Center for Strategy and Competitiveness of the Stockholm School of Economics and the Center for Enhancing Competitiveness of the NIDA in Bangkok.

Activities of the Center for Competitiveness
Course on microeconomics of competitiveness (MOC)
An important task is to conduct MOC courses in collaboration with the ISC of the Harvard Business School. These courses are also operated in collaboration with several important universities located around the world. The courses offer a unique opportunity for students to get online access to Michael Porter’s courses as well as to do networking with students following the same kind of courses abroad.

Research
The main research activities are conducted in the field of the determinants of competitiveness, innovation, cluster mapping and the role of clusters to upgrade prosperity, the governmental policies fostering competitiveness, as well as the role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) on the technological and economic upgrading of host and home countries. As far as policy issues are concerned, a particular attention is given to competition policy. Some of the research is conducted by doctoral students. More research is conducted in collaboration with the ISC as well as other competitiveness Centers and Institutes.

Advisory activities
The Center also conducts specific research and inquiries regarding regional and national issues of competitiveness. Performance indicators are developed. The Center is also involved in cluster initiatives.

Public and media activities
In purpose inter alia to promote and to share the main ideas developed in collaboration with Michael Porter’s Institute, the Center regularly publishes articles for newspapers and business magazines.

Direction
The Center for Competitiveness is directed by Prof. Philippe Gugler, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Fribourg. Prof. Philippe Gugler is member of the board of the European International Business Academy (EIBA) and has been affiliated to the ISC of the Harvard Business School since 2004.

www.unifr.ch/competitiveness
philippe.gugler@unifr.ch