- 15 Aug 2022
- Book
University of the Future: Finding the Next World Leaders in Higher Ed
Which universities will step into the void as American colleges decline? In the book Empires of Ideas, William Kirby explores how the history of higher education in the US, China, and Germany might shape its future.
- 17 Mar 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
Is There a Winner in Huawei’s Digital Cold War with the US?
Bill Kirby discusses his case study of China-based Huawei’s growth and ultimate confrontation with the United States government, and China's response to the coronavirus. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Dec 2016
- Research & Ideas
The 10 Most Popular 'Cold Call' Podcasts
As the year comes to a close, we revisit the Cold Call podcasts that attracted the most listeners in 2016. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Aug 2016
- Cold Call Podcast
Why College Rankings Keep Deans Awake at Night
Can parents and prospective students trust college rankings? Bill Kirby unpacks this complex system, including what “world-class” actually means, what rankings don’t take into account, and how schools are learning to game an imperfect system. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 19 Dec 2014
- Research & Ideas
China’s Complicated Relationship With Mother Nature
Bill Kirby discusses how a historic international accord on reducing environmental emissions might signal a greener future for the world's most populous nation. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 13 May 2014
- Op-Ed
The Alibaba Effect
Alibaba's $200 billion mega-IPO is history-making in a number of ways. Bill Kirby and Warren McFarlan discuss what the deal says about Chinese entrepreneurship and American markets. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 25 Mar 2014
- Research & Ideas
Book Excerpt: ‘Can China Lead?’
Creativity and innovation can be nurtured in different educational and institutional settings, but does China have a good institutional framework for innovation? An excerpt from Can China Lead? Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 25 Mar 2014
- Research & Ideas
China’s Economic System has Difficult Road Overcoming its Political System
It's fashionable to be bullish on China. But the new book "Can China Lead?" urges a more cautious view on the prospects of the country, where government bureaucracy stifles innovation. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 07 Oct 2011
- Research & Ideas
The Steve Jobs Legacy
Harvard Business School faculty offer their perspectives on the legendary career of Steve Jobs, who remade several industries even as he changed how we use technology. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 23 Mar 2011
- Research & Ideas
China’s 60-Year Road from Revolution to World Power
In a new book, The People's Republic of China at 60: An International Assessment, HBS professor William C. Kirby discusses common assumptions about pre-revolutionary China and its development into an economic power. Key concepts include: Essays in the book address four main themes: politics; social transformations; wealth and well-being; and culture, belief, and practice. Kirby refers to the first three decades of the PRC as "a regime of wasted, and wasteful—not to mention criminal—youth." However, he says, many of the essays in the book show how the country has taken good advantage of the last three decades. Mid-century revolutionaries and scholars cited the economy as a major reason that China needed a revolution. However, the country actually sustained decent financial growth, fueled by private enterprise, from the 1910s until the onset of the global depression of the 1930s and the Sino-Japanese war in 1937. While China's central government was weak in the first half of the twentieth century, the country during that time developed strong methods of institution-building at the national, provincial, municipal, and local levels. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 14 Jul 2009
- Research & Ideas
Business Summit: China in the Global Economy
While the global economic downturn will affect China's exports, the domestic economy is expected to remain strong, agreed panelists at the HBS Business Summit. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 07 Jul 2009
- Research Event
Business Summit: Historical Roots of Globalization
In this breakout session, panelists shared insights, informed by history, of the convergence that globalization promotes. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
The Entrepreneurial Journey of China’s First Private Mental Health Hospital
The city of Wenzhou in southeastern China is home to the country’s largest privately owned mental health hospital group, the Wenzhou Kangning Hospital Co, Ltd. It’s an example of the extraordinary entrepreneurship happening in China’s healthcare space. But after its successful initial public offering (IPO), how will the hospital grow in the future? Harvard Professor of China Studies William C. Kirby highlights the challenges of China’s mental health sector and the means company founder Guan Weili employed to address them in his case, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital: Changing Mental Healthcare in China.