Metaphor, literacy and ‘fake news’
Desautels Professor Reuven Brenner writes in a recent Asia Times op-ed that, as societies become literate, earlier metaphors become codified as literal truths, much to the detriment of those societies and the cultures that exist within them.
As feds unveil pot legalization plans, producers’ shares slip
Ottawa has released its plan to legalize marijuana, and the hit on big cannabis shares has been heavy. Concerns about how fast the government is moving to squeeze out illegal producers, a law-enforcement-heavy public announcement and a feeling that the government is stepping back from its plans for an industrial-scale market are leaving investors with questions.
Desautels achieves second consecutive win at PRMIA
Congratulations to Desautels undergraduate students: Evan Coulter, Valentyn Litvin, Meagan Prins, and Marina Simonian who won the top prize at the prestigious PRMIA International Risk Management Challenge- marking a second consecutive victory for the Faculty at this competition.
Marijuana sector likely to constrict as it matures
Desautels Professor Ken Lester was interviewed on BNN about the commodification of marijuana post-legalization. He discussed product choice, the question of how branding might be constrained by the impending legislation, and the tricky taxation line that the governments will have to trace in order to not send consumers back to the black market.
James Rickards and the end of the economy
A recent Forbes book review delves into James Rickards’ The Road to Ruin: The Global Elites’ Secret Plan For The Next Financial Crisis, which makes the case that there is a big-ticket financial collapse coming, one that dwarfs the 2008 recession. Rickards lays much of the blame on macroeconomics, drawing a parallel between it and astrology.
Les prédictions économiques prospèrent sur des modèles qui ne fonctionnent pas
The permanent forecasting market and its falloutA piece in Contrepoints takes the whole practise of regular GDP forecasting to task for being based on flawed economic models, referencing Desautels Professor Reuven Brenner’s article in the inaugural issue of American Affairs, in which he calls for the abandonment of macroeconomics in favour of a more accountability-based model.
Desautels Assistant Professor named to prestigious list
The 2017 edition of Poets and Quants’ Best 40 Under 40 Professors list is out, and on it are four teachers at Canadian institutions — including Desautels Assistant Professor Sebastien Betermier. Professor Betermier teaches investment management and has been nominated for the Desautels Distinguished Teaching Award four times.
Overreaction to extreme market events and investor sentiment
Authors: Piccoli, P., Chaudhury, M.
Publication: Applied Economics Letters
Abstract:
The pursuit of happiness through the ages
Desautels Professor Reuven Brenner gave a lecture as part of the Centre for the Thought of John Paul II’s series on Moral Capitalism, in which he explored the concept of the pursuit of happiness, as first codified in the US’s 1776 Declaration of Independence.
Improving innovation policy
During a debate hosted in part by the Centre for the Thought of John Paul II in Warsaw, Poland, Desautels Professor Reuven Brenner explores the military origins of venture capital, as well as the associated National Defence Education Act, which he blames for starting the decline he sees in the quality of university education.
Shoes, economics and entrepreneurship: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
John Tamny starts his review of Nike founder Phil Knight’s eminently enjoyable memoir, Shoe Dog, with a quote by Desautels Professor Reuven Brenner that macroeconomics is a “tautology and a myth, a dangerous one at that, sustaining that prosperity is necessarily linked to territory, national units and government spending in general.” He then goes into why the book’s author would likely agree with Professor Brenner.
Canada stagnates while the US charges ahead: why VC in Canada is doing so poorly
In a recent piece for Asia Times, Desautels Professor Reuven Brenner shines a light on Canada’s VC culture, contrasting its sluggish returns with those of the US, which outstrips its northern neighbour across the border.
Among Best 40 Professors Under 40
For his engaging teaching and excellence in research, Professor Sebastien Betermier has been named by Poets & Quants as one of this year’s Best 40 Under 40 Professors.
Bannon, Plato and the decline of America
In a piece for the Asia Times, Desautels Professor Reuven Brenner looks at Trump aide Stephen K. Bannon’s view of history and how it forms his domestic and foreign strategy. Professor Brenner says that Bannon’s “generational view of history” can be traced back to analogues in the ancient world, specifically those of Aristotle and Plato, not to mention the US founding fathers.
Desautels undergraduates secure a win at PRMIA Risk Management Challenge
Congratulations to Desautels BCom students Evan Coulter, Valentyn Litvin, Meagan Prins, and Marina Simonian for winning the PRMIA Risk Management Challenge, marking a third consecutive victory for the Faculty. The team will advance to the International Risk Management Challenge in London, UK on April 7th, 2017 for a chance to win the grand prize of $10,000 USD.
