Global Economic Interdependence
Despite efforts to halt the march of economic integration around the world, globalization continues to be a critical fact of life. Workers, small and large businesses, financial corporations, technology companies, and even academic institutions have all been transformed into this reality and have had to adapt to the growing world marketplace. At the same time, challenges to that momentum continue to mount without fully considering the implications of disruption.
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The Washington Institute understands that when forging trade policies, facilitating investment opportunities and examining general economic trends, nations can no longer look inward. Rather, they must consider and leverage the impact of their decisions beyond their borders as well as capitalize on the opportunities created by other nations through constructive collaboration.
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​The Washington Institute is committed to tackling challenges such as the impact of automation, protectionism, and populist sentiments and ethical concerns about international commerce. By leveraging the business, government, and civil society backgrounds, and global perspective of its own advisors and leadership, the Washington Institute is supporting corporations, government agencies, non-government organizations, and individuals in their collective efforts to best shape the future of the global economy.
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Lawrence Chong
Distinguished Fellow, Global Economy
(Singapore)
Biography
Lawrence Chong serves as the Group CEO of Consulus, a global innovation consultancy with business management and multi-disciplinary design capabilities. Consulus is headquartered in Singapore (HQ) present in Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei, Italy, Philippines, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Vietnam, and United States of America. Since 2004, the firm has implemented a multi-disciplinary method: UNIFY – to redesign organizations to enable innovation through purpose. He leads a global team that helps leaders redesign their business models to meet the complex challenges of the 21st century. With experience in transforming companies in the Asia-Pacific ranging from multi-billion dollar enterprises to start-ups, from family-owned to government-linked firms, he brings pragmatic solutions with cultural sensitivity and innovative thinking. He is deeply concerned about the state of the global economy and is involved with the initiative of the Economy of Communion. He currently serves on the council for the Asia and Pacific network. The Economy of Communion (EoC) is a concept about shaping an economy based on love for neighbor and was launched by UNESCO Peace Prize Winner Chiara Lubich in 1991. Lawrence has delivered keynote speeches about why EoC is a systemic solution useful for our times since 2016 in Taiwan, Australia, USA, Italy, Croatia, Philippines and Brazil.
Education:
Raffles Design Institute; Design and Visual Communications, Branding, Corporate Communications
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Affiliations:
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• Committee Member on Economy of Communion Asia Pacific
• Member of Presidential Council at Design Business Chamber Singapore
• Member of the Board of Advisors Washington Institute
• Chairman of World Company Day
• Interfaith Council Member at Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore
• Member of School Management Committee, Assumption English School Featured Publications:
• A Better Economy ‘By Design’ Published by AMI June 2019, a publication of the Singapore Management University
• How to design a new model for Capitalism, published by THE EDGE on 6th May 2019
• Economic Crisis and Rebuilding an Ethical and Integral Economy. This paper was presented at the 2nd Christian Taoist Colloquium on the 5th November 2018
• Creating Value by Design. Feb 2019 DesignSingapore