Real, it isn’t

Letter to the Globe & Mail (April 27, 2012) I find it amusing that all five cast members of The Real Housewives of Vancouver are white and blond (Why Our Clickers Are Stuck On Shallow – Arts, April 25). Almost half the population of Vancouver is visible minorities and far from every white female has blond hair. “Real,” the show is not; crass, banal and racially biased, it probably is. Kai Chan, Dubai Letter as it appeared in the G&M © Copyright 2012 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

INSEAD: Innovation and Policy Initiative

Policy Breakfast Series - March 2012 Competitiveness and Innovation at Work in the UAE Dr. Kai Chan, Senior Advisor, Emirates Competitiveness Council "Measuring Innovation and R&D in the UAE"

Contrast to Seoul’s defining moment

Letter to the Financial Times (October 25, 2011) From Mr Kai L. Chan. Sir, Watching the Greek tragedy unfold -- most recently with protests in Athens that turned violent ("Athens burns: Austerity measures passed despite protests", report, October 20) -- one cannot help but juxtapose these actions with those that unfolded in Korea during the Asian crisis of 1997-98. Greeks are taking to the streets with petrol bombs over the prospect of the raising of the retirement age from 61 to 63, and of the elimination of public sector largesse (average government salaries that are almost three times the level of similar private sector positions). During the crisis of 1997-98, ordinary Korean citizens were queuing up to donate their gold and jewellery to the central government to help their nation avert bankruptcy. The differences between the two nations could not be more stark. The act of making harsh sacrifices to save their country became a defining moment for the Koreans (Korea has since become the 15th largest economy, having tripled the size of its economy since its nadir in 1998); Greece is looking at its defining moment with an eye towards becoming a have-not country of the 21st century. Kai…

Economic remedies

Letter to the Princeton Alumni Weekly (April 6, 2011 edition) It was such a delight to read about Alan Blinder '67 (feature, March 2).  I was fortunate enough to have met Blinder when I was at Princeton.  (Blinder was on my dissertation committee, as was Paul Krugman.)  In addition to being a giant in the field of economics, Blinder is one of the most gracious and kind persons I know.  In fact, I would say that his heart rivals his stature in the spheres of economics and public policy.  Blinder was instrumental in helping me finish my thesis.  Even with his busy schedule and lofty accomplishments, he took the time to help me graduate, when others had little time for a struggling graduate student. If Ben Bernanke were to retire from the Fed, I could think of no person more qualified to assume the post of chairman of the Fed than Alan Blinder. KAI L. CHAN *08 New York, NY April 6, 2011 PAW letters section

Hear! Hear! to Higher Education

Letter to Trinity Alumni Magazine Winter 2011 It was nice to read about the new deans, Jonathan Steels and Kristen Moore, as well as about Brett Cumberbatch, who is working on outreach to at-risk youth in Toronto's northwest.  The efforts of people like them help enrich Trinity, and our communities. However, I often feel that the traditional programs set up to help Trinity students as well as at-risk youth in our communities miss large swathes of the population.  I myself was an at-risk youth (arrested twice as a young offender and dropped out of high school), as well as someone who had a lot of hardships transitioning to life at university (I was briefly homeless in my first year and eked out an existence by holding down multiple part-time jobs). The weak political voice of under-performing Asians juxtaposed with high-achieving Asians means that this community is often neglected or at best a low priority.  Kudos to those who work to help tear down the barriers that impede people from achieving their potential.  Higher education is without a doubt the single most powerful driver of social mobility. Kai L. Chan, '99 New York City Trinity Alumni Magazine Winter 2011 PDF of…