September 11, 2001 permanently altered the world?s global dynamics, and ramifications for the competitiveness of U.S. business in the international marketplace remain to be seen. On October 2 and 3, Temple University's Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), housed in the Fox School of Business and Management, and The Global Interdependence Center joined forces to assemble a powerful conference designed to bring participants up to speed on the post-9/11 economic and regulatory risk factors for businesses.

The 22nd Annual International Monetary and Trade Conference featured broad economic and policy perspectives on macroeconomic issues with presentations given by Dr. Anthony Santomero, Pres., Philadelphia Federal Reserve, Kathleen Cooper, U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, and other top financiers, economists, and policy makers.

Conference presenters also offered insight about the specific challenges businesses face today in ensuring their competitiveness in light of new security requirements and trade regulations, such as the Customs & Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program. Panelists from industries such as financial services, information technology, logistics, tourism, and hospitality management shared their best practices and experiences in candid conversations. Highlighting the day were General Charles Wilhelm, Director of Battelle's Office of Homeland Security and Dr. Stephen Flynn, Senior Fellow, National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"The U.S. Congress has called upon the 30 CIBERs to identify ways to take our mandate of increasing competitiveness of U.S. business in the global marketplace to a new level. We are now charged with responding to our nation's need to remain competitive in light of a myriad of new national security concerns," explained Dr. Arvind V. Phatak, Executive Director of the Temple CIBER. "This conference is the first step in a series of outreach and research activities the CIBERs are conducting to meet this call."

Here are a few comments from participants:

What a superb chance to learn about the nexus between business and homeland security! The speakers, especially those from Siemens, Cargo Express, and the Battelle Office of Homeland Security, gave lively and informative presentations that cut right to the heart of the issue. I sensed that they were presenting tomorrow's news today.

Steve Flynn's perspective on security issues and American business were eye-opening. His rich knowledge of security issues and his obvious facility with business vernacular and concerns combined for that all-too-rare cross-disciplinary lecture that speaks with commonality to a diverse range of persons. His talk was conceptually and practically stimulating as well as riveting.

At Temple, I'm concerned with absorbing all I can about international trade issues, and this conference provided a unique chance to hear first-hand the policy-makers and the policy-implementers on the front-lines. This was definitely a conference at the cutting edge. The atmosphere was as sophisticated and rarefied as you could imagine.

International business faculty from other CIBER universities also attended to gain perspective on how longer term research can help frame the future of doing business with new risk components. CIBERs from the following universities also co-sponsored this program: Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Univ. of Penn, Univ. of Memphis, Univ. of Connecticut and Duke.