Read interview with Prof. Trejos

Business decisions must answer, primarily, to the issues that arise within the firm. However, for those that make the decisions at the highest level, it is important to understand what surrounds the company. Among other things, running a company in a trading environment and a global economy is different from addressing solely the domestic market.

The workings of the global economy have evolved significantly in the last few decades. Companies are now part of value chains that are complex and global; contracts and commonplace practices crisscross borders with a varying legislations and corporate cultures. And a plethora of domestic legislations related to foreign commerce, international agreements and institutions that oversee trade, all provide stability and rules, and determine the way we operate in this global framework.

All these aspects of globalization have been changing in a particular direction for a long time. But for the last few years, in part in response to a change in domestic politics and international relations, the speed and direction of that change has altered, with the current pandemic promising further developments. We often make business decisions taking certain things for granted and, when they change, we are forced to rethink our strategy and process. The alteration and possibly devolution of globalization will be one of the most pressing changes that your generation of business leaders will have to face.

In this course, we will discuss the current institutions that shape globalization, and their possible future evolution as a consequence of all that is going on.

Faculty: Alberto Trejos, professor and dean at INCAE Business School, who previously served as Costa Rica’s minister of foreign trade, and as chairman of CINDE (the Costa Rican Investment Board).

Course Date & Time

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:00-8:20 a.m. (Costa Rica time, GMT-6). Certain dates/times might change according to guest speakers' availability.