This book analyzes education in Japan from the viewpoint of “the stagnant current Japanese economy”. Tomoyuki Tamagawa, a long-time mathematics teacher in junior high school, is now a vice principal. He and Tamotsu Nakamura have written Chapter 1 of this book together because they believe that the loss of vitality in the Japanese economy is due to the problem of human capital formation in school education. Shinji Oi has worked for many years at a Japanese broadcasting station and has extensive experience in human resource development. In Chapter 2, he analyzes the relationship between optimal human capital investment and labor market mobility, based on his recognition of the importance of vocational training, or human capital investment at the firm and the necessity for good allocation of human resources. Tokuji Saita is well versed not only in the realities and practices in the financial industry but also in the financial system as a whole. In Chapter 3, based on his long experience in the financial industry, he analyzes and points out the importance of “openness” of innovation from a macroeconomic point of view.

This work shows that business investment in knowledge-based capital is a key to future productivity growth and living standards and sets out recommendations in the fields of: innovation; taxation; entrepreneurship and business development; corporate reporting; big data; competition and measurement.

Over the last decade Peru has consistently been the fastest-growing economy in Latin America, and unlike some of its neighbours, has been remarkably resilient to global headwinds, registering positive growth rates for an uninterrupted 18 years through to 2016. While the pace of growth has slowed as the long commodities boom ebbed after 2012, Peru recorded an average annual growth rate of 5.9% in 2005-15, almost double the 3% rate for Latin America as a whole. Stakeholders and investors will now be looking to efforts by the new government, which took office in July 2016, to address problems, implement additional reforms and spur further economic growth.

Since China adopted its 'open door' policy in 1978, which altered its development strategy from self-sufficiency to active participation in the world market, its goal has remained unchanged: to assist the readjustment of China's economy, to coordinate its modernization programs, and to improve its quality of life. With the 1997 launch of the 'Going Global' policy, an outward focus regarding foreign investment was added, to circumvent trade barriers and improve the competitiveness of Chinese firms. In order to accommodate inward and outward investment, China's participation in the international investment regime has underpinned its efforts to join multilateral investment-related legal instruments and conclude international investment agreements. This collection, compiled by award-winning scholar Professor Julien Chaisse, explores the three distinct tracks of China's investment policy and strategy: bilateral agreements including those with the US and the EU; regional agreements including the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific; and global initiatives, spear-headed by China's presidency of the G20 and its 'Belt and Road initiative'. The book's overarching topic is whether these three tracks compete with each other, or whether they complement one another - a question of profound importance for the country's political and economic future and world investment governance.

This study involved an exploration of the impact of organizational capital investment on employee innovation in the manufacturing industry. The overarching question was: Does organizational capital investment impact employee innovation in the manufacturing industry? Organizations tend to place much emphasis on how skill drives innovation, but not on how capital investment impact employee innovation. The research was guided using a qualitative phenomenological case study design to probe the impact of capital investment on employee innovation. Participants were selected through a convenience and purposive sampling method using the researchers personal professional network as well as the snowball method to seek participants from individuals referrals. Data collection involved personal interviews, audio recording, and note taking. The assumption was that employee innovation is not an option but a necessity, because organizations compete on global fronts for resources and market share. Consequently, capital investment in machinery and employee innovation becomes symbiotic in nature, not mutually exclusive. Results showed employee innovation can be impacted and enhanced through the acquisition and application of appropriate technological capital investment. The researcher recommends further research to ascertain whether the amount of organizational capital investment is proportional to the development of employee innovativeness.

An innovation in learning improves upon the implementation of the standard practice or introduces a new practice, thus achieving greater learning outcomes. The Handbook on Innovations in Learning, developed by the Center on Innovations in Learning, presents commissioned chapters describing current best practices of instruction before embarking on descriptions of selected innovative practices which promise better methods of engaging and teaching students. Written by a diverse and talented field of experts, chapters in the Handbook seek to facilitate the adoption of the innovative practices they describe by suggesting implementation policies and procedures to leaders of state and local education agencies.

Policy Patrons offers a rare behind-the-scenes view of decision making inside four influential education philanthropies: the Ford Foundation, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. The outcome is an intriguing, thought-provoking look at the impact of current philanthropic efforts on education. Over a period of several years, Megan E. Tompkins-Stange gained the trust of key players and outside observers of these four organizations. Through a series of confidential interviews, she began to explore the values, ideas, and beliefs that inform these foundations’ strategies and practices. The picture that emerges reveals important differences in the strategies and values of the more established foundations vis-à-vis the newer, more activist foundations—differences that have a significant impact on education policy and practice, and have important implications for democratic decision making. In recent years, the philanthropic sector has played an increasing role in championing and financing education reform. Policy Patrons makes an original and invaluable contribution to contemporary discussions about the appropriate role of foundations in public policy and the future direction of education reform.

South Korea known as the hermit kingdom was wrenched from its isolation in the mid-seventies with the forced industialisation of its economy by Park Chung-hee during his dictatorial regime. This led South Korea to becoming the most rapidly industialised country in the world with world class technology and a population who are largely digitally proficient. The course is charted from the rule of Park Chung-hee to his democratically elected daughter President Park Geun-hye who is now on trial for corruption. The legacy of the Park to Park era is not only the most fruitful in Korean history but the most tumultuous, most recently because of the accelerated nuclear ambitions of North Korea. The analysis is through the framework of investment, innovation and intellectual property rights and the double edged sword of cult and rapid action, so central to Korean culture.