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An article by the Huffington Post investigates the world’s most polluted cities. The top ten list includes Linfen, China; Los Angeles, United States; Niger Delta, Nigeria; London, United Kingdom; Dzerzhinsk, Russia; Phoenix, United States; Bandung Indonesia; La Oroya, Peru; and Lake Karachay, Russia.

According to the article, “Living in Linfen, China, is equivalent to smoking three packs of cigarettes a day”

“In 2003, Dzerzhinsk, Russia’s death rate surpassed its birth rate by 260 percent.”

“Phoenix, Arizona, United States is 2010's worst place in the United States for year round particle pollution... a mix of dust, soot and aerosols.”

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In a challenging economic environment, young professionals and recent graduates across the globe are forced to think of new ways to enter the workforce.

In the United States, some are taking an entrepreneurial approach. These entrepreneurs recognize that what they are doing on the side can create revenue – running a website out of their home or offering social media marketing consultation – and can be performed anywhere in the world with anyone, at any time. They toss the security of a paycheck and good benefits at a place that is now considered a boring place to work.

In the United Kingdom, graduates are trying to fill their resumes. They are encouraged to find a market shortage and then gain the skills to fill the gap.

In China, the story is different. The economic future looks (arguably) optimistic – China boasts more than 10% growth on average. The problem is that China is providing more than 6 million college graduates a year and the economy is not producing the number of jobs demanded by the graduates. The video below is a great 6 minute documentary on the issue, especially for international students traveling to China to broaden their interests and expand their resume.

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China currently exists as one of the most desired markets in the global business world. With E-Commerce on its current rise globally, the key then, is finding a way to reach China’s online customer base. As of 2009, China had roughly 384 million internet users, and that number is expected to hit 650 million in 2015. It’s safe to say that many online retailers around the globe are seeking a way to penetrate China’s market. The best way to do this is to gain a better understanding of the consumers they’re trying to sell to.

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Last week I had a unique opportunity to hear the Korean Ambassador to the United States, Han Duk-soo, speak at a luncheon in East Lansing, Michigan. The event was sponsored by the Global Business Club of Mid-Michigan. The ambassador has been traveling to various locations throughout the Midwest to tout the benefits of passing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Korea. Currently, the agreement has been tabled by Congress due to other higher priority matters.

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It can be done! Creating jobs back home while increasing sales overseas is possible and United Solar Ovonic has proved it. United Solar Ovonic is a Michigan based company that creates and exports solar panels and has recently begun a joint venture with United Solar Ovonic Jinneng in China. They develop lightweight, flexible solar panels. They are great, not to mention green, energy producers so it’s no wonder that this business has been booming.

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Over the past 10 years, China has had a significant impact on the world economy. Many businesses in the United States, especially those whose success has been dependent upon manufacturing, have felt the effects the most. Although many feel that the shift in Chinese economic power has adversely impacted the United States, it is also important to highlight the positive aspects of these changes. One of the great success stories comes from Michigan, in the heart of the Midwest.

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It is time for the world to become a lot smarter. Smart technology is a catch-all term that covers a variety of applications. Video cameras and sensors could be used to monitor traffic patterns and route drivers around bottlenecks. Computer chips in bridges could signal when repairs are needed. Wireless technologies could collect data on electricity usage throughout a city. Smart infrastructure promises to make the world more productive and competitive, while helping the environment and saving lives. Not only that, but it will save money by making what we've got work better and break down less often. These systems would improve productivity in the long run.

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Today we will look at a piece of technology which could have a substantial effect on the global business world. In this specific case, it’s how we power things. Now, windmill power has been talked about many times before, but this is the first time we’ve seen anything which combines the harnessing of the ocean with a windmill design. The AK-1000, recently released by Atlantis Resources Corporation in Scotland, could have a “revolutionary” effect on making renewable energy a viable replacement to fossil fuels.

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Think about it, when the economy is in a downturn, what tech startups can find funding to develop a new business model? The innovative companies of course! You know, the ones with different ideas that stray away from the normal? It’s these innovative companies that strive in this harsh economic atmosphere, and that is just what happened in the recent economic downturn. The economy weeded out the basic, cookie cutter businesses and unearthed the gems beneath. Some of these gems include the likes of Spotify, Twitter, FourSquare, and Tesla Motors. All four of these companies have a stake of their business abroad too which means that these successful tech startups understand the importance of going global. How have they done business abroad? Glad you asked!

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Technology is always changing, causing us to play catch-up on a daily basis. A new trend on the horizon? Mind reading. Today, a variety of consumer products such as games and phone-apps use mind reading technology to captivate users. Last Christmas two new games used mind-reading technology to find the way into many homes. Mattel’s Midflex and Milton Industries Force Trainer both use brain-wave technology similar to the electroencephalograph, which is used to diagnose brain disorders. Many video games are also trying out this new technology. Next year a new Apple app is planned to be released using mind power. This app, Tug of Mind, will be the Apple’s first game controlled by the mind and can be partnered with a NeuroSky headset.

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Over the past decade we have come a long way as far as technological innovations are concerned. Businesses that did not even exist before 2000 have become household names, and have created products and services that are part of our daily lives. In the past 10 years there have been so many creations that have shaped our world today.

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China is growing. India is growing. In fact, the whole of Asia is expanding rapidly - in population, economy, and technology. The latest area Asia is looking to improve upon is education. Countries like China and India are in the process of trying to establish themselves as leaders in the world of business education. They’re doing this by offering Western-trained business professors opportunities they wouldn’t be able to get normally.

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As wheat prices rise due to insufficient global supply, the big question is how concerned should we be about the high prices? Wheat is the latest agricultural commodity to raise costs. Wheat prices have risen 50% since last June, and prices are the highest since 1973. This is due to droughts and fires destroying crops in Russia, who is the third-largest wheat exporter in the world.

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In February 2009, the U.S.-Peru trade promotion agreement (TPA) went into effect. The TPA has had some exciting effects for many U.S. companies. Doug Barry of the U.S. Commercial Service interviewed John Simmons, the Department of Commerce’s senior commercial officer in Lima, about how the TPA is helping U.S. businesses.

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Trade between Zambia and Malawi should soon be increasing due to a Simplified Trade Regime (STR). Its goal is to help to eliminate some customs, duties, and other taxes that exporters would normally have to deal with when crossing the border between the two countries. Until now, trade between these two countries has not really been encouraged, even though they both have resources the other desires.

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Lately Africa has been attracting beer companies from around the world, as they look to start new ventures. Breweries interests have already begun in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Juba, Sudan. At the end of 2008, Africa produced 5% of the world’s beer supply, a number which has continued to grow since then. Although beer production has been popular in Africa since the 1990’s, companies have begun to increase their investments in the continent since African locals have struggled to be able to mass produce the product in the past.