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In this session of the Shorenstein APARC Corporate Affiliate Visiting Fellows Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

Kazuaki Osumi, "A Comparative Study of VCs in the United States and Japan"

There is no doubt that start-ups are one of the most important players for innovation.  And venture capital firms (VCs) play a vital role in improving their business.  In his research, Osumi tries to find out what the role is for the Japanese government in this area by comparing the differences between VCs in the United States and Japan.

Kenta Sakurai, "Establishing the Optimal System of Patent Examination"

The patent war between Apple and Samsung Electronics, which was big news in the summer of 2012, has been spreading throughout the world, including Europe and Asia.  However, this is not the only problem these two companies have.  In order to prepare for the other forth-coming patent wars, technology companies are trying to win an “armament race”, acquiring as many patents (“weapons”) as possible.  While heating the races, the total number of patent applications filed at the national patent offices has been rapidly increasing over the last decade.  As a result, the most serious problem for each of these offices has become examining this flood of applications, creating a trade-off between swiftness and accuracy of examination.

In his presentation, Sakurai argues what is the optimal patent examination process, understanding the importance of both timely patent issuance and deterrence of superfluous provision of “weapons”.

Mao Xie, "Downstream Gas Business Management"

In recent years, the role of natural gas in facilitating low carbon economic growth, energy consumption mix optimization and environmental protection has become more prominent.  After the deregulation of the wellhead prices, interstate pipeline regulation and the emergence of the marketers, the United States’ natural gas industry has entered its mature stage and become one of the most developed gas markets in the world.

To develop a strong natural gas business constitutes a key part of constructing a green, internationalized and sustainable PetroChina.  Through market environment comparison and case studies involving the downstream area, Xie attempts to understand the best and most appropriate experiences that a state-owned company like PetroChina can learn and apply to its own practices.

Abstract:

The discovery of oil or gas in a poor country is potentially beneficial and, simultaneously, potentially calamitous. While countries could put oil revenues toward building much-needed schools and roads, fixing and staffing health systems, and policing the streets, many resource-rich states fare little better—and often much worse—than their re resource-poor counterparts. Too often public money is misallocated and funds meant to be saved are raided, and citizens pay the price. While there is much discussion about how to respond to windfalls, solutions to counteract potential corrosive effects are highly elusive. Todd Moss leads CGD's Oil-to-Cash initiative, which is exploring one policy option: paying revenues directly to citizens. Under this proposal, a government would transfer some or all of the revenue from natural resource extraction to citizens in universal, transparent, and regular payments. The state would treat these payments as normal income and tax it accordingly—thus forcing the state to collect taxes, and addinng additional pressure for public accountability and more responsible resource management. Todd will talk about the idea, the pitfalls, and some of the emerging models experimenting with aspects of the Oil-to-Cash model.

Todd Moss is vice president for programs and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, a Washington-DC based thinktank. Moss previously served in the US State Department, worked at the World Bank, and was a lecturer at the London School of Economics.  He is the author of African Development: Making sense of the issues and actors (2011).

Abstract:

Does formalization really matter for developing economies? Informality has been considered as a negative economic factor as it has been associated with low productivity, high barriers to growth (dead capital), low government revenues and lack of access to credit and property rights. The remedy has been often sought in the formalization of informal economic activities, firms, workers and transactions. However, is formalization anyway a good option for development and growth in such hostile institutional settings like the ones existent in most developing countries including the Middle East? Will formalization save small entrepreneurs from rampant corruption, high interest rates, dependent judiciary, and weak rule of law? or are there alternative means to render the present informal settings more productive and developmental?

Speaker Bio:

Stanford experts from a range of disciplines will discuss the interconnections and interactions among humanity’s need for and use of energy, food, water, and environmental resources. Drawing on their own research, each speaker will illustrate and evaluate some of the ways in which decisions in one resource area can lead to trade-offs or co-benefits in other areas. Stanford students and faculty will lead interactive breakout sessions to explore a range of challenges associated with energy transitioning to a sustainable system.

Featured videos:

Energy and Food Nexus: David Lobell, Assistant Professor of Environmental Earth System Science

Video link to additional Stanford faculty talks

Introduction: Energy System Overview by Roland Horne, Professor of Energy Resources Engineering

Overview of Natural Gas Issues: Mark Zoback, Professor of Geophysics

Energy and Environment Nexus: Stefan Reichelstein, Professor in the Graduate School of Business

Energy and Water Nexus: Richard Luthy, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Director of ReNUWIt

Energy and Climate Change Nexus: Michael Wara, Associate Professor of Law

Breakout Sessions

Led by postdoc/graduate students, breakout sessions will actively engage the participant on provocative and real world energy topics such as: 

• Boon or Bust? Fracking’s Socioeconomic Costs and Benefits
• Keystone XL: Band Guy or Fall Guy?
• Wind Energy and Wildlife Conservation: Green vs. Green?
• Are you Aware of Your Habits? Tweaking Our Routines to Conserve
• Is America Neglecting America?  The Forgotten Frontier of the Alaskan Arctic
• Is Water scarcity a Threat to the World’s Energy Future?