People in the Asia-Pacific are the most optimistic about globalization and the impact it will have on their companies in the next three years.

We must take care that globalization does not become something people become afraid of.

Education, particularly higher education, will take Africa into the mainstream of globalization,

M&A in the steel industry is part of globalization. There will be more and more of these deals. This will boost share prices.

It is people who are the objects of globalization and at the same time its subjects. What also follows logically from this is that globalization is not a law of nature, but rather a process set in train by people.

A one-size-fits-all approach to globalization is neither acceptable nor workable in a world where people take pride in their cultural heritage and do not want to see it eroded in the name of progress. By accepting that people and their societies differ from country to country and by regarding their customs and cultures as national assets, we can seek to identify the factors that are common to all peoples of the world and utilize them to promote sustainable economic growth with maximum effect. This year's forum will highlight and encourage this critical approach to globalization.