Gates to advise U.K. on globalization

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will advise the U.K. government on how to respond to the challenges of globalization so it can compete with the fast-growing economies of China and India.

Gates has been appointed to a panel of 12 of the world's leading businesspeople on a new International Business Advisory Council (Ibac) that will advise British Treasury chief Gordon Brown and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry over the next three years.

Other high-tech names on the Ibac include Meg Whitman, CEO of eBay; Ratan Tata, chairman of India's Tata Group; and Sir Ka-shing Li, chairman of the board at Hutchison Whampoa.

They will sit alongside more traditional industrial leaders on the panel such as Sir Terry Leahy, CEO of Tesco; Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart Stores; and Lord Browne, group CEO of BP.

The Ibac will meet once per year. The first meeting will be held later this year at 11 Downing Street.

"There is no more important question for advanced industrial countries today than how to rise to the challenges and opportunities of globalization," Brown said in a statement.

"The council will advise on how we can do more to rise to the challenges we face and ensure that the U.K. remains one of the world's key locations of choice for high value-added activity, working together to pursue a less protectionist world," he added.

Ibac's aim is to discuss policies to improve U.K. competitiveness, including specific issues relating to the globalization challenge.

Andy McCue of Silicon.com reported from London.

[R K K9684]

strange

why is the CEO of tesco involved when tesco have been under investigation twice in the last 5 years for bad business practices.

[Captain_Spock]

It Perhaps Appears Rather Simple To MI6...

With the mathematical numbers of the populations of China and India combined its perhaps makes no sense to the UK to become involved in the killing of the "GOOSE" (and not having the Enron and Worldcom et cetera, et cetera... CEOs involved) that lays the "GOLDEN EGGS". Maybe the SECRETS may be in the MYSTICAL APIs for the "ERR" that will elighten the mind with regards to the various ENGINEERING ECONOMIES (China, India) around the world... Don't you remember the famous campaign slogan - It's The Economy S.....! ;-)

[Captain_Spock]

One Scenario....

... in which the Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates can "advise the U.K. government on how to respond to the challenges of globalization so it can compete with the fast-growing economies of China and India" is in the development of S_T_R_E_T_C_H versions of the AIR CAR that will increase the carrying capacities of these models of aircraft; in this way China and India will be held to very high "standards" of international competition... then the US and the UK can subsequently establish AIR CAR UNIVERSITIES similar to the "NASCAR" UNIVERSITY! ;-) ;-) ;-)