Universities are no islands, particularly liberal arts institutions like ours. Franklin mingles with all aspects of societies, by leveraging on its dual Swiss and American DNAs. In a way, one could state that Franklin is predestined to be a privileged observatory of the worldwide political situation.
This melting pot of thoughts and ideas gave birth, one year ago, to FRISKOP, the acronym for Franklin Political Risk and Opportunity Index. In a nutshell, it studies the impact that political risks have on the economic and financial world. The current geopolitical situation has given politics a greater weight in the financial world, which is transitioning from a purely globalized scenario towards multiple environments, plagued by vetoes and sanctions. Risks related to investments are generally increasing, being sandwiched between two opposing views of the Universe, each having a dystopian component. The two blocks, rather than cooperating, fight each other using protectionism as swords.
These were the topics of an event that took place on Campus on January 29th, with the participation of Dr. Hansjörg Furrer, Senior Risk Manager at NewRe, as special guest. It was well-visited by Frankliners and by external individuals alike. A one-page article appeared in the local Corriere del Ticino newspaper.
Questions that emerged from the speeches by Professors Strijbis, Bucher, Volpi, Dianova and Terzi (presentations can be downloaded here) dealt with the management of emerging risks, and with the new order (if any) that will eventually emerge. Governments still play a pivotal role, even if confronted with a lot of opposition from within.
The case of Italy, a Country that has had 68 government changes since 1946, and that never saw one government reach its statutory term, was presented. The role of AI as a Great Changer in the role of the human brain at work was also discussed.
Franklin, with its FRISKOP Index, will try to foresee significant political events and their economic impact by means of statistical analysis. It is not just about risks, but also opportunities. One thing is for sure: the new human will have to be a Renaissance individual to cope with the oncoming challenges, and Franklin will inject the Renaissance sparks throughout its community.
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