GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT DEBATE

Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos stresses a point on the topic “What is an innovative city?” during his turn as one of the debaters on World Bank’s  symposium on  Greening Urban Growth held in Penang, Malaysia  from  February 20-21. The debate was aired simultaneously in web stream in the four countries South Korea; Bangkok, Thailand; Hanoi, Vietnam and Manila, Philippines. Abalos was the only local chief executive from the country who was invited in the global development debate. Listening intently are other debaters Policy Consultants Oxford University Economics Professor Anthony Venables (United Kingdom), banker and APEC Advisory Council representative Tan Tat  Wai of the Southern Steel Berhad (Malaysia), urban planner and author of  The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators Charles Landry (United Kingdom) and Hamdan Abdul Majeed, Executive Director, Think City, an urban regeneration firm (Malaysia). Moderated by Shahid Yusuf, United States Chief Economist, the Growth Dialogue. Dr. Yusuf involved with the growth policies of many of the most East Asian economies during key periods of their histories. He authored 24 books on industrial and urban development, innovations systems and tertiary education. He also consults with the World Bank and with other organization.