Business Must Work for Trade

Multinational corporations are vital to the survival and growth of world trade, said David de Pury, chair of the Switzerland-based BBC Brown Hoveri Ltd., at the Kennedy School's Start Auditorium last night.

During the speech before an audience of more than 100, de Pury stressed the importance of student involvement and training in commercial and governmental issues.

"They [students] are the ones who count because they are the ones who will be running the country in the future," he said.

De Pury urged the revision of international trade rules that are part of the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade.

"We need borders to be more open," de Pury said. He called for the formation of more multinational corporations, such as ABB Asea Brown Hoveri Group, an electronic engineering company which he co-chairs.

To increase world trade and break international barriers, "what we need today is statesmanship. We need more negotiation and less litigation. We need more politicians," de Pury said.

De Pury concluded by emphasizing that the Clinton administration and the United States must take the initiative to improve the worldwide trading system.

"You are going to be revolutionaries and you are going to bring the revolution to Europe," he said.

The speech was sponsored by the Harvard St. Gallen Business Club a new student group devoted to promoting interaction between students and the business community.

Allison K. Hughes '94, president of the club, said de Pury was chosen to speak because of his active role in the annual International Management Symposium (IMS) in St. Gallen, Switzerland, organized by the International Students Committee (ISC).

Every year several students around the world chosen from a competitive essay contest, attend the symposium in May. This year, nine out of 27 students selected to take part in the event are from Harvard in St. Gallen, they will discuss economics issues with prominent members of the business community, including de Pury.

Shelby Heard vice president of the Harvard St. Gallen Business Club, said. "The ISC promotes inter-generational communication and learning and I love to see communication between the students and business."