Hamza Alsarhan T'18 attends the Emerging Markets Conference

Mini-Grant recipient, Hamza Alsarhan T'18, shares his experience attending the Tuck Emerging Markets Conference during winter term.

The inaugural Emerging Markets Conference brought the Dartmouth community together to explore how private and public sector leaders are driving innovation and growth in the developing world and beyond. This event – Leapfrogging the Developed World: Lessons from Emerging Markets – highlighted the successes of multinational and local organizations addressing both local and global challenges in emerging markets. 

I have always been intrigued by business in the emerging markets. Though it constitutes a large portion of the global growth, business in the emerging markets has not been discussed enough. Participating in the Tuck Emerging Markets Conference in the winter term provided me with several valuable insights. For example, I learned that, according to the International Monetary Fund, about 60% of global growth comes from emerging markets. I also learned that close to half of the world’s population will be living in emerging market cities by the end of the next decade.

Additionally, I learned that a big share of technology and innovation comes from emerging markets. The rationale behind this fact, which I found really astonishing, is that the need for various services in emerging markets is the fuel for innovation. My favorite panel was the investing in emerging markets panel. I found this discussion to be especially beneficial because of the explanations the speakers offered about the status of those markets. The highlight of that specific conversation was covering the topic of the Venezuelan economy. This is due to the fact that the financial crisis in Venezuela has been a hot topic lately. I thought that the speakers did a great job explaining some parts of that enigma.

What I found to be most exciting to learn was the fact that although emerging markets are developing fast, there is still a lot of room to innovate and improve on what has already been done. I found this rewarding for the Dartmouth community members that attended the event. This is because bringing such topics and opportunities to the table will encourage the Dartmouth community to take initiative and make a change.

This conference was a tremendous learning experience for me, personally. I had the opportunity to help the organizing team put things together close to the date of the conference. Although I joined the team late in the game, I had the pleasure of having one-on-one conversations with the speakers before and after the conference. Those eye-opening interactions enriched my knowledge of emerging markets and increased my interests on the subject.

Moreover, topics discussed in the conference, such as investing, international policy, innovation, and energy and sustainability bridged the gaps in my understanding of the emerging markets. The panelists spoke of first-hand experiences that provided the audience with an authentic view of the markets. The details discussed in the different panels led members from the audience to participate in the discussion by asking insightful questions. 

-Submitted by Hamza Alsarhan T'18, Rockefeller Center Mini Grant Recipient 

The Rockefeller Center's Mini-Grants program funds registration fees for students attending conferences, as well as the costs of bringing guest speakers to Dartmouth. The views and opinions expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Rockefeller Center or constitute an endorsement by the Center.