The 2009 Upton Scholar will be economist Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy in Lima, Peru. According to The Economist magazine the Institute for Liberty and Democracy is one of the two most important research and policy organizations in the world, and de Soto is widely considered to be among the most influential public intellectuals of our time. In his books The Other Path and The Mystery of Capital Mr. de Soto examines the hidden potential for wealth creation in some of the poorest countries around the globe. Informal economies in the developing world are often the site of intense and vigorous entrepreneurship, but legal restrictions, cumbersome regulations, and poorly defined property rights keep people from realizing the potential for wealth creation that exists right in their own back yards. The principal focus of Mr. de Soto and his colleagues at Institute for Liberty and Democracy is to design and implement legal and economic reforms that will encourage capital formation among the poor in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and former Soviet nations. Some 30 heads of state have invited de Soto to carry out these programs in their countries. Mr. de Soto will be on the Beloit College campus in October 2009.
The 2009 Upton Scholar will be economist Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy in Lima, Peru. According to The Economist magazine the Institute for Liberty and Democracy is one of the two most important research and policy organizations in the world, and de Soto is widely considered to be among the most influential public intellectuals of our time. In his books The Other Path and The Mystery of Capital Mr. de Soto examines the hidden potential for wealth creation in some of the poorest countries around the globe. Informal economies in the developing world are often the site of intense and vigorous entrepreneurship, but legal restrictions, cumbersome regulations, and poorly defined property rights keep people from realizing the potential for wealth creation that exists right in their own back yards. The principal focus of Mr. de Soto and his colleagues at Institute for Liberty and Democracy is to design and implement legal and economic reforms that will encourage capital formation among the poor in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and former Soviet nations. Some 30 heads of state have invited de Soto to carry out these programs in their countries. Mr. de Soto will be on the Beloit College campus in October 2009.