[HBS Summit Meetings]
Discussions at the HBS Centennial Summit in the last few days were interesting. The super-theme was of course the financial crisis. At my panel on globalisation and emerging markets, I talked about the crisis marking a shift of power, with Asia becoming a major pole in the world. Power has increasingly to be chaired and those sensitive to cultural differences will enjoy an advantage.

Special sessions were organised with Bill Gates and Larry Summers. Bill Gates work on his foundation is inspiring. It could not have been an easy decision for him to retire so young from Microsoft. With his mop of hair and nerdy glasses, he still looked like a kid.



Speaking with his usual monotone, Larry Summers was sombre in his assessment of the financial crisis. At the panel discussion with Michael Porter chairing, concerns were expressed that both in the US and Europe, the bailout of banks would lead to a political reaction against unfettered capitalism.





I took time off for a lunch hosted by Prof Amartya Sen and his wife, Emma. They are such a wonderful couple. We discussed the Nalanda project. There'll be another meeting of the Committee of Mentors in February in Singapore. It was a pleasure to learn that Dr Emma Rothschild is a good friend of Nobel laureate Dr Sydney Brenner whom I know well.



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