Research Activity - December 2019

Smith O'Neil Presents at the Al Qattan Foundation

December ResearchDr. Maryvelma Smith O’Neil offered a presentation on her Webster University, Geneva research, “The Illés Relief Digital Mapping Initiative,” at the Al Qattan Foundation (Ramallah) symposium, Palestine Seen from Above, (7 Dec. 2019). The seminar explored how Palestine’s topography has been looked upon as visual text that supported the shaping of politics, culture, economy and ideology. Further investigation will take place during an exhibition at Al Qattan in Aug. 2020.

 

 

Arese Visconti Presents at the CREAM symposium hosted by the University of Westminster

December ResearchOn Thursday Dec. 12, Francesco Arese Visconti, Head of the Media Communications and Photography department, presented his last research findings at the CREAM symposium hosted by the University of Westminster. Arese Visconti discussed the visual representation of Italian seasonal workers on the Swiss-based magazine L'Illustré during the years between 1960-1970.

 

 

 

Indjikian at the Euromoney Global Grain Geneva 2019 Conference

December ResearchProfessor Rouben Indjikian, who is teaching his seventh annual course on commodities was invited to moderate a session on the Black Sea grains export infrastructure and logistics at the Euromoney Global Grain Geneva 2019 conference.) He was previously the moderator of the same session at Global Grain 2018. He invited panelists from Russia and Ukraine to discuss the challenges of further developing infrastructure and logistics, which continue to lag behind expanding production and export capacities. For example in Ukraine warehouse networks and rail and road logistics need to be upgraded, while current river navigation falls far behind the historical records in that sector of logistics. Russia also needs to further develop internal stockage and transportation of grains to meet the expanding capacities of Russian ports to handle bigger volumes of shipping. The Black Sea hub is becoming increasingly important in the international trade in grains supplying first of all importers in the Middle East and Africa. Meanwhile the high cost and limited availability of domestic sources of financing and limited access to international finance at competitive terms remain the main challenges. While Russian exporters have a possibility to benefit from the support measures of the government, Ukrainian exports are supported more by investments of major international trading houses active in the Ukrainian market or other investors working closely with local companies. The major international trading houses are also present in the Russian market. After the presentations Prof. Indjikian moderated an interesting interactive discussion, which helped to better understand the role and potential of the Black Sea hub in global grains trade flows.