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The ILR School and the ILO: Research and Training Lead Toward a “Fairer Globalization” Profitable for All By Stuart Basefsky In the complex world of work, it is important to be sensitive to the often-competing needs of companies, workers, and governments. The only truly tripartite international organization that addresses these complexities is the International Labour Organization (ILO), founded in 1919. Remarkably, the ILR School is one of the few world-class educational institutions structured to study these same three entities as part of the interwoven fabric that constitutes the workplace. It is no wonder, therefore, that the research arm of the ILO, known as the International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) and the ILR School signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in September 2003 to work jointly on projects of mutual interest. As a follow-up to the MOU, several ILR faculty members traveled to the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 20 and 21, 2004, just before attending the CAHRS meeting in Lausanne. This group, which included Dean Lawler, Professors Clete Daniel, James Gross, Rosemary Batt, Ronald Applegate, Sarosh Kuruvilla, and me, met for numerous sessions sponsored by IILS and its director, Jean-Pierre Laviec. The Ithaca contingent was supported by the International Committee of the ILR School, chaired by Maria Cook and the staff of the Dean’s Office. While the primary reason for this meeting was to develop a possible research and training agenda to respond to the recently released report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, titled “A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All,” other goals included • identifying the key counterparts to the ILR faculty residing at the ILO with whom research and training networks could be developed for gathering data, sharing research, and developing curricula; • acquainting the dean with the leadership of the ILO so as to establish the personal contacts that permit an institutional relationship to develop. My Internship with the ILO By Matthew Schneid ’05 I spent the spring 2004 semester pursuing an internship for credit that took me across the ocean to Switzerland, where I worked at the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO). I worked directly with several economists from across the globe analyzing labor market policies in Latin America, and interacted with government officials and other researchers from around the world. It quickly became normal to sit at a table with five different individuals representing five separate nations, five separate cultures, heritages, and ideologies. These social and intellectual interactions furthered my development in ways that were not possible at Cornell. My knowledge from ILR, however, enabled me to fully absorb the offerings of my stimulating surroundings. The international experience rounded out my education and created fond memories. Working in a research division at the ILO has opened my eyes to the merit of research and how helpful it will be to my future. It has propelled my desire to gain knowledge and confront the world’s challenges through academic pursuits. I look ahead to future endeavors and greet them with enthusiasm that I attribute largely to my time abroad, which fostered increased self-confidence and awareness. ILR student interns at the ILO in Geneva, March 2004. Left to right: Mark Eskenazi, Sherely Andrieux, Helen Yoon, and Matt Schneid. . 10 ■ ILR Connections/Fall 2004 www.ilr.cornell.edu
An unusual element of this visit was a two-hour videoconference with ILR faculty and staff in Ithaca interested in pursuing this common research agenda. Opening remarks were made by Lucio Baccaro (IILS), Harry Katz (ILR), and Clete Daniel (ILR) on the topic “Toward a Fairer Globalization: What Role for Employment Relations Institutions?” This panel discussion was stimulating and brought numerous comments and responses from the nearly 35 participants. ILR Extension was also well received by its counterpart, the International Training Centre of the ILO (located in Turin, Italy). Its executive director, François Trémeaud, who also maintains an office at the ILO in Geneva, agreed to establish a modest exchange program with the hope that a broader institutional collaboration will develop as well as enhanced global training opportunities. Dean Lawler had the opportunity to meet four of the six executive directors of the ILO while the other faculty members met with their research counterparts, hoping to establish solid communications and networks for future research opportunities. ■ ILR Signs MOU with European Foundation for Improvement of Working and Living Conditions A new memorandum of understanding (MOU) went into effect on June 10, 2004, between the School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, located in Dublin, Ireland. The European Foundation is an official agency of the European Union specializing in industrial and labor relations. The MOU, signed by Dean Lawler and Willy Buschak, acting director of the European Foundation, is modeled on ILR’s agreement with the ILO. The MOU provides for an internship program, a visiting scholar program, and information services, in short, an expansion of the resources and opportunities available to ILR students and faculty. A copy of the MOU can be found online at www.ilr.cornell.edu/international/Partnerships/partnerships. html. www.ilr.cornell.edu ILR Connections/Fall 2004 ■ 11
Page 1 and 2: ILRCONNECTIONS A publication for al
Page 3 and 4: Faculty Spotlight Getting Off the E
Page 5 and 6: Inside the Classroom Globalization
Page 7 and 8: students are learning from ILR facu
Page 10 and 11: International Projects France Indus
Page 14 and 15: ILR C e l e b r a t i o n Our award
Page 16 and 17: Study of NYC Firefighters Shows Eff
Page 18 and 19: Cornell Tradition Fellows Frederick
Page 20 and 21: Students in the Spotlight Jack Cogn
Page 22 and 23: ILR Alumni Across the Globe • •
Page 24 and 25: Alumni Profile Louisa J. (Jane) Hay
Page 26 and 27: ILR Connections Secure Internationa

F-ILR Connections newsletter revised final mechs.indd - ILR School ...

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