Christmas economics and stories of the season

1. Why Europe must invest in entrepreneurs. The financial crisis hit start-ups hard. But the eurozone needs new firms to create new jobs.

2. “Study every day. Even if it’s just for an hour.” A Chief Executive Officer on his most valuable piece of advice for success at work and beyond.

3. “Failing to educate the young in a society is to see it wither.” What the Peshawar school massacre tells us about the war on education.

4. 2014 in pictures. The World Economic Forum’s year, from Davos to Dubai.

5. The future of touch-free technology. What a world beyond screens means for surgeons, drivers and muddy-handed gardeners answering a call.

6. The problem with pink and blue Christmas toys. One mother’s call for an end to seasonal gender segregation.

7. Good news you may have missed in 2014. Bill Gates on five health breakthroughs that provide a troubled world with some tidings of comfort and joy.

8. Another industrial revolution is coming. It’s circular. (Telegraph)

9. What really inspires millennials to live more sustainably? “Millennials think sustainability means a product will last a long time, rather than understanding it in the sense of saving energy or ethical trade.” (Guardian)

10. China must fight corruption one city at a time. “The World Economic Forum has continued to highlight corruption as a top, and rising, problem for doing business in China.” (SCMP)

11. Top 10 most pressing issues in 2015. References the Global Risks Report. (Digital Journal)

12. Egalité hommes/femmes au travail: n’y comptez pas avant 2095! (TF1)

13. Women making up larger slice of top earners. References the Global Gender Gap Report. (City AM)

14. Christmas economics. “We give advice about which behaviours might get you more Christmas presents from Santa this year.”

15. China loves Christmas. Celebrations include Santa costumes, saxophones and steam trains. This Chinese city makes 60% of the world’s decorations.

16. Dickens’ Christmas classic still haunts us. Scrooge would not be surprised by some features of modern American life.

17. The father of modern economics, Adam Smith, has some advice that everyone can take to heart this holiday season:

And hence it is, that to feel much for others and little for ourselves, that to restrain our selfish, and to indulge our benevolent affections, constitutes the perfection of human nature; and can alone produce among mankind that harmony of sentiments and passions in which consists their whole grace and propriety.

18. Would intelligent aliens understand our seasonal sentimentality? A contribution to a NASA symposium attempts an answer.

To keep up with the Forum Agenda subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Author: Professor Adrian Monck is Managing Director and head of Public Engagement at the World Economic Forum.

Image: A general view of the Swiss mountain resort of Davos. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann