20 must-read stories for the weekend

Many think education is a by-product of economic growth. The reverse is true and it should top the development agenda.

Tourism accounts for 10% of world GDP and is a bright spot in a slowing global economy. Time, then, to harness the potential of 1 billion tourists.

These are the world’s 10 most competitive countries. Did yours make the cut?

The old continent is still going strong. Europe dominated this year’s list of competitive economies.

But Asia is rising, with three countries in the top 10 and many others making enormous progress.

What keeps leaders up at night? The same as the rest of us: money worries, taxes and bureaucracy.

Building trust in business is complex. But there are two things all firms can do to boost public confidence.

Haiti produces only half the food it consumes and suffers from major poverty. Could a switch from food security to food sovereignty solve both challenges?

A double-shift system in schools could help educate refugees. Might business philanthropists cover the running costs?

The new buzz-phrase driving the global economy? Demographic dynamics.

Who wants a prosthetic brain? The first steps to upgrading human memory are being taken. Meanwhile, half a billion dollars is going into neural philanthropy.

Unpolluting company culture. In corporate scandals, fraud typically starts small and snowballs. Psychologists call it the “normalization of deviance”.

Water consumption is dropping in the United States. Good news for the environment. Bad news for infrastructure planners.

An African vision of global society. Rediscovered thinking on a post-colonial world.

There is a near-twin planet to earth in the solar system. But NASA and moviemakers aren’t in love with Venus.

The Pacific Alliance expands. “There’s no limit to the countries that can join. This is not a closed bloc,” Mexico’s economics minister said at a Forum meeting. (Financial Times)

Emerging market multinationals are on the rise. But could a shortage of local talent take the wind out of their sails? Cites Forum research. (Wharton)

A dramatic turnaround. India climbs 16 places in the Global Competitiveness Report, thanks to pro-business and pro-growth policies. (Wall Street Journal)

Britain plays catch-up. It fell behind its peers in the Global Competitiveness Report, with high government debt and low savings to blame. (Telegraph)

The new normal? Productivity has stalled in almost every country – but we might have to get used to it. Cites the Global Competitiveness Report. (Bloomberg)

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

Image: People stand on the peak of Mount Uetliberg (871 metres/2850 ft) on a sunny winter day above the city of Zurich and Lake Zurich February 18, 2012. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann