JERRY HAAR, PH.D.

Radical Islam’s Latin American connection
November 23, 2015
In the aftermath of the barbarity inflicted by Islamic terrorists in France, five Syrians heading to the United States with fake Greek passports were arrested in Honduras. When queried, one of them stated they were “students.” At that point, it became alarmingly clear that Latin America could well serve as a launch pad for Islamic terrorists to attack the United States.... more

Latin America’s Agricultural Challenges
October 11, 2015
Our planet is a hungry one. By the year 2050, the world will need to produce enough food to feed more than 2 billion additional people, compared to the current 7.2 billion. To meet future food demand, agricultural production will need to increase by 50-70%, according to different estimates.... more

Latin America's outlook rests on Asia, technology, security
October 8, 2015
You don't need to be an IMF economist to conclude that Florida's top trading partner, Brazil, is going through a very difficult time. Just visit malls at Aventura, Dadeland and Sawgrass Mills and you will note a lot less Portuguese being spoken... more

Tell the Truth about Free Trade
September 2, 2015
Two of the leading contenders in the presidential race, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, disagree on almost every policy issue except one — trade. Both regard NAFTA and the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as “disastrous.” Trump excoriates American companies for investing in Mexico and threatens hugely punitive taxes on their exports to the United States. Sanders claims TPP will benefit only big corporations and Wall Street... more

Doing Business in Cuba: Don’t Forget Opportunity Costs
May 26, 2015
The continuing and growing chatter on doing business in Cuba is reaching epic proportions. It has become the “flavor of the month” (and will continue to be) among entrepreneurs, investors, exporters, importers, financiers and U.S. multinational companies... more

Outsourcing Services to Cuba? A Win-Win for The U.S. and Cuba
April 10, 2015
Following the White House announcement last December 2014 easing economic sanctions on Cuba, U.S. companies immediately began positioning themselves to take advantage of commercial opportunities... more

Florida sees big benefits from stem cell research
March 21, 2015
Can stem-cell research transform Florida from a tourist state? Author Bryant H. McGill asserts that: “It is better to have a meaningful life and make a difference than to merely have a long life.” But increasingly one can have both, courtesy of scientific advancement... more

U.S.-Cuba Relations: a new beginning or much ado about nothing?
January 15, 2015
Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, in a 1996 televised speech, referred to the continued overvaluation of stocks as "irrational exuberance" — an apt expression today in the wake of President Barack Obama's Dec. 17th announcement of a policy to normalize relations with Cuba... more

Post-embargo Cuba: How Risky?
January 12, 2015
Last month’s announcement of a U.S.-Cuba normalization accord has produced euphoria among American companies and entrepreneurs, even though the trade and financial provisions of the agreement are more fine-tuning than major change... more

Don’t expect rapid change
January 6, 2015
Curb your enthusiasm. That’s my advice, inspired by the HBO series of the same name, for wishful thinkers across the globe who have manifested unbridled euphoria ever since President Obama announced the normalization of diplomatic ties with Cuba... more

Industry-University Linkages in Mexico: The Quest for Innovation
January 5, 2015
The accelerated expansion of the global knowledge economy has intensified the need for strategic partnerships between business and academe, with government in a supporting role, to boost competitiveness. The goal is to merge the discovery-driven culture of the university with the innovation-driven environment of the company, overcoming the cultural and communications divide that often impairs partnerships... more