President's Letter
Angela Marshall Hofmann
President

I am proud to report as outgoing WIIT President that 2005-2006 marks another successful year for our organization highlighted by new and innovative section programming and strong membership resulting in strong net revenues. I am proud to say that our chapter not only served its mission of engaging the Washington trade community, but also was a leader in engaging our umbrella chapter of OWIT.Read more . . .

New Opportunities for African Oil in Chinese Markets
Dr. Sarita Jackson, The Services Group, Inc.
The trading relationship between China and Africa has been neither a zero-sum game nor a David and Goliath type battle. Rather, there is room for benefits from and cooperation with China. Those advantages do not just come in the form of reduced prices for consumers as the result of the import of less expensive inputs but also in the manner of accessing other markets. Read more . . .

Managing in Emerging Markets
Ms. Hui He, Doctoral Candidate, and Dr. Jiawen Yang, Professor of International Business and International Affairs, both at the George Washington University
Emerging markets present opportunities as well as challenges for businesses and executives from advanced economies. Operating in emerging markets involves identifying, investing in, and managing business opportunities in such markets. While the business environment in emerging markets is increasingly moving in the direction of norms in advanced economies, there are fundamental differences that business executives and managers have to address when managing in emerging markets. Read more . . .

Differences in Values among Managers in the Middle East
Liesl Riddle, PhD, Assistant Professor of International Business and International Affairs, School of Business, The George Washington University
Since 9/11, the Middle East(i) has become increasingly important to Western economies. In May 2003, the United States (US) began the Middle East Free Trade Initiative, (MEFTI), a plan of graduated policy steps designed to lay the foundation for a US-Middle East free trade agreement by 2013. As part of this initiative, free-trade agreements have been established between the US and Bahrain, Morocco, and Jordan. Read more . . .

The International Economics Study Center Website
Steve Suranovic, an Associate Professor of Economics and International Affairs at The George Washington University (GW) in Washington D.C. has been constructing this web site since late 1996, primarily for use by his students in international economics courses at GW and at the Cornell in Washington program. Read more . . .

Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility
Co-Chair, WIIT Export Promotion and International Finance Section
On February 23, 2006, Christine Briscoe and Cressida Slote were the featured speakers at the Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) brown bag luncheon, the first in the CSR Series hosted by the Export Promotion and International Section. Christine, a WIIT Board member, works in the International Business Development Section at the Embassy of Canada. Read more. . .

Career Night Event
Tiana Butcher
On April 26, 2006 the Professional Development Group hosted its annual Career Night event at Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP. Approximately 30 leaders in international trade, representing government agencies, corporations, trade associations, law firms, consulting groups and trade and development organizations attended to offer advice and share their experiences with emerging professionals in the field. Read more. . .

Women in International Trade (WIIT) & Washington International Trade Association (WITA) Joint Happy Hour
In February, WIIT and WITA, Washington's two premier international trade organizations, joined forces and hosted a social event at the newly opened Clyde's in Chinatown.
Read more . . .

Brief Update of the WIIT Charitable Trust
Monique Roske, Chair
Please allow me to begin this short update on our WIIT Trust activities by saying once more a heartfelt "thank you" to all the generous donors who responded so well to Julie Hughes winter fundraising appeal. We are so very grateful! Read more. . .

OWIT Report
Andrea Ewart, OWIT Representative
WIIT-DC was voted Chapter of the Year at the recent OWIT Spring Board meeting. The award recognizes WIIT-DC's engagement in and support of OWIT over the past year. WIIT-DC hosted the OWIT Fall Board meeting in September, 2005; at the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial in December, 2005 coordinated two networking events for OWIT members attending from several countries; and assisted with the creation and mentoring of new and struggling chapters, particularly in Hungary (Budapest), Kenya (Nairobi), Romania, Angola, Uganda, Jordan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jamaica, and in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Read more