Debates for and against global outsourcing have become increasingly strident in recent months, with seemingly no consensus on the impact of this phenomenon on the US economy. The left navigation links are provided to illustrate the various positions.

To promote broader dialogue on this issue at Duke and elsewhere, we have put together a panel that consists of academics, industry representatives and policy makers to unravel the complex dynamics behind global outsourcing. Some of the key questions we wish to address are:

• Is global outsourcing inevitable and irreversible?
• How much scope do policy makers have in supporting US jobs while at the same time promoting innovation?
• Is global outsourcing the only way for corporations to remain competitive?
• Is outsourcing a direct outcome of America's addiction to low prices?

Participants: About the panel members

Gary Gereffi	Introduction by Gary Gereffi, Dept of Sociology, Duke University View the video of the introduction Read his introductory comments
Chip Berry	Chip Berry, Vice President of Merchandising, Cone Mills Denim, Greensboro, NC View the video of his commentary
Susan Seymour	Susan Seymour, BioNetwork Director, North Carolina Community College System, Raleigh, NC View the video of her commentary
Sridhar Sourirajan	Sridhar Sourirajan, Software Programmer, SAS Institute, Cary, NC View the video of his commentary Read his article, "Globalization and Offshore Outsourcing: A Tale of Two Realities"
Prof. Meenu Tewari	Prof. Meenu Tewari, Department of Urban Planning, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill View the video of her commentary View her PowerPoint presentation, "Outsourcing in North Carolina's Furniture Industry"
Vivek Wadhwa	Vivek Wadhwa, Founder and Chairman, Relativity Technologies, Raleigh, NC View the video of his commentary Read Vivek Wadhwa's article in Business Week, "My Son, It's Time to Talk of Outsourcing..."
	Question and Answer View the video of the Question & Answer period

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