Wilson Center Experts
Kent Hughes
Director, Program on America and the Global Economy
Program on America and the Global Economy
Contact Information:
T 202/691-4136
// F 202/691-4001
Expertise:
Economics and Globalization
; Trade and Development
; NAFTA
; Education
; U.S. Politics
; U.S. Domestic Policy
; North America
; United States
Kent H. Hughes is currently the Director of the Program on America and the Global Economy (PAGE) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. As part of the PAGE agenda, he published a book, Building the Next American Century: The Past and Future of American Economic Competitiveness (Wilson Center Press 2005), which emphasizes the importance of innovation and education to America’s future. Prior to joining the Center, Dr. Hughes served as Associate Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, president of the private sector Council on Competitiveness, and in a number of senior positions with the U.S. Congress. Prior to his congressional service, Dr. Hughes served as a staff attorney for the Urban Law Institute. He was also an International Legal Center Fellow and Latin American Teaching Fellow in Brazil where he worked on a reform of Brazilian legal education.
Dr. Hughes holds a Ph.D. in economics from Washington University, a LL.B. from Harvard Law School and a B.A in Political and Economic Institutions from Yale University. He serves on the Executive Advisory Board of FIRST Robotics and is a member of the D.C. Bar, American Bar Association and the American Economic Association.
Major Publications
- "Innovation in the United States: The Interplay of History, Institutions, and American Culture," AICGS Policy Report 26 (American Institute of Contemporary German Studies, 2006)
- "Are the Wheels Coming Off the American Auto Industry?" The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 14, 2006
- Building the Next American Century: The Past and Future of Economic Competitiveness, (Woodrow Wilson Center Press and The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)
- "R&D Can Keep America Competitive Amid New Challenges," Chronicle of Higher Education, November 30, 2001
- "The Currency Conundrum," editor (Woodrow Wilson Center, 2001)
- Trade, Taxes, and Transnationals: International Economic Decision Making in Congress (Westview Press, 1979)
- "Building the American Dream: Jobs, Innovation, and Growth in America's Next Century," The 1996 Competitiveness Report of the U.S. Department of Commerce
Related Content for this Expert
Iran: Domestic Change and Global Presence
October 14, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:15pm
Iran is wracked by its greatest political turmoil since the Iranian revolution. With the Obama Administration striving for engagement rather than confrontation, these developments have raised the diplomatic stakes with both countries. Two leading experts will discussion domestic developments in Iran as well as the current posture of the international community and how both developments create challenges for the United States.
more
21st Century Pathways to a Skilled Technology Workforce
October 13, 2011 // 8:00am — 1:15pm
Stakeholders in IT academies, apprenticeship programs, workforce training, and the industries that depend upon 21st century skills will discuss how best to create and maintain a 21st century workforce. more
Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The Right Combination for Growth?
October 07, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:15pm
As America continues to find its footing in the post-recession globalized world, entrepreneurship and innovation remain two key facets of potential growth. Panelists will examine the relationship between the two and how they can help bolster American competitiveness in the 21st century. They will also discuss what legislation can foster entrepreneurship.
more
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
September 23, 2011 // 8:30am — 2:00pm
As America continues to find its footing in the post-recession globalized world, entrepreneurship and innovation remain two key facets of potential growth. The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation are hosting a conference on September 23, 2011 to explore these subjects in greater depth. The conference is to begin with an opening keynote from Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), followed by two panels of experts from industry, policy, and academia, with a concluding address from Carl Schramm, President & CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. more
Book Launch: Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises
September 13, 2011 // 2:00pm — 3:30pm
Join Robert Z. Aliber, author of Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises on September 13 for a round-table discussion on his new book. more
Manufacturing Key to America's Future
Aug 29, 2011The key to stimulating economic growth and job creation is to encourage and support manufacturing in the U.S., writes Wilson Center economics expert Kent Hughes in The Philadelphia Inquirer more
Book Launch: Pinched: How the Great Recession Has Narrowed Our Futures and What We Can Do About It
August 08, 2011 // 3:00pm — 5:00pm
Join Don Peck, author of Pinched: How the Great Recession Has Narrowed Our Futures & What We Can Do About It, on August 8 for a round-table discussion on the future of the American economy. more
The Business of Education: Avoiding a Skills Gap
July 18, 2011 // 10:30am — 11:30am
Future U.S. competitiveness will depend on whether our students are given the proper skills to be college and career-ready. Businesses, maybe now more than ever, are investing in education and forming partnerships with schools to help ensure that our students are ready to join and compete in a 21st century global workforce. Boeing is no exception. Project-based learning and an emphasis on STEM subjects will be key to winning the future. more
Targeting Top Teachers For Superior STEM Education
July 12, 2011 // 9:00am — 10:15am
With the impending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the issue of teacher quality is one of particular interest for the upcoming session. The panel of Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows discussed the characteristics and considerations that a definition for Highly Effective STEM Teachers should address. The Fellows also addressed the impact of high quality professional development programs by outlining their experiences and observations.
more
Bullets to Books: The Role of Education in Development and What the U.S. Can Do
June 17, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:15pm
Panelists discuss the importance of education from early childhood to higher education, its impact on a nation’s economy, and current education initiatives being put forth by USAID. more
Pages
What would happen if we fall off the 'fiscal cliff'?
Nov 30, 2012Deputy business editor Joe Bel Bruno and economy reporter Don Lee talk with Kent H. Hughes, director of the Program on America and the Global Economy at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars about the looming 'fiscal cliff'.
Making a Success of Every School
Nov 06, 2012The Program on America and the Global Economy along with Paul Vallas, Distinguished Scholar and noted education reformer recently released a publication identifying the main challenges facing U.S. education in the 21st century.
Greece Should Stay with Eurozone
May 17, 2012Exiting the Eurozone will only exacerbate the austerity Greek voters have balked at, says Kent Hughes. Rather than leave, Greek economic and political leadership should seize the opportunity to rebuild a civic culture that will support stable finances and long-term growth.
The End of Austerity Politics in Europe?
May 08, 2012In the wake of this weekend's elections in France, Greece, and other parts of Europe, headlines across the globe suggest that voters have delivered a major anti-austerity message to their governments. Wilson Center expert Kent Hughes provides analysis and perspective on what political change in France and other countries might mean.
Manufacturing Key to America's Future
Aug 29, 2011The key to stimulating economic growth and job creation is to encourage and support manufacturing in the U.S., writes Wilson Center economics expert Kent Hughes in The Philadelphia Inquirer
Book Launch: Better Capitalism: Renewing the Entrepreneurial Strength of the American Economy
October 24, 2012 // 9:00am — 10:30am
Author Robert Litan, Director of Research for Bloomberg Government and the former vice president for research and policy at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, will discuss his recently released book, Better Capitalism: Renewing the Entrepreneurial Strength of the American Economy.
A Debate: Is the American Economy in Decline?
October 18, 2012 // 3:00pm — 4:30pm
Please join us for a compelling debate that explores these two competing interpretations and examines what the United States needs to do to restore robust economic growth. Robert Atkinson and Ed Luce will debate the affirmative, based on arguments from their books Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage and Time to Start Thinking, arguing the U.S. economy is suffering from underlying structural weaknesses which will continue to comprise America’s economic competitiveness until addressed. Dan Gross will counter that the decline of the American economy has been much exaggerated and that the U.S. economy remains structurally sound and is in fact poised for rapid growth once the financial crisis abates, as he argues in Better, Stronger, Faster: The Myth of American Decline . . . and the Rise of a New Economy.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Future of International Trade
August 08, 2012 // 2:00pm — 5:00pm
As the major trade initiative of the Obama Administration, the Trans-Pacific Partnership will broaden trade in the Pacific and may create a template for future, global trade negotiations.
Understanding and Responding to Attacks on Civil Society: The Roles of Politics and Law
August 14, 2012 // 9:30am — 11:00am
It is crucial for the international community to understand the implications of attacks on civil society for the development of democratic governance in these countries and, more importantly, to identify effective ways to respond to them.
The Manufacturing Competitiveness Imperative for the United States
July 31, 2012 // 9:00am — 10:30am
Craig Giffi will provide an overview of the current state of manufacturing in the United States and possible future impact of and importance of manufacturing to national prosperity, national security, and the entire innovation system. Giffi will be joined by Nayanee Gupta who will discuss how potential developments in advanced manufacturing could help sharply strengthen the American presence in manufacturing. To make the most of expected advances in manufacturing, the United States will also need to make a major commitment to develop, maintain, and upgrade workforce skills.
Universities, High-skilled Immigration, and Regulatory Reform: Implications for America's Economic Future (Offsite)
July 13, 2012 // 12:00pm — 1:15pm
A panel of experts will discuss key aspects of the Start-Up Act with a special focus on the provisions designed to accelerate the commercialization of university research, the regulating of start-up companies, and the broadening of opportunities for temporary immigrants with post-graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to eventually quality for permanent residency visas.
OECD Economic Survey of the United States, 2012
June 26, 2012 // 3:00pm — 4:30pm
The OECD’s 2012 Economic Survey of the United States is an in-depth analysis of the U.S. economy and offers policy recommendations to promote sustainable economic growth and employment. The Survey also explores policy options to reduce income inequality and poverty. A special chapter in this year’s report is focused on fostering innovation.
The Start-Up Act 2.0 and American Innovation
June 28, 2012 // 9:00am — 11:30am
Senator Chris Coons is part of a bipartisan group of Senators that recently introduced the Startup Act 2.0 in the Senate. He will provide a keynote address on the Act followed by a panel discussion that will focus on key aspects of the Start-Up Act 2.0. There will be a special focus on the provisions designed to accelerate the commercialization of university research, the broadening of opportunities for temporary immigrants with post-graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for visas for permanent residency, and the proposal to assess the impact of regulations.
The Startup Act and America’s Entrepreneurial Economy (Offsite)
June 08, 2012 // 12:00pm — 1:15pm
A panel of experts will focus on key aspects of the Start-Up Act with a special focus on the provisions designed to accelerate the commercialization of university research and the broadening of opportunities for temporary immigrants with post-graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to eventually quality for permanent residency visas.
Are We Becoming A Nation of Renters?
May 22, 2012 // 8:00am — 4:30pm
Three years after the 2008 financial crisis, America’s housing market still languishes and millions of families are losing their grip on “The American Dream.” Join us for an in-depth conference featuring policymakers, practicing mortgage capital experts, and academics to discuss the concrete steps forward to repairing and improving America’s mortgage finance system.
Pages
Negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
Dec 04, 2012The TPP is a major attempt to update the rules governing international trade to meet new challenges. In this paper, Wilson Center Senior Scholar William Krist puts the TPP negotiations in a historic context, assesses the current state of the negotiations, examines a number of key issues involved and explores the implication of new members joining the negotiations.
Manufacturing Matters
Nov 28, 2012Manufacturing plays a key role in the U.S. economy and will continue to do so. Looking ahead, the United States needs a manufacturing strategy that can support the emergence of advanced manufacturing processes that, in conjunction with low-cost energy, can revitalize the U.S. manufacturing sector.
Strengthening America: Inventing the Future
Nov 28, 2012The U.S. innovation system has enormous strengths, including public and private support for research and development, the world’s best university system, and an entrepreneurial risk-taking culture. But those elements of the system now face
several domestic and international challenges. The United States will need to maintain support for research and development (R&D), improve its education system, and learn from best practices around the world if it is to compete in the 21st century.
Making a Success of Every School: Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century
Nov 06, 2012The Program on America and the Global Economy along with Paul Vallas, Distinguished Scholar and noted education reformer recently released a publication identifying the main challenges facing U.S. education in the 21st century.
Commentary: Trade and the Environment After Seattle
Jul 07, 2011ECSP draws upon Wilson Center speakers and fellows, past and present, to comment on trade and the environment in the wake of Seattle.
Brazilian Congressional Study Mission on Innovation
Apr 16, 2011In the First Brazilian Congressional Study Mission on Innovation, a group of Brazilian congressman and senators visited the Wilson Center, State Department, and MIT to discuss innovation policies in the United States.
From the Classroom to Washington: Einsteins on Education Reform
Sep 07, 2010On June 28-29, 2010, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted the 20th Anniversary Summit of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. The fellows offer a unique perspective on U.S. schools and educational policy making; they have been chosen by the Department of Energy to spend a fellowship year, or two, in congressional or executive offices based on their excellence in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in K-12 schools. This report highlights the outcomes of the summit and focuses on key issues in STEM education.
Biofuels: Food, Fuel, and the Future?
Jul 09, 2010The Program on America and the Global Economy (PAGE) and its Global Energy Initiative together with the Brazil Institute, have held a series of conferences that have focused in whole or in part on various developments in the field of biofuels. In the July 23, 2010 conference, PAGE turned to two scholars, C. Ford Runge and Robbin S. Johnson, both with ties to the University of Minnesota, to provide the current state of play in the development of biofuels, particularly in the United States. A second panel moderated by the Brazil Institute's Paulo Sotero focused on biofuels in an international context.
Stakeholders in Student Success: Public-Private Partnerships Strengthening K-12 Education
Dec 07, 2008Published in December 2008, this report describes some of the most innovative educational programs in the country, which have succeeded in raising student performance and teacher preparedness. As a particular focus, it highlights those programs that have been effective in motivating minority and female students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It also presents the perspectives of key leaders in education, including former Congressman Sherwood Boehlert, Congressman Brian Baird, and a group of distinguished classroom teachers.The STAGE Program's focus on education and the completion of this report were made possible through a generous grant from the Petrie Foundation.
Building the Next American Century: The Past and Future of Economic Competitiveness
May 01, 2005Collaboration between the public and private sectors helped the U.S. economy recover from its last period of economic malaise, and similar collaboration is needed today, according to a key participant in the 1980s–1990s competitiveness movement. In Building the Next American Century, Kent H. Hughes describes that movement, beginning with the conditions that stimulated it: stagflation in the early 1970s, declines in manufactured exports, and challenges from German and Japanese manufacturers.
Pages
Economics Roundtable & Lebanon and the Arab Spring
Dec 05, 2012 to Dec 12, 2012
Don Lee, economics reporter for the LA Times, Don Wolfensberger, Wilson Center Senior Scholar, and Kent Hughes, Director of PAGE program at the Wilson Center, discuss the fiscal cliff in our "economics roundtable." Fuad Siniora, former prime minister of Lebanon, provides context on the Arab Spring from the perspective of that nation.
Uprising: The Politics of Protest
Mar 05, 2012 to Mar 11, 2012
John Nichols, The Nation's Washington correspondent and the Associate Editor of The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin; Kent Hughes, director of the Wilson Center’s Program on America and the Global Economy
Congress, The IMF, The World Bank, and the Global Economic Crisis
Nov 16, 2011 to Nov 21, 2011
Kathryn Lavelle, the Ellen and Dixon Long Associate Professor of World Affairs at Case Western Reserve University; Kent Hughes, director of the Wilson Center’s Program on America and the Global Economy
Cut or Spend: What's the Long Term Solution to America's Budget Challenge?
Aug 14, 2011 to Aug 20, 2011
John Milewski is joined by Kathryn Lavelle and Kent Hughes to discuss the long term implications of the recent budget and debt debate in Washington.
Cut or Spend: What's the Long Term Solution to America's Budget Challenge?
May 29, 2011 to Jun 04, 2011
Kathryn Lavelle and Kent Hughes discuss the current and long term implications of the ongoing budget and debt debate in Washington.
The Jobless Recovery
Dec 21, 2009 to Dec 27, 2009
Amy Wilkinson, senior fellow at the Harvard university center for business and government and a public policy scholar at the Wilson Center. Kent Hughes , director of the Wilson Center's program on America and the global economy and the Wilson Center On the Hill program.
Building the Next American Century
Oct 26, 2009 to Nov 01, 2009
Kent Hughes, Director, Science, Technology, America, and the Global Economy at the Woodrow Wilson Center
Building the Next American Century
Sep 12, 2005 to Sep 18, 2005
Kent Hughes, Director, Science, Technology, America, and the Global Economy at the Woodrow Wilson Center
Planning for Prosperity
Nov 01, 1999 to Nov 07, 1999
Kent Hughes is former Associate Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce, and a current Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center.