Pardee Hosts President Ernesto Zedillo

On April 23, 2024, Ernesto Zedillo, President of Mexico from 1994-2000, delivered the 2024 Anthony C. Janos Memorial Lecture titled “Is Globalization Over?” at Boston University School of Law. The lecture, hosted by the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies’ Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, addressed the current state and future prospects of economic globalization. The event was packed, with standing room only, as over 150 attendees eagerly anticipated the insights of the former Mexican leader.

Ambassador Jorge Heine, Research Professor at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and Interim Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, introduced President Zedillo, lauding him as one of the rare scholar-statesmen from Latin America who has made significant contributions in both academia and politics. Ambassador Heine highlighted President Zedillo’s successful navigation of the Mexican economy through turbulent times during his presidency from 1994 to 2000.
In his lecture, President Zedillo argued that while globalization has slowed down since the 2008-2009 financial crisis, it is certainly not over. He provided a historical overview of modern globalization since the end of World War II, crediting the United States for its leadership in building the post-war international economic system.
However, President Zedillo expressed concern over the United States’ recent retreat from this role, citing its aggressive trade policies, especially towards China, and its undermining of the rules-based system under the World Trade Organization (WTO). He criticized the “America First” approach and the imposition of tariffs on grounds of national security.
President Zedillo also took issue with some academics who blame globalization for rising populism and global inequality. He refuted the notion that technology and government policies are endogenous to globalization, emphasizing that globalization itself is not responsible for job losses and other economic challenges facing developed countries.
In the Q&A session, President Zedillo addressed questions about Mexican immigration to the United States, the potential impact of Mexico’s upcoming elections on foreign investment, and global debt levels. He called for a better system of circular migration between the two countries and cautioned against seeing the nearshoring trend as a silver bullet for Mexico’s development challenges.
Danielle Luna, a senior at the Pardee School of Global Studies graduating in May 2024, shared her thoughts on the event:
“As an International Relations major with a Regional Track Study on Latin America, it was truly a gift to get to hear from an expert and such an important figure as Ernesto Zedillo, who has lived through some of the events we study about at the Pardee School of Global Studies and even more, continues to impact the field with his insights and experience.”
President Zedillo concluded by urging politicians and citizens to reflect on the dangers of abandoning the rules-based international system. He expressed hope that the current era of globalization does not meet the same fate as the first golden age of globalization that ended with the outbreak of World War I.

Following the lecture, a reception was held where attendees lined up to take photographs and get a chance to talk one-on-one with Ernesto Zedillo. Some students even took selfies with the former president, eager to capture the moment and share it with their friends and family.
The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, an interdisciplinary research center of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, conducts research on globally important issues that affect the human condition over the course of several decades. Through programs of scholarship, outreach, and education, the Pardee Center works to improve public decision-making and policy and to train future generations of interdisciplinary scholars. The annual Anthony C. Janos Memorial Lecture is one of the center’s flagship events.
The lecture can be viewed on YouTube here.