Languages and Economic Development: 2009 Keynote Address

Nico Wijnberg began his work in economic development in The Netherlands as the Dutch government country specialist for Russia and Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan. His job was to assist companies in their efforts to enter the Russian and Kazakhstani markets. In this position, it was important to not only stay aware of the ever-changing commercial opportunities in these countries, but also to learn and communicate in Russian. Wijnberg now works as International Business Concierge at the Georgia Department of Economic Development in Atlanta. Equipped with 10 international offices in Toronto, Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, Munich, London, Jerusalem, Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing, this Department of roughly 250 people focuses on promoting Georgia in different parts of the world. Through his experiences, Wijnberg has learned that being able to speak different languages makes a crucial difference in economic development. In this keynote address, Wijnberg begins by describing his personal background, The Netherlands, and the importance of languages in the Dutch educational system. He goes on to discuss how this relates to his present work as International Business Concierge and the role languages play in economic development.