If McNamara could etch one lesson into marble, it would be this: “be okay with the struggle.”

“Because it’s hard doesn’t mean you’re dumb. It’s supposed to be hard.”

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Ironically, while language and methods are becoming more complex, the political reality that is being studied (or better: created for study) often ignores the many complexities of the real world.

I really feel this. The whole point of reading a book - or an op-ed, or a SoMe post, etc. - is that I know that there is *someone*, another human, who wants to say something to me.

Congratulations for this fantastic publication Milan 🎉

👉 We call on scholars of political economy and growth to pay greater attention to the cross-border dynamics of skill formation in promoting growth.

These efforts are driven by a “dominant growth coalition” of state actors and employers with a shared interest in sustaining the competitiveness of the economy.

Using Germany as a case, we demonstrate how national skill formation systems adapt by:
1️⃣ Exporting vocational education and training (VET) abroad
2️⃣ Managing labor migration strategically

Skill needs are increasingly shaped by international pressures.
🔹 Companies need a skilled workforce in the abroad locations where production increasingly takes place
🔹 At home, countries face skill shortages and try and attract the workers that they need from abroad

Our key argument: Skill formation is no longer a purely national endeavor but is increasingly transnational.