Dr. F. Haider Alvi urges humility, understanding, to bridge the economic gap between Global North and Global South
Humility, understanding, and equal partnerships between the Global North and Global South are key to addressing economic, environmental, and other challenges facing the world today, says Dr. F. Haider Alvi.
Alvi, a professor of innovation finance at Athabasca University, has spent years researching ways to bridge those gaps between the Global North—essentially Europe and North America—and the Global South, which makes up the remaining 80% of the world.
But the terms "Global North" and "Global South" refer to more than just geography, Alvi explains. They also reflect the historical power dynamics of colonialism in which the northern countries continue to influence global systems of governance, finance, and business.
Alvi’s research explores how these imported standards are not simply adopted wholesale, but rather hybridized to fit local contexts. This adaptation is often misunderstood or overlooked by businesses in the Global North, he says, which can lead to frustration and inefficiency.
“From a business point of view, we don’t always step back to understand how that’s impacting our business. And instead, it’s sort of like, ‘why don’t these people get it?’ rather than, ‘how do we adapt this to make it work in this local, institutional context?’”
A ‘child of the Global South’
Alvi’s own background has informed and shaped his view of this dynamic, as “a child of the Global South,” whose parents immigrated from South Asia. He grew up in Canada and received his MBA and law degrees in the 1990s.
Some of his classmates at the time were working in banking in Asia and encouraged him to join them, so he packed up his life and moved to Jakarta, Indonesia. Shortly after that, the financial crisis of 1997 hit hard across the region.
“To see a middle class wiped out like that was unbelievable,” he said. “So that inspired me to make a difference, to try and understand what was happening.”
He went on to work in finance in the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America, and ultimately, to pursue academia, working at universities in Mexico City and Toronto before joining AU.
Working together, as equal partners
Alvi urges a more collaborative, equitable approach—particularly as the world faces challenges that transcend national borders, such as climate change and economic inequity. He says wealthier nations need to also recognize the structural advantages they’ve inherited have also contributed to environmental degradation, rather than “victim-blaming” those in the Global South.
For Alvi, the solution lies in inclusive global cooperation and the reimagining of traditional roles, which includes treating countries in the Global South as equal partners. And he emphasizes the importance of business—not just government—in modelling the way forward.
In a time when we have whole-planet problems like climate change, we need whole-planet solutions.
“Business has an important role in finding a way to make things a little more sustainable, a little more equitable,” he added.
His hope is that research can help inform that decision-making for the future. “No one has a crystal ball. It’s never going to be perfect; we’re just trying to be better.”
Learn more about Alvi’s research on his Pure profile
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