The pandemic has been a watershed event for the investment community, accelerating market shifts already in motion. Overnight, the world has become digital-first and socially minded, irrevocably transforming investor expectations and the industry's way of working. Over the next three years, the industry will be turned upside down, as some firms capitalize on market disruption and others stumble.

To help wealth management firms understand what these profound shifts will mean for their businesses, ESI ThoughtLab is conducting a pioneering multi-sponsor thought leadership research program, Wealth and Asset Management 4.0. The study will explore how COVID-19 will change investor perspectives and service provider strategies.

Cities are relying more on smart solutions to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which many cities around the world have incorporated into their urban planning. But cities need resources to fund these projects, and financing constraints are among the main obstacles to their initiatives cited by city leaders.

As we look hopefully and optimistically into the New Year, many of us in higher education continue to struggle with student engagement in a virtual environment. Students have grappled with unforeseen challenges that educators have been ill equipped or ill prepared to deal with.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring a healthy, safe, and prosperous future for citizens has been a burning imperative for city leaders around the world. At the same time, the health crisis has raised the importance of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which many cities have adopted as a framework for achieving their objectives.