There are many famous triangles in the world: the golden triangle in India, which takes in Delhi, Agra (home to the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur; the golden triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London which has a wealth of talent and innovation that is hard to match anywhere in the world; of course there is also the Bermuda triangle. But I was keen to understand another famous triangle: North Carolina's Research Triangle. Having recently visited, I feel safe in saying it is one of the most impressive triangles and amongst the strongest for science, innovation, and R&D.

The Triangle, which includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, has become one of the fastest growing areas in the country for high-tech commerce. As part of my role in helping connect UK businesses with the US, and vice versa, I headed down to meet with some of the region's leaders and find out why it has become such an attractive site for US companies like SAS and RedHat, as well as UK companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Smith & Nephew.

The Triangle has Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC State University in its corners and a critical mass of businesses that have developed in the huge park between them. It is a big draw for life sciences due to the talent emerging from the universities and the supportive cluster. This is similar to the UK where the golden triangle has an abundant supply of talent from students studying at universities and the many high skilled migrants who have been drawn to the UK for work. The North Carolina triangle has a strong support network for translating research into medical solutions. Quintiles is a Raleigh Contract Research Organisation that helps with research — obviously they have a keen eye for location, since they operate in the UK's golden triangle as well!

Another side of the Triangle, besides life sciences, is energy. The merger of North Carolina's two regulated energy players, Progress and Duke Energy, will create the largest utility in the US. The Triangle's development agencies are trying to leverage this expertise and academic links to foster the development of green technology hub. The Research Triangle Region Partnership & Raleigh Chamber of Commerce told us that smart grids are part of the vision for the hub. They were keen to hear about some UK plans in the works: Ashton Hayes Smart Village, which is integrating microgeneration and combined heat and power (CHP) into the grid for a thousand-person community in Cheshire; and the Low Carbon Network Fund "Low Carbon London" initiative, which will roll out 25,000 EV charging points by 2015, supporting 100,000 electric vehicles. Smart grids will be important for the UK's Offshore Wind programme which is the world's largest as well as plans for microgeneration and solar. The installation of 46 million smart meters will help ensure UK homes are able to improve their energy usage and create significant opportunities for businesses. There is therefore lots of sharing to be done between the UK and the Triangle's energy community.

The third part of the Triangle is technology. I met the North Carolina Technology Association to see how we can help Triangle tech companies to grow their business in Europe through the UK. Major local ICT players SAS and Red Hat already have UK operations but there are a number of smaller companies we can work with. The UK's ability to offer top-notch academia, a skilled workforce and a competitive corporate tax code (already the lowest in the G7 and being lowered even further to 23%), along with the ease of doing business in the UK, make the UK as much of a natural choice as the Raleigh-Durham choice was for tech companies. A key opportunity will also be helping triangle companies benefit from Tech City in East London with NCTA.

Given that the trip coincided with my birthday, I took a little bit of time to experience some genuine Americana. Outside of the triangle I stopped by the headquarters of Market America, an American success story that harnessed the power of the Internet. A fascinating business story. I also made my first trip to a Wal-Mart. The size of the store meant I felt like I could have actually been to the Bermuda triangle as it was so vast one could roam the aisles for days, weeks, even months and return home having missed the world go by. Luckily I did make it out and returned to DC with a much better understanding of the Triangle and scope for collaboration with the UK. There are lots more we do together and I am looking forward to making it happen with our new colleagues in the Triangle.

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The program is limited to 14 high school students. Three outstanding CMS students have been chosen for the program this year. Kelsey Carothers, a junior from William Amos High High School, Shauna Rust, a junior from Myers Park High School, and Matthew Johnson, a junior from West Charlotte High School, will travel to England June 18 - July 2.

The students were chosen based on a 1000-word essay they wrote on which aspect of British culture interests them most or which British person they would like to meet and why. After being chosen as an essay finalist, the students were interviewed.

Each student brings different ideas and perspectives to the experience.

"I have always wanted to travel," said Kelsey Carothers. "I want to be involved in other cultures and learn about different people."

Matthew Johnson feels a strong family connection to the experience and is excited about crossing the English Channel.

"My father crossed the English Channel when he had the opportunity to go to London and I want to be able to do that as well," said Johnson.

Shauna Rust is looking forward to making new friends during the trip.

"I am excited to meet all of the participants in the program and learn about British culture together," she said.

The British Studies Summer Program is administered and run in England during the last two weeks of June by the American Community School outside of London. This is in conjunction with BABC chapters across the United States who select 14 high school students to join this experience. The close interaction between student, teacher and location not only galvanizes this approach, but also generates an enthusiastic forum for collaborative learning. The ACS British Studies Summer Program was created to explore the enduring impact of British culture. Established in 1996, the program is committed to the ideal of creative, multi-disciplined education. The close interaction between student, teacher and location not only galvanizes this approach, but it also generates an enthusiastic forum for collaborative learning.

While in England, the students will participate in a wide variety of activities including a trip to the Tower of London, visit to Shakespeare's Globe and study sessions at the National Gallery. Round-trip airfare from Charlotte to London will be provided by the British American Business Council of North Carolina. All accommodations and meals will be provided by the ACS.

New Bribery Act
The Bribery Act 2010 was passed by Parliament before the General Election but has not yet been brought into force. It will replace the existing fragmented law dating from before the First World War and will make bribery easier to prosecute, while being fairer to citizens and businesses in what they can expect from the law.

It is important to recognise that, while the Bribery Act will amend the law, bribery has long been a crime in the UK and since 2002 it has been an offence for UK citizens and businesses to bribe overseas, even if none of the activity takes place in the UK. Businesses have been sanctioned with multi-million pound fines and individuals have been imprisoned.

The Act will replace the existing law's outmoded concepts with a modern definition of bribery based on an intention to induce improper conduct. The Act will also introduce new offences of bribing a foreign public official and of failing to prevent bribery on behalf of a commercial organisation.

While these offences do not apply where an inducement is permitted or required by a country's written law, the Act explicitly clarifies that there is no exemption for customary payments or local culture. Businesses should be aware that over 140 countries have signed the UN Convention Against Corruption, which criminalises the official solicitation or acceptance of undue advantages in return for official action or inaction.

The new 'failure to prevent' offence includes a defence where a commercial organisation has adequate procedures to prevent bribery. The Act requires the Government to publish guidance on procedures that commercial organisations can put in place to prevent persons associated with them from bribing. There will be a public consultation exercise on this guidance beginning in late summer.

Formal guidance should be published early in the New Year, to allow time for businesses to prepare for the Act's new offences coming into force in the spring of 2011. Businesses without anti-bribery procedures or seeking to review their approach may also wish to look at the March 2010 OECD good practice guide http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/5/51/44884389.pdf.

Supporting Ethical Business
Bribery is both illegal and bad business. Research shows that a culture of corruption is a disincentive to investment and trade and adds to the costs of doing business. It goes without saying that payment of bribes is unacceptable behaviour, but bribery overseas is also a crime for UK businesses and people who live in the UK. It is also likely to be illegal in the host country.

Overall, the UK has a good reputation for openness and honesty, with UK businesses seen as cleaner than most of their international competitors. By acting professionally and refusing to pay bribes, British businesses defend their reputation for integrity and trade fairly on the value of their products and services.

The Government is committed to target the rogues that seek to win business through bribery and undercut the majority of ethical UK businesses. The Government also provides or sponsors a number of free information resources, (www.ukti.gov.uk (search for OSIB) and http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/.

Tackling Overseas Corruption
Global standards are rising with more than 140 countries now committed to implementing anti-bribery legislation. By upholding our own law we support growing international efforts to stamp out corruption and achieve a level playing field for global trade.

The UK has successfully pressed for stronger multilateral condemnation of so-called 'facilitation payments' or petty bribes paid to avoid official delay or obstruction. In line with the UN Convention Against Corruption, neither current UK law nor the new Bribery Act exempt facilitation payments.

The Government is working with the US and others through closer embassy coordination and support for good governance overseas. If subjected to persistent official demands for bribes you should contact the nearest British diplomatic mission. They may take up your case with the authorities, and may join forces with other OECD and EU missions to increase the lobbying weight of the intervention.

Businesses can take a pro-active stance in anticipating, preventing and resisting bribe solicitation. Practical guidance is available covering a wide range of detailed case studies http://www.iccwbo.org/policy/anticorruption.

For the past seven years, The British American Business Council - North Carolina chapter (BABC), has provided scholarships for CMS students to attend a two-week travel and study program in the United Kingdom. The program is conducted by the American Community Schools in London. Each year the students are chosen via an essay contest conducted by BABC in conjunction with CMS.

Ardrey Kell High student Connor Gilbride and Myers Park High students Hayden Hoffler and Clara Howell were selected as the winners of the 2010 British Studies Summer Program for their essays on the British person they would most like to meet. The students will travel to Great Britain to learn about its culture July 10 - 24.

Connor chose the late Capt. Matthew Webb, the first person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aids, as the person he would most like to meet. Connor, who is a diver on the Ardrey Kell swim team, admires Capt. Webb for his perseverance and determination to overcome the challenges of swimming the English Channel. And much like Capt. Webb, Connor took on the challenge to volunteer as a diver for Ardrey Kell's swim team.

"I had no experience at diving," said Connor. "Diving requires you to be focused and brave, risking it all to achieve the perfect dive. Capt. Webb never did anything easy; he risked his life trying to achieve greatness."

Growing up in a family of nature enthusiasts influenced Hayden Hoffler to learn survival skills as a boy scout. Hayden chose Lord Robert Baden-Powell as the British figure he would like to meet because he helped create the Boy Scouts program. Baden-Powell's scouting handbook helped Hayden learn to correct his mistakes and become a positive role model as a scout.

"He was very adventurous, loved nature, loved the water and was a strong willed, very focused man," Hayden said. "He passed away in 1941, but if he was still alive today I wonder what direction scouting would be going."

Some of the most influential music in the world has come from The Beatles and that's who has inspired Clara Howell. She selected the famous rock band for influencing her with their hit song "I Want to Hold Your Hand." In the third grade, Clara and her classmates used songs from The Beatles for their Odyssey of the Mind skit. Even though they didn't win the competition, that particular song is her most favorite memory of the third grade.

"Even above the widespread popularity of The Beatles at the time of their existence, more respectable is their timelessness," Clara said. "The fact that decades after their albums were released, their songs are still being blasted through my speakers shows their resilience and style."

The $4500 scholarships are awarded to juniors interested in studying British history and culture. The selected students will join 14 other students, all sponsored by various BABC Chapters throughout the United States.

John E. Silvia, Ph. D. , Chief Economist - Wachovia Corporation

Dr. John Silvia joined Wachovia in February 2002 as chief economist for the Bank. Previously, John worked on Capitol Hill as senior economist for the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee and chief economist for the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Prior to that, he was chief economist of Kemper Funds and managing director of Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc. John was recently named by Bloomberg News one of the top 10 forecasters for the last four years.

John holds a B.A. and a Ph.D. degree in economics from Northeastern University in Boston and has a Master's degree in economics from Brown University.

John serves as a member of the Blue Chip Panel of Economic Forecasters and also serves on an informal advisory group for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. He serves on the Economic Advisory Committee of both the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Economic Advisory Roundtable member and at the American Bankers Association. John serves on the Economic Development Board for the State of North Carolina, a special appointment by Governor Mike Easley.

He was a director of the National Association of Business Economics (NABE) and was former President of the Charlotte Economics Club. In the past, John has served on economic advisory committees to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and the Public Securities Association.

In local affairs, John serves as a board member of the British American Business Council of North Carolina. He serves as a member of the Advisory Council to the Business School at Appalachian State University. He serves on the President's Council for Charlotte's Central Piedmont Community College. And he was a member of the Business Advisory Committee for the City of Charlotte.

Chris Williams, Sr. Executive Consultant (Wachovia Securities) and host of Carolina Business Review

As Senior Executive Consultant in the Private Client Group of Wachovia Securities, and host of the long running and widely viewed PBS television program Carolina Business Review, Chris William relates to individuals and is a peer of corporate leaders, encouraging smart financial management, best practice dialogue, and corporate consciousness.

Carolina Business Review, a thirty-minute weekly business analysis program created and moderated by William, is broadcast on all PBS stations throughout the Carolinas. The show invites top level executives to participate in panel discussions regarding the latest business and industry news in North and South Carolina.

As host and co-founder of The Forum for Corporate Conscience (2003), a national conference attended by more than 100 top executives from the U.S. and beyond, William succeeded in getting some of the world's leading strategists, thinkers and advocates to convene for a three day discussion on corporate ethics and responsibility. The forum resulted in unprecedented media coverage and a comprehensive white paper. This collective intentions document details the delegates' commitment to operate their companies in a socially responsible way and serves as a blueprint for future discussions on corporate responsibility and accountability.

William's business acumen, financial insight and solid relationship with many of Carolina's top visionaries make him a sought after public speaker and frequent commentator on radio, television and in print. He's an annual guest on numerous panels and conferences throughout the Carolinas.

For his Wachovia Securities clients, William's cumulative experience and integration into the financial and business industry make him a valuable resource. William's many obligations and commitments require him to maintain an aggressive competency level and forecast marketplace occurrences, all of which is parlayed into client recommendations and strategic financial planning.

Current civic responsibilities include: American Heart Association (Heart Walk Chair); Queens University of Charlotte (Board of Visitors) and the United Way Public Policy Committee. Among William's prior community leadership are: March of Dimes (Past Chair & Board Member); Success By 6 (Past Chair & Board Member) and Council for Children (Past Board Chair).

Every year, BABC NC provides scholarships for two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students to attend a two-week travel and study program in the United Kingdom. The program is conducted by the American Community Schools in London and is entitled The British Studies Summer Program (BSSP). Each year the students are chosen via an essay contest conducted by the British American Business Council of North Carolina in conjunction with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools System.

This is the sixth year the BABC, Charlotte has provided two scholarships worth $4500 each to Charlotte Mecklenburg School Juniors to attend a two week travel and study program in Britain, intended to give meaning to the enduring impact of British History and Culture. The selected students will join 14 other students, all sponsored by various BABC Chapters throughout the United States.

The program - entitled British Studies Summer Program (BSSP) - is conducted by the American Community Schools (ACS) in England, at the Cobham campus outside London. The two- week BSSP program is from June 26-July 11, 2009.

The recipients of this years BABCNC / ACS scholarship are now in the UK on their two week travel / study program.

Ms Morgan Winn and Ms Erika Lower have set up online journals, which document their impressions.

If you would like to read about their adventures, see photos or comment on itinerary, please find the appropriate links below.

http://morg-wynn.livejournal.com
http://el-in-england.livejournal.com