Pacific Rim Research

USC’s School of Business Administration has obtained the first batch of a collection of research materials on the economies of Pacific Rim nations, which university officials hope will eventually grow into a useful resource for the study of commercial relations in the region.

Nomura Securities International Inc., a leading Japanese securities firm, has donated an initial collection of research reports, economic forecasts, industry studies and other materials relating to Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and other countries.

The reports, many of which are similar to research reports issued by American brokerage firms, include topics ranging from the electronics industry in Hong Kong to the outlook for various Japanese high-technology firms.

Richard Drobnick, director of USC’s International Business Education and Research Program, said the Nomura Collection now is “fairly small” but he expects it to grow as Nomura supplies monthly and quarterly studies on a regular basis. The studies will be provided to USC after initial use by Nomura’s sales agents and offices, he said.

The collection, housed in the school’s Crocker Business Library, will be available to all users of the library, Drobnick said.

It includes material not usually available to university libraries and will complement existing information at the school, said Jack Lewis, associate director of the business education and research program.

Many of the collection materials are the result of studies at the Nomura Research Institute in Tokyo, an affiliate of Nomura Securities.