From Potential to Prosperity AI, Inclusive Education and Economic Development in the MENA Region

Camera, 208 Capitalism, scepticism of policies on education in future based on society with influx of, 42 Carnegie Learning, 251-252 Central government, 92 Challenges to inclusion, 84-85 Change of practice concept, 253 Character qualities of sets in twenty-first century, 25-33 communicative competencies, 28-31 digital competencies, 31-33 'grit' for inclusive and special education teachers, 27-28 high self-efficacy, 25-27 Children, rights and characteristics of, 4-5 Children with disabilities in rural areas in Telangana state, providing services to, 174-177 259 Children with special needs in VUCA world, preparation for education administrators to manage education for, 241-244 Chlorpyrifos, 64-65 City local government, 93-99 Civil rights, 39-40 Classic economic liberal theory, 41-42 Classrooms with assistive technology, improving efficiency of, 250-252 Climate change, 64-65 Collaboration, 180 Collaborative learning, 23-24 Communication, 180 channels, 29-30 disabilities, 211 Communicative competencies, 28-31 Community resource persons (CRPs), 175 Competency-based education, 23-24 Complexity, 80-81 Comprehensive teaching strategies, 236 Computer-assisted tools, 128 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (1945), 89-90 Constructive Alignment model, 21 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), 159 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 158-159 Conversations, feedback and recognition (CFR), 225 Core educational subjects, 179 COVID-19, 18-19, 118-119, 123-124 crisis, 7-8 inclusive learning for students with special needs during, 108-110 learning experiences during, 114-116 learning experiences of KU

Introduction. The development of science diplomacy is aimed at promotion of a state’s interests in the international arena. Russia is striving to strengthen cooperation in the field of scientific and technological development, humanitarian exchange with such MENA countries as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. These countries are of significant interest to Russia due to the long-standing forms of cooperation with them. The main purpose of this study is to identify science diplomacy actors, visually present them taking into consideration the process of science development in these countries and determine prospects of cooperation with Russia. Materials and Methods. In their study, the authors used data from open sources, Russian Federal State Statistics Service reports, UNESCO Science reports, World Bank database. The analysis of development of international science and technology cooperation in the three MENA countries was carried out. The authors used the descriptive method to present the main actors of science diplomacy and visually provide the science diplomacy systems. The developed models of science diplomacy of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates enable Russia to identify the priorities in the field of science diplomacy in the context of geopolitical challenges. Results. The study identified the potential partners of Russia in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to strengthen international science and technology cooperation. The prospects for cooperation with these countries are fixed in the mutual agreements with Russia. The authors studied the policy of these countries in the field of international scientific and technical cooperation, considered strategic directions for the development of science diplomacy. The created models of science diplomacy reflect the main actors of science diplomacy, as well as the current interrelationship between the three MENA countries and Russia in the field of science and technology. The value of this research lies in the preparation of an extensive analytical base that helps to identify potential partners for Russia among the MENA countries, as well as identify key strategies and directions to stimulate the growth of cooperation and knowledge exchange. Discussion and Conclusion. The research has shown that in the studied Arab countries, there is an active development of scientific diplomacy. The governments of these countries are increasingly turning to science to solve political problems. The MENA region has extensive resources and scientific potential, which makes it attractive for scientific cooperation. The analysis of cooperation with these countries made it possible to identify key strategies and priorities to stimulate the growth of cooperation and knowledge exchange between the MENA countries and Russia.

The article analyzes foreign experience on the introduction of innovative technologies in inclusive and special education through the disclosure of conceptual issues related to the functioning of the system of general, special and inclusive education both in Ukraine and abroad. Domestic and foreign achievements in the direction of social and pedagogical rehabilitation of children with special educational needs are analyzed. It is revealed that in the USA and Europe, they actively promote access to education, mainstreaming, integration, and inclusion. It is proved that in most European countries and the USA, special education is an organic part of general education, has an integrated material base and specific methods of teaching a child with special needs within the framework of adjusted standards and individual educational programs. Foreign publications, which cover the introduction of active teaching methods, organizational forms and innovative technologies in inclusive and special education, are analyzed. In the course of the analysis of the foreign experience of inclusive and special education, it is established that the optimization of interpersonal relations of children with special needs should be carried out in different activities, taking into account their characteristics A correctional and developmental program for optimizing interpersonal relationships with peers of primary school children with hearing impairments in the form of development of communication skills and social behaviour skills is developed, which includes the following aspects: development of empathy, development of social behaviour, positive attitude “I”, the formation of a positive attitude towards peers. The step-by-step psychological and pedagogical support of inclusive education of junior schoolchildren with special educational needs is offered: preliminary, activity, effective. Innovative rehabilitation technologies in inclusive and special education, which are of interest for comprehensive practice, are highlighted.
 Keywords: analysis; foreign experience; innovative technologies; inclusion; special education; inclusive education; children with special needs; correctional and developmental program.

The article presents the results of a study of rhetorical speech culture of special education teachers in inclusive and special education institutions. Modern special school is set the task of increasing the efficiency of educational process. Inclusive and special education institutions organize the language environment to make its development potential effective and optimal for each age group. That means the creation of an artificial language environment that encourages a child to provide communication. The speech culture of special education teachers is considered not just a communicative action, but a model for children to follow, a means of interaction with parents, and, finally, an indicator of professional, pedagogical, and human culture. The specificity of speech culture of modern special education professional lies in its multifaceted nature and the ability to use linguistic and non-linguistic means to achieve maximum effect in professional activities. In current conditions of our education system, a special education teacher must meet the requirements of the art of interaction with children, colleagues, parents, predict difficulties and results, quickly and creatively find optimal pedagogical solutions in unusual situations. The rhetoric mastership of special education teachers suggests the ability to speak convincingly, interestingly, beautifully, clearly, at the highest level of speech culture and also obtaining a set of requirements for general and speech culture, communication at the highest level what indicates speech culture of a special education teacher in special and inclusive education. Speech culture of special education professionals in the system of special and inclusive education makes up a system of spiritual forms of human life where the selection and use of language tools lets obtain the greatest effect from the communicative tasks. Therefore, there are certain requirements for special education teachers in the system of special and inclusive education: their speech must be absolutely literary; the culture of speech and its ethics are of special attention; the structure of speech should be correlated with the age of children; the content of speech expressions must clearly correspond to the level of a child’s development, his ideas and interests; accuracy, clarity, simplicity of speech; speech rate regulation; voice control; speech should be emotional, figurative, express interest, attention, love for the child; possess the techniques necessary to influence a child's speech.

Türkiye’de son 20 yıldır özel eğitime ihtiyaç duyan öğrencilere yönelik eğitimin kaynaştırma yolu ile sağlanmasına öncelik verilmektedir. Örgün eğitimde kaynaştırma uygulamalarının kapsadığı dersler arasında din eğitimi ile ilgili dersler de bulunmaktadır. Bu dersler kapsamında kaynaştırma eğitimini veren öğretmenlerin yeterlilikleri, duygu, tutum ve kaygıları önemlidir. Bu durumun iyi araştırılması etkili bir kaynaştırma eğitimi için gereklidir. Din Kültürü ve Ahlak Bilgisi ile İmam Hatip Meslek Dersleri Öğretmenlerinin kaynaştırma eğitimi yeterliliklerinin, onların duygu, tutum ve kaygıları üzerindeki etkisinin araştırılması bu araştırmanın temel gerekçesidir.Bu çalışmanın amacı, örgün din eğitiminde kaynaştırma uygulamalarının niteliğinin artırılmasına katkı sağlamaktır. Kaynaştırma eğitiminin en önemli unsuru bu dersleri okutan öğretmenler olduklarından çalışma, onların kaynaştırma eğitimi ile ilgili duygu, tutum, kaygı ve yeterliliklerini ile çeşitli değişkenlere göre farklılaşma durumunu incelemiştir. Çalışmanın verileri Sharma, Loreman ve Forlin (2011) tarafından geliştirilen Bayar (2015) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlaması yapılan “Kaynaştırma Uygulamalarında Öğretmen Yeterliliği Ölçeği” ve Forlin, Earle, Loreman ve Sharma (2011) tarafından geliştirilen Bayar, Özaşkın ve Bardak (2015) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlaması yapılan “Kaynaştırma Eğitimi ile İlgili Duygular, Tutumlar ve Kaygılar Ölçeği” ile toplanmıştır. Çalışma neticesinde, kaynaştırma eğitimi ile ilgili hizmet içi eğitimin, öğretmenlerin duygu, tutum ve kaygıları ile yeterliliklerini pozitif yönde etkileyen bir faktör olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Cinsiyet, okul türü, lisansta eğitim alma durumu, kaynaştırma eğitimi tecrübesi ve kaynaştırmaya ilişkin özgüvenin değişkenlerinin öğretmenlerin yeterliliklerini ve duygu, tutum ve kaygılarını etkilemediği saptanmıştır. Ayıca duygu, tutum ve kaygı ile yeterliliğin pozitif ilişki içerisinde olduğu görülmüştür.

The field of education in India has made significant strides in recent years, especially in the areas of special education and inclusive education. the most recent developments and innovations in Indian education, with a spotlight on the progress gained in special education and the move toward inclusive education practises. what effect India's different legal and policy initiatives and educational reforms have had on the state of special and inclusive education there. the value of inclusive practises in terms of the equality and inclusion they promote for students with disabilities in the classroom and beyond. implications for the future of inclusive education in India, including the challenges that need to be solved and the directions that should be adopted. With the ultimate goal of creating an inclusive and fair education system for all learners in India, this article aims to shed light on current developments in Indian education, with a specific focus on special education and inclusive education.

The field of education in India has made significant strides in recent years, especially in the areas of special education and inclusive education. the most recent developments and innovations in Indian education, with a spotlight on the progress gained in special education and the move toward inclusive education practises. what effect India's different legal and policy initiatives and educational reforms have had on the state of special and inclusive education there. the value of inclusive practises in terms of the equality and inclusion they promote for students with disabilities in the classroom and beyond. implications for the future of inclusive education in India, including the challenges that need to be solved and the directions that should be adopted. With the ultimate goal of creating an inclusive and fair education system for all learners in India, this article aims to shed light on current developments in Indian education, with a specific focus on special education and inclusive education.

“Reimagination” is required to create a new vision of education that better serves individuals with disabilities. Imagination is a way of conceiving possibilities and probabilities. The future of special education is imagined within the limits of possibility and probability of “appropriate” education for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Education is reimagined for full inclusion without special education and an alternative reimagination of inclusive special education. Particular attention is given to the administrative structure of public education and to the training of teachers for the imagined approaches to special education. The importance of imagining special and inclusive education being based on science and rationality and the limitations of proposed approaches to including students with disabilities in education are explained.

Recent debates in special & inclusive education

Any analysis of inclusive and special education in Asia, past and present, must account for the immense variation in what constitutes Asia and recognize that finding patterns in the development of inclusive and special education across this vast continent is difficult. The variations relate to geographic topography, historical experiences, and cultural values, as well as to contemporary socio-economic and political conditions. For example, although both Oman and Timor Leste struggle with issues of accessibility and providing services in remote areas, Timor Leste’s mountainous terrain presents very different challenges from Oman’s desert conditions. Similarly, the different cultural influences of, say, Hinduism in Nepal, Islam in Jordan, and Buddhism in Cambodia have significant implications for attitudes towards disability, while differences in economic development between Japan and Bangladesh, for instance, have rendered the former a donor of international aid that sets the inclusive education agenda and the latter a recipient of both aid and agenda. While efforts to identify patterns in inclusive education globally have also attempted to define the nature of development in Asia, these analyses do not always account for the unique intra-continental variations. Overlooking these variations in socio-political and economic contexts becomes problematic when attempting to find solutions towards providing culturally responsive and culturally specific services appropriate to these unique circumstances. Additionally troubling is the more recent development of a geopolitical climate which assumes that inclusive and special education could and should, in fact, be the same, whether in Bangladesh or in Japan. Embodied by international aid agencies, such as the World Bank, the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), these expectations have been captured within global policies, such as the 1994 Salamanca Statement on Inclusive Education, the 2008 UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and more recently, the 2015 Millennium Sustainable Goals, and furthered through UNICEF’s and UNESCO’s curriculum packages and professional development training on inclusive education. There is a nascent body of scholars in some Asian countries that is beginning to identify indigenous alternatives, which, if allowed to thrive, could contribute to the development of an amalgamated structure of services that would be more appropriate to the individual contexts.

Agri-industry parks, 290-293 Agribusiness in Egypt, 292-293 trends, 287 Agribusiness MSMEs challenges facing, 295 impact of internal issues, 297-298 impact of market-related issues on, 295 Agricluster (see also Industrial clusters) business models and inclusive market development, 298-302 clustering and economics of competition, 283-284 limitation and future research, 302-304 link between agri-industrial clusters and growth of agribusiness, 284-290 MSMEs in economic progress, 282-283 research insights, 294-298 study methodology, 293-294

This research examined how primary energy use, trade openness, and foreign direct investment influence economic growth in seven selected countries in the MENA region. Based on data availability (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar) from 2000 to 2023, using three methods: the Panel Pooled Mean Group-Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (PMG-ARDL), the Panel Fully Modified Least Squares (FMOLS), and the Panel Dynamics Least Squares (DOLS) models to explore the long-term relationships between these factors. The estimation results for PMG-ARDL, Panel-FMOLS, and Panel-DOLS indicate that capital, the labour force, primary energy consumption, and trade openness all have a statistically significant positive impact on economic growth in the MENA region. Foreign direct investment has a statistically significant negative impact on economic growth in the MENA region. In general, these results simply indicate that capital, labour forces, energy consumption, and trade openness are the main drivers of long-term economic growth in the MENA region. The study suggests enhancing investment in human and physical capital, increasing trade openness, and focusing on energy efficiency to stimulate long-term economic growth while reevaluating policies for attracting foreign direct investment and ensuring their alignment with developmental priorities.

This study empirically estimates financial stability and its determinants in 40 Islamic banks, 168 conventional banks, and 8 socially responsible banks (SRBs) in MENA region during the period 2005-2012. The dependent variables in this study are capital ratio (equity to total assets) and z-score. The statistical approaches to find the relationship between financial stability indicators and their determinants are ordinary least square (OLS) and fixed effects model FEM). The results suggest that the SRBs are the most stable banks while, Islamic banks are highly risky. Moreover, conventional banks score the minimum capitalisation. The stability in Islamic banks is positively affected by ROA and age. Furthermore, the main determinants of capitalisation in Islamic banks are operating leverage, GDP, and market capitalisation. In conventional banking, size and profitability are important to stability. The capitals have effective associations with lending, ROA, and market development. In SRBs, banks achieve better stability in countries with higher inflation. This study could help bankers, policy makers and economists who focus on MENA region. The coverage of period 2005-2012 could be a limitation and the availability of data for the Islamic and socially responsible banks in MENA area could be another limitation as well.

Inclusive education has struggled to gain traction in recent years, despite it having been the prevailing philosophy globally for the education of students with a disability for more than quarter of a century, and in more contemporary times, for all students. In many countries there is evidence to suggest segregation and exclusion of some groups of students, particularly those with a disability or other identified needs, is again on the rise. The reasons for this are varied and complex, yet one notion that requires further exploration is the role special education, and those working in the field, have played in the inclusive education debate. Inclusive education emerged from within the special education debate, and much of the discourse around it still attaches itself to ‘residual ideas’ from each of the exclusion, segregation, and integration eras (Mac Ruaic 2020). Having grown out of the field of special education, inclusive education consistently gets entangled in the politics of disability and education (Artiles and Kozleski 2016). The challenges from special educators to protect what has traditionally been their educational space are real (Sailor 2017). Slee (2018a) describes the recent push against inclusive education from within the special education field as a ‘reassertion of brand special education’ (p. 24). Advocates of special education have fought to maintain separate provisions for students with disability, in the form of segregated classes and special schools (Avissar 2018). The argument is based on the premise that this segregation is needed – it is for their own good (Slee 2018b) – because ‘special and general education are actually different’ (Kauffman et al. 2018b, p. 3). The argument goes that inclusive education, with its focus on place of education rather than on the instruction of education, places students with disabilities at a disadvantage (Kauffman et al. 2018b), and therefore separate placements are required. Imray and Colley (2017) position full inclusion as the enemy of special education, with statements such as this: ‘full inclusion seems to be intent on abolishing special schools and classes’ (p. 6). Assertions made by special educationalists, such as those described here, have set the debate as one centred around ‘inclusion verses non-inclusion’ (Jackson et al. 2018). This chapter explores the current literature as described above and connects it to the everyday practice of primary school principals, who have found themselves caught up in the politics of the special versus inclusive education debate.KeywordsSpecial educationInclusive educationMainstream schoolDisabilityQuality education

Purpose: This article aims to study the role of financial development in driving economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa region during the period 2012–2022, using panel data analysis. Design/Methodology/Approach: The methodology used in this study is the Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (POLS) model, the Fixed Effects Model (FE), and the Generalized Method of Moments Model (GMM). Findings: The estimation test results indicate that the best model is the system GMM (SYS-GMM), which reveals a statistically significant and positive impact of financial development on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the MENA countries. Conclusion: The System GMM (SYS-GMM) model’s estimation showed a positive impact of the lagged value of GDP on the current value of GDP by 0.313 percentage points. In addition, financial development positively impacts economic growth in the MENA region by 0.513 percentage points. In contrast, the inflation rate negatively affects GDP, decreasing it by 0.344 percentage points. Furthermore, technology negatively influences GDP, reducing it by 0.241 percentage points. Research limitation: Lack of data in Middle Eastern and North African countries. Practical implications: Policymakers should prioritize the financial system by improving financial services and encouraging financial inclusion to spur economic growth. Contribution to the literature: This study contributes a new measurement of financial development in Middle Eastern and North African countries. The results of the chosen model highlight the importance of domestic credit to the private sector and gross domestic savings in driving economic growth.