Specialization Trajectory: Slovakia Within the EU

Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to determine the role of management of cultural differences in improving the positions of universities of developing countries in international rankings, as well as to develop recommendations for improving this management. Design/methodology/approach: The research objects are the top 10 universities from developing countries that occupy the best positions in the QS ranking in 2022. The chapter contributes to the development of the concept of globalization of science and higher education by substantiating the key role of the factor of cultural differences and ways to overcome them in ensuring the global competitiveness of universities in developing countries. Findings: As a result, the central place of internalization in the system of global competitiveness of universities from developing countries has been proved. Originality/value: The theoretical significance of the results and conclusions is that they identified cultural differences as a barrier to improving positions in international rankings of universities from developing countries, and also determined prospects for overcoming this barrier – through the development of international students and international faculty. The practical significance of the research lies in developing a new approach to managing the global competitiveness of universities in developing countries through their internationalization, which enables them to overcome the lag behind universities in developed countries and compete for leading positions in international university rankings.

PurposeGiven the growing supply of wines and the large number of new consumers with purchasing power but lacking knowledge of the subtleties of high-quality wines, expert opinions are used for consumers as proxies for quality. This study aims to determine the determinants of prices in top-quality wine market. The authors also seek to estimate the role for country of origin, grape, producing region and winery in prices. And, finally, the authors try to show how countries, regions and wineries can help increase their position in international rankings.Design/methodology/approachThe authors try to answer: What factors explain the price of top-quality wines (defined as best rated in a standardized ranking)? To some extent, in the hands of producers influence prices, which imply long-term decisions or large investments in land and marketing. Other variables that consumer value does affect prices. The authors try also to detect undervalued or overvalued wines, grapes, regions, wineries or producer countries. The authors estimate an econometric model of hedonic prices using a 14-year sample of the Wine Spectator’s 100 top-rated wines for the American market between 2003 and 2016, totaling 1,400 observations. The sample is a great cross-section because each wine is unique.FindingsThe authors’ contribution is twofold: the determination of the price explanatory values and the identification and attribution of price differences by country, grape, region and winery. Also, the authors detected grapes, countries, regions and wineries which are overvalued or undervalued with respect to the average prediction of the model.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are useful to understand the role of price explanatory variables, as well as for making policy and managerial decisions. From the model, collective or managerial actions can be derived to increase particular wines’ positions in international rankings. The proxy for “quality” in the study is not the only possible definition.Practical implicationsIn some cases, managerial choices could be conditioned by the policies or history. There is some room for collective action and public policies to improve regions’ and countries’ reputation.Social implicationsThere are clear synergies for policies that can raise the prestige of countries and regions and their spillovers on the brand name reputation of individual wineries.Originality/valueThe results, policy and managerial implications are of interest for business, countries interested in improving their position in international rankings and for consumers to make more informed decisions.

: The article is devoted to a comparative analysis of world-class technical universities (TUs) ranks in the International Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking 2021. The top-100 of QS-2021 includes only one Russian TUs, and there are no TUs of large industrial countries such as India and Brazil. Many Russian TUs were founded in the 30s of the last century, were related to certain industry ministries and have retained their narrow orientation up to the present time. However, the manufacturing of modern high-tech products (aircraft, robotics, electronics, medical equipment etc.) requires engineers to have knowledge from various fields of science (multidisciplinarity), supported by profound int erd isc iplina ry r esea rches. In add it ion, multidisciplinary TUs provide the opportunity for students to change their specialty or adjust it during their undergraduate and graduate studies. The analysis showed that leading positions in international rankings are occupied by multidisciplinary research TUs that conduct training and interdisciplinary research at the intersection of various scientificactivities. This study can be useful not only for Russia, but also for the transformation of TUs in other countries. Keywords: multidisciplinary, technical university (TU) , en g i n e e r in g s p e c i a l t i e s , t r a i n i n g , transformation

In the conditions of increased competitiveness, the modern globalized world is now characterized by rapid development of economic systems and development of industrial, innovative and scientific and technical sphere, given the circumstances, special attention should be paid to the creation and development of new technologies, innovations and their introduction into production. The effective development of the national economy depends on the qualitative introduction of new technologies. To ensure sustainable economic development, it is necessary to increase the activity of domestic enterprises, to increase the level of competitiveness and to paint positions in international rankings. Innovation is the most important element in improving production efficiency. In order to create new competitive goods and services, should be considered as a combination of scientific, technical and intellectual potential in the country's economic activities, which will strengthen the country's position in international rankings. The concept of innovation and understanding of the essence of the concept among the existing Ukrainian legislation has been investigated. Within the framework of the work the directions of innovative activity of Ukraine have been analyzed and the main scientific centers have been identified. The sources of financing the innovative activity of industrial enterprises have been presented. Innovation and its impact on the competitiveness of individual economies have been evaluated by different organizations. Today, Ukraine is represented in many international rankings that determine the status and place of each country in the world development. The rating criteria are directly related to the assessment of competitiveness, state of and scientific and technological development of the country. The assessment of Ukraine's scientific potential, according to the most authoritative international rankings, such as the Global Innovation Index, Bloomberg Innovation Index, Global Competitiveness Index has been determined.

International rankings directly affect the development of universities around the world, especially in the context of Open Science.The purpose of the article is a comparative analysis of the methodology for calculating the main international university rankings and establishing the readiness of their transformation to meet the requirements of open science. The methodological basis of the study was the methodology of the main international universities presented on their websites. The article analyzes the methodologies of the main international university rankings and highlights the main criteria by which the rankings are calculated. According to the results of the conducted research, the main sources of information necessary for determining international ratings were systematized, namely: Information from official sources external to the university, which is publicly available; Results of a survey of the academic community; University survey results; Student survey results; The results of the survey of employers; Information from the university website; Information on scientific profiles of the university; Information on scientific profiles of university employees; Information from the websites of scientific journals; Information from university repositories. The main features that universities should take into account in order to achieve higher positions in international rankings, which will become possible if they comply with the requirements of Plan S regarding Open Science, have been clarified.

This paper examines the extent to which the growth of China and India in world markets is affecting the patterns of trade specialization in Latin American (LA) economies. We construct a measure of Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) by 3-digit ISIC sector, country, and year. This RCA accounts for both imports and exports. The empirical analyses explore the correlation between the RCAs of LA and the two Asian economies. Econometric estimates suggest that the specialization pattern of LA—with the exception of Mexico—has been moving in opposite direction to the trade specialization pattern of China and India. Labor-intensive sectors (both unskilled and skilled) probably have been negatively affected by the growing presence of China and India in world markets, while natural resource and scientific knowledge intensive sectors have probably benefited from China and India’s growth since 1990.

The article presents a retrospective analysis of the key indicators of the QS World University Rankings for Ukrainian higher education institutions with the aim of establishing realistic development targets for NTU “KhPI.” The dynamics of ranking indicators are examined in comparison with leading Ukrainian universities, which made it possible to determine achievable growth limits for each indicator in the medium-term perspective. Based on the obtained results, a system of target values was formed, which can be used by the university to improve its position in the ranking. A mathematical model for optimizing resource allocation is proposed, aimed at minimizing the deviation between actual and target indicator values. The model is presented as a quadratic programming problem with Boolean variables and linear constraints that reflect the university’s limited resources and the set of possible measures for improving each indicator. Given the nonlinearity of interconnections and the incompleteness of initial data, the use of a genetic algorithm is justified, as it ensures an effective search for optimal resource allocation options under multicriteria conditions. It is additionally emphasized that the proposed approach enables the adaptation of the university’s development strategy to the dynamic conditions of the international educational environment and takes into account changes in the weights of individual indicators in the ranking methodology. The model can be used as a tool for scenario analysis and for generating various management decision options. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of integrating the obtained results into the university’s strategic planning system. The results form a foundation for creating an information system to support strategic management in higher education institutions. Further research includes experimental validation of the model using retrospective data from NTU “KhPI” and the development of a software tool aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of management decisions and improving the university’s position in international rankings.

Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index by Balassa (1965) is intensively applied in empirical studies on countries’ comparative advantage or trade specialization. Asymmetric problem in the criteria of RCA index encourages Dalum et al. (1998) and Laursen (1998) to make Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) index. These two indexes are commonly employed in econometric models for analyzing countries’ trade specialization. This paper aims to compare theoretically and empirically the two competing econometric models, one using RCA and the other using RSCA. The ASEAN countries’ comparative advantages are presented for the empirical case studies. This paper concludes that RSCA can, to some extent, reduce the “outlier problem” of RCA in the econometric model; therefore, the model using RSCA can be more statistically reliable than the model using RCA. The two econometric models might not be suitable for forecasting purposes since the estimated values could theoretically violate their criteria of comparative advantage and disadvantage. In the cases of ASEAN countries, we find empirically that the model using RSCA is statistically more reliable than the one using RCA. The ASEAN countries have exhibited de-specialization. JEL classification: F10, F14, F17 Keywords: Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA).

The purpose of the article is to address current issues of budget transparency as a crucial tool for contemporary public financial management, promoting efficiency, accountability, and public engagement in the budgeting process. It emphasizes the importance of transparency for reducing corruption, enhancing public trust in government, strengthening social stability, and ensuring effective assessment of budgetary expenditures. The primary challenges to budget transparency in Ukraine, significantly exacerbated by the full-scale Russian invasion, have been analyzed. The deterioration of Ukraine’s position in international rankings, particularly the Open Budget Index and SIGMA, has been highlighted due to restricted access to budget information and the temporary suspension of standard budgetary procedures under martial law conditions. The conducted analysis of the invasion’s impact on Ukraine’s budget transparency as an essential component of modern public financial management – ensuring efficiency, accountability, and citizen participation – enabled the formulation of recommendations for enhancing budget transparency based on international standards and best practices. During the research, the following research methods were utilized: the systemic approach, as well as methods of factual and situational analysis and synthesis, to evaluate budget transparency based on international indices and rankings. The research findings indicate positive achievements in the field of budget transparency that have remained relevant even under wartime conditions. These include the continued functioning of the electronic public procurement system, regular publication of data by the State Treasury Service of Ukraine, and the successful launch of the DREAM platform, which collects, organizes, and publishes open data on all stages of recovery projects in real-time, implementing high standards of transparency and accountability. However, the study also revealed a number of persistent problems, such as limited access to budgetary information, insufficient public participation in the budgeting process, and low transparency of local budgets. Although Ukraine has made significant progress in advancing budget transparency, considering the current challenges and wartime impacts, further measures should aim at improving the legal framework, enhancing public oversight, and increasing citizen involvement. Special emphasis should be placed on restoring full public access to budgetary information and expanding the use of innovative digital tools. The value of the research lies in the recommendations provided for improving budget transparency during martial law and post-war recovery periods by refining the regulatory framework, increasing public involvement, strengthening oversight, and utilizing modern digital solutions.

The impact of international accreditation on the performance of business schools in terms of schools’ reputation, studqent enrollment, research output, and research quality. This paper discusses the impact of a prestigious international accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) on research output and international ranking. Using the case studies of the AACSB-accredited business schools in the Gulf region, besides the most current empirical findings in the literature, the paper underscores the role of accreditation in increasing the global competitiveness of the business schools that undertake and pass the accreditation process. It also examines challenges and opportunities for business schools to meet international standards. These findings and the literature reviewed may conclude that the AACSB accreditation creates a nurturing ambiance for an increase in research productivity and quality, improvement in teaching quality, and enhancement of the brand image of the accredited business schools. The two most essential measures applied in this study are the research output and position in international rankings. The international ranking is a composite measure, aggregating academic reputation, citations per faculty, employment outcomes, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, international faculty ratio, international research network, international student ratio, and the aspect of sustainability. This discussion evidences the critical importance of accreditation in affecting not just educational quality but also strategic initiatives of growth and development within these institutions.

The main directions of the destructive economic impact on business activities in the national security system have been identified, which allowed to identify possible risks for business activities and to develop a set of preventive measures to reduce the negative impact of external factors. Given the current conditions of the macroeconomic situation, it is necessary to constantly monitor the processes that take place in the external environment and have an impact on the state of economic security of business. With the help of international rating indices, which are an important tool, a significant reference point and an external source of information, Ukraine's place in international rankings has been tracked in the second section and a comprehensive assessment has been made, as the relevant rankings places by which world organizations mark Ukraine are indicators of its development. The interrelation and influence of the given indicators on the economic security of entrepreneurial activity are substantiated. According to the study of Ukraine's position in international rankings, it is concluded that Ukraine's position is currently unsatisfactory, Ukraine has not yet created safe conditions for business development: unstable tax legislation, significant corruption pressure and currency restrictions, lack of serious gains in investment attractiveness and to ensure national competitiveness, state support for business development is insufficient and unfocused; limited opportunities for financing state programs for business development. Entrepreneurial activity management in Ukraine is a direction of state policy, a set of measures and forms of economic, legal, and organizational impact on business and entrepreneurs, including through state support and protection of business entities, as well as state control over compliance requirements of the legislation by subjects of such an activity.

The developments of the world trade requires the improvement of the competitiveness of products, including agricultural commodities. At the regional level, Indonesias agricultural commodities face the ASEAN free market competition. This study aims to identify and examine the competitiveness of Indonesian exports of several agricultural commodities in the international market by employing the index of competitiveness of trade specialization by trade specialization index (TSI), and the index of market penetration, by revealed comparative advantage (RCA). This study observed the HS 4 digit agricultural commodities, along 2011-2015. The study finds that the index of commodity trade specialization of estate crops sub-sector is in a stage of maturation of the world trade, or it has a very strong competitiveness. The food crops sub-sector stand on the introduction stage of the world trade or it has low competitiveness, or in other words, Indonesia is a net importer of the sector commodities. Although some of commodities have the strong competitiveness, but on the other hand, they do not have a strong comparative advantage. This is shown by the RCA value that less than 1. It means that a part of agricultural commodities, namely food crops, horticulture and estate, are still import oriented.The developments of the world trade requires the improvement of the competitiveness of products, including agricultural commodities. At the regional level, Indonesias agricultural commodities face the ASEAN free market competition. This study aims to identify and examine the competitiveness of Indonesian exports of several agricultural commodities in the international market by employing the index of competitiveness of trade specialization by trade specialization index (TSI), and the index of market penetration, by revealed comparative advantage (RCA). This study observed the HS 4 digit agricultural commodities, along 2011-2015. The study finds that the index of commodity trade specialization of estate crops sub-sector is in a stage of maturation of the world trade, or it has a very strong competitiveness. The food crops sub-sector stand on the introduction stage of the world trade or it has low competitiveness, or in other words, Indonesia is a net importer of the sector commodities. Although some of commodities have the strong competitiveness, but on the other hand, they do not have a strong comparative advantage. This is shown by the RCA value that less than 1. It means that a part of agricultural commodities, namely food crops, horticulture and estate, are still import oriented.

In the article, the current state of business education in Ukraine is examined, considering global transformations in management education, digitalization, internationalization of the educational process, and changes in the business models of leading institutions. The purpose of the study is to identify the key characteristics and challenges of Ukrainian business education, analyze its position in international rankings, peculiarities of business schools’ functioning, and determine strategic directions for the development of the business education system in Ukraine. The study used systemic, comparative, structural-functional and analytical methods to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current level of integration of Ukrainian business schools into the global educational space. In the article, the main segments of the Ukrainian business education market (MBA, Executive MBA, corporate training) are characterized, the participation of national institutions in international rankings (QS, THE, Eduniversa) is analyzed, and typical business models of financing and interaction with the business environment are highlighted. The comparative analysis showed that leading international business schools are actively implementing mixed sources of funding, short-term programs, digital educational platforms, and executive education formats. Meanwhile, most Ukrainian schools continue to operate with limited financial, human, and institutional resources, which makes it difficult for them to participate in global competition. The scientific novelty lies in the formation of a structured typology of business models of Ukrainian business schools, as well as in the identification of strategic priorities for their adaptation to global trends through the development of digital infrastructure, international accreditation, partnerships with businesses, and the creation of lifelong learning programs. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the formulated recommendations to improve the management strategies of higher education institutions, develop educational policy, and intensify cooperation between business and education. As a result, a set of practical measures aimed at improving the quality and international competitiveness of business education in Ukraine is proposed. Prospects for further research include analyzing the mechanisms for implementing ESG components, personalized educational trajectories, and the formation of a national system for assessing the effectiveness of business schools. Keywords: business education, business school, MBA, business model, globalization, digitalization, development, ranking, financing.

The world-wide popularity of university rankings has spurred the debate about the quality and performance of higher education systems and has had a considerable impact on global society in light of the internationalisation of higher education. While useful for policy makers, such rankings also furnish information on an institution’s “prestige”, which may in turn contribute to more effective resource capture (students, funding, projects). Certain university profiles and missions may prevent many universities from climbing to higher positions, however. One important question in this regard is: how many of a country’s universities can stand at the top of international rankings? The present article attempts to answer this question on the grounds of a study of the Spanish higher education system, and more specifically of an institutional alliance consisting of four high quality universities. A series of research activity indicators drawn from the IUNE Observatory are used to compare this alliance to leading Spanish and international universities and explore whether their visibility and consequently their position in international rankings would be enhanced if they were able to appear under a joint identity. This prospective study also addresses a series of strategies that the Spanish higher education system might implement to successfully rise to the challenges posed by future scenarios.

Universities have an important role to play in the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in its 2015 Declaration, which specifically addresses their contribution in the areas of education, research and social impact. The main objective of the article is to review the approaches of Polish higher education institutions (HEIs) to the formulation of sustainable development strategies by reference to their position in international rankings. The study focused on three international rankings: UI GreenMetric, THE Impact Rankings and QS World University Rankings: Sustainability. The methodology used included literature review and critique, analysis of documents and other source materials, descriptive analysis and comparative analysis. The paper contributes to deepening and advancing the academic debate on the role of universities in achieving the SDGs and improving institutional governance to accelerate progress towards their implementation.