Baltic Region Countries Research Articles

5th INTERNATIONAL BALTIC SYMPOSIUM ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION “SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND INNOVATIONS (BalticSTE2023)”: SYMPOSIUM REVIEW

The fifth BalticSTE2023 Symposium took place in Šiauliai on 12-15 June this year. Time passes inexorably, which is why this symposium can be called an anniversary symposium. It was also important that the symposium was held in the usual / regular format, i.e. face-to-face. It is worth remembering that this is a biennial scientific event of importance not only in the Baltic region but certainly internationally. Due to the Covid19 pandemic, the fourth symposium was held remotely. A review of this symposium has also been published (Lamanauskas, 2021). By the way, reviews of previous symposia have also been published (Lamanauskas, 2015; 2017; 2019). The symposium's fundamental aim is to promote science and technology education. Moreover, it is an excellent tool to disseminate research findings as well as to build collaboration and cooperation network. Another important aim is to show that Baltic region countries also actively participate in natural science and technology education research, especially in the STEAM context. In addition, Baltic countries, as well as other small regions of the world, need corresponding, close communication, and cooperation. During this symposium, all these essential ideas were developed and supported.

Changes in the structure and geography of tourist flows during the COVID-19 pandemic

Tourism suffered more than many other sectors amid Covid-19 travel restrictions. This article looks at the impact of the pandemic on the territorial redistribution of tourist flows in the Baltic region. The study draws on regional annual and monthly data on international and domestic tourist arrivals between 2019 and 2021, available on the websites of the statistical offices of the Baltic Region countries. The regions earlier dependent on tourist arrivals from Russia experienced the largest drop in inbound tourism during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, domestic tourism burgeoned in most of the region’s countries. In 2021, the most dramatic increase in domestic arrivals occurred, year on year, in the border regions of Russia’s Northwest Federal District; the growth was also notable in Finland and the Baltic States. Domestic tourist flow compensated, partially or even fully, for the decrease in inbound tourist flow in most regions. The structure of inbound tourism changed markedly during the pandemic, with the share of tourists from the Baltic States growing. The strongest rise was in some regions of southern Finland and more modest in Latvia and Lithuania.

Editorial Preface

The XVIII International Youth Scientific and Environmental Forum of Baltic Region Countries «ECOBALTICA» (FEB-2021) was held at the December 16-17. 2021, St.- Petersburg, Russia. The ECOBALTICA forum has been held regularly since 1996. Venue Saint Petersburg (1996-2014), Moscow (2014-2016), Grodno (Belarus, 2017), Copenhagen (Denmark,2018), Gdansk (Poland, 2019), Saint Petersburg (2020, virtual). More than 100 reports were made from 60 organizations in 10 countries of Europe, Asia, and America.List of Presidium and Program Committee (International scientific Committee) of Forum ECOBALTICA is available in this pdf.

«Urban-regional construction» as a potential vector for achieving the strategic goal of spatial development of the Russian Federation

The article suggests that the introduction of innovative forms of European urbanization urbanized regions - into the domestic practice of urban formation will contribute to the accelerated formation of new and effective development of existing urban agglomerations, as well as the actualization of geostrategic and territorial settlement trends in the spatial development of the country. The typology of urbanized regions developed by the author earlier has been corrected. The basic qualitative characteristics and quantitative parameters of these objects are clarified, examples of their successful spatial strategizing, as well as the substantive implementation of planning, forecasting and urban planning decisions that took place in the Baltic region countries are given. The specifics of the process of "urban-regional construction" are revealed. The predominant forms of spatial co-organization of typologically differentiated urbanized regions are revealed. A model of designing an innovative structure of urbanized settlement based on the St. Petersburg agglomeration is proposed.

Международное позиционирование региона: образ Калининградской области в медиапространстве стран Балтии

The issue of international positioning is crucial to all exclaves, and the Kaliningrad region surrounded by the Baltic region countries is no exception. This contribution aims to describe a general strategic path for positioning the Russian territory in question. To produce recommendations on a positioning concept, it looks at the ties between the Kaliningrad region and the neighbouring Baltic States and how the former is perceived by the latter. Publication monitoring and media content analysis were carried out to explore the image created in the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian media in recent years. Avenues for positioning are proposed in line with the principles of place branding, and the interests common to the region and the Baltic States are considered through the lens of international cooperation projects. The emphasis is on the prospects for trade relations development. The main advantages of the region are identified, and the risks to be reckoned with when forming a positioning concept are determined. The findings suggest that strategic positioning is feasible in the case of the Kaliningrad region; its focal points may be investment, logistics, tourism and infrastructure. The authors also stress the possibility for developing international cooperation platforms and indicate regional problems of international concern.

4th INTERNATIONAL BALTIC SYMPOSIUM ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION “SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: DEVELOPING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE (BalticSTE2021)”: SYMPOSIUM REVIEW

Time is running relentlessly fast. The Fourth International Symposium was held on June 21-22 this year. The topic of the Symposium was “Science and technology education: Developing a global perspective”. More than 60 scientists from 18 countries participated in the symposium. Comparing with the symposium which took place in 2019, the geographical distribution of the participants is wide and diverse. Ukrainian, Serbian, Moldavian, Malaysian, Latvian, Slovak etc. researchers participated in the symposium. Another important feature of the symposium is that it was held remotely/online due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. One of this international symposium ideas is – to show that Baltic region countries also actively participate in natural science and technology education research, especially in STEAM context. The second idea is that Baltic countries as well as other small regions of the world need corresponding close communication and cooperation. During this symposium, these two essential ideas were developed and supported. The symposium was organised by scientific methodological centre “Scientia Educologica”, the associated member of Lithuanian Scientific Society. The main symposium partner was Publishing House Scientia Socialis, Ltd. It is significant that even in the conditions of a pandemic, the symposium was properly organized.

Побережья, на которых мы все живем: может ли быть единое определение приморской зоны?

Throughout the history of humankind, people have settled along seashores. The gradual accumulation of population and industrial activity in coastal areas has created preconditions for coastalisation — the movement of people and socio-economic activity to marine coasts. To date, coastal areas have a higher rate of economic development, fostering migration and an influx of capital across the globe. Scholars and policymakers voice concerns about the asymmetry of regional development and the increasing anthropogenic impact on the coastal ecosystem. It reinforces the importance of coastal zone management. In this study, we use an example of the Baltic region to identify the coastalisation patterns in the Baltic region and answer the question, whether there can be a single definition of the coastal zone of the Baltic region. According to a broad definition, the Baltic macro-region is nearly all coastal and, consequently, all settlements are influenced by the coastalisation effect. We have studied the urban population dynamics in 128 cities of 45 coastal regions through the lens of various characteristics of a coastal city — the distance from the sea (10, 50, 100, and 150 km), location in a coastal region (NUTS 2), availability of a port and its primary maritime activity (tankers, cargo, fishing, passenger, recreational vessels and others). The research results suggest that despite the strong coherence of the Baltic region countries, there should not be a single delimitation approach to defining the coastal zone. Overall, the most active marine economic processes occur in the zone up to 10 km from the seacoast and 30 km from ports and port infrastructure. However, in the case of Sweden, Poland, and Latvia, the coastal zone can be extended to 50 km, and in Germany — up to 150 km inland.

Green spaces as indicator of air quality and mechanism for city’s environment stabilization in the Baltic region

Air pollution is one of the main environmental problem. And although average air pollution indicators in the Baltic region countries exceed limit values rarely, nevertheless, high pollution is present in some areas, damages ecosystems and public health. It is possible to use green spaces as one of the tools for cleaning atmospheric air. This article describes the scientific approaches to assess the cleansing function of urban plants. Particulate matters are considered as the main pollutant. Conclusions are drawn about the need to use an integrated approach that takes into account a number of characteristics of both plants and the ecosystems themselves, which allows solving the problems of environmental improvement in the cities of the Baltic region.

Editorial Preface

The XVII International Youth Scientific and Environmental Forum of Baltic Region Countries «ECOBALTICA» (FEB-2020) was held at the July 16-17. 2020, St.-Petersburg, Russia due to supporting of Rossotrudnichestvo. The ECOBALTICA forum has been held regularly since 1996. Venue Saint Petersburg (1996-2014), Moscow (2014-2016), Grodno (Belarus, 2017), Copenhagen (Denmark,2018), Gdansk ( Poland, 2019). More than 100 scientists from Europe, Asia and America took part in the Conference. 60 oral reports and more than 30 video presentations was made.Program Committee ECOBALTICA pays great attention to scientific and practical significance of the reports, which allows under the supervision of Professor William Hoagland (Linnaeus University, Sweden) and the scientific expertise of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), together with prominent academicians Russian Academy of Sciences: academician Vladimir Kosolapov, academician Ivan Savchenko, academician Yury Spiridonov, academician Valery Meshalkin, academician Alexander Zhuchenko, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Korshunov, brought together almost the entire range of environmental areas at the ECOBALTICA forum, with a special focus on plant protection, Agroecology, waste Management, water treatment and alternative energy.Due to the pandemic nationwide blockages and other coordinated restrictive measures, the organizers decidedto hold FEB-2020 in a virtual format with the organization of access for all participants to the presented reports with a comprehensive discussion to ensure that the event is held at a high scientific level.List of Conference Photographs are available in this pdf.

Implications of carbon price paths on energy security in four Baltic region countries

Energy security is one of the critical priorities of energy policy in the European Union and particularly in the Baltic region that is currently transforming itself from an isolated energy island to a highly interconnected area. In this paper, a comprehensive analysis of energy security in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania in the context of the energy transition is presented. The paper explores regional implications of two paths of carbon price (gradual and delayed carbon price increase). The analysis is performed by linking an energy system optimisation model with a probabilistic model of energy security. This modelling suite is used to assess the resilience of the planned energy system to possible disruptions. The results demonstrate that carbon price paths have a modest impact on energy security in Baltic countries if energy security measures are implemented in an optimal way. The research is based on the case study conducted in the framework of the European Union's Horizon 2020 project REEEM.

Sustainable development, climate policy and environmental transformation of the Baltic region economies: a comparative analysis

The article considers the climate policy of the Baltic region countries. The reasons and factors for reducing CO2 emissions in the period 1990-2018 are analyzed, the relationship between the processes of decarbonization and the ecological transformation of farms are demonstrated. The EU influence on the climate policy of individual countries is studied. The features of evolution and the modern structure of the RES sector are explored. The assessment of measures to improve energy efficiency of national economies is given. According to the degree of climate policy efforts and the depth of the ecological transformation of national economies, a ranking scheme for the region countries is proposed.

Editorial Preface

The XVI International Youth Scientific and Environmental Forum of Baltic Region Countries «ECOBALTICA» was held at the Russian center of science and culture in Gdansk due to supporting of Rossotrudnichestvo. The aim of the conference is to contribute to informing students, young scientists and researchers about the most promising areas of environmental areas with a special accent on plant protection, ecology of agricultural areas, waste management, water treatment and alternative energy. The ECOBALTICA forum is carried out regularly since 1996. Venue Saint Petersburg (1996-2014), Moscow (2014-2016), Grodno, Belarus (2017), Copenhagen, Denmark (2018). The forum program usually includes an average of 100-150 scientific reports..The present proceedings include the selected papers of the Forum «ECOBALTICA»-2019, which took place in Gdansk, Poland, on 07rd and 09th of October, 2019. This installment of the Forum has focused generally on the discussion of the modern achievements of scientists, the possibilities and problems of developments implementations to improve the plant protection, ecology of soil, waste management and water. More than 100 scientists from Europe, Asia and America took part in the Conference. 60 oral reports and more than 30 poster presentations were made. The key topics included in the proceedings are as follows:1. Water purification:2. Ecology of agricultural areas3. Waste management4. EnergyList of Oral Presentations, Poster Session are available in the pdf.

Assessment of the Use of PV Panels with Energy Accumulation Option for Riga City Office Building

Currently, demand-side management (DSM) covers a whole range of technological and policy measures aimed at reducing electricity consumption connected with economic activities. Thus, the development of wind PV and other renewable energy technologies, combined with microgrid technology, offers the remote consumers and prosumers ample opportunities to stabilize long-term costs and increase local energy system security. Apart from that, DSM from microgrid based on renewable sources also has certain social benefits, such as protection of the environment and conservation of natural resources. Due to the advances in photovoltaic material research and solar panel price reduction over the last years, the usage of this alternative energy source in Baltic region countries seems more attractive. The usage of energy storage devices can help use the solar power more efficiently and smarter. This paper deals with the optimization of a proposed solar panel array of a renovated office building’s communal lighting in Riga, using storage devices and demand-side management of the produced power, looking into a way to calculate the needed storage capacity on the basis of potential PV system and existing power consumption for communal space lighting system. The proposed approach will become one of the first basic steps in applying DSM to help reduce the communal space’s illumination power consumption, in turn helping to reduce the needed PV generating power and energy storage.

3rd INTERNATIONAL BALTIC SYMPOSIUM ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION “SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: CURRENT CHALLENGES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS (BalticSTE2019)”: SYMPOSIUM REVIEW

Two years after the second international BalticSTE symposium passed very quickly and here the third international science symposium is already a history too. On the 17th -20th of June this year, the 3rd International Baltic Symposium on Science and Technology Education BalticSTE2019 took place in Šiauliai. The topic of the Symposium was “Science and Technology Education: Current Challenges and Possible Solutions”. More than 50 scientists from 20 countries participated in the symposium. Comparing with the symposium which took place in 2017, the geographical distribution of the participants is significantly wider. Ukrainian, Serbian, Romanian, Malaysian researchers participated in the symposium for the first time. Natural science education requires constant researcher attention in the rapidly changing technological age, new educational methodologies and innovative educational approaches. The symposium reporter analysed topic spectrum is wide – from global warming of the climate, climate change to philosophical methodological and education evaluation questions. One of this international symposium ideas is – to show that Baltic region countries also actively participate in natural science and technology education research, especially in STEAM context. The second idea is that Baltic countries as well as other small regions of the world need corresponding close communication and cooperation.

Seasonal changes of the concentrations of mineral forms of nitrogen and phosphorus in watercourses in the agricultural catchment area (Bay of Puck, Baltic Sea, Poland)

Abstract The Baltic Region countries are obliged to meet the stringent limits of N and P discharge set by HELCOM for 2021. Area sources of pollution, including agriculture, are considered the main contributors of biogenic compounds. The Bay of Puck as an inner part of the Baltic Sea is particularly sensitive to eutrophication caused by nutrient inflow from agricultural lands. Rivers and streams inflowing to the Bay of Puck transport nitrogen and phosphorus compounds washed out from fields. The article discusses concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds measured during annual research (VII.2017 – VI.2018) at three watercourses: Płutnica, Reda and Błądzikowski Stream inflowing to the Bay of Puck. The concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.13 mg/L N-NO2, from 0.39 to 7.55 mg/L N-NO3, from 0.03 to 0.58 mg/L N-NH4, from 0.44 to 9.51 mg/L TN, from 0.05 to 0.45 mg/L P-PO4 and from 0.03 to 1.89 mg/L TP. Seasonal changes of nutrient concentrations were observed, with maximum concentrations of nitrates in August and September after application of fertilizers to arable land.

Technologies of making meteorological weather forecasts implemented in the Hydrometeorological Department of the Republic of Belarus

The article describes the methods of making short-term weather forecasts and storm warnings in the Hydrometeorological Department of the Republic of Belarus using different sources of in-formation (monitoring of synoptic situation, use of various satellite information, radar data etc.). It presents information about an observation network operating in the country (upper-air and surface observations). It also indicates the aims and results of the BALTRAD project resulting in creation of a modern, real-time meteorological radar network which connects the Republic of Belarus and the countries of Baltic region. The article contains short information about use of numerical weather forecasting models, in particular, the mesoscale model WRF-ARW which runs on the cluster system available in the Hydrometeorological Department. The GFS model data (0.25° increment) are used as a source of input data for modelling. Once launched the WRF model generates a forecast with advance time of 48 hours while time resolution of output data is equal to 1 hour. Calculation is performed as per "nested grids" with two domains having spatial resolution of 15 and 3 km which provides detailed information and enables making forecasts of local phenomena. Special attention is paid to products of the department of meteorological forecasts, especially to the hydrometeorological bulletin for the President with its structure being specified. The risk gradations are shown and characterized with allocation of colour codes based thereon in order to introduce respective forecast meteorological products: the weather is not dangerous ("green"); the weather is potentially dangerous ("yellow"); the weather is dangerous ("orange"); the weather is very dangerous ("red").
 The article specifies current problems arising during conduction of hydrometeorological activities and the ways they can be solved as indicated in the Strategy for Development of Hydrometeorological and Environmental Monitoring Activities in the Republic of Belarus until 2030.

International Youth Scientific Environmental Forum of the Baltic Region Countries «Ecobaltica»

The solution of global and local environmental problems demands consolidation of efforts of specialists (experts) from various areas of a science and technology. Education and training of ecologically competent experts is an essential task of a modern society for provision and maintenance of a favorable, ecologically safe environment for present and future generations of people on our planet. This purpose is served by widely known concept of the sustainable development which idea should be a basis in professional training specialists for various branches of a science, economy and education. The important means for exchange by experience, knowledge and designs between scientific and educational institutions,enterprises, companies, firms etc., are the international scientifically-practical conferences, seminars and forums. One of them is the International Youth Scientific Environmental Forum of the Baltic Region Countries «ECOBALTICA».
 The history of carrying out of the Forum at the St.-Petersburg State Polytechnic University totals already almost 15 years. Some generations of young scientists and specialists who wereregularly taking part in the Forum in this period, had time to be formed and grow. An aim of the Forum «ECOBALTICA» is consolidation of international experience of solution ofapplied and fundamental issues of ecology and environmental protection, as well as the problems connected with reproduction of highly skilled engineering and scientific manpower at domestic and international level. Interest to the Forum was shown by participants not only from the countries of the Baltic region, but from many far states to Baltic Sea. It is important to notice that long-term cooperation with University of Kalmar city, Sweden, has allowed organizers of the Forum «ECOBALTICA » to raise its efficiency and to deduce it onabsolutely new organizational level.
 As a result, there has been created in St.-Petersburg the system of measures directed to increase of efficiency of scientific and educational process in sphere of environmentalprotection, to develop bases of ecological culture of the people that has allowed to pass from discussion of scientific questions and education of qualified manpower, to direct influence on ecological conditions of the Baltic Region.

A Scientific Inquiry on the Estimation of the Phillips Curve in the Baltic Region

Many countries in European Union (EU) have suffered from the high unemployment rate due to the Eurozone crisis in the end of the 2000s. However, there is a knowledge gap in this important area of study. Many researchers focused on the Western part of Eurozone or PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece) and there is lack of systematic analysis on the Baltic countries. This paper aims to deal with an important scientific problem in macroeconomics regarding a trade-off relationship between unemployment rates and inflation rates. In other words, the main objective of this paper is to revisit the Phillip curve debate by estimating a new Keynesian Phillips curve (NKPC) in three European Union (EU) member countries in Baltic region, namely Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for the period of 1995-2013. For the purpose of scientific inquiry, this paper used the generalized method of movements (GMM) approach suggested by Gali and Gertler (1999). The novelty of this study is that it is first in its kind to apply the Gali-Gertler (GG) method to examine scientifically a trade-off relationship between inflation and unemployment in these three EU countries. The empirical analysis revealed some important findings. First and foremost, the empirical findings clearly indicated that inflation dynamics in three EU countries in the Baltic region was largely determined by the forward-looking tendency. This means that numerous firms in the region would have a forward-looking price setting tendency. These firms would pay due attention to the expected level of inflation rate in the future. This is main findings from this empirical analysis. Secondly, the findings also indicated that the inflation dynamics does not seem to be determined by the backward-looking behavior. It means that many firms in the region do not seem to have a backward-looking orientation. Thirdly, the empirical findings also indicated that there is no significant trade-off relationship between inflation rate and marginal cost. In other words, there is no significant negative association between inflation rate and marginal cost. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.27.3.6896

INFORMACINĖS KOMUNIKACINĖS TECHNOLOGIJOS: UGDYMO KOKYBĖS ASPEKTAS

Information and communication technologies are changing so rapidly, that it is hardly possible to react properly to all changes. First of all, the speech is about technological changes. This inevitably touches education system as well. A certain technological “overloading” is felt in all levels of the system. It is especially felt in comprehensive education sector. On the one hand, a big demand remains for teachers’ qualification in ICT field, on the other hand, the pressure increases for the younger generation to possibly master technologies earlier. In Lithuania, as in the other Baltic region countries, a lot of attention is paid to ICT implementation at schools. For example, in Estonia, even primary class children are already learning programming; the state also devotes much attention to this, first of all, financially. One of priority fields in Lithuania, declared in education policy since 2000, has been information and communication technology application in education system. A very important moment is that technology progress rapidity is and it is likely to be much more rapid than society’s technological (and computer as well) literacy level. It is obvious, that every country’s social – economical development and competitiveness strongly depend on information and communication technology level. However, the ability of a concrete person to use the possibilities provided by information and communication technologies, is another thing. The opinion, that prevails in Lithuania is, that part of the problems related to ICT are determined by technical resources, computer literacy, lack of methodics and methodology, wrong attitude to the usage of technologies in general. Speaking about teachers (they are central part of education process), it is important to form an understanding, that ICT is not a thing in itself, i.e., it is necessary to use, because the others do this and do somewhere else and finally, that it is fashionable. ICT, first of all, is a didactic support seeking better education results. Key words: computer literacy, education system, education policy, ICT.

INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES, EDUCATION QUALITY AND CHALLENGES FOR FUTURE

Information and communication technologies are changing so rapidly, that it is hardly possible to react properly to all changes. First of all, the speech is about technological changes. This inevitably touches education system as well. A certain technological “overloading” is felt in all levels of the system. It is especially felt in comprehensive education sector. On the one hand, a big demand remains for teachers’ qualification in ICT field, on the other hand, the pressure increases for the younger generation to possibly master technologies earlier. In Lithuania, as in the other Baltic region countries, a lot of attention is paid to ICT implementation at schools. For example, in Estonia, even primary class children are already learning programming; the state also devotes much attention to this, first of all, financially. One of priority fields in Lithuania, declared in education policy since 2000, has been information and communication technology application in education system.