Bilateral Project Research Articles

Bilateral cooperation - Fostering the ability of native European beech and sessile oak forests in the border region against the impacts of climate change

Adequate adaptions and actions to combat anthropogenic climate change (CC) are significant challenges of the 21st century. In Europe, according to the European Environmental Agency, warming of around 2°C is expected under the moderate climate scenario (RCP 4.5) by the end of the century, but the pessimistic RCP 8.5 scenario project an increase of up to 6°C. In addition to the rise in temperature, changes in precipitation and increased frequency of extreme weather events are predicted. New environmental conditions affect tree species and habitats differently; thus, forest biodiversity and local tree species compositions probably will be altered in many regions in the future. The effects may be manifold: some tree species may persist, locally adapt and migrate, while others may disappear from given regions and be replaced by native or non-native species. The native forests of the Austrian-Hungarian border region are particularly affected by the climate change. To mitigate the consequences of anthropogenic climate change to preserve forest biodiversity for future generations and to enable their use, deliberate and planned human interventions and actions are essential. These require transnational or even global efforts since nature and climate do not recognise man-made borders. The REIN-Forest project (Interreg V-A Austria-Hungary Programme - ATHU150), a bilateral project between Austria and Hungary, aimed to establish harmonised protection measures for the conservation of native forests in Northern, Central and Southern Burgenland, Vienna, Vienna Umland-South, Lower Austria South, Graz and Eastern Styria, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Vas and Zala counties (the so-called programme area). In the scope of this project, international cooperation between three project partners: the Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW, Austria), the Forest Research Institute – University of Sopron (SOE ERTI, Hungary) and the Vas County Government Office (VVÖH, Hungary) was established. Previous results and outputs of the SUSTREE project (Interreg Central Europe CE614), such as: a) Transnational delineation model of conservation and forest seed transfer zones in climate change, b) Report of intraspecific response function and derivation of climate transfer limits, SusSelect data, recommendations and c) Application of the species distribution models for the delineation of seed transfer zones/models in Central Europe, were put into practice during the project, focusing on two native deciduous forest tree species of the Austrian-Hungarian border region: European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.). During the REIN-Forest project, the following joint documents were prepared and several activities were implemented: 1. Model-based document on the current state and future perspectives of European beech and sessile oak forests; 2. Bilateral strategy for the transfer of forest reproductive material (FRM) and its use in the Austrian-Hungarian border region; 3. Establishment of altogether six demonstration sites (three in each country) with local and climate-adapted FRM of European beech and sessile oak for long-term monitoring; 4. Management and monitoring plan of the demonstration sites; 5. Joint bilingual communication strategy, which included informative programmes and meetings with professionals, locals and schools and also education material for further use. REIN-Forest focused on using scientific results and outputs in the field of applied forestry and awareness-raising. Besides strategies, recommendations and reports that would facilitate forest managers' decisions for the future in the border region, events and workshops were offered for forestry practitioners, school pupils and the public and a short film and educational materials were published.

From the eye to the wing: neural circuits for transforming optic flow into motor output in avian flight.

Avian flight is guided by optic flow-the movement across the retina of images of surfaces and edges in the environment due to self-motion. In all vertebrates, there is a short pathway for optic flow information to reach pre-motor areas: retinal-recipient regions in the midbrain encode optic flow, which is then sent to the cerebellum. One well-known role for optic flow pathways to the cerebellum is the control of stabilizing eye movements (the optokinetic response). However, the role of this pathway in controlling locomotion is less well understood. Electrophysiological and tract tracing studies are revealing the functional connectivity of a more elaborate circuit through the avian cerebellum, which integrates optic flow with other sensory signals. Here we review the research supporting this framework and identify the cerebellar output centres, the lateral (CbL) and medial (CbM) cerebellar nuclei, as two key nodes with potentially distinct roles in flight control. The CbM receives bilateral optic flow information and projects to sites in the brainstem that suggest a primary role for flight control over time, such as during forward flight. The CbL receives monocular optic flow and other types of visual information. This site provides feedback to sensory areas throughout the brain and has a strong projection the nucleus ruber, which is known to have a dominant role in forelimb muscle control. This arrangement suggests primary roles for the CbL in the control of wing morphing and for rapid maneuvers.

How does political risk matter for foreign direct investment into Arab economies?

ABSTRACT The present paper extends previous work by Burger et al. ([2016]. Risky business: Political instability and sectoral greenfield foreign direct investment in the Arab world. World Bank Economic Review, 30(2), 306–331. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhv030) that has attempted to investigate empirically the impact of political instability on FDI flows into the Arab host region. Specifically, based on gravity model approach and annual panel dataset on bilateral FDI projects in Arab countries from 2003 to 2018 (12,240 projects), it explores the following research questions: how does a host country’s political instability and institutional fragility affect the bilateral inward FDI project? Is there any sectoral specificity to this impact if it exists? Which component of political risk poses the most threat for the foreign investor in a specific sector? The empirical investigation highlights the negative, significant and robust impact of perceived political risk in the Arab host-country. It also establishes that there is substantial heterogeneity in foreign investment reactions to political risk reflecting both differences in the component of political risk and sectoral characteristics.

Integrated construction consulting project performance improvement in China using network structure and team boundary-spanning behavior: a configurational analysis

PurposeThe consulting team intervenes in the integrated construction consulting (ICC) network structure centered on “client-contractor-consultant.” Team boundary-spanning behavior (TBB) driven by the network structure is crucial to project performance. This article investigated how to stimulate the consulting project performance (CPP) improvement by considering the interactive effect of network structure and TBB. To be specific, this paper explored the configuration between structural characteristics of project networks, the dimension of TBB, and project performance in ICC projects.Design/methodology/approachNetwork density and centrality were used to reflect network structure. This study collected 216 valid responses from construction professionals (including project managers, department managers, and project engineers) via a questionnaire survey and analyzed the data using fsQCA.FindingsCombining with the corresponding typical project case and analysis, the results concluded four types of configurations for achieving high performance in the ICC projects. Meanwhile, network centrality, density, ambassadorial behavior, coordination behavior, and detection behavior significantly impact high consulting project performance. Matching ICC network characteristics with the TBB is important. There are also three low performance configurations for the ICC projects. Low performance state also occurs when network centrality or density and coordination behavior is simultaneously low. Only the right match between the network characteristics and TBB can produce high consulting project performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe network centrality and density, the implementation of TBB vary, and the paths to achieve high consulting project performance are different. Clients, ICC projects, and consulting teams should choose the appropriate development paths according to the actual situation. (1) Clients should commit to applying the ICC project model with high network centrality, density, and coordination behavior of ICC enterprises to promote project performance. (2) Consulting enterprises should carry out ICC business based on detecting behavior and coordinating behavior. (3) The market should cultivate head consulting enterprises with independence and integration, and bring into play the effectiveness of consulting team ambassadorial behavior.Practical implicationsComparing the results of the four high CPP configurations, the network structure characteristics are essential, which means that in the Chinese consulting practice between the owner and the consulting firm pay attention to the use of appropriate ICC organizational structure model and arrange the degree of centralization of authorized responsibilities. Coordination behavior is necessary to achieve high CPP. Therefore, Chinese consulting firms should pay attention to effective communication and exchange with project contractors in order to get high CPP in conducting business; meanwhile, enabling behavior can achieve high CPP both in the presence and absence of configuration H1 and H4, which indicates that enabling behavior has substitution effect. Comparing the three low CPP configurations also contrarily confirms the indispensability of coordinating behavior. Comparing the results of high and low CPP configurations, the TBB is seriously missing and not properly applied in CPP enhancement. In detail, Chinese consulting firms have been regarded as independent third parties providing services, and less attention has been paid to the TBB of Chinese consulting firms in past practice, thus leading to the dilemma of inadequate empowerment of consulting firms due to their unclear status. To solve this dilemma, the findings of this paper offer a solution at the micro level to change the previous perception of consulting and demonstrate that Chinese consulting practice needs to pay attention to TBB with owners and contractors, and apply it well to enhance the reputation, management consulting level and capability, and experience and expertise of consulting firms to achieve high CPP.Originality/valueThe research results changed from the previous bilateral project governance to a new perspective of network embedding. It provided a theoretical basis for the improvement path of high consulting project performance, as well as providing ideas for clients on the organizational design of ICC projects. On the other hand, it provided a practical reference for TBB positioning of ICC enterprises for transformation and upgrading development.

Rethinking Urban-Rural Relations/Migrations in Central-Europe

This special issue is the result of a bilateral project titled Anthropological study of rural-urban and urban-rural migrations in Central Europe: The case of Slovenia and Hungary (BI-HU /21-22-002), which was financially supported by the Slovenian Research Agency. From the Hungarian side, it was carried out with the support of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Hungary, from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund (2019-2.1.11-TÉT-2020-00175). The project aimed to foster further collaboration between the Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at Faculty of Arts at University of Ljubljana and the Department of European Ethnology – Cultural Anthropology, University of Pécs, and joint research of the dynamic of rural-urban and urban-rural migrations/relations and impact on everyday life in Central Europe

Secondhand smoke and its unfavorable associations in vulnerable population groups

Secondhand smoke (SHS) is one of the greatest and most frequent environmental toxic exposures. According to WHO it causes over 600,000 deaths per year, the majority (64%) among women, with more than a third of all people exposed to the harmful effects of smoke. This corresponds to 1% of the global burden of diseases worldwide. Numerous studies have shown the harmful effects of SHS on those who are exposed, including female adults, children, and pregnant women and their fetuses. The aim of this narrative review is to present research concerning SHS and its unfavorable association with the physical and mental health of those vulnerable population groups. Full papers in the English language were searched in the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases and the inclusion factors were reviews and original studies on secondhand smoke and its effects on maternal and child health, including US Surgeon General's Reports since the year 2006. Special attention was paid to studies based on the bilateral American-Slovak project "Prenatal, pregnancy and childhood exposures to household smoking and their relations to subsequent development and health in Slovakia". The research on SHS and health effects helps in campaigns for smoke-free environments and in the promotion of community-based smoke-free programs. Besides school and workplace, a complete smoking ban at home should be considered to avoid potential adverse health effects on vulnerable population groups.

Structure and evolution of the greenfield FDI network along the belt and road

Using bilateral greenfield investment projects data from 2003 to 2019 collected from fDi Markets, this study constructed the greenfield foreign direct investment networks along the Belt and Road (BR-GFNs). Based on a social network analysis, we investigated the structure of BR-GFNs at three levels. At the overall level, the BR-GFNs are characterized by small-world, reciprocity, and robustness. At the community level, the BR-GFNs form three communities: the east, south, and west. Lastly, at the national level, China, Russia, India, and Turkey occupy important positions in BR-GFNs, with relatively high resource control abilities. Moreover, we applied the quadratic assignment procedure to investigate the factors affecting the structural formation of the BR-GFNs. The results show that countries with less geographical, institutional, economic, and cultural distance, higher political affinity, and possibility of signing bilateral investment treaties are more likely to establish cross-border greenfield investments.

New Price-based Bilateral Ad-valorem Equivalent Estimates of Non-tariff Measures

As global applied tariffs continue to decline, and the stock of non-tariff measures continues to increase, applied international trade researchers increasingly seek to evaluate the effects of non-tariff measure (NTM) policies. This, however, requires their quantification – a non-trivial estimation task that needs to be undertaken at a disaggregated level. Estimation of ad-valorem-equivalents (AVEs) of NTMs is generally conducted using one of two approaches: price-based or quantity-based. This study uses a price-based approach to estimate AVEs at the Harmonised System (HS) six-digit level. Bilateral Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) sector-specific AVEs are obtained by aggregating the derived AVE estimates, using HS-GTAP sector concordance and HS six-digit level bilateral trade flows as weights. A key advantage of the price-based estimation method used in this study is that the AVEs can be directly used in the GTAP model, without the need to adjust them based on import-demand elasticities. Derived AVEs estimated in this study are also importer/partner-specific and rely on counts of NTMs rather than simply instances of NTMs. This paper provides GTAP-consistent estimates and aggregation code to facilitate custom GTAP aggregations of AVEs, as well as replicable, open source code that can be altered based on users' assumptions or particular research needs.

Pogled v svet besed: prepoznavanje raznojezičnosti v prvem triletju osnovne šole: vključevanje literarnih besedil za spodbujanje medkulturnega dialoga in usvajanje jezika

In this paper, we present a bilateral project that focuses on the transfer of cultural content through literary texts in lessons for the acquisition of Slovene and German. Literary texts also include keywords of culture, and as such contribute to the motivation for acquiring neighbouring languages and intercultural dialogue. An additional motivational element is information and communication technology, suitable for primary school age and thus friendly to the mind of a pupil who through cross-curricular connections experiences the lessons of the neighbouring/foreign language in a pleasant and cognitively stimulating environment.

SCIENCE DIPLOMACY IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION

The article is devoted to the problem of development of scientific diplomacy of educational institutions by means of creative cooperation. The main task of scientific diplomacy to form the image of the educational institution and interpersonal relations of all participants in the educational process is substantiated. Attention is paid to the communicative activity as a phenomenon of scientific creativity; the theoretical content of the concepts of "diplomacy", "communicative culture", "educational diplomacy" is considered; diagnostics of the readiness of educational institutions for the development of educational and scientific diplomacy is carried out. The conducted analysis of the essence of pedagogical interaction in an educational institution allows us to conclude that the concept of "educational diplomacy" is a rather complex and multifaceted concept that is used in various spheres of human activity, covers a large number of objects and phenomena, as it is manifested in the educational process, personal interaction, technological processes, communications, etc. The article also pays attention to the development of science diplomacy, peculiarities of its implementation and influence on the generation of international initiatives in the globalized world. Using a comparative methodology, the approaches to understanding science diplomacy in domestic and foreign discourse are analyzed, taking into account the existing practice of its application. It is established that science diplomacy, as a type of public diplomacy, serves as a means of promoting and protecting the national interests of the state, and also plays a regulatory role in a complex system of international interaction. At the same time, science diplomacy can serve to solve specific foreign policy tasks of regional importance – first of all with neighboring countries in the fields of ecology, forecasting and elimination of the consequences of natural and man-made disasters, mining and rational use of marine natural resources, in the social and humanitarian sphere. The availability of permanent and sufficient funding for bilateral scientific projects on such topics, especially with neighboring countries, can actually be a manifestation of scientific diplomacy for establishing good international relations. Developing the institution of science diplomacy, it is extremely important to maintain a balance of interaction between scientific and political components, to prevent the use of political tools in the scientific sphere. It is also extremely important that scientific and diplomatic goals remain transparent to avoid manipulation of science for political purposes and to prevent politicization of science. The results of the study give grounds to assert that the development of educational diplomacy is a priority area of personal development and professional development of scientists and teachers of educational institutions, based on psychological and pedagogical theory and practice and focused on subject-subject relations in work. This direction is consistently implemented in the process of studying in the system of postgraduate pedagogical education by acquiring the necessary competencies, gradual improvement of communicative qualities and accumulation of experience in communicative interaction.

Comparatives of CPEC in Region and its Future

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was launched in 2015 when 51 agreements and MoUs (Memorandums of Understanding) worth USD 46 billion were signed between China and Pakistan. This grand-scale bilateral project is a flagship constituent of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). CPEC started with the goal of modernizing Pakistan’s road, rail, air, and energy transportation systems and enhancing connectivity between its Gwadar and Karachi ports to the Chinese province of Xinjiang and beyond. For Pakistan, CPEC not only meant an opportunity to address its existing challenges like the energy crisis but also a golden moment to emerge as a hub for economic activities in the region. This article discusses comparatives in Geo-Strategic countries, which can suggest the future course of CPEC projects. India, Russia, and Iran have agreed in 2000 to construct a route between Mumbai and St-Petersburg through Tehran and Moscow to facilitate the movement of energy resources from Central Asia. Likewise, China-Pakistan Corridor will increase economic activity between both countries and the region. This Corridor may also be beneficial to “String of Pearls” that China’s “culture” to save its sea lives of communication catering to protect oil and gas supplies, which are emerging from the Gulf of Persia, Middle East, and China. Investors will take advantage of various economic-related activities to promote the agriculture industry, tourism, construction activities, vehicle industry, information technology, etc. Corridors will fulfil the energy resource needs of many countries through the Caspian Sea and Central Asian Republics. However, this project is facing internal and external threats, Pakistan is facing terrorist attacks, and the Chinese province Xinjiang is facing threats. Serious security threats to this project are likely to emanate from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. The Uighur terrorists have a close relationship with the Taliban in FATA, which is a serious and adverse threat to Chinese interests in Pakistan. This thesis is an effort to find reasons and suggest suitable measures for the Government to sort out challenges to avoid delays in the implementation and completion of the project.

Service trade restrictiveness and foreign direct investment—Evidence from greenfield FDI in business services

AbstractWe study the impact of service trade restrictions on bilateral greenfield FDI projects in four business services sectors within a gravity model framework. Project level FDI data for 43 destination countries and up to 41 source countries spanning the years 2014–2020 stems from the fDi Markets database and restrictions from the OECD's Service Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI). Using a negative binomial estimator to explain the number of bilateral FDI projects, we find that service trade restrictions represent a significant barrier for greenfield FDI. In three out of four business services, we obtain statistically significant evidence of a negative effect of the compound STRI level. Using three sub‐components of the index (restrictions to foreign entry, restrictions to the movement of people, other service trade restrictions) generally improves the explanatory power of the models. To illustrate potential magnitudes, we simulate how the number of expected FDI projects would increase in response to a hypothetical policy reform reducing relevant restrictions by 50%. We find average increases across the destination countries ranging between 20% and 104%, with a strong dependence on which business service sector is considered and whether or not the FDI projects only involve countries of the European Economic Area (EEA).

An Integrated Monitoring System for Coastal and Riparian Areas Based on Remote Sensing and Machine Learning

Nowadays, coastal areas are exposed to multiple hazards of increasing severity, such as coastal floods, erosion, subsidence due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors, including climate change and urbanisation. In order to cope with these challenges, new remote sensing monitoring solutions are required that are based on knowledge extraction and state of the art machine learning solutions that provide insights into the related physical mechanisms and allow the creation of innovative Decision Support Tools for managing authorities. In this paper, a novel user-friendly monitoring system is presented, based on state-of-the-art remote sensing and machine learning approaches. It uses processes for collecting and analysing data from various heterogeneous sources (satellite, in-situ, and other auxiliary data) for monitoring land cover and land use changes, coastline changes soil erosion, land deformations, and sea/ground water level. A rule-based Decision Support System (DSS) will be developed to evaluate changes over time and create alerts when needed. Finally, a WebGIS interface allows end-users to access and visualize information from the system. Experimental results deriving from various datasets are provided to assess the performance of the proposed system, which is implemented within the EPIPELAGIC bilateral Greece-China project. The system is currently being installed in the Greek case study area, namely Thermaikos Gulf in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Lehrkompetenzentwicklung von DaF-Studierenden in einer binationalen universitären Ausbildungskooperation

In teacher training, practical phases offer students the opportunity to further develop their skills and professionalize their own teaching. In a bilateral cooperation project, student teachers from the Czech Republic and Austria jointly prepared a week of teaching according to the concept of problem-based learning and carried it out as a project week at a Czech grammar school. The individual considerations of the students regarding their development of teaching skills and personality in project work are evaluated. Results indicate the benefit of integrating practical bilateral teaching experiences into the curriculum.

Exploiting HBIM for Historical Mud Architecture: The Huaca Arco Iris in Chan Chan (Peru)

The construction technique of raw earth, which has always been in use in most of the world, has left large monuments or architectural complexes to cultural heritage that need special attention due to the notable vulnerability of the material. A convenient way to deal this threat, besides physical intervention, is by using an information system, such as HBIM (Heritage Building Information Modeling), as a tool for damage assessment and conservation planning. This paper reports on its application in an archaeological setting, in particular, on the Huaca Arco Iris, a religious building of the old city of Chan Chan (Peru), the largest monumental complex in mud on the American continent. The study is part of the bilateral international project between the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica (CONCYTEC) in the use of HBIM for the prediction of possible natural or anthropogenic damages to buildings in raw mud. Exploiting the data coming from the direct and indirect analyses, a dedicated ontology is built to guide the management of these data within the information system. The creation of an HBIM system for the archaeological domain, based on the trinomial data–information–knowledge, is presented and validated. Following this approach, a customizable HBIM has been created with the 3D model of the spatial entities of the Huaca. As a result, the semantic relationship of an external wall, taken as the benchmark test of our experiment, with the contained bas-relief and the conservation cover is tested.

Introduction: Earlier Experience of Collecting and Researching School Lore in Estonia and Slovenia

The current issue of the journal Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore was created as a collaboration between Estonian and Slovenian folklorists and ethnologists within the joint bilateral project, “Slovenian and Estonian Contemporary School Lore”. The main objective of the project was to analyse and compare the contemporary school lore, its collecting, use, and dynamics in two European countries with different geographical positions and characteristics, with a similar history, and no direct contact. The project focused on tradition and transformations of the folklore material, playfulness, and creativity in (new) formats, and on how they reflect the social reality that produces them. The project aimed to apply a new dynamic comparative approach from an intercultural as well as diachronic and synchronic point of view, which offers a unique and innovative perspective in folklore studies of Slovenia and Estonia.

유럽연합의 고등교육 시스템

Higher education policy is a policy area that is deeply located in the realm of national sovereignty, and member countries have objection to the unified policy of the European Union. Accordingly, higher education policy at the EU level was very limited. However, the Bologna Process was launched outside the European Union in 1999 to internationalize higher education due to the heightened sense of crisis caused by the decline in competitiveness of European universities. The Bologna Process aimed to establish a European Higher Education Area through mutual recognition and harmonization of degrees and certificates between European universities. European Union was also stimulated by the launch of the Bologna Process in the 2000s, expanding its higher education program and establishing several technical systems for student and faculty exchanges across borders. Specifically, the European Union expanded the Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus programs for the internationalization of universities. At the same time, the European Union actively implemented systems for human exchange, such as the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). On the other hand, Bologna Process also built its own system such as Bologna Cycle for degree certificate and qualitative evaluation of higher education. The Bologna Process also introduced the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, already implemented by the European Union. It is noteworthy that the Bologna Process, which consists of 46 European countries, includes all 27 European Union member states. Accordingly, the European Union’s higher education policy coexists with the Bologna Process, and mutual exchange and system convergence are taking place. In Korea, internationalization of universities is also a major issue, and in order to promote exchanges and cooperation with the European Union, which has a similar academic level, it is necessary to discuss bilateral projects between the two sides. In addition, in order for Korean universities to promote international exchanges, it is necessary to establish a system for unified grades and degree certificates and qualitative evaluation of education among universities.

پاک چین اقتصادی راہ داری کی کام یابی میں بین المذاہب اور سماجی ہم آہنگی کا کردار: مسلم فکر کو درپیش خطرات

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of the twenty-first Century around the globe. It is a long-term bilateral project of China and Pakistan, connecting China with the rest of the world. A road network, linking Kashgar in the Xinjiang region to Gwadar in Baluchistan, reduces 10,000 miles of sea route and connects Shanghai to Africa and Europe through Gwadar. Although China has plunked a huge amount capital in CPEC, Pakistan’s key role cannot be overemphasized. The realization of CPEC directly hinges on beliefs and practices of interfaith and social harmony in the region. Islam provides guidelines on integration, tolerance, and mutual harmony between diverse cultures. Interfaith and social harmony confront myriad challenges to a massive CPEC. These challenges include international imperialism, religious extremists, sectarian elements, conceited nationalists, terrorist-groups, annihilating law and order situation, and hostile agencies. China and Pakistan both consist of diversified faiths and religious communities. This article elucidates and analyses these religious and social challenges to cope with prevalent ordeals. It will hopefully help the stakeholders to contrive dynamics of interfaith and social harmony in the region.

Teaching, learning, training, and researching throughout Europe – Languages and cultures in contact

Since the early 1990s, the Kecskemét College Teacher Training Faculty has been involved in important bilateral and multilateral projects targeting cultural and linguistic themes. Due to new challenges in pedagogy, didactics and ICT competences in higher education, the projects’ aims and objectives as well as the list of participating countries of the projects have changed. Our study introduces and analyses those pre-EU and EU projects that focused on teaching pre-service teachers, training in- service teachers based on the research results garnered through cooperation with our partners, and learning from one another’s educational and cultural settings. This study has a twofold goal: through the introduction of how cultures and languages enriched one another in several intercultural projects, we aim to record a very rich period at Kecskemét College Teacher Training Faculty.

Searching for an Economic Basis for the Indo-Pacific: Evolution of India’s Approaches

The article is devoted to an analysis of Indias attempts to form an economic basis for its flagship foreign policy initiative - the concept of the Indo-Pacific. The author, using a multidimensional approach based on critical theory, historical sociology of international relations, the strategic culture approach and spatial approach, examines the evolution of the economic system of the Indo-Pacific in a historical perspective. India has historically played a key role in the system. So the Indian political elites believe that it has to be the regional hegemon. The rapid growth of the Indian economy at the beginning of the 21st century allowed New Delhi to start implementing its ambitions. The growth of neighboring China and its expansion into traditional Indian spheres of influence forced India to intensify the Indo-Pacific policy. Possible options for building the economic basis of the Indo-Pacific have been consistently explored in the article. The author highlights the economic mega blocs (TPP and RCEP), which India refused to join due to concerns about its economy; sub-regional trade and economic blocs and initiatives (SAARC, BIMSTEK, SAGAR, AAGC), local and relatively weak for providing the economic basis of the mega-region on their basis; finally, the latest infrastructure projects (Blue Dots Network, Build Back Better World), in which India is still hesitant to participate, not being sure of their effectiveness and fearing excessive involvement in anti-Chinese projects. The author concludes that India can either join Western infrastructure initiatives, or try to build an economic basis for the Indo-Pacific on a set of sub-regional initiatives. In the latter case, Russia could play an important role by implementing bilateral projects with India and participating in multilateral ones.