Consolidation Program Research Articles

Durability rehabilitation and promotion of reinforced concrete structures in tidal and splash range of deteriorated wharfs in marine environment

Corrosion deterioration of reinforced concrete structures in tidal and splash range has always been an urgent concern of scientific researchers and wharf managers, especially for that serving for more than 20 years in marine environment. Through on-site detection and chemical analysis, it has been found that reinforced structures in tidal and splash range of a passenger terminal in Zhoushan city suffer severe corrosion destructions such as rust expansion of steel bars, concrete cracking and spalling due to technical conditions at the initial stage of construction and insufficient awareness of durability. Meanwhile, chloride content near the surface of steel bars in concrete exceeds the critical corrosion value. In order to rehabilitate and improve the durability of reinforced concrete structures in tidal and splash range of this wharf, a combined programme of partial consolidation and electrochemical desalination is proposed and applied, which shows good performances and ensures the service life of the structure as long as possible.

CREDIT COUNSELING AND CONSUMER CREDIT TRAJECTORIES

Nonprofit credit counseling provides consumers with financial education, individualized financial counseling, and debt restructuring. Despite potential benefits, relatively little is known about its efficacy. This study uses administrative data to assess the relationship between counseling and consumer credit outcomes. We estimate difference‐in‐difference models to analyze credit outcomes for a counseled group relative to a matched comparison group for six quarters after a baseline period. We find evidence of a substantial credit shock around the time of counseling. Post‐treatment, counseling is associated with a persistent reduction in debt even after accounting for bankruptcies, foreclosures, debt charge‐offs, or participation in debt consolidation programs. (JEL D12)

Fiscal Adjustments and Social Spending: An Analysis of the Indian Economy

The higher and unsustainable levels of debt have forced the economies to undergo consolidation policies to improve their fiscal position. However, such policies can impact both economic growth and welfare spending owing to their deficit dependence. The current study analyzed the debt dependence of welfare spending and tried to evaluate the impact of consolidation strategies on the long - term social and welfare spending in case of the Indian economy. The study employed the time - series data covering the time period from 1990 - 2018 concerning 13 variables broadly grouped under three headings, that is, spending on education, health, and welfare. The study utilized the technique of generalized method of moments technique (GMM). The study found that the deficit financing nature of the government is a significant determinant of social and welfare spending in the Indian economy. A 1% increase in the growth rate of deficit financing was found to augment the growth rate of spending on education by 0.13%, on health by 0.03%, on welfare by 0.15% with an overall impact of 0.11%. Such a debt dependence by the social and welfare spending raised doubts that a consolidation design may further endanger the already stagnating social and welfare spending. This is mainly if a consolidation programme pursued with an aim to infuse fiscal prudence heavily concentrates on the quantity rather than the quality of the design.

Like a Scattering from a Fixed Point: Austerity Fiction and the Inequalities of Elsewhere

After the financial collapse of 2008, Ireland imposed a program of fiscal consolidation that was designed to address the debt concerns of the nation. The implementation of austerity measures became the inverse to the high-flying years of the Celtic Tiger. Mike McCormack’s Solar Bones and Mary Morrissy’s Prosperity Drive represent examples of post-austerity literature in how they engage with ideas of austerity as an inverted capitalist narrative of success. Their books examine a post-austerity Ireland where the influence of global capitalism has resulted in a disruption of local communities. Both McCormack and Morrissy critique post-austerity Ireland to show the psychological, emotional, and human cost of the nation’s transformation into a post-austerity country.

Mineral reactivity in sulphide mine wastes: influence of mineralogy and grain size on metal release

The authors thank two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments that clearly improved the quality of the manuscript, and Associate Editor Encarnacion Ruiz-Agudo and Chief Editor Carlos Rodriguez-Navarro for their handling. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economic and Competitiveness through the projects CGL2016-78783-C2-1-R (SCYRE) and ERAMIN PCIN2015-242. C.R. Canovas was funded by the Talent Consolidation Program of the University of Huelva. MD Basallote also thanks the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for the Postdoctoral Fellowship granted under application reference FJCI-2015-24765.

Fiscal crisis in Brazil: causes and remedy

ABSTRACT From 2014 to 2017, Brazil experienced unprecedented fiscal deterioration caused by multidimensional factors. According to the economic literature, to cope with such a crisis, it is recommended to adopt a long-term spending cut-based fiscal consolidation program rather than a tax hike-based one. However, as the fiscal crisis evolved recently in Brazil, this article brings another perspective to the policy stance. It suggests a fiscal program that includes a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes. On one hand, the peculiarities of the Brazilian government expenditures demand fiscal reforms with long-lasting impacts but generally with low short-term fiscal effect. On the other hand, as short-term fiscal results anchor confidence, increases in taxes would be an important pillar of the economic policies to mitigate the fiscal deterioration in the short term. The GDP contraction is expected to more severe than a simple spending cut measure but is likely to be less prolonged.

The Role of Cross-Border Cooperation in Modernising Public Administration (Experience of the Trnava Region, Slovakia)

The former post-socialist countries have become examples of the institutional transformation of public administration systems. An indispensable element of optimising public administration is intensification of cross-border cooperation and implementation of joint sustainable development programmes in the cross-border regions.It has been found that an efficient cross-border cooperation model in Slovakia was introduced after joining the European Union. The financial support within the Interreg EU programme, implemented during 2007–2013 (Interreg IV) and 2014–2010 (Interreg V), has played an essential role. It has been proved that the most effective model is the cross-border cooperation model in Trnava Region, territorially implemented with the neighbouring regions of Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. It has been determined that the main directions of cross-border cooperation in the Trnava self-governing region are realization of joint socio-economic programmes (strategies of economic growth and regional employment, cultural and educational projects, transport system, etc.) as well as cooperation between municipal administrations on the issues of administrative systems optimization. It has been proved that the vast share of European financial resources (for instance, the European Regional Development Fund), aimed at the development of regional cooperation, should, above all, bridge the administrative resource gap between urban and rural areas and ensure that local communities have free and equal access to administrative resources.The traditions of effective cross-border cooperation between the Trnava self-governing region and respective cross-border regions of the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary have been prolonged in the format of the European Interreg V Consolidation Programme for the period of 2014-2010. Cross-border projects are usually implemented for a period of 1–2 years, being aimed at fortifying intercultural ties on the neighbour territories. In Trnava Region it is strategically important to intensify cross-border cooperation in order to increase inter-institutional cooperation at the level of municipal administrations as well as strengthen cross-border ties at the level of population.The correlation of strategic goals with the outcomes of cross-border cooperation with Euroregions, while retaining substantial financial support from the EU structures, is among the priority tasks.

Metabolic adaptation in the human gut microbiota during pregnancy and the first year of life.

BackgroundThe relationship between the gut microbiome and the human host is dynamic and we may expect adjustments in microbiome function if host physiology changes. Metatranscriptomic approaches should be key in unraveling how such adjustments occur.MethodsWe employ metatranscriptomic sequencing analyses to study gene expression in the gut microbiota of infants through their first year of life, and of their mothers days before delivery and one year afterwards.FindingsIn infants, hallmarks of aerobic metabolism disappear from the microbial metatranscriptome as development proceeds, while the expression of functions related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism increases and diversifies, approaching that observed in non-pregnant women. Butyrate synthesis enzymes are overexpressed at three months of age, even though most butyrate-producing organisms are still rare. In late pregnancy, the microbiota readjusts the expression of carbohydrate-related functions in a manner consistent with a high availability of glucose.InterpretationOur findings suggest that butyrate production may be ensured in the gut of young infants before the typical butyrate synthesizers of the adult gut become abundant. The late pregnancy gut microbiota may be able to access the high levels of blood glucose characteristic of this period. Moreover, late pregnancy gut bacteria may reach stationary phase, which may affect their likelihood of translocating across the intestinal epithelium.FundsThis work was supported by grants CSD2009-00006 (CONSOLIDER Program) and SAF2009-13032-C02-02 from MICINN (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain), and by grant SAF2012-31187 from MINECO (Ministry of Economics and Competitiveness, Spain).

Policy responses to the Eurozone crisis: A comparative analysis of southern European administrations

The Eurozone crisis has worked as a forceful external factor for activating a series of fiscal and structural adjustments in the countries of the EU periphery. Public administration was a key reform area and has undergone notable transformations under the fiscal consolidation programmes. This paper aims at identifying the impact of the crisis on public administration with a focus on southern Europe. It reviews and compares the goals and the outcomes of the administrative reform programmes that were implemented in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain during the crisis. This cluster forms a distinct administrative paradigm emanating from the Napoleonic state tradition. The relationship between administrative tradition and administrative change or persistence is explored in a historical institutionalist perspective. The findings identify similarities, divergences and variations across and within the Southern countries, also suggesting that while certain changes occurred, the Napoleonic features of the southern administrations remained largely untouched by the reform programmes.

Fiscal Adjustment Programs versus Socially Sustainable Competitiveness in EU Countries

After implementing harsh austerity measures during 2008–2011, in the period 2012–2014 the fiscal adjustment programs also involved social equity measures, the quantitative fiscal consolidation being changed into a qualitative one—a reduction of the structural budget deficit accompanied by an improvement of social sustainability indicators. The 2015–2017 period shows mixed evolutions in terms of social progress brought by the recovery of the economic potential lost during the crisis. This research analyzes the sustainability of economic competitiveness dynamics from a social viewpoint during 2012–2014. In this paper, we analyze the way in which the economic and social components of fiscal adjustment programs are dynamically balanced in 24 EU member states. We identify four clusters of countries depending on the relationship between fiscal consolidation/fiscal stimulation and the social dynamics of the sustainability adjusted global competitiveness index. We found that under the pressure of “fiscal adjustment fatigue” caused by tough austerity programs in the period 2008–2011, most of the European countries completed the fiscal adjustment packages with measures to improve the social situation between 2012 and 2017. The fiscal consolidation programs have become more balanced from the perspective of the combination of budgetary austerity—social equity measures. Furthermore, we analyze how some countries on the EU periphery (Central and Eastern Europe, Baltic countries and Portugal, Ireland and Greece, countries that have joined the EU with a lower level of development) are experiencing or not an improvement in the social sustainability generated by the measures aimed at stimulating the economic growth implemented during 2012–2017. To conclude, we proposed a few pillars that could be integrated if an “ideal adjustment program” is to be achieved.

MetaWRAP\u2014a flexible pipeline for genome-resolved metagenomic data analysis

BackgroundThe study of microbiomes using whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing enables the analysis of uncultivated microbial populations that may have important roles in their environments. Extracting individual draft genomes (bins) facilitates metagenomic analysis at the single genome level. Software and pipelines for such analysis have become diverse and sophisticated, resulting in a significant burden for biologists to access and use them. Furthermore, while bin extraction algorithms are rapidly improving, there is still a lack of tools for their evaluation and visualization.ResultsTo address these challenges, we present metaWRAP, a modular pipeline software for shotgun metagenomic data analysis. MetaWRAP deploys state-of-the-art software to handle metagenomic data processing starting from raw sequencing reads and ending in metagenomic bins and their analysis. MetaWRAP is flexible enough to give investigators control over the analysis, while still being easy-to-install and easy-to-use. It includes hybrid algorithms that leverage the strengths of a variety of software to extract and refine high-quality bins from metagenomic data through bin consolidation and reassembly. MetaWRAP’s hybrid bin extraction algorithm outperforms individual binning approaches and other bin consolidation programs in both synthetic and real data sets. Finally, metaWRAP comes with numerous modules for the analysis of metagenomic bins, including taxonomy assignment, abundance estimation, functional annotation, and visualization.ConclusionsMetaWRAP is an easy-to-use modular pipeline that automates the core tasks in metagenomic analysis, while contributing significant improvements to the extraction and interpretation of high-quality metagenomic bins. The bin refinement and reassembly modules of metaWRAP consistently outperform other binning approaches. Each module of metaWRAP is also a standalone component, making it a flexible and versatile tool for tackling metagenomic shotgun sequencing data. MetaWRAP is open-source software available at https://github.com/bxlab/metaWRAP.

Can Land Fragmentation Reduce the Exposure of Rural Households to Weather Variability?

Climate change continuously affects African farmers that operate in rain-fed environments. Coping with weather risk through credit and insurance markets is almost inexistent as these markets are imperfect in the African economies. Even though land fragmentation is often considered as a barrier to agricultural productivity, this article aims at analyzing whether land fragmentation, as an insurance alternative, is able to reduce farmers' exposure to weather variability. In order to address this research question, I use the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) data on Uganda. After dealing with the endogeneity of land fragmentation, I find that higher land fragmentation decreases the loss of crop yield when households experience rainfall anomalies, but remains detrimental for those households that are not exposed to such irregularities. Therefore, policy makers should be cautious while implementing uniform land consolidation programs.

Results of program acute myeloid leukemia therapy use in National Medical Research Center for Hematology of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation.

To analyze treatment results of 172 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) aged 18-60 years in National Medical Research Center for Hematology of MHRF. Inductive and consolidation program for 139 (80%) patients was based on a standardized protocol: 4 courses "7+3" with different anthracycline use (2 courses of daunorubicin, idarubicin, mitoxantrone) and continuous use of cytarabine on the second inductive course. In 20% of patients cytarabine courses at the dose of 1 g/m2 2 times a day for 1-3 days combined with idarubicin and mitoxantrone were used as two consolidation courses. Allogenic bone marrow transplantation was performed in the first complete remission (CR) period in 40% of patients. The frequency of CR achievement in all patients was 78.6%, refractory forms were observed in 13.9% of patients, early mortality - in 7.5% of patients. Seven-year overall survival (OS) rate was 40.7%, relapse free survival (RFS) - 43.2%. When estimating effectiveness depending on cytogenetic risk group it was demonstrated that 5-year OS and RFS in patients with translocation (8; 21) cannot be considered as satisfying, it accounted for 50 and 34%, respectively. At the same time in patients with 16th chromosome inversion (inv16) these characteristics accounted for 68.6 and 63.5%. Acquired results forced reconsidering of the consolidation program in AML patients of this subgroup. The median time to allogenic blood stem cells transplantation (allo-BSCT) in patients with first CR was 6.5 months that was taken as a reference point in landmark analysis of patients in whom allo-BSCT was not performed. Landmark analysis showed that in AML patients of favorable prognosis group allo-BSCT does not significantly reduce the probability of relapse (0 and 36%) and does not influence RFS (33 and 64%). In patients of border-line and poor prognosis allo-BSCT significantly reduces relapse probability (26 and 66%; 20 and 100%) and significantly increases a 7-year RFS (68.7 and 30%; 45.6 and 0%). Allo-BSCT also results in significant RFS increase and reduces the probability of relapse (25 и 78%) in patients in whom CR was achieved only after the second induction course. At the same time allo-BSCT does not influence patients who achieved CR after the first treatment course: 55 and 50%. Multivariate analysis showed that cytogenetic risk group (HR=2.3), time of CR achievement (HR=2.9), and allo-BSCT transplantation (HR=0.16) are independent factors for disease relapse prognosis after achieving CR.

Freight and service parking needs and the role of demand management

PurposeThis paper assesses the parking needs of freight and service related commercial activities and identifies the role of demand management in mitigating these needs.MethodsTo provide a context for the analyses, the authors selected two small commercial areas of about the same number of commercial establishments—one in Troy, NY, and the other in New York City—and applied freight and service trip generation models to estimate the total freight and service traffic generated at these sites. Then, using different assumptions of the amount of time these vehicles spend at a parking location, the authors estimated the number of parking spaces required by time of day under different assumptions of demand management.ResultsThe results show that parking needs are proportional to the average parking durations. Essentially, the longer the duration the higher the parking needs. In terms of impacts on demand management, the results show that the 100% Off-Hour Deliveries (OHD) program is expected to be the most impactful as it reduces the parking needs by 70–80% during peak hours. In second place, Staggered Deliveries reduces parking needs by about 60% during the peak hours. The third place is occupied by the 30% OHD Scenario and the Receiver-Led Consolidation programs, which are virtually tied, offering about 10–25% reduction.ConclusionsThe initial analysis revealed the importance of parking duration as it was shown to be proportional to parking needs; the longer the duration the higher the need for parking. The delivery simulation further bolstered this finding by showing that the optimal case occurs (i.e. minimizing parking duration) the closer the parking location is to the establishment. The further away the vehicle is parked the longer the walking time to the establishment, hence increasing the time the vehicle occupies the parking spot. The strategies applied to the case studies showed that Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies are effective in decreasing the number of parking spots needed during peak periods.

Investigating the public response to local government decisions to reduce or remove public library services

This paper presents new findings regarding the public response to public spending cuts as part of the UK Government fiscal consolidation programme, specifically to the perceived effects of reduced library opening hours on the public library user in a city in the North of England. An inductive approach was taken to the mixed methods study, using a self-completion, cross-sectional survey distributed to adults visiting one of three libraries in the city during a six-day period. Qualitative and quantitative data analyses indicate a shared level of dissatisfaction with the service reductions across the respondents, and a shared perception of having been adversely affected. Statistical analyses revealed a strong level of agreement that the changes had a significantly negative impact on different aspects of respondents’ lives. The research evidences the direct effects of service reductions on library users, as well as the wider social and economic implications.

METODYKA OCENY I LIKWIDACJI ZEWNĘTRZNEJ SZACHOWNICY GRUNTÓW ROLNYCH NA POTRZEBY ZWIĘKSZENIA EFEKTYWNOŚCI PROCESU SCALENIA I WYMIANY

W przeprowadzonych w Polsce wieloletnich badaniach wykazano, że jednym z istotnych czynników wpływających na brak racjonalnego gospodarowania ziemią są wady struktury przestrzennej gruntów rolnych. Obszary wiejskie charakteryzują się wadliwą zewnętrzną szachownicą gruntów (rozproszeniem gruntów) wynikającą z powszechnie występującego zjawiska rozdrobnienia gruntów. Skala tego zjawiska stanowi istotny element ograniczający możliwe do osiągnięcia efekty scaleniowe gruntów rolnych. W prezentowanej publikacji autor przedstawia metodykę oceny skali zewnętrznej szachownicy gruntów rolnych na potrzeby zwiększenia efektywności procesu scalenia i wymiany. Analiza zjawiska pozwoliła na opracowanie podstaw matematycznych, których wykorzystanie może znacząco wpłynąć na usprawnienie kompleksowego programowania prac scalenia i wymiany gruntów dużych obszarów. Metodyka ta polega na doborze parametrów odpowiednio wagowanych, opartych na macierzy zależności i diagramie Czekanowskiego. Pozwala określić nasilenie badanego zjawiska. Interpretacja uporządkowanego diagramu umożliwia wytypowanie grup wsi, w których wskazane jest przeprowadzanie prac wymiany gruntów lub objęcie ich wspólnym postępowaniem scaleniowym. Otrzymane w ten sposób wyniki stanowią istotne uzupełnienie rankingów pierwszeństwa prac scaleniowych o informację dotyczącą rozproszenia gruntów badanego obszaru. Metodyka ta jest w pełni możliwa do zastosowania w praktyce w Polsce. Gwarancją jej wiarygodności jest wykorzystanie informacji pochodzących z baz danych katastru nieruchomości, służących do pozyskania pełnego obrazu struktury przestrzennej oraz własnościowej analizowanych obszarów.
 Zastosowanie zaprezentowanej metodyki pozwoli na uzyskanie lepszych efektów scaleniowych poprzez likwidację szachownicy gruntów i tym samym na efektywniejsze wydatkowanie funduszy przeznaczonych na scalenia.

BUDIDAYA SELADA ORGANIK DI KAWASAN RUMAH PANGAN LESTARI DARI KWT PANORAMA SEBAGAI BENTUK NYATA KEGIATAN EKONOMI PRODUKTIF

The concept of Sustainable Food House (KRPL) is a farming concept that mobilizes farmer groups to provide daily food needs or produce it for market. Partner Group Two is a group of Panorama women farmers who have succeeded in running KRPL but in observation of Unihaz Service Team of Panorama women farmer group which is implementing this program still use conventional farming concept by using chemical fertilizer. The results of the devotion program has provided an understanding of the importance of organic cultivation, especially Lettuce plant and then followed by cultivation of organic lettuce cultivation by using bokhasi organic fertilizer from Mitra One. One partner group is a group of women farmers who live in oil palm plantations and since 2014 has been accompanied to become producers of agricultural waste bokhasi of rural chicken waste and palm plantation waste. Both agricultural wastes, which is the main raw material for making bokhasi, is available sustainably in their area of residence, so it can become a business opportunity. The dedication program that has been implemented is the consolidation program as a producer of bokhasi, packaging improvement, bokhasi product sales, bokhasi house improvement and KRPL concept adobsi from partner two. The purpose of IbM program for Mitra Satu has been successfully supplied bokhasi especially to partner two and can adopt KRPL technology which has been implemented by Mita Dua. The objective of IbM program for Mitra Dua has been to successfully carry out organic cultivation on vegetable crops, especially organic slaves that are environmentally friendly and healthier for consumers. The ultimate goal of both programs is to successfully produce healthy organic farm products for consumers by utilizing agricultural waste into the main raw material of bokhasi so that it becomes a productive economic business opportunity for both partners. Keywords : organic cultivation, bokhasi, KRPL, productive economy

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF SWIDDEN FARMERS AND CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABLE LAND USE: LESSONS FROM A WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROJECT IN NORTHERN LAOS

In Laos, located in mainland Southeast Asia, shifting cultivation has been one of the important means of livelihood, in terms of food security as well as religious and cultural anchorage, for local communities in a number of areas, especially in upland areas in the country. In Pakbeng District, Oudomxay Province, northern Laos, due to the implementation of various land and forest management policies and a village relocation and consolidation program, local communities were restricted from access to the forests and faced a shortage of agricultural lands. After facing difficulties in securing sufficient lands, the local farmers used the forests in a destructive manner. The author of this article was engaged with the Community-based Watershed Management Project, as a program director of an environmental NGO and tackled challenges to achieve a land and forest management system suitable for land use by local communities. The NGO attempted to apply an alternative approach to incorporate swidden farmers’ land use system into official land and forest management institutions.

Digitalna Srbija - prilagođavanje ekonomskog konteksta za udvostručeni BDP

Serbia's economy is full of binding constraints feeding the crisis of transitionism. Breaking away from transitionism requires a complex reform agenda, including three sets of activities. First, annulation of past failures through crisis management (or fiscal consolidation) as well as structural reforms. Second, adoption of the new growth model and economic policy framework consistent with paradigm change in economic theory and policy, as well as with new normalities. Third, investment in new fields in accordance with mega trends. This paper updates the status of debate about what to do in Serbia after success in program of fiscal consolidation 2015-17. There are two priorities. First, for catching up to the EU, Serbia must double the output in the foreseeable future. Second, to achieve meta-national advantage, Serbia's economy must undertake digital transformation. Our intention is to offer a conceptual paper, by debating broad-based institutional design questions with some nitty-gritty technical points and provide recommendations based on past experience in Serbia and successful examples of other countries. After fiscal consolidation, we propose concentrating on two remaining issues. Along with locking-in fiscal balance, our priorities are: the manufacturing-led growth model based on digital transformation and heterodox policy platform with industrial policy for ICT in the center. In the suggested growth model (and policy platform), the main sources of growth are advanced manufacturing and high value-added services. In terms of digital transformation, Serbia is lagging behind its counterparts from the EU. In closing the gap, the role of industrial policy is imminent. Our objective is to analyze the general principles to guide industrial policy for ICT sector in the long-run, as well as to discuss specific measures to be taken today. In our previous papers we have already advocated for heterodox approach giving the framework with concrete hard macroeconomic policy regime as well as the architecture of industrial policies, both horizontal and vertical. This paper explores how policy makers can facilitate transition toward digital economy and what choices they can make to prepare for the impending wave of change. In a digital transformation, Serbia must concentrate on structural reforms based on broader adoption of ICT products and solutions in advanced manufacturing that will reconfigure value chains of industry leaders and boost productivity in tradable sectors from the real economy (manufacturing, agriculture, physical infrastructure, transport and logistics, waste management, etc.). Also, it must concentrate of high value added services (science, education, health care, programming, etc.) due to their catalyst role in dynamic economic growth. Previous logic is a base for structuring the following sections. The paper is organized in seven sections, apart from Introduction and Conclusion. We start with two main realities, the fourth industrial revolution and demising orthodox approach in economics and economic policy formulation, continue with new global normalities and heterodox approach as an antidote to crawling jobless growth around the world, and finish with fiscal balance and the role of industrial policies in the new growth model as well as with the role of digitalization in tradable sectors. Special attention is dedicated to industrial policy in ICT and its role in Serbia's economic recovery.

Consolidations in higher education: a business program case study

Consolidations and mergers in higher education have increased in frequency over the past decade in response to growing pressures to reduce costs while maintaining a quality-focused student experience. While mandated academic consolidations are typically finalised, the lack of a transfer of knowledge and experience from one merger action to another within a larger state or country university system has resulted in wasted resources, participant stress and unintended effects on the student population. In 2011, the University System of Georgia initiated a consolidation program with a major goal of achieving a lower and more effective cost basis. This case study examines the undergraduate and graduate level business administration program consolidation that occurred between Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University during 2013-2015 as experienced by the authors of the study. The conduct of this program consolidation as well as lessons learned and recommendations for future higher education consolidation efforts, particularly knowledge transfer for both academic researchers as well as higher education administrators, are offered as part of this case study.