Foreign Partners Research Articles

Effects of international nuclear power plants construction projects on sustainable economic development of emerging economies

The solution to the problem of the global energy transition requires re-consideration of the role of nuclear energy in the energy mix of the future. The importance of nuclear energy in the global energy complex seems to increase across the world, especially due to the rising prices for fossil energy resources. A number of developing countries around the world are considering programs for the construction of nuclear power plants of large or small capacity, offered by foreign partners. This trend emphasizes the relevance of analyzing the economic effects of the development of nuclear energy in developing countries that are already successfully using nuclear energy technologies to assess the prospects for international trade in nuclear energy technologies. The article discusses the contribution of nuclear energy to the economic growth of developing countries based on the analysis of the direct and indirect economic effects of the development of nuclear energy in developing countries. The article identifies the areas of this impact and determines the main problems and features of the introduction of nuclear energy into the energy complex of a developing country. The paper concludes on the significant impact of nuclear energy on the socio-economic development of the country and the important role of developing countries in determining the positions of nuclear energy in the energy complex of the green world economy.

СУЧАСНА ТЕОРІЯ МІЖНАРОДНОЇ ТОРГІВЛІ

International trade is a system of international commodity-monetary and economic relations, consisting of foreign trade of all countries of the world. International trade is the central link of the link of global economic relations, mediating almost all types of international division of labor and connecting all countries of the world into a single international economic system. The purpose of the article is to highlight the problematic aspects of the modern theory of international trade. Methods used in the research: comparison, comparative analysis, systematization and logic, etc. The hypothesis of the study was the assumption that trade is a means by which countries can develop specialization, increase the productivity of their resources and, in general, increase the total volume of production (develop as a whole). Presenting main material. Economic and political risks in international trade are determined by geographic, political, and demographic factors. Modern international trade is dynamic. The structure and volumes of exports and imports of the turnover of various countries and regions of the world are rapidly and continuously changing. Originality and practical significance of the research. Modern theories of international trade either develop the principles of classical theories, extending them to a larger number of goods, countries and factors of production, or study certain aspects of international trade that for some reason remained unexplained by classical theory. Conclusions. The competitiveness of large national firms is certainly oriented towards national ones. To analyze their activities, Porter's concept of the value chain (value chain, production chain) is used, i.e. the set of business operations of the firm during which it creates added value. Concentration on the company's most expensive links of this chain (for example, R&D and sales) and the transfer of other operations to partner firms (foreign or domestic small and medium-sized enterprises) allows TNCs to maximize the production of added value. For example, the American company Nike dominates the world market of sportswear and shoes, but it almost does not produce them itself, because it distributes orders mainly to foreign partner companies and specializes in design and logistics.

Evaluation of risks affecting international construction joint venture (ICJV) projects in Ghana

PurposeThe failure rate of international construction joint venture (ICJV) projects has been noted to be high in developing countries due to the complexity and risky nature of construction projects in the international market. The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate the risks facing ICJV projects in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachA risk register was developed through a comprehensive literature review. The identified risks were then used in a questionnaire survey involving local and foreign partners in ICJV projects in Ghana.FindingsFrom a total of 74 risks identified, categorized into country-level risks, market-level risks and project-level risks, the “top ten” risks found to be the most critical risks facing ICJV projects in Ghana include unstable currency exchange rates, inflation, design changes, high-interest rate, budget overrun, cash flow problems of the client, economy fluctuation, difficulty in obtaining approval of projects from host government authorities/bureaucracy, potential financial distress of JV partner and bribery and corruption.Originality/valueThis study provides a comprehensive list of risks ICJV partners are likely to encounter on their projects in developing countries. Furthermore, this study improves on one of the major limitations of previous ICJV studies by collecting data from both partners of the ICJV, appropriate for cross-cultural examination and comparison.

International strategic alliances for collaborative product Innovation: An agent-based scenario analysis in biopharmaceutical industry

The lack of ability, knowledge, and resources at a national level leads companies to choose international strategic alliances (ISAs) as an appropriate solution to enter the global markets. In this regard, selecting appropriate partners is a fundamental step in reducing the risks and costs of these alliances. This article analyzes international partner selection scenarios using agent-based simulations in Iran's biopharmaceutical industry. In line with the goal of this research, a complete understanding of the failure and success of collaboration product innovation is presented. First, the critical/key success factors (KSFs) in international strategic alliances were identified through a literature review (LR) and screened via Fuzzy Delphi. Next, selected factors were weighted by fuzzy SWARA (Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) and considered as simulation inputs for international partner selection. The simulation results indicated the critical role of the knowledge-matching degree and complementary resources and the insignificant impact of the company's reputation, government support, and experience in the international alliance. Furthermore, we found that pharmaceutical and biotech companies should emphasize their partner's complementary resources and develop an evaluation system to measure the knowledge-matching degree of their foreign partners in ISA. Eventually, this paper provides practical and applied solutions for biopharmaceutical industry managers to analyze business partners. The article also adds to the debate on ISAs in biopharmaceutical industries.

EXPERIENCE OF PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS IN THE ASPECT OF INTERCONNECTED PROCESSES (PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS) – SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HUMAN FACTOR

The purpose of the work is to highlight the situation that has developed in higher educational institutions of Ukraine in terms of finding partners for participation in international projects; dynamic changes in the internal and external environments, which are components of the reasons for the decline of this direction; possible development prospects under certain conditions; the influence of the human factor on these processes.
 National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” has sufficient experience of working in international projects. For its efficient international cooperation NTU “KhPI” was repeatedly recognized as one of the best universities both in the region and in Ukraine on the whole. The situation in finding partners to participate in international projects of general departments is difficult. That’s why, cooperation of general departments with special departments is necessary to involve the former in international projects. If earlier partnership proposals mostly came from foreign institutions, now the responsibilities of finding foreign partners for the institute's (department's) participation in international projects have been shifted to the shoulders of teachers. The direct officials subconsciously learned one of Andrew Carnegie's famous quotes: “The secret of success lies not in doing your own work, but in recognizing the right man to do it”. The unification of the higher education system with the standards of Western countries in recent years has led to the appearance of a whole wave of paper waste that increasingly fills the teacher's living space. But this is unlikely to trouble officials from education, who mainly pay attention to artificial ratings and redistribution of financial flows in this area.
 Obviously, at all levels, the phenomenon of “negative selection of power” is gaining momentum in all structural subdivisions of any organization, as it has already become an integral trend in Ukraine during the years of its independence, on a par with corruption, personal preferences and nepotism. In the conditions of modern challenges that the question of the competence of human resources is becoing increasingly acute. The ability to make informed decisions, to take responsibility, even simply to remain a decent person become guidelines in times of trials, when real leaders emerge and the real elite of society crystallizes.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET

Quality management is a crucial aspect of any business, but it becomes even more important when operating in international markets. The goal of this research study is to examine the difficulties and ideal procedures for upholding high standards of quality in a global context. The article attempts to give insight into the distinctive issues faced by organisations operating in different nations and regions, as well as ideas for overcoming these challenges, through the analysis of case studies and polling industry specialists. The influence of quality management on overall business performance and its function in fostering trust with foreign clients and business partners are also discussed in the paper. The purpose of this research is to offer useful advice for businesses trying to compete in a global market.

Export and exports risks of small and medium enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has created an entirely new unknown environment with new risks. Various restrictive national measures seeking to protect health took precedence over economic measures. Moreover, a large number of businesses are entirely dependent on international trade and exports. The aim of this paper is to map and analyze the development of small and medium enterprises’ exports during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic. Moreover, it identifies the most significant export risks and their perception by small and medium enterprises. The chi-square test, Cramer’s coefficient, and exact binomial test were used to verify the statistical dependencies of research questions and hypotheses.Empirically, the statistically significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the decline in small and medium enterprises’ exports was confirmed. In connection with the effectiveness of risk management, it was found that less than 50% of enterprises in the research sample are not ISO 31000-certified. The study concluded that the most significant export risks confirmed by statistical testing were COVID-19 risks and payment morale of foreign trading partners. AcknowledgmentThis study is co-financed by DKRVO 2022/04 Lean a Project Management in manufacturing Industry in the Czech Republic.

Trade Openness and Regional Inequality: Case of Tunisia

Since the 1990s, Tunisia has experienced an increasingly pronounced trade openness and has adopted a multitude of reforms to reinforce it through a large number of agreements with different foreign partners. However, this openness has gone simultaneously with an increase in regional inequalities wish have continued to grow, that is why we are interested in verifying, on one side, how this openness affects economic growth and, on the other one, whether it increases regional disparities within the country over the period (1990-2018). We start from the hypothesis that if trade openness manages to boost economic growth, its positive outcomes can have a contrasting effect at the regional level, benefiting some regions to the detriment of others. By crossing this double effect openness can accentuate territorial imbalances. We will use panel data econometrics to estimate our model. We will test the effect of openness on territorial disparities for the Tunisian case, especially between the 24 governorates where, there is no measure of regional inequalities yet, hence the interest of this study. Our econometric analysis clearly shows that the differences in endowments and characteristics at the level of the regions, such as differences in infrastructure or human capital, positively affect regional inequalities. Openness also appears to be a factor of positive influence, in particular by enhancing the polarization of economic activities and FDI within certain regions to the detriment of others.

The problem of plagiarism in the process of establishing academic integrity culture at Georgian higher educational institutions

The Georgian educational system was not familiar with the concept of plagiarism during the Soviet era. The purpose of the article is to study whether the mechanisms for plagiarism prevention in Georgian higher education institutions have been improved as a result of the application of new authorisation standards and international practices; it explores efforts made at the university level. The research has shown that universities have increased awareness of plagiarism, the Turnitin program was executed, syllabi were modified with the support of foreign partners and additional services supporting academic writing skills were introduced. The article discusses the pros and cons of the Turnitin program, as well as its challenges and limitations: it tackles severe cases of plagiarism but it is difficult to identify a more disguised form of plagiarism. The work reviews the new challenges and provides ways to address them in the form of recommendations.

Nudging not nagging: leveraging mentorship and patronage in Sino-Uzbek relations, 2017-2022

ABSTRACT This paper considers Sino-Uzbek relations by critically assessing the positivist depictions of CA states in their relations with larger countries like China. It uses the post-positivist and constructivist framework and adaptations made from the four-factor analysis framework adopted in the case of Uzbekistan to demonstrate avenues in which Uzbekistan demonstrates active agency in relations with China. This paper argues that Uzbekistan and other CA states utilize nudging strategies which refer to a subtle and often indirect way of encouraging or guiding China’s behavior in a particular direction as opposed to so-called “nagging” which associates with persistent and repetitive pressuring China to perform a certain function. Accordingly, Uzbekistan’s approach to China can be described as the nudging strategy of designing the environment or context which makes China’s choices in its relations with Uzbekistan easier and more attractive in favor of policy decisions desired by the Uzbek government. As is depicted in the narrative of cooperation road maps, Uzbekistan’s approach involved both indirect signaling of certain policy preferences, choice-preserving (involving diversification of foreign partners), and positive reinforcement (through various policy incentives). This contrasts the persistent and repetitive pressuring, criticism, threats, or guilt-tripping, seen in relations between China and other Western states.

Development of cooperation as the basis of forming a product offer on the honey market in Ukraine

Introduction. Beekeeping in Ukraine is one of the industries that allows the rural population to open small and medium-sized businesses in rural areas. Honey production in Ukraine is mainly concentrated in households - more than 98% and only up to 2% is produced by economic entities in the field of agrarian business. According to experts, about 400,000 beekeepers are involved in the production of honey in Ukraine. The purpose of the article is to propose practical recommendations for strengthening the role of cooperation in the formation of the product offer on the honey market, based on the generalization of research by scientists and the experience of leading countries in the production of beekeeping products. Method (methodology). The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is the dialectical method of cognition and the main provisions of the theory of cooperation, scientific works of domestic and foreign scientists. Of the special research methods used in the article: abstract-logical (identification of relationships between theoretical generalization and the formation of conclusions), monographic (study of the current state of honey market development), tabular and information display methods. The results. It has been proven that joining cooperatives will allow Ukrainian beekeepers to more effectively lobby their interests in front of exporters, the state and foreign partners. Regional clusters of beekeepers will contribute to the establishment of civilized product sales channels, cooperation of Ukrainian honey producers with trade networks.

Development of foreign joint educational programs in the higher education system of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The article examines the experience of developing and implementing relatively new for higher education system of the Republic of Uzbekistan foreign joint educational programs. The factors contributing to their development, the problems arising during the implementation of programs are determined, and indicators characterizing their general trend are studied. As a result of studying the Geographical distribution of joint educational programs, implemented by higher education institutions of Uzbekistan with foreign partners, share of joint programs organized by specialties, of the geography of the countries that have established joint educational programs with Uzbekistan, the influence of the Uzbek mentality on the success of the implementation of programs are provided scientifically grounded proposals and recommendations for the development of joint educational programs with foreign universities.

ЗАРУБІЖНИЙ І ВІТЧИЗНЯНИЙ ДОСВІД РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ ПРАЦІВНИКІВ ТА ЇХ ПРОФІЛЬНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ

This article, for the first time in domestic practice, explores the application of additional regulation of professional activity in Ukraine and EU member states. The following tasks were carried out: studying international and European approaches to the employment of regulated professions by employers and educational service providers; comparing the domestic system of professional activity regulation; reviewing relevant domestic publications; analyzing legislative and regulatory acts of a regulatory nature; proposing the typification of regulated professions and professional qualifications in Ukraine for the first time; and identifying the primary shortcomings of the Ukrainian system of professional activity regulation. During the research, the methods of monographic, systematic analysis, and comparative were used. The results indicate that domestic authors tend to concentrate their specialized research on the study of foreign education while paying little attention to relevant domestic practices. Among the author's key findings is the lack of a unified, legally established framework for defining and implementing regulations for professional activities in the country. Comparing the recognition of professional qualifications in regulated professions is challenging due to differences in recognition procedures, volumes, tools, terms, and content. The lack of a national registry of regulated professions and qualifications also poses difficulties for stakeholders and foreign partners. This is particularly important when it comes to recognizing the professional qualifications of war refugees in host countries. In Ukraine, professions and qualifications are typically regulated using a departmental and sectoral approach. This approach involves preparing, externally assessing, recognizing, and practically implementing over 400 regulated professions, job titles, and positions, as well as full and partial professional qualifications associated with them. The National Qualifications Agency is not responsible for creating a register of regulated professions/qualifications. It also does not fully form the register of qualifications as a whole, focusing exclusively on including only professional qualifications defined in professional standards, the number of which is insignificant and does not exceed three hundred, etc.

Алгоритм порівняльного аналізу просторово-часових характеристик криптовалютних активів

The current stage of development of the cryptocurrency market is characterized by a number of structural properties and transformations that cause increased interest in cryptocurrency as a means of payment. This payment option allows you to speed up the money transfer operations, requires significantly lower commissions, is not tied to time intervals, effectively solves the problem of settlements with foreign partners in any currencies, and overcomes inflationary risk. The presence of these advantages determines the relevance of studying the cryptocurrency market in order to determine the prospects for improving the modern practice of non-cash electronic payments in Ukraine, which, in turn, will contribute to increasing the level of competitiveness of domestic enterprises. The aim of the publication is to build and implement an algorithm for comparative analysis of the spatio-temporal characteristics of cryptocurrency assets, the use of which will allow to make a reasonable choice of cryptocurrency as a non-cash means of payment. This algorithm contains the following main steps: analysis of the current state and main trends in the development of the cryptocurrency market; determination of a set of basic characteristics with the help of which it is possible to describe cryptocurrency as an object in a multidimensional statistical space; classification of cryptocurrency assets; development of recommendations for the final choice of cryptocurrency as a means of non-cash payments. A comparative analysis of cryptocurrencies is carried out by indicators of risk, profitability, and market capitalization. Classification and ordering of objects in the multidimensional feature space are carried out using cluster analysis algorithms. The structure of the system of cryptocurrency objects in multidimensional space is preliminarily analyzed using agglomerative methods, then a reasonable decision is made on the optimal number of clusters and an iterative clustering algorithm is applied. A division of cryptocurrency objects into four consecutive periods has been obtained, the stability of the composition and structure of the resulting groups in dynamics has been studied. As a result, groups whose characteristics are acceptable from the point of view of the ultimate goal of the study are identified. Within these groups, the cryptocurrencies that can be used for non-cash payments have been identified.

Economic analysis of potato and tomato trade in Romania: The Gini coefficient

Potatoes and tomatoes are the key vegetables of Romanian agriculture, due to their consumption and the large growing areas. The paper analyses import and export of potatoes and tomatoes, and import and export prices for these vegetables, while based on that the Gini coefficient was calculated. According to the value of the Gini coefficient, the concentration of potato import is relatively low, while the export concentration is considerably higher. A similar situation is with tomato, as the values of the Gini coefficient indicate low concentration related to import and relatively high concentration related to export. Association with foreign partners, farmer orientation to quality certifications, investment in infrastructure and efficient marketing are some solutions that can improve the Romanian vegetable market.

РАЗВИТИЕ СЕВЕРНОГО МОРСКОГО ПУТИ КАК АЛЬТЕРНАТИВНОГО МАРШРУТА МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫХ ПЕРЕВОЗОК ГРУЗОВ

The article is devoted to the analysis of the sanctions impact on the transport and logistics support of the foreign economic activity of Russian companies and their foreign partners, as well as to the study of the current state and development of the Russian merchant fleet and the necessary port infrastructure, which should be involved in international maritime transport of goods. This study provides a brief analysis of trade in maritime transport services from the point of view of motivating Russian participants in foreign economic activity in changing the supply chains of foreign products, developing shipbuilding and providing competitive advantages for domestic shipowners. As a result of the analysis, it was concluded that it is necessary to develop port infrastructure along the Northern Sea Route and increase the capabilities of Russian shipyards to build ice-class ships.

Углеродный налог: перспективы применения и вызовы для российской экономики

The problem of reducing carbon emissions and the mechanisms for its solution are in the focus of attention of the scientific community, specialists in energy-intensive industries and the leadership of relevant government agencies. The subject of the study is the application of a carbon tax to minimize carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The purpose of the work is to determine the prospects for the application of the carbon tax for Russian business and the state as a whole in the context of modern trends in the greening of the world economy. The article examines the current provisions of the mechanism for cross-border adjustment of carbon emissions of the European Union, summarizes the opinions of experts on the potential impact of this tool on the Russian economy. The ambiguous influence of the mechanism of cross-border adjustment of carbon emissions on the development prospects of countries with different income levels and possible measures to offset the negative consequences for countries with a low level of economic development are analyzed. The question of the impact of the carbon tax on the business of the importing countries of energy–intensive products is investigated. Conclusions are drawn about the need to stimulate the use of the latest developments in the field of eco-friendly planning, design and operation of energy-intensive industries, reducing the carbon footprint of manufactured products, and promising areas of cooperation between Russia and foreign partners in the field of protecting the rights of national producers of energy-intensive industries are identified.

The Perils of Pro-Government Militias in African Transition Democracy: Case of RSF in the Sudan’s Conflict

Sudan has never experienced peace since it attained its independence from Britain in 1956. Most of the causes of the conflicts in Sudan are related to political domination, economic deprivation, and Islamization. The regime of former President Omar al Bashir since it took power from 1989-2019, it adopted a counter-insurgency strategy of using militias in the peripheral areas to confront alongside its army on the rebellious activities. The review literature on pro-government militias in the context of the unstable Sudan provides debates pertains violent atrocities committed by militias against innocent civilians in the name of counterinsurgency. The 2003 crisis in Darfur region clearly outlines the state strategy of employing the Janjaweed militia who later metamorphosed into Rapid Support Force, a paramilitary group who committed genocide and crime against humanity in the name of fighting the two rebel groups: the Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). The RSF has grown a powerful paramilitary force that are now battling the State Army for the takeover of the government militarily. The militia group which was once built up by the state now turning a real danger to the transitional democracy. This paper argues that the RSF are the direct beneficiary of the state and are closely linked to its structures, its people, its wealth, and foreign partners. This paper draws a conclusion that amicable solution ought to be sought for the benefit of the marginalized peripheral areas of Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile or Sudan with this unstoppable conflict risks to fragment into different autonomous states.

РЕАЛЬНІ ОПЦІОНИ ЯК ФІНАНСОВІ ІНСТРУМЕНТИ СПРИЯННЯ ВІДБУДОВІ ПІСЛЯВОЄННОЇ ЕКОНОМІКИ УКРАЇНИ

Using the example of the Ukrelektromash plant, the application of various types of real options is considered depending on the development of the project scenario for the production and sale of rotary hybrid engines. The conditions and criteria for the application of option mechanisms are defined, taking into account the impact of risks, which is reflected in the assessment of the probabilities of the development of one or another type of scenario. The effectiveness of using abandonment and switching real options to a related type of activity in the event of a pessimistic development of cash flow and options to expand and replicating experience real option in the event of an optimistic scenario has been proven. At the same time, the degree of effectiveness of the manager's actions is shown, depending on the results of the project's cash flows after the first year of implementation. It has been established that real options are able to generally increase the strategic value of international investment projects, creating conditions for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine's industry and encouraging the cooperation of foreign investors. In this way, the use of real options enables the manager to take effective measures to manage risks and cash flows, improving the degree of attractiveness of investment projects, and thereby opening new opportunities for cooperation with foreign partners. The implementation of programs with the use of real options becomes necessary when the investor is wary of investing in the development of the country after the end of the war, and at the same time sees great potential for the development of various sectors of the economy. Reducing the degree of riskiness of projects with the help of real options contributes to the gradual restoration of industrial capacities, the acceleration of money circulation, and the improvement of trade and financial operations on international markets.

ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ ПІДПРИЄМСТВА НА ЗАСАДАХ ХОЛІСТИЧНОГО МАРКЕТИНГУ

The article is devoted to the consideration of the use of the concept of holistic marketing in the activities of companies. The conditions of operation of modern enterprises are given. The need to take into account constant changes in consumer interests and requests is substantiated. This can be done by comprehensive coverage of one's own activities for proper and effective functioning in market conditions.Examples of companies that have market success due to the use of marketing as a holistic business function that covers all its components at the same time are given. It is proven that their activity is based on a symbiosis of integrated marketing, internal marketing, relationship marketing and socially responsible marketing. Each component of the holistic concept of marketing is considered. It has been confirmed that in modern market conditions, holistic marketing is a quality tool for conducting effective marketing activities of companies. Methodical principles of using various marketing tools for evaluating each component of holistic marketing are proposed. Approaches to evaluating the development of long-term trust relations of the enterprise with partners and consumers are presented. Factors affecting the state of the client base when choosing a partner are named. It can be competence, a high image, a wide and diverse assortment, market position. Reliability, commitment to fair trade principles, trust, adherence to the principles of transparency and honesty are factors influencing the continuation of cooperation. The stability of the company's relations with key customers and consumers was assessed. The use of elements of socially responsible marketing is analyzed. The areas of social responsibility on the part of the company in relation to domestic and foreign partners, stakeholders, consumers, and society as a whole have been clarified. The need to consider the environmental consequences of companies' activities in the context of social responsibility has also been proven. The tools of integrated and internal marketing of the enterprise are considered. Evaluation indicators of each component of holistic marketing are proposed. A scale was developed for interpreting the results of calculations to determine the level of use of holistic marketing elements in the activities of enterprises (high, medium, low).