Global Leaders Research Articles

Essential planetary health workers: Positioning rangers within global policy

AbstractOur planet is facing increasing challenges: climate change, biodiversity loss, pandemics, poverty, and many other problems closely linked to a deteriorating environment. Meanwhile, one of our most important assets, rangers working in protected and conserved areas responsible for managing large tracts of the planet's lands and waters, are often underutilized, underrecognized and underequipped. They are generally left out of the debate about conservation and sustainable development policy, despite being central to the success of those policies. This paper outlines the need for global leaders across multiple sectors to recognize the profession of rangers as essential planetary health workers and to position rangers more effectively within global conservation and environmental policy mechanisms. It introduces the challenges facing rangers, the emerging diversity of roles within the ranger profession and the important contribution of rangers to conservation and sustainable development. It presents policy and implementation avenues to improve recognition and professionalization of rangers as key executors of conservation and development policy, particularly considering the recent Global Biodiversity Framework ambitions.

Cross-cultural boundary spanning activities in a global team: Insights from an ethnographic case study

How can global team leaders effectively span boundaries between highly diverse and distant team members, manage cross-cultural conflict, and foster team performance? Global team leadership continues to face persistent challenges, and while the boundary spanning literature has identified relevant characteristics, traits, competencies, and skills of effective boundary spanners, it says little about boundary spanning activities. This paper proposes new contributions to this question through an ethnographic case study of a highly successful global R&D project team. Over the course of the 2-year project, three conflict situations were resolved through cross-cultural boundary spanning activities. From an ethnographic perspective, the dynamics at work are described in detail. To better understand these dynamics, the paper draws on loosely coupled systems theory by asking how structural and cultural coupling can facilitate boundary spanning activities. In doing so, the paper extends the theory of boundary spanning and global team leadership and connects boundary spanning with loosely coupled systems theory. The contributions relate to four main propositions: effective global team leaders span intra-team boundaries through coupling activities; task-related “structural coupling” and relationship-related “cultural coupling” are interdependent; effective boundary spanning combines tight structural and loose cultural coupling; and boundary spanning objects and agents enhance coupling activities.

Making the case for Africa and the democratic republic of the Congo as the global rare earth element supply leaders

The initiative to electrify and decarbonize economies over the next two decades, particularly in the energy and transportation sectors, is going to cause a significant increase in demand for critical rare earth elements , Rare earth elements have already proved themselves highly useful, contributing to many everyday items including batteries, electric vehicles, computer components, photovoltaic panels, and turbines to name a few examples. The number of countries outside of the United States that currently source and provide these critical elements is limited, posing implications for the security and continuity of the global and national supply chain and specifically to the national security of the US. This article is a mini review of the existing literature with recommendations for partnerships. It discusses potential stress points in the current supply chain of REEs and explores the feasibility of expanded American partnerships with Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo specifically to address opportunities to strengthen the security and transparency of the global supply chain of REEs. In Africa, REEs are concentrated in countries like South Africa, Madagascar, Malawi, Kenya, Namibia, the DRC, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Burundi. These countries have significant quantities of neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium among other REEs that are required in the numerous technological items (including green technologies) that are manufactured today. The framework for extracting the elements from those countries requires specific attention to ensure the preservation of natural assets that are key to global health.

Achieving justice in implementation: the Lancet Commission on Evidence-Based Implementation in Global Health

With the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, global leaders committed to the health and wellbeing of every person on the planet by 2030. With the development of numerous life-saving and life-enhancing innovations, the potential for using science and technology to achieve this goal has never been greater. Yet with far too many innovations there are stark and unacceptable inequities in availability and access. Further, a high proportion of effective interventions are not being put into practice effectively at scale, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) where scalability and sustainability of interventions with quality have been especially challenging. Wide gaps remain between what is known and what is done in global health. These gaps, varyingly characterised with terms such as the knowledge to action gap, the research to practice gap, and the quality gap, are failures in implementation. Global health goals and objectives will not be achieved until these implementation challenges are effectively addressed.

Smart age-friendly city in the context of seasonal migration of senior residents. The case of Benidorm

Benidorm is one of the most popular Spanish destinations for seasonal migrants, especially seniors, in the winter season. This article discusses the evolution of age-friendly smart cities in the context of the seasonal migration of the elderly on the example of Benidorm. Benidorm is one of the global leaders in implementing the concept of a smart city and a smart destination (SD) (Coban & Aydın, 2020). The aim of the article was to confront the urban renewal programs implemented in Benidorm with the concept of an age-friendly city according to the definition proposed by the WHO (2007). The concept of an age-friendly city and a smart destination was defined, and the presented results can assist European tourist destinations in targeting their urban renewable policies at seasonal migrants in response to the progressive aging of the population.

INDIA IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER: MYTH OR REALITY

<p><span>There is a buzzword in the world about India’s being a spiritual leader. The patriot classical Hindu protagonists are advocating vehemently for (re)establishing its old and golden image to the people, especially the students and youths in this vast country and the world as a whole. India just completed the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsab (Nectar Festival of Freedom) by commemorating its 75th year of Independence (from 1947 to 2022). India, henceforth, decided to celebrate the next twenty-five years as the “Amrit Kaal” i.e., golden period (from 2022-2047). During this quarter century, the vision of India is to achieve a technology-driven and knowledge-based economy, reminisce with respect to the Indian struggle for independence and the sacrifice of the freedom fighters, and promote India’s heritage, culture, literature, and language. When the government of India upholds and prioritizes the promotion of its age-old tradition, culture, language, spirituality, and philosophy, a critical group of scholars and thinkers put up multiple problems and crises facing India in the present time. Therefore, a debate is going on regarding the issue of India’s role as a global leader as well as the spiritual master. The criticism and counter-arguments by scholars and social thinkers are neither wrong nor anti-national. This is the beauty and fine characteristic of modern Indian democracy, where every citizen enjoys the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression, though with certain restrictions as enshrined in the Constitution. In the run of this debate, the Prime Minister and his team are determined to take India to such a height that every man on this earth can have a taste of its spiritual and philosophical honey juice. Now the question is - are Indian culture, heritage, philosophy, and spirituality so rich and exuberant? What are there in India’s philosophy, and spirituality, and the teachings of Indian sages and saints? Do they have created any impact ever upon the minds and activities of people anywhere in the world? Can India really show the path to the global leaders and general people to end war and conflicts, and bring forth peace and prosperity? This article seeks to examine all these questions and finally explores if the acclaim of India as a spiritual leader is appropriate or absurd.</span></p><p><span><strong>Keywords:</strong> India, spiritual leader, Indian philosophy, Indian scriptures, <em>Amrit Kal</em>, Indian <em>yoga</em>.</span></p>

COVID-19 vaccine apartheid and the failure of global cooperation.

The equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is one of the most important tests of global cooperation that the world has faced in recent decades. Collectively, global leaders failed that crucible abysmally, creating a 'vaccine apartheid' that divided the world according to income into countries with widespread access and those without. Why, given that leaders were fully aware of the risks and injustice of vaccine inequity, did governments of wealthy countries hoard doses, impede the expansion of vaccine manufacturing and otherwise prevent equitable access to vaccines? We argue that their decisions to act selfishly are best explained by governments' accountability to domestic constituencies, their lack of leadership and commitment to multilateralism and their adoption of short-term perspectives, as well as their unwillingness to curb the influence of profit-oriented global pharmaceutical companies and, to a certain extent, of an additional private actor, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

CAN FOREIGN INVESTMENT CONTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPMENT IN PAKISTAN? AN ANALYSIS OF ITS SIGNIFICANCE FROM PAKISTAN'S VIEWPOINT

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is widely acknowledged as a crucial catalyst for economic development, especially in emerging economies such as Pakistan. Its significance lies in the fact that it can introduce vital funds, fresh technologies, and know how to domestic markets. These advantages can stimulate progress and generate novel prospects for enterprises and individuals alike. Over the past few years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the significance of FDI in promoting economic growth. Global leaders are now more inclined to lure foreign investments to enhance their economies and raise the standard of living of their people. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has played a critical role in driving Pakistan's economic progress and development. The State Bank of Pakistan reports that FDI inflows saw a significant increase of 137% in the fiscal year 2020-21, amounting to $2.78 billion, demonstrating the country's concerted efforts to attract foreign investment in key sectors like energy, telecommunications, and construction. Our study aims to provide empirical evidence of the relationship between FDI and economic growth in Pakistan. We analyzed data spanning two decades, from 1996 to 2022, and examined the impact of FDI on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while also considering various other factors such as political stability, terrorism, and trade openness. 
 Our findings indicate a favorable influence of FDI on economic growth in Pakistan, particularly when coupled with liberalized trade policies. We observed a strong positive correlation between FDI inflows and GDP growth, indicating that foreign investment can serve as a potent driver for economic development. However, our analysis underscores the significance of other factors in augmenting economic growth in Pakistan. For instance, political stability emerges as a pivotal factor affecting FDI inflows and can be instrumental in attracting foreign investment. Similarly, the implementation of effective measures to combat terrorism can establish a secure and stable environment for businesses, thus fostering economic growth. In conclusion, our research provides empirical evidence of the positive impact of FDI on economic growth in Pakistan. However, it also underscores the importance of creating a supportive environment for foreign investment, including open trade policies, political stability, and effective measures to combat terrorism. By doing so, Pakistan can continue to attract foreign investment and accelerate its economic development

Regulating Poverty: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Media Reporting on Energy Elite

The current discursive development of renewable energy in news media is toward a direction of hyper-commodification, in which the process of creating a commodity is mainly subject to dominant political ideologies rather than a free market. Regarding the process of media reporting on global leaders’ renewable energy policies to the global public, I utilized semantic network analysis and discourse historical analysis to explore the process of hyper-commodification in media narratives. I found that media discourse constructs an illusion when representing renewable energy as essential and affordable in people’s everyday lives and indeed portrays a future without poverty. The underlying statement is that renewable energy is the future if you can afford it. Such discourses reimagine commodification by producing an emergent social class and intensifying the ongoing class warfare through the use of language. Although seeking solutions to implementing renewable energy is key to the public interest, the urgency of having a sustainable plan for energy consumption is often omitted from current media discourse. Instead, such discourses that represent the social reality retrospectively transition from reflecting public interests to only those of well-limited social groups can lead to detrimental consequences for successfully implementing sustainable goals in a timely manner.

Impact and engagement of a virtual platform to provide equitable oncology education globally.

11019 Background: Social media has emerged as a powerful outlet for the dissemination of medical information, especially in resource-limited regions, due to its mass global reach. However, misinformation has presented an unexpected detriment to public health on a global scale. To address this, MedNews Week (MNW), a free, virtual educational platform streamed on most social media platforms was developed to provide global oncology education through biweekly programming. Its leading show, Keynote Conference, features live virtual presentations from oncology’s premier global leaders discussing the latest developments in the field before a mainstream global audience. The aim of this study was to assess the worldwide reach and impact of this cost-free, virtual oncology education platform. Methods: From January 2022 to February 2023, MNW hosted 33 global leaders as Keynote Speakers discussing the latest developments in oncology. Viewership, impressions, and outreach data were collected from MNW’s social media accounts and Tweepmaps. Data was analyzed to assess MNW’s global reach and engagement and stratified based on engagement sentiment, gender, age group, and occupation. Results: During this period, MNW produced a healthcare social grasp score of 64% and generated over 64,000 Twitter impressions engaging 1.9 million viewers over 13 months in the US, UK, Ireland, India, France, and 16 lower socioeconomic (SE) countries and 99 cities. Most of the followers were from non-healthcare fields with more males than females (Table). Those who engaged conveyed positive sentiments (64%) contributing to a viewership increase from 47,589 (6 months) to 61,539 (1 year), where 60% of the audience was found to originate from lower SE regions globally. Conclusions: MNW has demonstrated an ability to attract and sustain a diverse, global, growing mainstream audience. Given MNW’s continued growth, it provides a proof-of-concept model to engage and disseminate medical information to mainstream audiences. The platform’s ability to showcase global leaders to mainstream audiences gratuitously, especially in lower SE regions that have been historically underserved, offers a practical approach to combat educational inequity. Consequently, such a platform has demonstrated great potential to positively impact global oncology education. Demographics of MedNews Week’s audience. [Table: see text]

Global impact of a video education platform on oncology education amongst healthcare professionals.

e23005 Background: Lower socioeconomic (SE) regions are often plagued extensively by healthcare outcome disparities. In searching for the root of this injustice, lack of access to the latest medical information has frequently been cited as a major contributor to these inequities. To address this, MedNews Week (MNW), a free, virtual education platform was developed to provide global health education through weekly oncology programming. The leading show, Keynote Conference, features live virtual presentations from oncology’s premier global leaders discussing the latest developments in the field. The aim of this study was to assess the global reach and impact of this platform for healthcare professionals (HCP). Methods: From September 2022 to January 2023, 37 MNW lectures on solid tumors and heme malignancies were showcased on VuMedi—a video platform providing free education content to HCP. Data collected from VuMedi included location, total page/video views, impressions, tumor subtype views and impressions, and occupation demographics. This information was analyzed to evaluate and assess the global reach of MNW on the VuMedi platform. Results: During this 5-month period, MNW experienced steady linear growth generating 5,643,257 page/video views with global viewership from 22 countries, including US, England, Canada, Brazil, and India (Table). Significant viewership was also observed from lower SE countries including Nigeria, Sudan, Georgia, and Bangladesh. Viewers were largely surgeons compared to Allied HCP (11:2). Higher viewership was observed for solid tumor presentations [706 (0.012%) page views and 9717 (7%) impressions] compared to heme malignancies [689 (0.001%) page views and 1688 (1.22%) impressions]. Within solid tumors, GI oncology keynotes were most viewed— generating 3755 (0.06%) page views and 28067 (20%) impressions, and the highest number of registrations recorded for this category. Conclusions: MNW continued growth in viewership and global reach amongst HCPs and demonstrates its emergence as a viable outlet to contribute to global oncology education, especially in lower SE areas. While previous studies have identified internet access and cost as barriers to high-quality medical information, MNW has experienced steady growth and reachability especially within these limited areas. The platform’s ability to showcase global leaders to HCP offers a practical approach to combat educational inequity and positively impact oncology education globally. [Table: see text]

Is access to adjuvant treatments prioritized over therapies for metastatic cancer? The Israeli experience.

e18599 Background: The Israeli National Insurance Law determines a uniform benefits package ('the Health Basket') for all residents. A public committee advises each year on which new medications should be added to the Health Basket, subject to the fixed annum budget allocated by the government for this purpose. The clinical benefit of the proposed health technologies is the committee's prime consideration; however, the committee also considers the professional medical societies' prioritizations, the expected budget impact, and other social and ethical aspects. Towards the annual discussions for 2023, 63 new indications for 41 cancer drugs were proposed for the annual update. Of those, 8 were for novel neo-adjuvant/ adjuvant indications, all given high priority ranks by the Israeli Oncologists Society based on the significant disease-free survival (DFS) figures from the phase III clinical trials. Varying the adjuvant treatment practice patterns based solely on DFS figures without available overall survival (OS) data has been in much debate recently between global key opinion leaders. We, therefore, aimed to evaluate whether the Israeli decision-makers have de-facto accepted the attitude of prioritizing budgets for adjuvant/neo-adjuvant therapies as the Israeli Oncologists Society recommended. Methods: We collected data on all cancer therapies proposed for inclusion in the 2023 Health Basket update; drug name, indication, treatment setting (curative intent vs. metastatic disease therapy), ESMO-MCBS grade, and whether or not accepted for reimbursement. All data were extracted from the official Israeli Ministry of Health website publications and press releases. Results: 20% of the allocated budget for updating the National Health basket for 2023 was provided to treat solid tumor cancers. 7 out of the 8 candidate therapies in the neo-adjuvant/adjuvant settings received reimbursement approval (88%) vs. 11 out of 55 therapies for advanced/ metastatic stages of disease (20%). 13 of the 16 candidate metastatic disease therapies that had a high ESMO-MCBS score (4 or 5) were not approved for reimbursement in the 2023 annual committee discussions. Conclusions: Our retrospective evaluation of the Israeli reimbursement prioritization process reveals that decision-makers have accepted the approach of prioritizing potentially curative adjuvant therapies over treatments for patients with incurable cancer. In an era of prosperity of adjuvant therapies in a range of tumor types, concerns might arise regarding restrictions on access to novel therapies for metastatic cancer, even those with proven benefits of significantly improving patients' OS and quality of life. Future analysis should determine the impact of this trend adopted by decision-makers in Israel on disease progression and overall survival in the real-world setting.

Strengthening collaborations at the Biology-Physics interface: trends in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy.

The unbridled use of antimicrobial drugs over the last decades contributed to the global dissemination of drug-resistant pathogens and increasing rates of life-threatening infections for which limited therapeutic options are available. Currently, the search for safe, fast, and effective therapeutic strategies to combat infectious diseases is a worldwide demand. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) rises as a promising therapeutic approach against a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms. APDT combines light, a photosensitizing drug (PS), and oxygen to kill microorganisms by oxidative stress. Since the APDT field involves branches of biology and physics, the strengthening of interdisciplinary collaborations under the aegis of biophysics is welcome. Given this scenario, Brazil is one of the global leaders in the production of APDT science. In this review, we provide detailed reports of APDT studies published by the Laboratory of Optical Therapy (IPEN-CNEN), Group of Biomedical Nanotechnology (UFPE), and collaborators over the last 10 years. We present an integrated perspective of APDT from basic research to clinical practice and highlight its promising use, encouraging its adoption as an effective and safe technology to tackle important pathogens. We cover the use of methylene blue (MB) or Zn(II) porphyrins as PSs to kill bacteria, fungi, parasites, and pathogenic algae in laboratory assays. We describe the impact of MB-APDT in Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine to treat different infectious diseases. We also point out future directions combining APDT and nanotechnology. We hope this review motivates further APDT studies providing intuitive, vivid, and insightful information for the readers.

Indoor Radon Research in the Asia-Pacific Region

Indoor radon is a major hazard to human health; it is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. Therefore, radon research in Asia has intensified recently due to the growing awareness of the harm that radon poses. An analysis of the collected literature data showed that in Asia–Oceania, some regions have—or are believed to have—little indoor radon problems due to climate and low Rn ground. It can be concluded that countries have their own approaches, techniques, and protocols. Data were not harmonized within each region; however, measurement techniques were compared by regional intercomparison exercises. The situation differs regarding studies on the usability of radon as a tracer or potential predictor of tectonic phenomena, as some countries are in seismically active zones, such as India, Taiwan, China, Japan, etc. India and Taiwan are global leaders in this research, as well as Italy, which is another seismically affected country. We provide an overview of radon-related surveying and research activities conducted in the western, southern, and eastern Asian regions over the past few years. Additionally, we observed that the number of indoor radon measurements per million inhabitants increases as the human development index (HDI) increases.

Eggonomics: Vitrification and bioeconomies of egg donation in the United States and Spain.

Regulations governing assisted reproduction control the degree to which gamete donation is legal and how people providing genetic material are selected and compensated. The United States and Spain are both global leaders in fertility treatment with donor oocytes. Yet both countries take different approaches to how egg donation is regulated. The US model reveals a hierarchically organized form of gendered eugenics. In Spain, the eugenic aspects of donor selection are more subtle. Drawing upon fieldwork in the United States and Spain, this article examines (1) how compensated egg donation operates under two regulatory settings, (2) the implications for egg donors as providers of bioproducts, and (3) how advances in oocyte vitrification enhances the commodity quality of human eggs. By comparing these two reproductive bioeconomies we gain insight into how different cultural, medical, and ethical frameworks intersect with egg donor embodied experiences.

The Effect of Women’s Leadership on Carbon Disclosure by the Top 100 Global Energy Leaders

The energy sector is one of the main sources of carbon emissions and the most significant global polluter. Women’s concerns and the climate crisis were strongly associated when issues about climate change were first articulated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals stressing gender equality and climate mitigation actions have received very little attention in the last decade. Consequently, the primary issues raised by this study are the energy industry, and women and climate change. This study examined the effect of women’s leadership on carbon disclosure among the top 100 global energy leaders from 2018 to 2020. This study unequivocally recognizes the effect of women’s leadership as assessed by the number of female board members who are industry experts, serve as advisors, and pose as proxy community leaders for global energy leaders. This study’s sample consisted of 291 observations of global energy leaders sourced from Thomson Reuters’ database. For the panel data analysis, STATA 14 (Version 14.) software was applied as the empirical methodology. The empirical findings showed that among the top energy leaders globally, women leaders increased the degree of carbon disclosure. The findings of this study provide novel insights into the importance of women’s leadership in the energy sector for enhancing and promoting carbon disclosure. The validity of hypothesized links in the findings lends support to the resource dependence theory from the viewpoint of the energy leaders. This study also provides guidance for practitioners, governments, and policymakers on how to combat climate change, encourage the inclusion of as many women as feasible on boards, the promotion of gender parity, and support efforts to achieve the net zero carbon target.

Business Horizons CIBER special issue: Turning environmental, social, and governance (ESG) theory into action: Implications for global business leaders

Business Horizons CIBER special issue: Turning environmental, social, and governance (ESG) theory into action: Implications for global business leaders

A Contextual Inquiry on Global Leaders' Leadership Practices

A Contextual Inquiry on Global Leaders' Leadership Practices

O111 Defining humanitarian surgery: an international Delphi process

Abstract Introduction Over the last decade there has been an exponential increase in the terms “global surgery” and “humanitarian surgery”. However, the terms are often used interchangeably and there is no fixed definition of ‘humanitarian surgery’. This makes it difficult to compare interventions, outcomes and cost effectiveness since a wide variety of activities are included in these global or humanitarian surgery programmes. Methods A Delphi process was used over 3 rounds using online software to facilitate responses. A core set of academics and global surgery leaders were invited by targeted email and a snowball sampling effect was used to target responses form Low/Middle Income Countries. Predetermined inclusion criteria were used to ensure the validity of respondents. A Likert scale of 1-6 was used, group agreement was indicated by a median of 3 4 and group consensus was indicated by an interquartile range of £ 2. Intraclass correlation was used to assess stability of response. Results Round 1 generated 25 statements, across 4 themes: Who, What, Where and When. Of these, 10 reached agreement and consensus after Rounds 2 and 3. These 10 statements were then used as the basis for the definition of ‘Humanitarian Surgery’. Conclusion By agreeing the definition of ‘Humanitarian Surgery’, this will allow comparison of activities within the field to ensure they are appropriate, provide a high quality of care and are cost effective. Debate should now move to focus on ensuring Humanitarian Surgery is delivered to the highest possible standard wherever and whenever it is required.

Opinion Leader Detection in Asian Social Networks using Modified Spider Monkey Optimization

The Asian social networks are dominated by the society’s collectivist culture, and this interestingly introduces an influence mechanism aided by word-of-mouth and opinion leaders. An opinion leader can help to generate and shape other people’s opinion and achieve a high information spread on any topic. In this work, a modified spider monkey optimization based opinion leader detection approach is proposed. Firstly, we employ the modified node2vec graph embedding to generate the lower dimensional vectors which act as the initial features for the nodes in a typical Asian social network. Next, the entire population is broken down into several groups using the k-means++ algorithm where the number of clusters is equal to the number of opinion leaders to be selected. The local and global leaders are chosen by using the coordinates of the cluster centres of these clusters. The coordinates of the centroids of the clusters are then used to detect the local and global leaders in the network. The local leaders then form the seed set of opinion leaders for the network. The positions of the nodes in the network, including the local and global leaders, are updated over a number of iterations. At the end of these iterations, the seed set generating the maximum influence forms the set of opinion leaders in the network. We test our proposed approach using the popular information diffusion and cognitive opinion dynamics (COD) models. We perform intensive experiments on several real-life social networks based on various performance metrics. The results obtained reveal that the proposed approach outperforms several existing techniques of opinion leader detection.