Paralysis of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body (AB) has prompted institutional innovation within the WTO dispute settlement system, most notably through the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA). Grounded in Article 25 of the DSU, the MPIA serves as a stop-gap mechanism to preserve appellate reviews. This article critically examines the legality, functionality, and systemic implications of appellate arbitration as a quasi-permanent alternative to AB. Drawing on treaty interpretation principles under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT), this analysis examines whether Article 25 legitimately supports appellate functions and evaluates jurisprudential consistency, procedural efficiency, and systemic resilience. It argues that while appellate arbitration introduces flexibility and party autonomy into WTO adjudication, its legal foundation remains contested and its selective adoption risks fragmenting the multilateral system. Nonetheless, appellate arbitration, if institutionalized with clearer procedural norms and broader participation, could complement AB reform efforts and enhance the adaptability of the WTO legal order. This article contributes to the debate on WTO dispute settlement reform by mapping the evolving role of arbitration in maintaining rule-based trade governance amid the geopolitical deadlock.

This study examines the structural relationships among Joyful Learning, Intrinsic Motivation, and Academic Achievement within the socio-religious educational environment of an Indonesian pesantren. Grounded in contemporary motivational theory, particularly Self-Determination Theory, the research addresses the limited empirical evidence on how emotionally engaging pedagogical climates interact with internal motivational processes in faith-based boarding schools. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 60 junior secondary students using validated Likert-scale instruments, followed by qualitative interviews and classroom observations to contextualize statistical findings. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability and validity testing, normality assessment, and Pearson correlation analysis. The results reveal strong and statistically significant positive correlations between Joyful Learning and Intrinsic Motivation (r = .921, p < .001), Joyful Learning and Academic Achievement (r = .875, p < .001), and Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Achievement (r = .895, p < .001), indicating a mutually reinforcing relationship among the three constructs. Qualitative findings further demonstrate that relational mentorship, communal discipline, and value-integrated instruction within the pesantren environment strengthen students’ intrinsic engagement and meaning-making processes. The study concludes that joyful pedagogical practices can be effectively integrated within structured religious educational systems and function as catalysts for enhancing intrinsic motivation and multidimensional academic achievement. The implications of this research highlight the importance of relational pedagogy, teacher professional development, and the integration of affective-motivational indicators into assessment systems, thereby advancing culturally grounded motivational theory and educational innovation in faith-based institutions.

This study examines the readiness of Saudi higher education institutions for the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) accreditation through a document-based, exploratory analysis of strategic plans, self-studies, annual program reports, and compliance review reports. The analysis is guided by NCAAA accreditation standards and selected international quality assurance benchmarks to assess institutional preparedness and alignment with these standards. The evaluation covers eight criteria: strategic planning, integrity and transparency, teaching and learning, students, faculty and staff, institutional resources, research and innovation, and community and partnerships. Findings indicate progress in faculty development and infrastructure but reveal a weak alignment between educational outcomes and job market needs, with varying quality across institutions. Although institutions largely meet international accreditation standards, adaptations are required for the local context. The study recommends strengthening strategic leadership, establishing continuous improvement systems, and fostering collaborations with regulatory and institutional bodies to ensure sustainable accreditation compliance and support universities in achieving national and international quality objectives.

Abstract The digital business environment has become a focal point of global competition. As the world’s second-largest economy, China’s digital economy has a huge scale, and its exploration of institutional innovation and governance has enlightening significance for the international community. However, existing research mainly focuses on traditional business environments and lacks a systematic analysis of the role of government in digital business environments. This study aims to clarify the specific role, path differences, and influencing factors of local governments in the legalization of the digital business environment. Selecting Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing as samples to conduct semi-structured interviews and qualitative comparative research on relevant government departments. Research has found that, firstly, although the government has achieved results in optimizing the approval process and shortening the start-up time of enterprises, there are still regional differences; Secondly, Beijing and Shanghai have entered a further stage of improving the quality of public services and ensuring the rule of law, while Chongqing is still in the stage of basic reform; Thirdly, the disadvantages of location, talent, and finance in non-first tier cities constrain the development of their digital business environment. Overall, China is gradually narrowing the gap with international best practices such as B-READY and still needs to continue efforts in cross-border rule integration, legal transparency, and service-oriented government. This study points out the diverse paths of local governments in legalizing the digital business environment, and also provides institutional references for other developing countries.

ABSTRACT Schools are important settings for promoting health and fostering lifelong movement habits, particularly for children with limited access to physical activity outside school. This study explores how teachers in Swedish primary schools interpret, navigate, and organise the daily movement initiative within their institutional and professional context. Introduced in 2017, the initiative aims to address declining physical activity levels and growing health disparities among children, positioning schools as key actors in promoting movement and well-being. Drawing on new institutional theory, this study explores how institutional structures shape teachers’ experiences and practices at regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive levels. Using a qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers from 10 different schools. Interview data were analysed using abductive content analysis. The analysis followed a structured process that included preparation, organisation, and reporting phases, where empirical material was iteratively interpreted in relation to theoretical concepts. Three main themes were identified: teachers’ positioning in the daily movement mission, strategies and methods for working with daily movement, and perceived values of daily movement. The findings reveal that while teachers recognise the value of daily movement for student well-being, learning, and social cohesion, they face challenges related to unclear policy directives, limited institutional support, and role ambiguity. Despite these constraints, teachers developed local strategies emphasising student involvement, collaboration and inclusive practices. The study highlights the need for stronger institutional alignment, clearer regulatory frameworks, and sustained leadership to embed daily movement as a legitimate and sustainable part of the school. These findings contribute to broader discussions on how educational policy and institutional culture influence pedagogical innovation in health-promoting school environments. To further strengthen its legitimacy and sustainability, the study proposes reframing the initiative as daily movement education, a term that positions movement as a meaningful and integrated part of the educational mission.

Abstract While many African countries face democratic setbacks, authoritarianism, and electoral violence, Somaliland offers a compelling alternative. Since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991 without international recognition, Somaliland has held multiple peaceful and credible elections, sustained internal stability, and built a participatory political system with minimal foreign aid. This paper explores its hybrid democratic model, which blends traditional clan-based governance with modern multiparty politics. The integration of customary institutions has fostered local legitimacy, effective conflict resolution, and political consensus, allowing Somaliland to avoid the turmoil seen in neighboring states. Despite these achievements, Somaliland remains largely overlooked in global discourse. The paper argues this neglect is due to entrenched geopolitical interests, rigid interpretations of state sovereignty, and limited international interest. By examining Somaliland’s institutional innovations and community-driven democratic practices, this study calls on African states, scholars, and policymakers to recognize and learn from this underappreciated model of democratic governance.

The problem of the high pace at which artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing is basically changing the competitive landscape in the financial institutions. In this paper, the author will address how strategic implementation of AI-based analytics can contribute to the business model innovation to add value, operational effectiveness, and customer-centric transformation in banks and other financial service providers. In addition to the progressive phase of technological adoption, the paper conceptualizes the AI analytics as a strategic competency, which can influence the form of revenue, the system of risk analysis, the structure of expenditures, and alliances within the ecosystem. By applying a conceptual and review approach to literature, the paper has fitted together the knowledge of the literature on the digital transformation, strategic management theory, and financial innovation research on how predictive modeling, machine learning algorithms, and real-time data intelligence can be applied to support dynamic decision-making and new value propositions. Based on the results, the institutions that have applied AI analytics in a strategic direction (rather than using the latter) are more responsive to market fluctuations, regulatory complexity, and rising customer demands. The use of AI-based personalization, credit scoring, fraud detection tools, and smarter investment advice services contributes to the improved financial performance, in addition to, business models based on platforms and scalable. However, the successful integration implies the functions that are complementary, e.g., data control systems, ethical artificial intelligence systems, leadership commitment, and workforce reskilling programs. The implementation challenges in the paper are biases in algorithms, cybersecurity threat, and regulatory uncertainty, and mechanisms of balanced governance ought to exist. It is concluded that strategic synergy of business model innovation and AI analytics is among the main prerequisites of sustainable competitive advantage in the financial sector. Organisations, which integrate AI into their core strategic DNA, are better equipped to generate long-term value without losing trust, compliance, and resilience within a more digital financial ecosystem.

In recent decades, political theorists have drawn on historical thinkers to explore how political elites can be held accountable. Rousseau, however, is often dismissed as reducing accountability to elections and participation to occasional ratification referenda. This article challenges that view. While Rousseau expected an elective aristocracy to execute laws ratified by the people, he also identified two mechanisms—scrutiny and recall—through which citizens could control these representatives. After reconstructing Rousseau’s account, I consider how these mechanisms could be adapted to contemporary democracies. Focused on executive accountability, the model is particularly suited to presidential systems with directly elected presidents. It combines a national jury—a citizens’ assembly chosen by lot and tasked with examining presidential actions—with the possibility of a recall referendum. By uniting deliberative scrutiny with the power to remove the head of state, this approach offers an underexplored complement to recent anti-oligarchic institutional innovations based on sortition.

This paper examines the impact of China's Smart City Pilot (SCP) program on firms' access to trade credit. Using a multi-period difference-in-differences design and a dataset on Chinese A-share listed firms from 2008 to 2019, we find that SCP implementation significantly increases firms' trade credit financing. Mechanism analyses suggest that this effect operates through two channels: improved information environments that mitigate supplier–buyer information asymmetry, and human capital upgrading that enhances firms' operational efficiency and repayment capacity. The effect is stronger in cities with more advanced digital infrastructure and among firms with lower internal digitalization, consistent with external digital improvements substituting for firm-level weaknesses. Moreover, the effect is concentrated in non-state-owned enterprises, which face tighter financial constraints and greater reliance on supplier credit. Our findings highlight the role of institutional innovations in shaping interfirm financing and reveal a novel channel through which smart city initiatives affect corporate financial decisions. • The Smart City Pilot policy significantly increases firms' trade credit financing. • The Policy effects operate through improvements in the information and human capital. • The effect is stronger in cities with more advanced digital infrastructure. • The effect is stronger among firms with lower level of internal digitalization and among non-SOEs. • Digital transformation policies reduce financing frictions and promote financial inclusiveness.

Wolf Creek XVIII Part 8: Wolf Creek Innovator in Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation Science Award.

The 50th Anniversary Wolf Creek XVIII Conference was hosted by the Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA on June 19-21, 2025. "Innovations in ECPR Technology" was one topic of focused presentation and discussion by invited panelists and conference participants made up of international academic and industry scientists as well as thought leaders in the field of cardiac arrest resuscitation. This panel was part of the conference agenda in order to update the auditorium on the current state of the art of ECPR increasingly offered by specialized centers worldwide but still far away from routine use. In view of the ongoing high mortality and morbidity of patients treated with CPR following cardiac arrest, ECPR arises as a potential promise to improve this challenge, however many questions with respect to patient selection, implementation and the required related technical and educational resources are currently not solved and remain as relevant barriers. Moreover, current ECPR does not follow standardized protocols and is therefore a highly individualized therapy of each performing center. This is a relevant barrier in order to conduct trials with larger and more homogenous groups of patients. Despite the tempting option to overcome the shortcomings of CPR, the field of ECPR primarily requires targeted research with focus on community studies and the rationale implementation of extracorporeal circulation in the CPR scenario.

Effective defibrillation lies at the heart of successful resuscitation of ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest. Can it be done better? The 50th Anniversary Wolf Creek XVIII Conference was hosted by the Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA on June 19-21, 2025. Since its inception in 1975, the Wolf Creek Conference has a well-established tradition of providing a unique forum for robust intellectual exchange between thought leaders and scientists from academia and industry focused on advancing the science and practice of cardiac arrest resuscitation. Innovations in Defibrillation Science was one of six focused panel topics that was presented and discussed by invited panelist and conference participants as recognized thought leaders in the field of cardiac arrest resuscitation, all of whom completed conflict of interest disclosures.The presentations by invited panelist and discussion focused on four distinct defibrillation-related topics, each written as was presented by its contributing author, providing their individual perspectives. Where applicable, each discussion addressed the current state, potential future state, knowledge gaps, barriers to translation, and research priorities in defibrillation science. Topics included refining the definition of defibrillation and resuscitation success, describing defibrillation mechanisms, double sequential external defibrillation for refractory ventricular fibrillation, and use of quantitative waveform analysis to better direct resuscitation care. Although much is known, much remains to be learned about defibrillation and its optimal application during resuscitation of cardiac arrest.

Universities across the world are increasingly redefining their campuses as comprehensive learning ecosystems that extend learning beyond formal classrooms. This review-based study examines how global higher education institutions integrate experiential learning, sustainability practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional operations into campus-based learning environments. Using secondary data drawn from peer-reviewed international journals, policy documents, and institutional reports published between 2015 and 2024, the study adopts a descriptive and exploratory research design. A thematic literature review approach is used to identify key dimensions, models, outcomes, and challenges associated with campus learning ecosystems. The review indicates that campuses functioning as learning ecosystems enhance student engagement, applied skill development, sustainability awareness, and institutional innovation. The study also highlights significant research gaps, particularly in developing country contexts, and emphasizes the need for empirical and longitudinal research. The paper contributes to the literature on higher education innovation by synthesizing global practices and offering a structured conceptual understanding suitable for policy and academic discourse.

Based on panel data from 2017 to 2023, this study constructs an evaluation index system encompassing five dimensions—trade, capital, personnel, information, and institutions—to measure the openness level of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The grey relational analysis model is employed to identify the driving factors behind its openness. The findings reveal that the GBA exhibits an overall pattern characterized by “core-led development, tiered differentiation, and dynamic recovery”: Hong Kong and Shenzhen serve as dual-core open hubs, experiencing a trajectory of “high-level adjustment followed by strong rebound” and steady growth, respectively. In 2023, their openness indices reached 0.5554 and 0.5227. The nine cities in the Pearl River Delta form three tiers, with Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Dongguan constituting the second tier, while the remaining cities exhibit relatively lower levels of openness. Macao, whose economy is dominated by the gaming and tourism sectors, shows significant fluctuations in its openness index. Analysis of driving factors indicates that industrial structure upgrading serves as the “main engine” for enhancing openness, with services sector liberalization directly facilitating regulatory alignment and cross-border flow of factors. Government regulation plays a “regulatory role” through infrastructure investment and institutional innovation; economic fundamentals provide solid support for openness; the marginal benefits of investment-driven growth are gradually diminishing; and human capital reflects long-term potential, which requires strengthening industry-education integration to unlock its momentum.

Sustainability has become a major challenge for waqf institutions, as faith-based nonprofit organizations are required to preserve assets perpetually while delivering long-term socio-economic benefits. Many waqf institutions, however, face constraints such as limited innovation, weak governance, and increasing investment and asset risks. This study aims to examine the influence of innovation and governance on the sustainability of waqf institutions, with investment risk and asset risk serving as mediating mechanisms within the framework of maqasid al-shariah. A qualitative multiple case study approach was employed, focusing on Muhammadiyah waqf management units in West Java, Indonesia. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis, and were analyzed using thematic analysis with triangulation procedures to ensure credibility. Findings indicate that innovation enhances operational efficiency, financial resilience, and social impact, while governance strengthens transparency, accountability, and institutional trust. However, innovation also increases exposure to investment and asset risks, which must be managed through effective governance and risk management. The study concludes that sustainable waqf management is achieved through a balanced integration of innovation, governance, and risk management in accordance with maqasid al-shariah principles.

The Sudan Gezira Scheme stands as one of Africa’s largest and most pivotal irrigated agricultural projects, underpinning Sudan’s economy and food security. The Scheme operation, irrigation and institutional function inconsistent performance were recognized as crucial parts of the project failure. The integrated institutional functional assessment outlined in this research indicates the gap in knowledge and possible system limitations. The study systematically reviews the performance of the scheme’s institutions, with particular emphasis on the integration of physical and functional modernizations within the operational framework. A significant addition to this study is the introduction of innovative historical Institutional Performance Index (IPI), which provides a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of institutional effectiveness and responds over time. The historical HIPI aggregates key metrics —including infrastructure maintenance, water distribution efficiency, governance stability, and stakeholder coordination—collected from archival scheme records data. Technical assessments equations such as DSI, LCI and UEI are formed to trace the evolution of institutional performance capacity from the scheme’s inception 1920s up to the present. The analysis shows deep integration impact of physical deterioration of the current state of infrastructure, maintenance gaps, and functional impact of management reforms such as the transition from government-led operations to farmer-based Water User’s Associations. The assessment highlights challenges arising from climate variability, water scarcity, and financial constraints, as well as the effects of strategic shifts in governance management. Innovation econometrics Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and ECM Models are developed to understand complex integrated institutions’ performance phenomena in Gezira Scheme and generate an innovate applicable solutions. Utilizing data from precision agriculture, the study identifies priority areas for improving water use efficiency, cropping intensity, and long-term financial sustainability. The findings, supported by Historical Institutional Performance Index (HIPI) trends, underscore the critical need for targeted canalization rehabilitation, enhanced functional capacity framework, and real time data-driven resource allocation. Overall, the comprehensive evaluation delivers actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders enabling them to address operational inefficiencies, adapt to changing environmental and economic conditions, and strengthen institutional resilience framework policy for the future. The empirical finding of long-term evaluation of institutional performance demonstrates that sustainable irrigation management framework requires more than hydrological planning. It demands coherent institutions, rehabilitated infrastructure, digital transformation, and governance control systems that align incentives with responsibilities. The study recommends establishing demand‑drive baseline water allocation to farmers and reduce heterogeneity and inequality through enhancing digital water distribution efficiency and increasing farmers income. The study confirms institutional behavior plays a central role in Scheme operation efficiency through integration physical and functional modernization framework and amplified results. A magnitude like –0.4 to –0.6 would mean 40–60% of disequilibrium is corrected each year, indicating meaningful institutional responsiveness.

This article illustrates how the academic library can serve as a central driver for pan-university innovation leadership. At the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the Kraemer Family Library became the hub of campus innovation through intentional business model innovation, organizational restructuring, endowment restructuring, and the creation of new externally funded programs. Before the reorganization, new externally funded initiatives were created, including innovation fellowships, design and application labs, and public-private partnership programs, built from grassroots leadership within the library. These efforts proved the model in practice and ultimately led the university to reorganize around the library as the hub of campus innovation, including the appointment of the Dean as the inaugural Chief Innovation Officer for the university. The creation of new initiatives, as well as the reorganization and revision of the library’s role, established it as the central hub of institutional innovation. This case illustrates how libraries can move beyond traditional roles to become effective and sustainable platforms for leaders of pan-university open innovation ecosystems.

Amid record-low confidence in parliaments, courts and media across consolidated and emerging democracies, citizens simultaneously elevate "honest leadership" above economic growth as a political priority. This paper examines the relationship between trust mechanisms and moral leadership in democratic societies. Drawing on Weber, Foucault, Machiavelli and Schmitt, this paper develops a dialectical framework that treats institutional trust and moral leadership as co-constitutive yet chronically tense: rationalised rules supply legitimacy and predictability, while ethical leadership animates and repairs trust when it falters. It argues that institutional trust and moral authority exist in a dialectical relationship of symbiosis and tension. While rationalized institutions provide legitimacy and boundaries for leadership, moral leadership activates and sustains institutional trust. However, this relationship is challenged by Weber's "iron cage," Foucault's "disciplinary power," Machiavelli's "realpolitik," and Schmitt's "friend-enemy distinction." The paper concludes that resilient democracy requires balancing institutional innovation (citizens' assemblies with veto power, time-sunset emergency clauses) with an ethic of responsibility that binds leaders and citizens to verifiable accountability and inclusive deliberation.

Natural coastlines are vital for ecological security and sustainable development. To mitigate their decline, China has implemented requisition-compensation balance policy (RCBP) for coastlines, adapted from the management of cultivated land. This study systematically reviews the policy’s institutional evolution and highlights fundamental distinctions between coastlines and cultivated land in functional services, spatial heterogeneity, and evaluation standards. While the policy has achieved preliminary success in maintaining quantitative and qualitative balance, several challenges persist. These include the absence of functional equivalence assessment, weak long-term safeguards, underdeveloped cross-regional and market-based coordination mechanisms. These gaps risk leading to “higher-grade requisition, lower-grade compensation” and ecological degradation at compensation sites, and increased administrative burdens. To address these issues, this study develops a comprehensive value-equivalence compensation framework structured around a “three-dimensional and four-layer” indicator system that integrates functional, spatial, and temporal dimensions. It advocates for a strategic transition from quantity-oriented to value-oriented governance. Corresponding policy recommendations are proposed: establishing unified technical guidelines for value assessment, creating a nationwide quota-trading platform to activate market forces, and strengthening post-restoration monitoring for long-term stewardship. This research provides theoretical and practical insights to enhance the protection, restoration and sustainable management of coastlines in China.

Abstract Financial inclusion has emerged as a central pillar of equitable development, particularly within emerging economies where structural inequalities continue to restrict access to formal financial systems. In India, despite decades of banking expansion and policy reforms, gendered patterns of exclusion persist, disproportionately affecting women in transitional socio-economic zones such as semi-urban regions. Within this context, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have evolved into a critical institutional innovation that facilitates access to savings, credit, and financial knowledge for marginalized women. This meta-analysis synthesizes empirical and theoretical literature to evaluate the effectiveness of SHGs in promoting women’s financial inclusion in semi-urban India. Drawing upon the theoretical frameworks of Sen’s Capability Approach (1999), Putnam’s Social Capital Theory (2000), and North’s Institutional Theory (1990), the study examines how collective financial structures generate economic agency and social empowerment. The findings indicate that SHGs significantly improve women’s access to savings mechanisms and microcredit while simultaneously enhancing financial literacy, collective bargaining power, and institutional engagement (Swain & Wallentin, 2009; NABARD, 2019; Tripathi & Singh, 2015). However, the analysis also identifies persistent structural constraints that limit the depth and sustainability of these gains. These constraints include patriarchal household structures, governance deficiencies within groups, technological exclusion, and limited market integration (Kabeer, 2005; Demirgüç-Kunt et al., 2018; Sharma & Jha, 2020). The study argues that SHGs function as quasi-institutional bridges that mediate between marginalized populations and formal financial systems. While access to financial services has expanded considerably, meaningful economic empowerment requires policy interventions that strengthen digital capability, institutional capacity, and enterprise development pathways.