International Policy Research Articles

Chinese students in the global south: a case study of mobility to Chile

PurposeThe following article Chinese students' migration projects to the global south. Little work has sought to deepen the understanding of Chinese students' mobility to developing countries. This is key to determining a more complete profile of Chinese students and whether they fit into the categories of foreign students described by mainstream literature.Design/methodology/approachIn order to understand the respective experiences and points of view of foreign students in on the process of choosing the country of study, we proceeded to identify different students of Chinese origin who have made their trip to Chile during the last decade. In addition, documents on China's international student mobility policy were reviewed, mainly focusing on documents dealing with Chinese students going abroad.FindingsChinese students are increasingly looking to travel to countries in the Global South as an opportunity to differentiate themselves. Chile emerges as an attractive destination as it is seen as a stable country in Latin America. It is a place where China has several strategic interests that may allow future professional development.Originality/valueThis article focuses on this aspect, mainly on how Chinese students perceive Chile as a place to pursue higher education. There is strong evidence of Chinese student flows to developed countries, but there are still insufficient studies on South-South mobility.

Energy efficiency research of propulsion system for series-parallel hybridization of amphibious vehicles

The series-parallel hybrid system has attracted much attention from scholars for its effective integration of the power advantages and operating characteristics of different power sources, which is influenced by international emission regulations, energy-saving and emission reduction policies. As such, a series-parallel hybrid powertrain is introduced to the amphibious vehicle, and an innovative powertrain topology architecture is proposed. Meanwhile, the operation mode and energy efficiency characteristics are investigated during the working process. Firstly, the energy flow simulation model of a series-parallel gas-electric hybrid propulsion system is constructed using a modular modeling approach. Secondly, four operating modes, namely mechanical propulsion, electric propulsion, hybrid propulsion and charging mode, were formulated due to the fact that the propulsion system has multiple forms of power sources in the form of natural gas engine and reversible motor. Meanwhile, the energy flow states were investigated under different operating modes. Meanwhile, a comprehensive investigation of the energy efficiency associated with propulsion, storage and start-up energy was conducted for each specific mode. The results of the research indicated that the energy efficiency of the electric propulsion mode can reach up to 35.15 %, which is the gain from the wide operating range of the motor's high efficiency. The hybrid propulsion mode can obtain the highest energy efficiency of 35.88 %, which fully demonstrates the advantages of coordinating and complementing the two power sources, the natural gas engine and the reversible electric motor. This investigation also provides theoretical and empirical support for optimizing energy matching and formulating energy management strategies.

Satellite Long-Term Monitoring of Wetland Ecosystem Functioning in Ramsar Sites for Their Sustainable Management

The long-term monitoring of wetland ecosystem functioning is critical because wetlands, which provide multiple services, can be affected by human activities and climate change. The aim of this study was to monitor wetland ecosystem functioning in the long term using the Landsat archive. Four contrasting, Ramsar wetlands were selected in boreal, temperate, arid, and tropical areas. First, the annual sum of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI-I) was calculated as an indicator of annual net primary productivity for the period 1984–2021 using the continuous change detection and classification (CCDC) algorithm. Next, the influence of the number of Landsat images and class of land use and land cover (LULC) on the accuracy of the CCDC was investigated. Finally, correlations between annual NDVI-I and climate were analyzed. The results revealed that NDVI-I accuracy was influenced mainly by the LULC class and to a lesser extent by the number of cloud-free Landsat observations. Infra- and inter-site variations in NDVI-I were high and showed an overall increasing trend. NDVI-I was positively correlated with the mean temperature. This study shows that this approach applied in contrasting sites is robust for the long-term monitoring of wetland ecosystem functioning and can be used to improve the implementation of international biodiversity conservation policies.

Do Agricultural stakeholder panels enhance post-harvest loss reduction? Evidence from Malawi

Post-harvest loss significantly affects food security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and elsewhere across developing countries. Weak institutional factors like ineffective agricultural extension services in rural communities can exacerbate such problems among smallholder farmers in SSA and other developing countries. Therefore, international development policies have prioritized strengthening rural extension systems to enhance access to effective extension services and thereby enhance food security outcomes like ineffective agriculturalpost-harvest loss reduction among rural households. As such, the US-Agency for International Development supported the Strengthening Agricultural and Nutrition Extension program in Malawi from 2015 to 2021 to improve access to rural extension services by promoting Agricultural Stakeholder Panels (ASPs)—platforms designed to enhance farmer interaction with local extension agents in rural communities and thereby enhance improved access to quality extension services in rural areas. The ASP approach can reduce post-harvest losses for major crops, such as maize. However, rigorous analyses of the effects of ASPs on post-harvest loss reduction remain limited. To address this knowledge gap, we apply recursive bivariate probit regression to primary survey data from 2134 households in Malawi to estimate the effects of the ASP approach on post-harvest loss reduction in 2018. The results show that ASPs reduced post-harvest losses among households by 53%, and a crucial outcome that can improve household food security. The result demonstrates that policies that strengthen rural extension systems can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals on hunger and food security in rural Malawi and similar contexts.

Representation of countries in IFLA

This study investigates the participation of countries in one of the leading international library organizations, IFLA. IFLA has aimed to strengthen libraries for a more literate, informed and participatory society. Its structure includes Sections, a Governing Board, and Regional and Professional Divisions. From an exploratory investigation on the IFLA web pages, the author surveyed the participation of countries in the entire structure, the nationality of the presidents and the headquarters of the World Library and Information Congress. The need for the organization to expand its regional diversity through internal policies stands out, since Global South countries, such as those in Latin America and Africa, occupy few places. Since IFLA is the main global entity in librarianship, it is essential to expand these representations, from participation in its structure to the possibility of a president-elect from these regions or the largest congress being hosted in these areas more often.

Policy termination made easy? The emerging trend towards sunsetting antimicrobial resistance national action plans

ABSTRACT While policy termination is usually more difficult than continuity in domestic policymaking, the international process for addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) shows that sustaining commitments can be the more difficult path. Addressing persistent crises requires persistent policy responses across multiple countries. Policy coordination among many countries has gained significant scholarly attention whereas analyses of continuing, longer-term commitments of many countries to crisis response are less common. This paper remedies this shortfall by analysing the commitments of different countries to the international policy process against AMR. It triangulates novel evidence in the form of distinct indicators based on global surveys, content analysis of national action plans (NAPs), and publication patterns of second-generation NAPs. The findings suggest that national commitments to the international process initially reached high levels but are now in decline. Countries are effectively ‘sunsetting’ their NAPs, and thereby ending commitments to the international process for addressing AMR. Many have refrained from renewing their NAPs, and those that do renew rarely show signs of learning or adaptation from previous NAPs. Hence, even in the AMR case, where a global and persistent threat rose high on the international political agenda, long-term commitment to the international response policy process is by no means assured.

Land matters: how Indigenous land restitution can inform loss and damage policy and chart a path toward an otherwise climate justice

ABSTRACT Loss and damage (L&D) has emerged as a focus for climate justice within the international policy arena and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings. L&D proposals often centre on a liberal conception of distributive justice, arguing that high-emitting parties must compensate those most vulnerable to climate change, who typically bear the least responsibility for it. This frame positions climate justice as reparations, financial support for adaptation, and other forms of restitution for impacted communities. I support L&D action and agree that responsible parties should pay. However, I urge caution about the underlying assumptions of liberal justice. What is of commensurate value for communities that lose access to sites of deep biocultural and spiritual heritage because of climate change? In considering this question, I draw from research on Indigenous land rights and restitution politics in Latin America to illustrate how L&D proposals and policies can learn from Indigenous experiences navigating the pursuit of justice through courts. I examine limitations of liberal justice to highlight pathways for thinking climate justice otherwise. Lessons from Indigenous land restitution make clear that rethinking the framing of L&D policy is essential to avoid replicating the logics that drive destructive development and resultant social inequality.

Optimal management of international reserves

AbstractThis article develops a continuous time stochastic model for determining the optimal international reserves management policy when the data generating process of international reserves is a geometric Brownian motion. The policy is a two‐parameter control‐limit that consists of an appropriate and a ceiling level on reserves holdings, given an exogenous floor on international reserves. The optimal solution is determined so as to minimize the total costs of international reserves holdings. It is proved that our results extend the framework of Frenkel and Jovanovic when the logarithm of international reserves is an arithmetic Brownian motion. We also explain that Jung paper does not extend Frenkel and Jovanovic model as claimed by the former. The model is calibrated to derive the optimal level and liquidity tranche size upper bound of international reserves of the CEMAC monetary union.

Did the Glasgow COP26 negotiations meet or miss Article 6 (carbon markets) of the Paris Agreement? A systematic review of the literature

AbstractThe Paris Agreement is an important milestone in international climate policy and the associated negotiations of the United Nations Climate Summit under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Article 6 of the Paris Agreement is a supplementary mechanism—regarding carbon markets—to reduce greenhouse gases and achieve the UNFCCC's main objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations. The 2021 United Nations Climate Summit in Glasgow (COP26) played a key role in the pursuit of this goal. Via an overview of Article 6 negotiations in past COP summits and a systematic review and qualitative meta‐synthesis of the literature leading up to COP26, I identify three arguments involving Articles 6.2, 6.4, and 6.8 behind the selected literature. I substantiate these arguments based on the meta‐evaluation of the existing literature and propose a three‐stage meta‐evaluation of the arguments on Article 6 (carbon markets) of the Paris Agreement in the context of COP26 to ascertain if the negotiations were successful in leading to requisite agreements on Article 6. I conclude that future qualitative research should focus on Articles 6.4 and 6.8 of the Paris Agreement and examine the outcomes of future climate debates to see how ideas will flow through the negotiations regarding these two articles to pursue the goal of the UNFCCC under the Paris Agreement.Related ArticlesJihyung Joo, Jihyung, Jouni Paavola, and James Van Alstine. 2023. “The Divergence of South Korea's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) from the EU ETS: An Institutional Complementarity View.” Politics & Policy 51(6): 1155–73. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12566.Nunes Silva, Carlos. 2012. “Policy and Evidence in a Partisan Age: The Great Disconnect—By Paul Gary Wyckoff.” Politics & Policy 40(3): 541–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2012.00363.x.Robles, Pedro, and Daniel J. Mallinson. 2023. “Catching up with AI: Pushing toward a Cohesive Governance Framework.” Politics & Policy 51(3): 355–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12529.

Public Policies and Research in Brazil on Urban Sustainability and Water Resources

Objective: The objective is to investigate the national scenario of research on urban sustainability related to water resources in the face of national and international public policies. Theoretical Framework: The conception of the current urban infrastructure will not be sufficient to support the impacts of extreme phenomena predicted for the near future. The incorporation of sustainable technologies that incorporate the concept of ecosystem services is a perspective that envisions the resilience necessary for urban centers to accommodate the socio-environmental and economic structure in the future. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises data analysis using a quantitative and qualitative approach, exploring theses and dissertations on the urban sustainability of water resources between 2007 and 2000. Data collection was carried out through a survey of secondary data contained in the institutional repositories of four higher education institutions in Brazil. Results and Discussion: The results revealed that research on urban sustainability is growing in Brazil, but research on urban sustainability related to water resources is recent and few. These results are contextualized in the light of national and international government initiatives, highlighting the implications, relationships, discrepancies and limitations of the study.. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications providing insights that can influence research on water problems in urban spaces. These can imply paradigm shifts considering urban sustainability and the impacts of urbanization on water resources. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by presenting research gaps present in higher education institutions in Brazil, in the face of international and national government initiatives. The relevance and value are evidenced by the need for a paradigm shift in order to incorporate the principles of sustainability, specifically considering water resources, due to the growing demand and vulnerability to climate change.

The Yen Bay Rebellion (1930) and internal security policy in French Indochina

The article contents an analysis of the French experience of anti-colonial struggle in the era of Interbellum in the Indochina region. Special attention is devoted to the degree and speed of the response of the French colonial administration and the metropolis to the events taking place. The article presents the characteristics of French military thought regarding the specifics of conducting combat operations against the rebels using aviation and native units. Attention is focused on the problem of the loyalty of the Vietnamese people, their attitude to French rule. The main fears of the French in connection with the growth of Vietnamese national identity as a threat to the colonial order are revealed. The importance of the events in Yen Bai is emphasized from the point of view of further measures by Paris to ensure internal security in the Indochina region. The changes in the national composition of the French colonial army in Indochina are shown. The uprising affected not only the army, but also the political police of France – «Sûreté». The work shows that the uprising did not receive universal support from the local population. The reaction of a part of French society to the events in Yen Bai is analyzed. Special attention is paid to the personality of Pierre Pasquier, Governor-General of Indochina, who personified the conservative part of the French colonial bureaucracy, whose attitude towards local peoples in the Interbellum era rather complicated relations between the metropolis and dependent territories. On the other hand, attention is drawn to the impact of the events in Yen Bai on changes in both the composition and leadership of the driving political force of the revolutionary struggle in Indochina. It was at this time that the National Party of Vietnam lost its leading position in the vanguard of the anti-colonial struggle to the Communist Party of Indochina.

Transforming experimental radiology: Design and implementation of an innovative ePACS image storage system for AI imaging research environments

Introduction and purpose: We present the needs, design, development, implementation, and accessibility of a crafted experimental PACS (ePACS) system to securely store images, ensuring efficiency and ease of use for AI processing, specifically tailored for research scenarios, including phantoms, animal and human studies and quality assurance (QA) exams. The ePACS system plays a crucial role in any medical imaging departments that handle non-care profile studies, such as protocol adjustments and dummy runs. By effectively segregating non-care profile studies from the healthcare assistance, the ePACS usefully prevents errors both in clinical practice and storage security. Methods and results: The developed ePACS system considers the best practices for management, maintenance, access, long-term storage and backups, regulatory audits, and economic aspects. Moreover, key aspects of the ePACS system include the design of data flows with a focus on incorporating data security and privacy, access control and levels based on user profiles, internal data management policies, standardized architecture, infrastructure and application monitorization and traceability, and periodic backup policies. A new tool called DicomStudiesQA has been developed to standardize the analysis of DICOM studies. The tool automatically identifies, extracts, and renames series using a consistent nomenclature. It also detects corrupted images and merges separated dynamic series that were initially split, allowing for streamlined post-processing. Discussion and conclusions: The developed ePACS system encompasses a successful implementation, both in hospital and research environments, showcasing its transformative nature and the challenging yet crucial transfer of knowledge to industry. This underscores the practicality and real-world applicability of our innovative approach, highlighting the significant impact it has on the field of experimental radiology.

Using the Ecosystem Services assessment tool TESSA to balance the multiple landscape demands of increasing woodlands in a UK national park

Upland regions in the UK are increasingly under consideration as potential areas for the creation of woodlands. This is driven by a combination of factors, including the aims of UK forestry policy to increase woodland cover, changes in current upland land-use and management, agri-environment schemes in national and international policy and an increasing public awareness of the ecosystem service benefits landscapes can deliver for society. Creating new woodlands in upland areas is challenging, partly due to concerns of potential impacts from a change in land use and stakeholder interests. This study considers a 250 km2 Cumbrian (England) upland landscape dominated by sheep grazing and, using an established ecosystem service assessment tool (TESSA), estimates the provision of ecosystem services under plausible alternative woodland creation scenarios. The assessment focuses on key ecosystem goods and services, which are identified by stakeholders to be of high importance to the study area, and the potential changes to those under the scenarios. The results indicate that, under lower woodland percentage scenarios (10 %), minor benefits are expected. However, a more complex outcome would be expected from the higher percentage woodland scenarios (75 %) with the woodland cover of 50 % identified as providing the highest overall benefit to society.

Amerika Serikat sebagai Negara Adikuasa: Pengaruh dan Dominasi dari Akhir Abad ke-20 hingga Awal Abad ke-21

This research analyzes the role and influence of the United States as a superpower from the late 20th century to the early 21st century, focusing on military, economic, political, and cultural power. After the Soviet Union's collapse, the United States became the dominant force in international policy, with significant global power projection through a large defense budget and advanced technology. Economically, its influence is seen in the dollar's dominance and leading technology companies. Politically, the U.S. plays a central role in international organizations like the UN and NATO. Culturally, American media and technology have led to widespread "Americanization." Despite its influence, the U.S. faces criticism for unilateral policies and military interventions, along with domestic challenges such as economic inequality and racial tensions, and the rise of powers like China and Russia. This research provides insights into how the U.S. maintains its superpower status and addresses global challenges.

The effect of war exposure on children; an exploration of conflict and post-conflict gendered experiences

ABSTRACT Armed conflict has tragically become commonplace in the lives of many children. Children do not only witness conflict violence and are subjected to it, but are also sometimes forced to perpetrate violence themselves. Recently, scholars from different fields have examined these experiences. However, few scholars have considered the experiences of girls or have compared these experiences to those of boys. This is surprising given the increased focus of the international community on the protection of girls. This exploratory study is an attempt to overcome this by examining the experiences of boys and girls during conflict and whether these gendered experiences have influenced social relationships in the aftermath of war. Empirically, we rely on 315 structured interviews with Congolese boys and girls. Some of these children were actively involved in armed groups in the Eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our descriptive analysis shows remarkable differences between boys and girls. This work has important consequences for the study of the effect of conflict on children, the role of girls during and after conflict, and the international policy community.

Ensuring confidentiality and data security in economic analysis of business entities: Challenges and solutions

In today's world, where digitization permeates all spheres of our lives, the issue of confidentiality and data security becomes particularly relevant. The significant dependence of businesses on the processing and analysis of large volumes of data necessitates a complete understanding of the risks associated with their storage and processing. Given this circumstance, the present investigation focuses on identifying and scrutinizing the primary obstacles and measures to guarantee data confidentiality and security within the economic analysis of business entities. The topic's relevance is enhanced by the constant development of technologies and the increasingly palpable growth of cyber threats, which require the development of innovative approaches and methods of information protection. The analysis conducted in this study allows us to establish that the main challenges for ensuring data security include not only technical aspects but also the need to balance confidentiality and usability, as well as between centralized and decentralized data storage. It has been revealed that adequate confidentiality requires a comprehensive approach, including modern encryption technologies and authentication and the development of internal security policies and employee training programs. The study's conclusions underscore that ensuring data confidentiality and security requires coordinated interaction between technical solutions and organizational measures. Emphasis is placed on the importance of innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, for enhancing security levels. The obtained results have significant practical implications for business entities, enabling them to develop and implement effective data protection strategies. For further research, it is proposed to focus on developing adaptive protection models capable of resisting the changing conditions of the digital environment.

Strategizing in a turbulent world: Analyzing the effects of international sanctions and policy shifts on corporate innovation

This study examines the impact of international sanctions and policy shifts on the technological innovation of non-financial publicly listed companies in China from 2007 to 2022. It articulates the theoretical mechanisms through which international sanctions affect corporate technological innovation, considering aspects of international trade and capital flows. The findings indicate that international sanctions significantly inhibit corporate innovation, whereas policy shifts substantially foster it. Moreover, international sanctions can restrict corporate innovation through limitations on international trade and capital flows. Based on these findings, the study proposes relevant recommendations.

Addressing Ethical Issues in Contemporary International Education & Development

Abstract Empowered by global movements like Millennium Development Goals (mdg s), Sustainable Development Goals (sdg s), and Education for All (efa), the field of international education policy continues to help improve educational access and quality for millions of children and adult learners worldwide, including those affected by extreme poverty. However, often times the way that educational policy and programming is conducted in global South does not always reflect the positive ideals behind these goals. This piece examines ongoing trends of unethical partnerships, policies, and practices in contemporary international education. Reflecting legacies of neocolonialism and ethnocentricity, these problems can create a toxic development culture and minimize authentic collaboration at all levels. Yet, through engaging in a dialogue about these issues, we may begin to make valuable changes that help foster true partnerships and more effective, sustainable change for those most in need.

Identifying inclusive training needs with the inclusive practices in English language teaching observation scale

Quality inclusive education has been guaranteed at the international policy level, but for inclusive education to be realized, teachers must be prepared to teach students with a wide variety of support needs. With well over a billion English language learners worldwide, and considering the fact that language learning can present many unique barriers to students with disabilities, the TESOL field has a growing need to consider how to best train teachers to teach inclusively. English language teachers (ELTs) generally lack training to teach students with disabilities, and little research has been done to identify specific training needs. If language learning environments are to honor the human right to inclusive education, then this is a critical research gap to close. This study reports on the use of a novel instrument, the Inclusive Practices in English Language Teaching Observation Scale (IPELT), in combination with post-observation interviews, to determine specific training needs among ELTs working at the postsecondary level in Japan. Magnitude coding of IPELT results and thematic analysis of field notes and interview data from 13 participants suggests that ELTs in this particular context would likely benefit from training in differentiation and specific considerations for teaching students with disabilities, as well as identifying possible students with disabilities. The participants also demonstrated a foundational skill set to create inclusive learning environments despite a general lack of relevant training.

The Global Intellectual Disability Nursing Research Collaboratory: Forming an international transformational nursing network.

This paper explains how we created the Global Intellectual Disability Nurse Research Collaboratory (GIDNRC), a transformative network. The GIDNRC aims to make improvements in the understanding, research, policy, clinical care, and support provided to people with an intellectual disability. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) called upon healthcare leaders internationally to take actions to promote more equal healthcare for disabled persons. This paper promotes the GIDNRC as a way for professionals to work together to make more equal healthcare throughout the world for people with intellectual disabilities. We created this paper by reviewing peer-reviewed literature and research, international policies, and nursing networking initiatives. This paper explores current policy, research, and practice issues that formed the basis of beginning the GIDNRC, including how the COVID-19 pandemic changed care. Nurses are over 50% of the world's health workforce. Therefore, they have the potential to make a large impact in making care for people with intellectual disability much more equal than currently exists throughout the world. However, barriers exist. Forming the GIDNRC, as well as using the World Wide Web, offers an opportunity to address barriers to this goal. Nurses can address the needs of people with intellectual disability in their daily nursing practice. The GIDNRC aims to strengthen these clinical skills, understand how care may vary throughout the world, and share knowledge, good practices, and new ways to approach care for people with an intellectual disability worldwide. International nursing policy should actively focus on the needs of people with intellectual disabilities and the role nurses play in addressing these health needs. The GIDNRC may provide an important way to achieve developments in this policy.