International Research Program Research Articles

Ec-Funded Projects’ Lessons Learned In Earth Friendly Freight Transportation

Abstract The paper is based on the research project ePIcenter (www.ePIcenterproject.eu) supported by the EU HORIZON 2020 Programme. ePIcenter connects thirty-six partners: port authorities, logistic service providers, manufacturers, academic institutions, and technology partners. The main goal is to develop and test AI driven logistic software solutions, apply new technologies and methodologies to increase the efficiency of global supply chains and reduce their environmental impact. One of the significant aspect the project focusses on is optimisation, using AI, digitalisation, automation and innovations in freight transport and handling technologies. Finally, modelling powerful solutions to enable resilient, efficient and environment friendly supply chains. Knowledge sharing is one of powerful tool for researchers, policymakers, service providers and other stakeholders to develop a holistic and comprehensive common knowledge base. First, a theoretical framework had been developed through identification and review knowledge available from previous projects funded through the European Commission as well as other international funding projects. Second, lessons learned and success stories from previous EC-funded projects and other international research programmes were reviewed and provided in the first year of project implementation.

Estella Atekwana: Autobiographical Notes

I describe my career journey from a young girl in Cameroon, West Africa, to a trailblazing geophysicist to my current role as dean. I chronicle my time as a student, the transition to being an early career faculty, launching my research career, and ultimately finding my way to administration. Along the way I helped pioneer biogeophysics as a subdiscipline in geophysics while simultaneously maintaining an international research program in continental rift tectonics. I also describe the many intersectionalities in my life including being the first Black woman in many spaces, being a champion for student success, developing a diverse talent pipeline by enhancing diversity in the geosciences, and navigating academic job searches as part of a dual-career couple. Finally, I acknowledge all those who helped shape my career including the many students I had the opportunity to mentor. ▪ Many underrepresented minority geoscientists lack the social capital and professional networks critical for their success. ▪ Geoscience departments must be intentional and deliberate in promoting and ensuring more inclusive workplace environments. ▪ Dual-career couples remain a major challenge, impacting retention and recruitment of top talent; universities should provide resources to alleviate this challenge. ▪ Biogeophysics has untapped potential for advancing understanding of subsurface biogeochemical processes and the search for life in extreme environments. ▪ To date, considerable speculation remains regarding the fundamental geodynamic processes that initiate and sustain the evolution of magma-deficient rifts.

Two managerial public relations roles in the South African context

This article reports the findings of Stage 3 of an international collaborative research programme,its point of departure being that public relations (PR) roles researchers have largely ignoredresearch in the management domain in their conceptualisation of the PR manager role. (Thefirst qualitative stage was conducted in the US and UK, and the second, quantitative stage in theUK). In the third stage, the UK study was replicated in South Africa (SA) to map and comparethe main elements of management performed by PR managers working globally in a range oforganisational settings and in different cultural contexts (with a view to reconceptualising thePR manager role). While the UK research found five empirical PR roles, the final parsimonious2-factor solution accepted in the SA study was labelled the strategic public relations manager(a strategic role at the macro or societal level), and the operational public relations manager(a functional role at the middle-management level).

COLOURING AUSTRALIA: A PARTICIPATORY OPEN DATA PLATFORM

Abstract. Colouring Australia is a digital platform for collecting and visualising building level information across several Australian cities. It provides a valuable resource for bringing together data on building age, material, sustainability ratings, walkability and other key metrics as we plan for net zero cities. Colouring Australia comprises part of the international Colouring Cities Research Programme, which supports the development of open-source platforms that provide open data on national building stocks. In this paper we outline the technical architecture of the platform, and the development and visualisation of a building level walkability metric based on pedestrian access to destinations. This platform provides a useful digital tool for planners to understand which parts of the city are walkable and in turn this can support future active transport programs and policies. Future research will be to validate this novel walkability index through a series of stakeholder and public workshops using the Colouring Australia platform in an interactive tabletop environment where usability testing can be undertaken.

The ÓMICAS alliance, an international research program on multi-omics for crop breeding optimization.

The OMICAS alliance is part of the Colombian government’s Scientific Ecosystem, established between 2017-2018 to promote world-class research, technological advancement and improved competency of higher education across the nation. Since the program’s kick-off, OMICAS has focused on consolidating and validating a multi-scale, multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary strategy and infrastructure to advance discoveries in plant science and the development of new technological solutions for improving agricultural productivity and sustainability. The strategy and methods described in this article, involve the characterization of different crop models, using high-throughput, real-time phenotyping technologies as well as experimental tissue characterization at different levels of the omics hierarchy and under contrasting conditions, to elucidate epigenome-, genome-, proteome- and metabolome-phenome relationships. The massive data sets are used to derive in-silico models, methods and tools to discover complex underlying structure-function associations, which are then carried over to the production of new germplasm with improved agricultural traits. Here, we describe OMICAS’ R&D trans-disciplinary multi-project architecture, explain the overall strategy and methods for crop-breeding, recent progress and results, and the overarching challenges that lay ahead in the field.

Long-term health after Severe Acute Malnutrition in children and adults- the role of the Pancreas (SAMPA): Protocol.

Background: Prenatal growth retardation may increase the risk of later chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes; however, long-term effects of wasting malnutrition in childhood or adulthood are less studied. Pancreatic exocrine and endocrine functions, both critical for nutrition and NCD aetiology, may not fully recover following malnutrition. However, the evidence and mechanistic information is piecemeal. We hypothesise that wasting malnutrition at any age has long-term detrimental effects on endocrine and exocrine pancreatic structure and function. Methods: The SAMPA international research programme will assess pancreatic structure and function in 3700 participants from ongoing observational nutrition cohorts, two adolescent and four adult, in Zambia, Tanzania, Philippines, and India. Pancreas size, structure, and calcification will be assessed by ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan; exocrine function by faecal elastase and serum lipase; and endocrine function by haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood glucose, insulin and C-peptide concentrations during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). In-depth hormonal analyses of incretins, glucagon, proinsulin and trypsinogen during OGTT and intravenous glucose tolerance tests will be done in subsets of adult participants. Pancreatic size and function outcomes will be compared between people with and without prior wasting malnutrition. Analyses will investigate effect modification by sex, current age, time since malnutrition, current body mass index and dietary patterns. Mathematical modelling of OGTT data will be used to estimate the relative contribution to glucose dysregulation of decreased insulin production, changes in insulin clearance and increased insulin resistance. Proinsulin/insulin ratio will be analysed in archived samples from the Tanzanian cohort using a nested case-control design to investigate whether abnormal values precede diabetes. Conclusions: SAMPA, a large-scale multi-centre research programme using data from people with or without prior wasting malnutrition to assess several aspects of pancreatic phenotype, will provide coherent evidence for future policies and programmes for malnutrition and diabetes.

Long-term health after Severe Acute Malnutrition in children and adults- the role of the Pancreas (SAMPA): Protocol

Background: Prenatal growth retardation may increase the risk of later chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes; however, long-term effects of wasting malnutrition in childhood or adulthood are less studied. Pancreatic exocrine and endocrine functions, both critical for nutrition and NCD aetiology, may not fully recover following malnutrition. However, the evidence and mechanistic information is piecemeal. We hypothesise that wasting malnutrition at any age has long-term detrimental effects on endocrine and exocrine pancreatic structure and function. Methods: The SAMPA international research programme will assess pancreatic structure and function in 3700 participants from ongoing observational nutrition cohorts, two adolescent and four adult, in Zambia, Tanzania, Philippines, and India. Pancreas size, structure, and calcification will be assessed by ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan; exocrine function by faecal elastase and serum lipase; and endocrine function by haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood glucose, insulin and C-peptide concentrations during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). In-depth hormonal analyses of incretins, glucagon, proinsulin and trypsinogen during OGTT and intravenous glucose tolerance tests will be done in subsets of adult participants. Pancreatic size and function outcomes will be compared between people with and without prior wasting malnutrition. Analyses will investigate effect modification by sex, current age, time since malnutrition, current body mass index and dietary patterns. Mathematical modelling of OGTT data will be used to estimate the relative contribution to glucose dysregulation of decreased insulin production, changes in insulin clearance and increased insulin resistance. Proinsulin/insulin ratio will be analysed in archived samples from the Tanzanian cohort using a nested case-control design to investigate whether abnormal values precede diabetes. Conclusions: SAMPA, a large-scale multi-centre research programme using data from people with or without prior wasting malnutrition to assess several aspects of pancreatic phenotype, will provide coherent evidence for future policies and programmes for malnutrition and diabetes.

Public trust in sources and channels on judgment accuracy in food safety misinformation with the moderation effect of self‐affirmation: Evidence from the HINTS‐China database

AbstractThis paper describes the developmentand introduction of an important new international health survey research program, HINTS‐China, which builds upon HINTS, the established national repeated‐measure US‐based survey that has been used over the past decade to inform national public health policies. The major goal of the first two administrations of the HINTS‐China surveys in 2012 and 2017 was to examine health communication patterns and trends related to the access and use of relevant health information in China. The HINTS surveys, both in the United States and in China, recognize that health is a social as well as a biological phenomenon, involving communication to inform the public about healthy behaviors and lifestyles. The preliminary results of the two HINTS‐China surveys have provided important insights into important health issues in China, including problems concerning food safety misinformation, the power of interpersonal communication as a major source of health information, the strong influences of television in shaping public knowledge about health issues, and about the perceived credibility and trust of different health information sources in China. The surveys found that socioeconomic status serves as a significant predictor of accurate public judgments about food safety misinformation, that the public tends to trust traditional media (print, radio, and television) for accessing health information more than they do digital media, and that self‐affirmation tends to moderate access to and use of relevant health information.

Applying transdisciplinary sustainability transitions research in international social work doctoral training

ABSTRACT In the last 15 years, transdisciplinary research of sustainability transitions has become an increasingly powerful approach. We discuss it as a perspective for social work discipline, and as a theoretical-conceptual frame of a new international doctoral training and research programme in social work taking place in seven European countries. In our qualitative study, we investigate how the participating social work doctoral students reflect upon transdisciplinarity and understand the interconnectivity between environmental, ecological, and social sustainability transitions—which is widely recognised as a highly complex challenge of sustainability. The data used included the students’ learning diaries from the first summer school of this programme. As core findings of the analysis five joint themes expressing the interconnectivity emerged from the data: the indispensable role of nature for all life; the economy-based causes of unsustainability; the role of human rights; the researchers’ own ways of life; and the practice-relevance for SW. Our results support recent theoretical arguments that transdisciplinarity comprises not only a disciplinary thinking but a way of being, where the holistic lives of researchers merge with the content of their work. Regarding our analysis of the pedagogical and didactic arrangements promoting transdisciplinary thinking, we can encourage direct collaboration and teaching inputs with other disciplines and demonstrable practice applications.

Long-term health after Severe Acute Malnutrition in children and adults- the role of the Pancreas (SAMPA): Protocol.

Background: Prenatal growth retardation may increase the risk of later chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes; however, long-term effects of wasting malnutrition in childhood or adulthood are less studied. Pancreatic exocrine and endocrine functions, both critical for nutrition and NCD aetiology, may not fully recover following malnutrition. However, the evidence and mechanistic information is piecemeal. We hypothesise that wasting malnutrition at any age has long-term detrimental effects on endocrine and exocrine pancreatic structure and function. Methods: The SAMPA international research programme will assess pancreatic structure and function in 3700 participants from ongoing observational nutrition cohorts, two adolescent and four adult, in Zambia, Tanzania, Philippines, and India. Pancreas size, structure, and calcification will be assessed by ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan; exocrine function by faecal elastase and serum lipase; and endocrine function by haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood glucose, insulin and C-peptide concentrations during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). In-depth hormonal analyses of incretins, glucagon, proinsulin and trypsinogen during OGTT and intravenous glucose tolerance tests will be done in subsets of adult participants. Pancreatic size and function outcomes will be compared between people with and without prior wasting malnutrition. Analyses will investigate effect modification by sex, current age, time since malnutrition, current body mass index and dietary patterns. Mathematical modelling of OGTT data will be used to estimate the relative contribution to glucose dysregulation of decreased insulin production, changes in insulin clearance and increased insulin resistance. Proinsulin/insulin ratio will be analysed in archived samples from the Tanzanian cohort using a nested case-control design to investigate whether abnormal values precede diabetes. Conclusions: SAMPA, a large-scale multi-centre research programme using data from people with or without prior wasting malnutrition to assess several aspects of pancreatic phenotype, will provide coherent evidence for future policies and programmes for malnutrition and diabetes.

Covid-19, and the climate change and biodiversity emergencies

This paper addresses the question, can lessons be learnt by studying the responses to COVID-19 and the human-induced climate change and loss of biodiversity emergencies? It is well recognized that to successfully address each of these issues requires sound scientific knowledge based on strong national and international research programs, cooperation between the research community and policy makers, national, regional and global evidence-based policies and coordinated actions, an informed and receptive public, and political will. A key question is how research and innovation can most effectively inform decision-making leading to cost-effective and socially acceptable action on pandemics, climate change and loss of biodiversity.This paper first describes how the COVID-19 pandemic has been addressed compared to the loss of biodiversity, and climate change, and then considers the use of scientific knowledge for policy-making and communication with the public. The paper then discusses human health and the natural environment as a global responsibility, and concludes on the need for an enhanced virtuous set of interactions between science, economy, politics and people.

Increasing diversity in genomics requires investment in equitable partnerships and capacity building.

Calls for diversity in genomics have motivated new global research collaborations across institutions with highly imbalanced resources. We describe practical lessons we have learned so far from designing multidisciplinary international research and capacity-building programs that prioritize equity in two intertwined programs — the NeuroGAP-Psychosis research study and GINGER training program — spanning institutions in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and the united States.

The Development of Global Cancer Research at the United States National Cancer Institute.

International research and collaboration has been a part of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) mission since its creation in 1937. Early on, efforts were limited to international exchange of information to ensure that US cancer patients could benefit from advances in other countries. As NCI's research grant portfolio grew in the 1950s, it included a modest number of grants to foreign institutions, primarily in the United Kingdom and Europe. In the 1960s, the development of geographic pathology, which aimed to study cancer etiology through variations in cancer incidence and risk factors, led to an increase in NCI-funded international research, including research in low- and middle-income countries. In this paper, we review key international research programs, focusing particularly on the first 50 years of NCI history. The first NCI-led overseas research programs, established in the 1960s in Ghana and Uganda, generated influential research but also struggled with logistical challenges and political instability. The 1971 National Cancer Act was followed by the creation of a number of bilateral agreements with foreign governments, including China, Japan, and Russia, to support cooperation in technology and medicine. Although these agreements were broad without specific scientific goals, they provided an important mechanism for sustained collaborations in specific areas. With the creation of the NCI Center for Global Health in 2011, NCI's global cancer research efforts gained sustained focus. Because the global cancer burden has evolved over time, increasingly impacting low- and middle-income countries, NCI's role in global cancer research remains more important than ever.

Model Uncertainty Representation in a Convection-Permitting Ensemble—SPP and SPPT in HarmonEPS

Abstract The stochastically perturbed parameterizations scheme (SPP) is here implemented and tested in HarmonEPS—the convection-permitting limited area ensemble prediction system by the international research program High Resolution Limited Area Model (HIRLAM) group. SPP introduces stochastic perturbations to values of chosen closure parameters representing efficiencies or rates of change in parameterized atmospheric (sub)processes. The impact of SPP is compared to that of the stochastically perturbed parameterization tendencies scheme (SPPT). SPP in this first version in HarmonEPS perturbs 11 parameters, active in different atmospheric processes and under various weather conditions. The main motivation for this study is the lack of variability seen in cloud products in HarmonEPS, as reported by duty forecasters. SPP in this first version is able to increase variability in a range of weather variables, including the cloud products. However, for some weather variables the root-mean-squared error of the ensemble mean is increased and the mean bias is impacted, especially in winter. This indicates that (some) parameter perturbation distributions are not optimal in the current configuration, and a further sensitivity analysis is required. SPPT resulted in a smaller increase in variability in the ensemble, but the impact was almost completely masked out when combined with perturbations of the initial state, lateral boundaries, and surface properties. An in-depth investigation into this lack of impact from SPPT is here presented through examining, among other things, accumulated tendencies from the model physics. Significance Statement Small inaccuracies, simplifications, or errors in any part of a complex and nonlinear system like a weather model can amplify and in a short time become significant. We wanted to introduce a physically consistent way of representing these uncertainties in a model that is used in several European countries. To do this we introduce variations in a few parameters that are used in the model description, and that we know are uncertain. By doing this we were able to increase the variability of the cloud products as desired. We see this as a promising approach for capturing the possibilities of fog occurring or not in this model. Further refinements are needed before it can be used in operational weather forecasts.

Karim Manji: architect of progress in Tanzanian newborn health

When Karim Manji trained in child health three decades ago, there were only 11 paediatricians in his native Tanzania. Today there are about 220, evidence of the progress in child health that characterises his career. As Professor in Paediatrics and Child Health at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Manji is as focused on clinical care as he is in overseeing the multicentre international research programmes that are contributing to the transformation of newborn and child health in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Explaining the rise and fall of the photovoltaic technological innovation system in Iran

AbstractDespite the importance of the transnational dimensions of TISs in developing countries, the number of case studies on the subject remains limited. The process of developing PV solar systems in Iran as a developing country has gone through different phases since 1991. The evolution of this process has been influenced by macro financial and political factors. This study aims to present a historical analysis of the formation and application of PV solar TIS in Iran to identify the innovation motors driving each stage of the process. Based on various changes in application models, PV technological innovation in Iran has been categorized into four phases: 1. Initiating (1991 to 2005), 2. Rising (2006–2012), 3. Fostering (2012–2017), and 4. Falling (2017 onwards). The historical analysis revealed that transnational factors have been overlooked in Iran, and the country has been deprived of its advantages to develop a suitable TIS. Furthermore, through literature review, expert interviews, and thematic analysis, several strategies were established to promote transnational, including transfer and emulation of foreign technologies, international cooperative research programs, investment in joint operations, cooperative agreements, access to foreign markets, access to international investment, and submission to international laws and regimes.

Causes and Consequences of the Migration of Scientists and Students from the Brics Countries to Developed Economies

One of the major problems in the relationship between the Global South and the Global North is the the drain of intellectual capital from the economies and education systems of the most developed countries of the Global South, which bothers both developing countries and some European ones. The purpose of the study is to reveal the reasons for the migration of scientists and students from Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China, South Africa (BRICS countries) and identify the consequences of the process through the example of a Russian university by studying the characteristics of personal experience and motivation of students and teachers. The research is devoted to the study of academic activity abroad and the attitude of 360 four- and five-year students and 321 teachers at Novosibirsk State University (Novosibirsk, the Russian Federation) towards the practice. The survey results revealed that a relatively small number of respondents (31.07% of teachers and 9.03% of students) have experience of foreign academic activity; the large majority of participants highly assessed the possibility of studying and working abroad (4.87 and 3.48 on a 5-point Likert scale among teachers and students, respectively). The results of the study are in line with the findings of similar studies on academic migration in other BRICS countries; therefore, they can be extrapolated in a broader context. In particular, according to all respondents, the possibility of repeated or circular migration is extremely low (0.88 and 1.61). The research results can help to manage international research and exchange programs, as well as to regulate university training programs and academic migration. The novelty of the study lies in the analysis of the motivation of scientists and students on academic migrating and their assessment of migration intentions based on an example of a single educational institution and region.

The Uncertain Future of Antarctica’s Melting Ice

A new multidisciplinary, international research program aims to tackle one of the grand challenges in climate science: resolving the Antarctic Ice Sheet’s contribution to future sea level rise.

60 years of Geography development and 30 years of Tourism studies at the Department for Geography, Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Novi Sad

In 2022, the Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad is celebrating an important anniversary - 60 years of existence. This marks six decades of student education and development of study programs, scientific achievements and aspirations, spreading knowledge, cooperation with the economy, and all for the benefit of society as a whole. The department went through periods of great challenges, and it drew its greatest strength from a solid, primordial connection with space and people. The development of geographical thought, tourism as a scientific discipline and education in both areas, especially in Vojvodina, is inextricably linked to the Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management - through staff training, research, publishing and work on significant projects. The study programs have kept pace with the times, accelerating the pace accompanied by the growth of quality every day and reflecting its place as a distinguished scientific and educational institution. The department, as well as the entire University of Novi Sad, has been involved in intensive processes of adaptation to international teaching and research standards in recent decades. Reform of the study system, inclusion in international research and study programs represent a challenge both for professors and researchers alike, as well as for society as a whole.

THE PLACE AND ROLE OF EXCHANGE PROGRAMS IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article is focused on the role of exchange programs in the professional development of higher education academics. Academic mobility is important for the personal and professional development of the academics, as it puts them in the conditions of analysis and resolution of life situations from the standpoint of their own and other cultures. Introduction. The domestic system of higher education is undergoing a path of renewal, aimed at the internationalization of higher education and cultural integration of teachers from different countries, improving the quality of higher education according to international educational standards. The integration of Ukraine's higher education into the world educational space and the consequent development of international human capital exchanges need to be modernized, including the system of academic mobility in the higher education system. Every year, academic mobility expands the number of participants, both at the expense of domestic and foreign higher education institutions. This trend allows Ukraine to face global economic challenges on the one hand, and on the other hand, the human capital of people who see prospects for further work abroad is being lost. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to determine the role of exchange programs in the professional development of a teacher of higher education Methods. Research methods. Theoretical and empirical research methods were used to solve the tasks. Theoretical: analysis, synthesis, classification, generalization, comparison. Results. It was found that academic mobility is a productive opportunity for a high school teachers independently form their own educational trajectory within educational standards, choose educational and scientific areas according to their abilities, create joint international projects and research programs. We found that the main factors hindering the development of international activities of higher education and, in particular, the academic mobility of teachers are the following: limited financial resources of educational institutions; significant differences in curricula and programs in the Free Economic Zone of different countries; poor language training of most teachers and staff of the university; insufficient level of development of teacher mobility; lack of bilateral agreements between countries; low popularity of scientific works of university staff abroad, etc Originality. The scientific novelty of the study is to highlight the search for ways to optimize in the process of difficulties in determining the possibilities of academic mobility; separation of professional knowledge, skills, the development of which provides academic mobility. Conclusion. We came to the conclusion that it is necessary to improve the development of intra-university regulatory and legal support for academic mobility, which must take into account the specifics of educational institutions. Thus, legislative and regulatory support for academic mobility should include updating state legislation on higher education and multifaceted support for academic mobility.