Key Strategic Goals Research Articles

Стратегическое значение инновационных кластеров Москвы в развитии прогрессивной транспортной инфраструктуры мегаполиса

The pace of metropolitan life is growing higher and higher. To keep up with it, Moscow residents have to abandon cars and public transport in favor of personal mobility devices, e.g., electric scooters. As a result, the state authorities are developing a unified strategy for urban public transport that would include personal mobility devices and their rent. An effective strategy should integrate all innovative public transport vehicles into a single urban transport system. Technopolis is a special economic zone of innovation clusters in Moscow that offers conditions for design and production of innovative electric individual mobility devices. New-generation vehicles that meet the needs of metropolitan residents will become a key strategic vector in the development of Moscow’s transport system. The key strategic goals are to improve the quality of urban life and to ensure the national technological sovereignty. Modernization and consistent implementation of production facilities can stimulate innovative technologies in the transport sector and its progressive transformation nationwide. Moscow’s innovation clusters produce innovative technologies, test them, and spread the most effective innovations onto all regions.

European Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) strategy 2024–2026: Growth and diversification in a rapidly changing world

In 2019, the European Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) published its 2030 Vision “Radiation Oncology, Optimal Health, For All, Together”. However, in 2020, the global pandemic, coinciding with the Society's 40th anniversary, had long-term consequences on global behaviours and on the financial environment for scientific associations worldwide. In 2022, ESTRO conducted a survey among its members, revealing their strong appreciation for networking opportunities and the creation of high-quality interdisciplinary scientific content. In response to the survey findings and to address the evolving landscape following the COVID pandemic, ESTRO initiated a strategic review process to respond to, and refocus on, the opportunities and challenges ahead.This paper, marking a turning point in ESTRO’s strategy for achieving its Vision 2030 in a post-pandemic era, describes the 2022–23 strategic review process, discussions, and consequent recommendations. The comprehensive strategic review process involved: (i) pre-meeting preparations with surveys and strategic documents; (ii) a carefully themed three-day retreat in Brussels incorporating a blend of plenary sessions, workshops focusing on ESTRO's role, value creation and capture, strategic objectives; and (iii) a post-retreat phase including qualitative analysis and development of action plans.The strategic review emphasized the need for adaptive tactics for scientific associations to remain current and productive in the face of changing global conditions. The development of key strategic goals for the years 2024–2026 focused on improving research impact, strengthening and diversifying ESTRO’s educational offerings and fostering proactive and mutually beneficial partnerships. The Board approved these objectives, alongside prioritising digital innovation, financial sustainability, and community engagement for ESTRO’s continued growth and development.In essence, ESTRO aims to advocate, empower, expand, and diversify its community, with the overarching goal of enhancing cancer care for patients in Europe, and beyond.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF CREATING AGRO-FOOD SYSTEMS RESISTANT TO SHOCKS AND CRISES

With the development and transformation of society, the environment, vulnerability factors and associated risks, as well as the range of stresses and shocks that have to be faced, also change. Understanding these processes is essential for developing effective interventions to manage multiple risks and increase the resilience of agri-food systems by strengthening their capacity to avoid, anticipate, manage, adapt and transform risks. Therefore, the formation of agro-food systems resistant to shocks and crises should become one of the key strategic goals of ensuring the national food security of the state. Ensuring the sustainability of agro-food systems involves increasing their ability to prevent risks associated with specific shocks and stresses, anticipate and overcome them, adapt to them and transform. In addition, it involves guaranteeing the fulfillment of their special functional purpose, which is to support the functioning of the livelihoods of participants in agro-food systems and ensure food security and nutrition for all. As a result of the research: 1) a conceptual scheme for analyzing the stability of agro-food systems in Ukraine as a result of shocks and crises caused by the war was developed. The analysis is based on three fundamental questions: 1) "resistance to what?" - an object of stability, "sustainability of what?" – the subject of sustainability and 3) "sustainability for what?" - the goal of stability; 2) it has been proven that in order to increase the resilience of agri-food systems, it is important that policies, strategies and programs are guided by three main principles: 1) preparedness for failures, 2) implementation of a system-wide, multilateral and cross-sectoral approach taking into account multiple risks and 3) consideration of various issues and components politicians The guiding principles in combination with the basic principles form the key factors influencing the components of the national agro-food system, which ensure their sustainability.

Стратегические перспективы молодежных коммуникативных сообществ в развитии ст ратегической студенческой коммуникации

Student communication communities grant youth perspective to academic, urban, and regional strategizing. They develop a hierarchically organized system of coordinated academic communication strategies across the country and the world. The key strategic goal of youth communication communities is to provide effective strategic communication between students, universities, authorities, and society. They stimulate interdisciplinary research through open discussion and bring together young specialists from different fields of science. In addition, they establish ties between Russian students and foreign student communities, thus initiating intercultural academic cooperation. This research offers a comprehensive solution to various issues of youth communication in an emergency period: a system of youth communication communities to unite young people across cultures in pursuit of the same strategic goals.

Keep key strategic planning goals front and center for engaged board

As the time comes for nonprofits to engage in special strategic planning sessions, keeping board members engaged can be challenging, especially because these meetings can often be long and dense, with critical information.

Meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in the Decarbonization Agenda: A Case of Russian Oil and Gas Companies

Being key players in providing sustainable energy on a global scale, oil and gas (O&G) companies can contribute to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). This paper focuses on Russian O&G companies and presents an analysis of their contribution to these SDGs in the context of today’s decarbonization agenda. The study is based on a content analysis of their corporate sustainability reports and has produced three results. First, we analyzed the key strategic goals of Russian O&G companies. Second, we identified the correspondence between the progress towards the SDGs declared in their sustainability reports and the UN’s SDG indicators. Third, we analyzed the contributions of Russian O&G companies to SDGs 7 and 13. As a result of the study, recommendations were formulated to introduce practical tools aimed at increasing the contribution of Russian O&G companies to sustainable development. The article discusses problems in corporate sustainability reporting of Russian O&G companies. The paper also seeks to expand the existing literature on the contribution of the Russian O&G sector to providing sustainable energy and accelerating the energy transition in line with the decarbonization agenda.

NOVELTIES AND EXPECTED IMPACT FROM CHANGES IN THE MACEDONIAN SOCIAL PROTECTION LEGISLATION

The new Law on Social Protection (LSP in further text) in the Republic of North Macedonia was adopted in 2019 as part of a social reform process in line with the key strategic goals within the social protection system. The main aspects of the new regulation focus on types, procedures and realization of social protection activities, the system, organization and institutional framework of social protection, as well as cadres, financing and oversight and other issues of importance for realization of social protection. The new LSP introduced many systemic changes which are reasonably interlinked in the text and provide for unhindered accomplishment of the key ongoing processes in social protection, such as deinstitutionalization, decentralization and pluralization in social services delivery. This article aims to identify impact and challenges related to implementation of the new social legislation, with focus on delivery and financing of social services. The content of this paper is a result of an analysis conducted in 2021 based on qualitative methodological approach and application of techniques of content analysis of relevant laws, bylaws, statistical data, reports, as well as expert interviews with representatives from relevant institutions – Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Institute for Social Activities and representatives from national social service providers (public and private).

The impact of employability on Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences degrees in Australia

In Australia, Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) faculties are under pressure to demonstrate that their degrees result in employable graduates. Employability has become a key strategic goal of all universities and is driving federal government funding changes. We surveyed 17 Directors of Learning and Teaching in HASS across Australia’s 37 public universities to ascertain their views on how employability has affected HASS. Our thematic analysis of questionnaire results reveals a highly complex and, at times, contradictory picture of the relationship between HASS and employability.

A research and development (R&D) roadmap for broadly protective coronavirus vaccines: A pandemic preparedness strategy.

Broadly protective coronavirus vaccines are an important tool for protecting against future SARS-CoV-2 variants and could play a critical role in mitigating the impact of future outbreaks or pandemics caused by novel coronaviruses. The Coronavirus Vaccines Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap (CVR) is aimed at promoting the development of such vaccines. The CVR, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation, was generated through a collaborative and iterative process, which was led by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota and involved 50 international subject matter experts and recognized leaders in the field. This report summarizes the major issues and areas of research outlined in the CVR and identifies high-priority milestones. The CVR covers a 6-year timeframe and is organized into five topic areas: virology, immunology, vaccinology, animal and human infection models, and policy and finance. Included in each topic area are key barriers, gaps, strategic goals, milestones, and additional R&D priorities. The roadmap includes 20 goals and 86 R&D milestones, 26 of which are ranked as high priority. By identifying key issues, and milestones for addressing them, the CVR provides a framework to guide funding and research campaigns that promote the development of broadly protective coronavirus vaccines.

Simulation of Carbon Sink of Arbor Forest Vegetation in Henan Province of China Based on CO2FIX Model

Mitigating carbon emissions has become a pressing concern in the process of economic development across China due to China’s key strategic goal of reaching peak carbon and carbon neutrality. Henan Province, which is located in the Central Plains, has less forest area and coverage than other areas of the nation, but consumes plenty of energy. Therefore, the quantification of Henan’s potential carbon sink is crucial for the province’s response to climate change due to the national commitment to carbon reduction targets. This research estimated the carbon sink of tree forest vegetation in Henan Province from 2019 to 2060 based on the CO2FIX model using data from the 9th Forest Inventory Report and the forest planning targets of Henan Province. The results show the following: (1) The carbon sink of existing arbor forests is mainly composed of ecological public welfare forests, and a small-year fluctuation in the carbon sink will result from the rotation of commercial forests. (2) The peak carbon sink years for existing forests and new afforestation are between the young and middle ages of the trees, and the peak of the carbon sink in Henan Province as a whole was in 2032. (3) More than 72.4% of the overall carbon sink in Henan Province’s arbor forest vegetation comes from the above-ground portion. (4) The energy substitution effect of traditional and improved cookstoves is significantly enhanced during the main cutting period of the existing commercial arbor forest in Henan Province.

Family ISO 14000 standards as a tool of achieving environmental sustainability of enterprises

Environmental sustainability and its achievement at the national level is one of the key strategic development goals for most countries who are the largest environmental pollutants. Environmental sustainability implies the maximum possible reduction of negative environmental impact through the development of green energy, the increase in energy efficiency, the rational use of natural resources, the introduction of the principles of circular economy and increasing public awareness of environmental protection and climate conservation. There are many administrative tools to encourage enterprises worldwide to switch to a more environmentally friendly direction of its operating and development, among which is the introduction of international standards and subsequent certification of the enterprises. In addition to such obvious advantages as the introduction of effective environmental management systems, compliance with requirements in the field of environmental audit and monitoring, certification allows to increase credibility in the face of consumers and partners that leads to a favorable reputational effect. The objective of this study is to review and analyze the family ISO 14000 standards and assess their role in achieving environmental sustainability of enterprises. The authors determined the degree of influence of groups of standards on the achievement of environmental sustainability and identified their benefits and drawbacks.

ATTITUDES AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TOWARD THEIR HEALTH

This article focuses on the attitudes of healthcare workers toward their health and the influence of socio-demographic characteristics and harmful habits (smoking, drinking alcohol) on them. According to the national projects “Demography” and “Public Health,” one of the key contemporary strategic goals is to increase average life expectancy, which requires ongoing interaction with the population to lower risks of developing certain diseases. This can be achieved through regular medical check-ups, breaking bad habits, and in a variety of other ways. It is assumed that the circulation of information and expert knowledge on the importance of good health practices will increase public attention to their health. The study of the behavior of expert groups is pertinent because of the low life expectancy among medical professionals and high interest in their healthcare practices among the public. Using Merton’s anomie theory as a framework, this article attempts to account for the differences in attitudes among healthcare professionals toward their health. We conducted a quantitative sociological survey among medical professionals who work for the Moscow Health Care System. This research allows us to determine the dispersion of various types of health attitudes, including attitudes toward medical examinations, adherence to bad habits, and their impact on healthcare practices among groups with expert knowledge. The results of this study demonstrate the effective influence of expert knowledge on attitudes toward one’s health.

Swiss Biotech Day, May 2022. Sustainability Across the Pharmaceutical Value Chain - How Switzerland Could Take a Leading Role in Promoting a Greener Approach

The sustainability of the pharmaceutical industry has aroused interest from various sectors and disciplines, including chemistry, biology and engineering. Given the Swiss drug sector’s innovative engine and enormous economic importance, a Swiss Biotech Day panel discussion was held in May 2022 in Basel to address the question of how “sustainability across the pharmaceutical value chain” can be edged forward in Switzerland. Roche, Lonza, Pheida, ETH, the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW), and a newly established collaborative, Circular Carbon for Chemistry (ccLoop) joined forces and agreed that sustainability must become a key strategic goal for the industry in Switzerland. The panel looked at the sustainability challenge, at how a green transition can be achieved faster, and at how industrial biotechnology applications can improve industry’s performance, energy efficiency and product value while yielding viable sustainable solutions to protect our environment. Switzerland is a leader in drug development and manufacturing. By placing greater energy and resources on the sustainability equation, we ensure continued leadership and a greener world. ‘Swissness’ will increasingly have to denote effective drugs produced sustainably.

Strategic issues of raising international financing

The article discusses some strategic issues related to the raising of international financing by the means of syndicated loans and eurobonds by Russian corporations. Author proposes a method for benchmarking the financial position of the company compared to its competitors. This analysis uses key performance indicators, including the debtfinancing share, credit rating, weighted average cost of capital. Crises have become a frequent occurrence in global economy. For the top-managers of the corporation, one of the key tasks during the period of economic uncertainty is the handling of communications with lenders and investors for the control of the company’s financial position. The article considers the specifics of providing the required information about company activity during the crisis. The key document is the financial model, based on the macroeconomic, industrial, and operational assumptions regarding the borrower’s operations. Using financial covenants as an example, we consider the mechanics of incorporating changes into the current loan terms, as well as the raising of new funding by using shirt-term revolving credit facilities. For the solution of one of the key strategic goals of corporate finance – execution of mergers and acquisitions transactions – we present an algorithm of raising financing by using syndicated loans and eurobonds.

An invaluable vehicle for international collaboration

Collaboration is key to discovery and the National Science Foundation (NSF) is an example of a vehicle that is crucial to the scientific community as it facilitates international collaboration. It is a federal agency that was set up in 1950 and invests in basic research across the spectrum to support discovery and innovation. In the NSF's Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Performance and Financial Highlights report Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said that the agency is 'the Nation's preeminent source of federal funding for basic research in computer science, engineering, biology, the social sciences, mathematics, geosciences, the physical sciences, and education'. NSF has an annual budget of around US$8.3 billion and a broad reach, directly supporting an estimated 313,000 people in 2020. This support assisted researchers, postdoctoral fellows, trainees, teachers and students in bringing their ideas to life and, ultimately, moving closer to real-world impacts with the potential to solve societal challenges. Discovery, learning and research infrastructure are NSF's key strategic goals and it places emphasis on diverse, interdisciplinary and international collaborations in order to extend its reach as far as possible and invests in research connected to learning, innovation and service to society. Assistant directors head up NSF's seven sections; each one intended to support research and education in science and engineering. The sections are: biological sciences, computer and information science and engineering, engineering, geosciences, mathematical and physical sciences, social, behavioural and economic sciences, and education and human resources. In 2020, $8.4 billion funding was awarded by NSF to 1,900 colleges, universities and other institutions.

Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Africa

Countries need equitable, broad-based economic development if they are to recover from violent conflicts. In Africa, if the state of the economy improves and the benefits of economic growth are widely distributed, the former conflicting parties are more likely to develop a stake in peace and learn to resolve differences through mainstream political negotiations rather than through violence. If the economy falters, the struggle to control scarce resources is likely to remain one of the key strategic goals of continuing warfare in Africa. Today most countries in Africa are opening their borders and doors to foreign investment, since it is considered as an important stimulus to economic growth. This chapter generally interrogates Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Africa. It specifically examines the actors in FDI. Secondly, it assesses the factors responsible for FDI in any given country and lastly it evaluates the effects of FDI on Africa. A descriptive research design enabled secondary data to be collected. The data were analyzed qualitatively. The chapter concludes that FDI on its own is not a panacea for rapid growth and development. Recommendations in relation to FDI in developing countries have also been provided.

STRATEGIC MAPS AS A FORM OF FUNCTIONAL STRATEGIES OF MOTOR TRANSPORT ENTERPRISES IN UKRAINE IMPLEMENTATION

The article is devoted to the current issues on improving the strategic management of motor transport enterprises in Ukraine that provide cargo transportation service. Its main objective is to form and implement a strategy for developing motor transport enterprises on the basis of a strategic map as a form of functional strategies implementation.In the course of the research the authors used such methods as: system and comparative analysis, abstract-logical and tabular-graphic methods, method of expert evaluations.It has been determined that the practice of strategic management requires the use of various tools in the process of strategy development, and a special place among them belongs to strategic maps. A strategic map of the sphere of cargo transportation by road has been developed. The map consists of nine stages, five of which include level 1 — a strategic map of the sphere of activity (field) and 4 stages — level 2 — map developing for an individual enterprise. The dynamics and structure of the volume of transported goods and cargo turnover by types of transport in Ukraine have been analyzed. Currently, the analysis of the market of cargo transportation by road is the first stage of the process of developing a strategic map. The mission and key strategic goals of cargo transportation by road have been formulated; the factors of development and technological trends that affect the sphere of cargo transportation by road now, in the near future and in the coming years have been identified. Indicators (key figures) for each business projection have been defined: finances; market (market position, customer relations, marketing); management (internal business processes); personnel; the carrier’s safety and business reputation. A strategic map for the field of cargo transportation by road has been formed. Strategic maps are based on a balanced scorecard and are a tool for achieving optimal balance of a number of economic factors, and achieving such balance is a strategic goal of the company.

ОЛИЙ ТАЪЛИМ МУАССАЛАРИ БРЕНД ҚИЙМАТИНИ БАҲОЛАШНИНГ МОДЕЛИ

OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, BRAND CAPITAL IDENTIFICATION HAS BEEN SEEN AS A PROBLEM WAITING TO BE SOLVED FOR MARKETING RESEARCHERS, AND A LOT OF RESEARCH IS BEING DONE. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE FORMED IMAGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS INTO A BRAND, AS WELL AS THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE FORMATION OF THE BRAND OF UNIVERSITIES, MEASURING BRAND CAPITAL. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY CAN BE USED TO SET KEY STRATEGIC GOALS FOR BRAND MANAGEMENT IN UNIVERSITIES.

International Relations and football: limits and possibilities for China to become a global football power by 2050

Under the leadership of president Xi Jinping, the revitalisation of football has become a key strategic goal for China. His three wishes are to qualify regularly, host and win the FIFA World Cup by 2050. Considering the statehood of the international sports system and the Chinese political motivation to achieve such ambitious goals, this paper is going to apply an analysis of football from an International Relations perspective. In this regard, three basic premises are identified for the analysis of football: 1. The national interest in sport is winning titles. 2. The national interest is not as relevant as the state’s ability and capacity to win. 3. More resources and investments may guarantee a better performance, but not necessarily winning titles. In conclusion, although football in China is having a considerable development along this decade, if we consider that the conversion of resources into titles is not the same for every country, China might face a power paradox, being incapable to take advantage of its extraordinary capacities to win titles and become a global football power.

Development Strategy for the Core Chip Technology of Intelligent Robot in China

Intelligent robots are leading a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Promoting the intelligent robot core chip technology and industry is strategically significant for industrial upgrading and productivity improvement in China. In this study, we illustrate the strategic significance of the intelligent robot core chip technology in China in promoting technological independence, realizing high-quality economic development, satisfying residents’ need for a better life, and promoting a nation’s core competitiveness. Additionally, we review the development status of chips for intelligent robots in terms of policy, technology, and industry, and analyze the advantages and problems of developing intelligent robot chips in China. On this basis, the development route of intelligent robot chips is analyzed, and the development strategic goals of intelligent robot chip technology for 2025, 2030, and 2035 are proposed. Moreover, we propose the key tasks and strategic goals of intelligent robot core chips in China. We suggest that the independent and controllable development of intelligent robot chips should be elevated to a national strategy; major scientific and technological projects should be established for intelligent robot chips; policies should be introduced to encourage intelligent robot chip technology research and industrial applications; and high-level talent training should be implemented.