Leader Countries Research Articles

Theoretical foundations of developing school management skills of future teachers: Global trends and analysis of training in the education system of Kazakhstan

Relevance. The relevance of this study is due to the rapid changes in the educational environment caused by the development of information technologies and the increasing socio-cultural diversity of school communities. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify the best methods of developing school management skills of future teachers in the face of contemporary challenges and changes. Methodology. The study employed systematic approach and methods of analysis, comparison, synthesis, deduction, induction, and classification. Results. A comprehensive review of the education system in Kazakhstan was undertaken, including the changes brought to the system within the framework of the renewed content of education. The analysis of the statistics of students enrolled in pedagogical specialities revealed a steady interest in pedagogical sciences, as the number of enrolments for the decade increased by 45%. The dynamics of the number of general-education schoolteachers revealed in the study also suggested that the demand for representatives of this profession is steadily growing. As a result of investigating the practices of training future teachers for school management in educational leader countries, the unique characteristics of each training system were revealed. Conclusions. Based on the findings of this study, concrete teaching methods and techniques were presented to develop effective communication and cooperation skills in different educational and social contexts to effectively prepare future teachers for school management. Furthermore, it was substantiated that the specificity of school management training consists in mastering modern educational technologies, analysing data, and applying effective assessment strategies, which ensures readiness for prompt response to changes in the educational system and introduction of innovations in pedagogical practice. Keywords: professional competences; leadership; pedagogical training; modernisation of training; international practices

Asian stock market volatility and economic policy uncertainty: The role of world and regional leaders

This paper investigates the relative influence of the United States, China, Japan and the European Union on Asian stock markets from the perspective of economic policy uncertainty (EPU). The empirical setting assumes that stock markets evolve through high- and low-volatility regimes with a probability driven by EPU in these leader countries. The main result of the paper indicates that Chinese EPU surpasses Japanese and US EPU as the main driver of Asian stock market volatility, except in the South Korean and Hong Kong stock markets. Moreover, Chinese policy-specific uncertainty indices, such as monetary, fiscal, trade and exchange rate policies play a significant role but in the most developed financial markets only. These result provides further evidence that China’s economic and financial ties with its near neighbors are deepening, which has important implications for the regional institutions tasked with promoting and monitoring regional financial stability.

GDP Impact on the Digital Economy in European Union Countries

This article explores issues relating to the development of the digital economy in the countries of the European Union. Its aim is to assess the impact of a country’s GDP on its DESI index. In this study, the research problem involves finding answers to the following questions: 1) Why does the development of the digital economy in different EU countries show such a substantial variation? 2) Which DESI index indicators have the greatest impact on its final score? 3) Does the overall development of the domestic economy have an impact on the development of its information society? The research conducted with these goals in mind warrants the conclusion that the pace of development of the digital economy in the less developed EU countries is higher than in the leader countries. Furthermore, it has been found that the indicators within the “4 Digital public services” and “1 Human capital” dimensions have the greatest impact on the DESI index. The direct influence of GDP per capita on the DESI index has been demonstrated experimentally. In contrast, the assumption that the growth rate of GDP and the share of the ICT sector in GDP correlates with the development of the digital economy and information society has not been confirmed.

European Union and its progress towards affordable and clean energy in context of the Agenda 2030.

The topic related to affordable and clean energy is currently highly actual. It is essential to realize that affordable and clean energy is energy without negative effects on the environment. Its advantage is that a lot of clean energy is renewable. Therefore, this type of energy contributes positively to the development of several spheres in the economy, such as agriculture, trade, communications, education, health and transport. The aim of the study is to analyze changes in the development of sustainable indicators set of affordable and clean energy in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 7 in the European Union, using cluster analysis to identify the differences and compare changes in the grouping of countries into clusters in the two years studied (2010, 2020). In addition to categorizing countries and confirming differences among member states of the European Union, the results allow us to evaluate the contribution of selected indicators to achieving affordable and clean energy. Our findings indicate that primary energy consumption per capita, final energy consumption in households per capita, energy productivity, share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption and population unable to keep their home adequately warm shows a positive trend and supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 7.the energy import dependency is a problematic area in several countries. The results of cluster analysis showed that the largest shifts within the clusters were recorded in Italy, Estonia, and Luxembourg. The most positive shift occurred in Italy due to a significant improvement in four indicators. Luxembourg as a solo country cluster showed in 2020 some of the worst results due to the highest primary energy consumption per capita and the lowest share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption. The dynamics of Estonia within the clusters was marked by the lowest value of the indicator of dependence on energy imports, as well as an increase in the share of renewable energy and insufficient energy productivity. The results of our study also confirm, that Sweden and Finland are leader countries, which despite high energy consumption are applying renewable energy sources to a greater extent by which they make a positive movement toward affordable and clean energy.

Educational achievements and export earnings: a comparison between leader and follower countries

PurposeThis study examines whether education in developing countries directly impacts their foreign income from the top export sector.Design/methodology/approachAs most developing countries follow developed nations to shape their development, this study assumes developing countries as education-follower and developed countries as education-leader countries. Considering selected countries from the South Asian Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and African countries as follower countries and Group of Seven (G7) as leader countries, this study employs Dumitrescu-Hurlin Granger non-causality tests.FindingsThis study finds that education-follower countries' achievements do not directly impact foreign earnings from their leading export sectors. However, findings also confirm that leader countries have a bidirectional causal relationship between tertiary education and earnings from high technology exports.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study urging research-intensive education with comparative advantages in international trade. Using educational attainment on export earnings from the leading sector, findings support dependency theory in education is still existed.

Catching-up in renewable energies: the role of knowledge dimensions in sectoral innovation systems

ABSTRACT The rapid development of renewable energy technologies and sectoral transformation can open green windows of opportunity for latecomer countries to leapfrog. The present study focuses on analyzing the relationship between the knowledge dimensions of the sectoral innovation system – including localization, diversity, concentration, and originality – and the outcomes of the catching-up process in the renewable energy sector. In this way, we distinguish between successful latecomers and leader countries. The study analyzed data from a panel of 15,600 patents in these countries from 2000 to 2015 and examined the quantitative indexes of knowledge dimensions. To illustrate the outputs of the catching-up process, we use two dependent variables: renewable equipment export and renewable electricity generation. The findings show how the evolution of knowledge dimensions impacts technological catch-up in both leader and successful latecomer countries in different ways. While knowledge localization is crucial in leader countries, latecomer countries benefit from concentration and originality.

МЕХАНИЗМЫ ПРИНЯТИЯ СТРАТЕГИЧЕСКИХ УПРАВЛЕНЧЕСКИХ РЕШЕНИЙ ПРИ РАЗРАБОТКЕ ШКОЛЬНЫХ ПРОГРАММ РАЗВИТИЯ

Introduction. State policy requires the school principal to focus on developing the school to improve the quality of its results. The scientific problem is that, on the one hand, the principal is obliged to perform the function of strategic development of the school, and on the other hand, the priority of this function among Russian principals is lower than that of their colleagues from PISA research leader countries. School strategic development management is inseparably linked to its development program. The aim of the study is to investigate and describe the mechanisms for strategic management decision-making in the development of school programs. Materials and methods. In conducting the study, such theoretical methods as studying scientific literature on the topic, generalization, and comparative analysis were used to determine the theoretical framework for the mechanisms of making strategic management decisions. Among the empirical methods for obtaining data on specific mechanisms for strategic management decision-making in the development of school programs, a method of conducting semi-structured interviews was applied. Results of the study. Approaches to school strategic management were considered, and the subjects and main stages of the mechanism for strategic management decision-making were identified. Based on the results of interviews conducted with the principals of twelve schools in the Irkutsk region, the peculiarities of mechanisms for strategic management decision-making in the development of school programs were studied and analyzed. Three different decision-making mechanisms were identified: administrative, participatory with minimal involvement of teachers and no other interested parties; and participatory with involvement of teachers and interested parties. An author’s classification of options for teacher participation in processes of preparing and making strategic management decisions was carried out depending on the degree of their involvement. Discussion and conclusion. The data obtained during the study show significant differences in the mechanisms used for decision-making by different management teams, with some schools still maintaining an administrative management model. The results of interviews indicate a situation where leaders underestimate the importance of identifying and analyzing problems when making strategic management decisions. The information can be used by municipal and regional officials to organize work with school management teams. They will also be useful directly to school directors in our country for building optimal mechanisms for making strategic management decisions in the development of school programs.

Civil Society in the Middle East During the Arab Spring and Socio-Political Transformations of the Late 2010s and Early 2020s

The paper analyses the development of civil society in the key Arab countries of the Greater Middle East – Egypt, Tunisia and Syria – through the 2000s and early 2020s. The research mainly focuses on identifying specific features of civic activity developing by various Islamic and Islamist organizations. Methodologically the paper utilizes a set of methods borrowed from history, sociology, Islamic studies and political science. The source base of the research includes a wide range of primary materials on the civic activity in various countries of the region and the author’s interviews conducted with politicians and public figures in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria. The author identifies and analyses the key factors that led to civil society activism and the multidirectional development of civil society organisations and activism in countries in the Middle East region during the “Arab Spring” and social protests of the late 2010s and early 2020s. He carefully examines the transformation of civil society in the Arab Middle East in close relation to new socio-political developments in the West in the 2010s and 2020s and the phenomenon of growing social and political subjectivity exhibited by Muslim diasporas in Europe. The article postulates the hypothesis of the emergence of leader countries with significant influence on Islamist civil society actors in the Middle East through whose influence the “Islamic project” is reinforced as a factor structuring civic engagement in key Arab states in the Middle East.

Net zero 2050 as an EU priroty: modeling a system for efficient investments in eco innovation for climate change mitigation

BackgroundThe study background is based on the fact that The Recovery Plan for Europe envisages investing 30% of the huge budget in climate change, with the goal of zero gas emission by 2050. This ambitious plan will require (for now indefinitely) investments in research and innovation. The study’s main objective is to check and analyze the existing and propose a new model of effective investments in eco-innovation. This will contribute to effective long-term investment policy, climate change impact, and mitigation of consequences.MethodsThe basic methodological tools for solving the problems discussed in this study were correlation analysis, regression analysis, and paired sample t-test. All calculations were performed in the SPSS 20 statistical software. Time series data of the selected indicators were obtained from the European Innovation Scoreboard 2020. The database used to collect the data for the EU member countries and selected third countries for the analysis is the European Innovation Scoreboard 2020. To avoid sample selection bias, the authors considered all of the available data for all the member countries and selected third countries in the European Innovation Scoreboard 2020 for the 2012 to 2019 period.ResultsThe study results show the path developing countries should follow in directing their inevitable and increasing eco-innovation investments, taking into account the arguments of structural differences in financing Research and Development (R&D). The authors’ findings support the thesis that investments in R&D is low in developing countries, while in developed EU countries, there are more investments in R&D from the business sector for the 2012–2019 period.ConclusionsStudy conclusions are summarized as a proposal of the appropriate R&D financing model approach to developing countries with a greater share of eco-innovation and self-sustainable R&D financing for climate preserving products. This study is important as it provides new evidence on financing R&D investments in innovation leader countries and emerging innovator countries according to Summary Innovation Index.

Mapping the Research Landscape for the Motorcycle Market Policies: Sustainability as a Trend—A Systematic Literature Review

The motorcycle market has experienced an upward trend. That growth brings along mobility, accidents, and environment-related issues; nevertheless, there is a scarcity of literature on evaluating the impact of motorcycle market policies. Consequently, it has been challenging for researchers and policymakers to develop evidence-based strategies to promote or control the growth of this market. This paper aims to review and analyze the scientific literature about motorcycle market policies, using tech-mining techniques and a cluster analysis of keywords, to provide insights about the most relevant world trends in this research area. For this purpose, the bibliographic information of publications in the field was retrieved from the Scopus database. As a result, three thematic clusters (sustainability, mobility, and electric motorcycles) were identified and explained. According to our findings, greenhouse gas emissions, sustainability, environmental impact, and developing countries are the hot research topics. The research leader countries on said topics are the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. This study can, therefore, be used as a reference to define a future research agenda in the area. Consequently, it permits researchers and policymakers to identify trending topics and gaps in knowledge, as a baseline to include motorcycles in sustainable and affordable transport systems design.

The Strategies in Global Semiconductor Industry: The SWOT Analysis of Samsung Electronics Company

This paper provides useful insights about the external and internal analyzes of Samsung Electronics Company and the situational analysis of Semiconductor Industry. Internal analysis of Samsung Electronics Company has been conducted according the company’s firm culture and value, weaknesses, strengths, core competencies and business level strategies. Based on the situational dynamics (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) of Samsung Electronics Company designs its environment. In short, the main objective of this study is making deep research on Semiconductor and other technology integrated industries while deeply analyzing the external and internal dimensions of sector leaders both in global and in leader countries such as U.S.A., Korea and China.

The Role of Standardisation Initiatives in Local Industrial Development: The Chinese Ginseng Experience

ABSTRACT China's emergence in international standardisation has led scholars to debates over its intensifying techno-nationalism. This paper examines ginseng standardization using interviews and archives. Standardisation on the ginseng production started in low-income regions, which later changed into the techno-nationalism agenda over the product origin. Upon international standardisation, the sales volume and unit price in ginseng production increased. Yet the effects occurred in the domestic market and the market leader countries moved to the premium segment by product differentiation. The ginseng standard initiative did not achieve the commercial dominance in the global market but was a local development policy tool.

Current Practices on Solar Photovoltaic Waste Management: An Overview of the Potential Risk and Regulatory Approaches of the Photovoltaic Waste

The use of hazardous metals like lead, cadmium in solar photovoltaics (PVs) are rapidly increasing which poses the risk to the environment due to potential release of these constituents. The main purpose of this review is to highlight the updated information on solar PV waste along with the present condition of efforts for recovery, country-wise regulatory approach or strategy on solar PV management and recycling. A brief literature review is assessed based on recently published articles and reports, which provides the readers a general overview on the solar PV waste management and regulations made by world leader countries in solar panels. This study discussed on the risk of hazardous chemical species releasing from PV modules and criteria of PV panel waste classification. Furthermore, the estimation of solar waste PV, its categorization, management approaches, country guidelines and recycling of waste PV panels, were mainly focused in this study. Apart from this, the major leaching tests carried out for waste classification and PV waste recycling in different countries are also discussed. Solar PV waste generally categorized as a general waste by the regulatory aspect, except in the EU, since PV panels in these countries are described as e-waste as stated in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. To reinforce the recycling option, currently only Europe has mandated a strong regulatory guideline, however, other nations are preparing to set up particular system for solar panel waste management. In particular, this paper focuses on the potential risk caused by solar panels, data collection for PV waste and management approach like recycling. Besides, this review believes the basics of PV panel installation, management and recycling process which could recommend upcoming guidance for the public policymakers.

DEFENSE FINANCING FEATURES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE NEW CHALLENGES

The beginning of the third millennium was marked by the desire of the leader countries (USA, China, and Russia) to geopolitical, geostrategic and geo-economic redistribution of spheres of influence. The collapse of the USSR, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact Organization, the end of the Cold War did not bring the world closer to stability and security. Military force capabilities continue to be considered as one of the most powerful factors in world politics. Proof of this is the intensification of the struggle of the world›s superpowers for regional and global leadership, control over oil, gas and energy flows. It is worth mentioning the Transnistrian conflict, Russia-Led wars in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the Russian-Georgian war in August 2008, the civil war in Syria, the intensification of Islamic extremism within the ISIS, Russia›s annexation of Crimea, the hybrid war unleashed and continues to wage by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In this connection, it is becoming increasingly important to provide corresponding levels for the defense budget funding. Thus, the study of the peculiarities of defense financing in Ukraine and powerful military superpowers is of considerable scientific, practical and political interest. Comparing the defense expenditures of different countries makes it possible to identify key problem issues in the defense financing of Ukraine and bring the corresponding costs to international standards. This indicator is one of the most important criteria that characterize the state›s desire for development, relevant combat readiness of the armed forces and other military forces in the face of new challenges. The last years of the previous century were characterized by global geopolitical changes and growing contradictions, which resulted in: the transformation of the bipolar model (USA - USSR) into a multipolar (powerful military superpowers - the USA, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, France, Japan, Germany, India, Brazil)); globalization of world economic processes; erosion through «hybrid wars», which are a new kind of global confrontation in today›s destabilized international security environment, the facets of the division between war and peace. The availability of weapons of mass destruction and high-precision weapons in the third millennium, the growth of their capacity, the complexity of military equipment and combat assets, the use of new methods and means of warfare have led to significant changes in the functions and tasks of the armed forces, increasing their number and government spending on defense purposes. Today there are about 200 armies in the world with a total number of 24-25 million people (about 0.4% of the world›s population) (Military..., 2002). The state of the troops of any state must correspond to its economic capabilities and at the same time ensure the implementation of national security tasks.

CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY IMPLEMENTATION IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: EMPIRICAL STUDY

One of the leader's countries with high awareness of Renewable Energy (RE) implementation is the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This research aims to statically investigate the challenges and requirements in the implementation of renewable energy in the UAE. A comprehensive literature review followed by a structured questionnaire was conducted. Eight different factors determined, and then a structured questionnaire was designed and distributed to 94 respondents. The results were analyzed using various statistical methods: one-sample t-test, unpaired two-sample t-test, two-proportion z-test, fisher test, and one-way ANOVA test. 0.98 and 1.000 value of one-sample t-test showed adequate infrastructure and technical skills. The two-sample t-test showed the main difference is in financing renewable energy and infrastructure between professionals and regular community. z-test showed consistent with a two-sample t-test. Fisher test presented positively rate governmental efforts except for the framework for land securement. ANOVA test displayed that the respondents' positions did not affect the perceptions about the availability of the requirements, except for technical skills, where people working on renewable energy projects are more optimistic regarding technical skills. In conclusion, a detailed study needs to be followed in our continuing efforts to analyze the readiness of the UAE to achieve its goals sat for 2050.

Innovation, productivity and learning induced by export across European manufacturing firms

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the links between R&D, innovation, productivity and exports for European manufacturing firms between 2001 and 2014. In comparison with previous studies, we consider the temporal and spatial dimension of learning-by-exporting. By applying a Heckman equation and GSEM methodology, we find a robust self-selection process from productivity to export and export-induced learning effects in terms of length of time and number of markets. Our results show that firms in leader countries are more sensitive to temporal learning, while spatial learning has more influence for firms in less advanced countries. Our results indicate that the export learning has a different impact depending on the innovation position of each country.

РИЗИКОЛОГІЯ: УПРАВЛІННЯ, ПРОЄКТИ, ТРЕНДИ ТА ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ

Дослідження присвячене розгляду теоретичних засад управління ризиками, з одного боку, а з іншого – аналізу країн – глобальних лідерів світової економіки з урахуванням ризиків їх функціонування. Визначено, що в ризикології особливе місце посідає управління проєктним ризиками. Обґрунтовано, що географічна локація є визначальним чинником у системі управління ризиками. Представлено аналіз глобальних ризиків світової економіки, які є не керованими, але здійснюють суттєвий вплив на суб’єктів бізнесу. Наведено перелік ризиків, притаманних країнам, які посідають лідируючи позиції за певними показниками. Такими показниками визначено обсяг ВВП за ПКС, ВВП на душу населення. А також визначено країн-лідерів за рейтингом економічної свободи, обсягом витрат на НДДКР тощо. Визначено, що країни функціонують в умовах таких ризиків (притаманних окремим країнам, а не всім лідерам), як ресурсна чи фінансова залежність, демографічне навантаження, недиверсифікованість економіки, залежність від імпортної робочої сили тощо. А до глобальних ризиків віднесено такі: цінові економічні бульбашки, незаконна торгівля, некерована інфляція, зміни цін на енергоресурси. Обґрунтовано, що зазначені глобальні ризики мають бути враховані у системі управління проєктними ризиками відповідних суб’єктів бізнесу.

МЕХАНИЗМЫ И ИНСТРУМЕНТЫ ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЯ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ НЕФТЕХИМИЧЕСКОЙ ОТРАСЛИ

The oil and gas industry remains for Russia the most important source of income, a strategic industry. According to official figures of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, income from the oil and gas sector, according to the results of 2019, is 40% of the total budget of the country. A large volume of crude oil and gas is exported from the country. The tax burden on raw materials reaches up to 60% of the initial cost, which makes oil production at new fields extremely unprofitable.
 The most important direction for the country is the transition from a strategy for the sale of crude oil products to refined ones, which have an additional cost.
 The article discusses the features of domestic oil production, analyzes the reasons for overpriced in comparison with competitive raw materials from other oil producing leader countries. The strategy of ensuring the economic security of the industry is noted, the main tools are listed and the mechanisms for ensuring the economic security of petrochemical industry enterprises are presented.

Towards Measuring the Economic Impact of Open Data by Innovating and Doing Business

This paper provides some evidence about the impact open data has in the economic landscape, and therefore, contributes to the limited evidence in this subject. From a panel data corresponding to the period of 2014–2017 and a sample of 27 open data leader countries, the incidence of open data on the economic field is examined. The dependent variable, economic impact, is a latent variable based on innovation and doing business indicators. Results obtained show there is a significant and positive effect of open data, ICT development and income per capita on the economic impact.

Research of experience of leader countries in the field of digital communications of government structures and business

The relationship between the perspective of sustainable development of States and the degree of their involvement in scientific and technological progress has been considered. The role of information and communication technologies in the development of society, as well as the importance of the Internet in the modern world to provide information and communication functions have been noted. The data describing the spread of the Internet in the countries of the world have been presented. The trend of increasing the number of Internet users has been traced. The high efficiency of digital communications in comparison with traditional means of communication has been emphasized.Such an important sphere of application of information and communication technologies in Russia as E-Government has been highlighted, the range of tasks assigned to it, advantages and possible problems in its use have been characterized. Ten countries as leading providers of public services and information via the Internet have been defined. The criteria for assessing the level of E-Government development: the online service index, the telecommunications infrastructure development index, the human capital index, as well as a single indicator – the E-Government development index, have been considered. The high place of Russia in the ranking of countries that have implemented E-Government has been noticed. The importance of ensuring transparency and accountability, protection of personal data, ensuring uninterrupted service and preventing the emergence of a digital barrier when using E-Government has been emphasized.Areas, where digital services are particularly needed, have been described. The experience of ten leading countries in the implementation and use of E-Government, as well as in the field of communication of government structures and entrepreneurship has been studied and analyzed. Such important aspects as the need to develop effective, convenient, secure services for online services, the feasibility of automating business reporting, conducting tender purchases in a digital format, and the introduction of cloud computing in the public sector have been highlighted. The development of digital services should be accompanied by ensuring the security of staying in the digital space and improving the computer literacy of citizens. Implementing digital innovation is necessary, but it should not be an end in itself.