The International Community Service Program themed “Integration of Social Media Algorithms in Optimizing the Use of Digital Marketing for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Indonesia and Malaysia” is a collaborative initiative between Universitas Jambi (UNJA) and Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM). This program aims to enhance the digital literacy capacity of micro-entrepreneurs through a comprehensive understanding of social media algorithms and the application of creative content strategies rooted in local wisdom and culture. The implementation methods include interactive training sessions, thematic workshops, intensive mentoring, and cross-country benchmarking to strengthen knowledge transfer and the adoption of best practices. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in participants’ digital competencies, reflected in their enhanced ability to optimize social media algorithms for product marketing, the establishment of a cross-border digitalpreneur community between Indonesia and Malaysia, and the development of adaptive digital marketing training modules and standard operating procedures (SOPs). The sustainability impact of this program not only increases the competitiveness and resilience of MSEs but also strengthens international academic collaboration between the two universities. Furthermore, this initiative contributes to achieving the universities’ Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and supports the development of an inclusive and sustainable digital economic ecosystem within the ASEAN region.

Against the backdrop of the deep integration of rural revitalization and aesthetic education in the new era, how to effectively introduce red culture into rural areas has become an important research topic. Aiming at the current problems such as the lack of carriers, rigid forms and disconnection from aesthetic education, this study takes the MOOC course of Basic Modeling as an innovative carrier to explore a replicable model for introducing red culture. Through theoretical construction, the triple transformation logic of "Resource-Aesthetic Education-Identity" is proposed; accordingly, a "MOOC-Localization" strategy system including "content transformation", "blended teaching" and "diversified collaboration" is designed and put into practice in a demonstration site in Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province. The results show that this path can systematically transform red resources into aesthetic education materials, arouse emotional resonance through online and offline blended teaching, and effectively improve participants' aesthetic accomplishment and identification with local culture. It provides an empirical scheme for red culture to empower the construction of rural spiritual civilization.

This study explores the potential for developing educational tourism based on local culture in Sukamandi Village, focusing on traditional arts such as Pencak Silat, Tutunggulan, and regional culinary heritage. A qualitative descriptive method was employed, utilizing observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The data collection process was carried out by Lala Siti Sahara, Audreylia Syifanizar E, and Akmal Maulana Purwanto. The findings reveal that these cultural elements possess strong educational value and tourism appeal, yet remain underutilized. Pencak Silat retains authentic “buhun” movements passed down through generations; Tutunggulan holds symbolic significance but is limited to ceremonial events; and local cuisine and bamboo crafts face marketing and generational challenges. The study recommends the development of interactive educational tourism packages featuring hands on training, cultural performances, and culinary experiences. This approach serves both as a tool for cultural preservation and as a driver for local economic growth. The success of such initiatives relies heavily on active community engagement and partnerships with external stakeholders to support training, infrastructure, and sustainable promotion

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men's (GBMSM) sexualised drug use, defined as taking psychoactive drugs before or during sex, is the focus of public health concern globally. 'Hi-fun' in Thailand (similar to the practice of 'chemsex' in Western settings) is a subset of sexualised drug use. Much harm reduction programming relies on Western chemsex definitions, obscuring critical variation related to local cultures, drug markets and legislative contexts. We aimed to develop, informed by transnational queer sociology, a locally grounded definition of hi-fun compared to other sexualised drug use types practiced among GBMSM in Thailand. To delineate sexualised drug use types and explore structural and social influences on how hi-fun is practiced and organised, focus groups and in-depth interviews (April-Sept 2024) were conducted with GBMSM (with sexualised drug use experience within prior 12-months) recruited from community organisations in Bangkok, Khon Kaen and Pattaya. Data were transcribed, translated where necessary and analysed with a thematic framework. Participants (n = 30) were aged 25-47 years, 25 gay, ten living with HIV, seven born outside Thailand. Most (n = 23) used crystal methamphetamine (ice) before/during sex in preceding 12-months, with fewer taking other drugs (ecstasy/MDMA= 14, ketamine = 12, cocaine = 10, GHB/GBL = 5). Participants' accounts coalesced around three main sexualised drug use types: hi-fun, sex at homepas (medium to large parties where men socialise, usually while wearing only underwear) and incidental sex with drugs (spontaneous and situational combining sex with drugs, often after a night out). Hi-fun was delineated from other sexualised drug use types based on participant motivations to increase wellbeing through pleasure and intimacy, in contrast to homepas and incidental sex with drugs which were linked more to socialising. Crystal methamphetamine (ice) was considered foundational to hi-fun, whereas other drugs (e.g. cocaine, ecstasy/MDMA, ketamine and GHB/GBL) were more common in homepas and incidental sex with drugs. Technology, especially geolocation social/sexual networking apps, were central to hi-fun organisation, but potentially less important for other sexualised drug use types. Both hi-fun and homepas primarily took place in private settings, whereas incidental sex with drugs happened in a wider range of venues. Hi-fun in Thailand can be defined as the intentional combination of sex and crystal methamphetamine (ice) to enhance intimacy and pleasure with one or more other man/men, facilitated by technology and usually in a private setting. This definition will be useful for those supporting GBMSM in Thailand through policy, research and service provision.

This community service program aims to strengthen the mental resilience and emotional well-being of researchers and academics at a higher education institution in Brunei Darussalam through a Self-Resilience Enhancement workshop based on self-existential discovery techniques using a self-existential discovery (tadabbur alam). The Community Service Team from State University of Surabaya (UNESA) organized the program in response to the high levels of stress, burnout, and workload pressure experienced by the academic community. The tadabbur alam was chosen because it can combine self-introspection, strengthening self-identity, and spiritual connection through direct observation of natural phenomena. The program resulted in an increase of self-awareness, clarity of thought, gratitude, and inner peace, and gained adaptive strategies to deal with life's stressors of participants. Participants also understood resilience not only as the ability to bounce back from setbacks, but also as an internal strength derived from self-understanding and a spiritual connection with God. This activity is an example of cross-country collaboration between UNESA and a higher education institution in Brunei Darussalam through Guidance and Counseling Study Program and Counselling and Diverse Learning Needs Unit that is relevant to be developed in a program to improve academic mental health based on Islamic values and local culture.

Abstract This article examines the discourse-pragmatic use of please as a marker of politeness in three African English varieties: Ghanaian English, Nigerian English, and Ugandan English, analysing its frequency, structural patterns, pragmatic functions, and variation across different text types. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the study analysed data from the Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Ugandan components of the International Corpus of English. The findings show that please occurs most frequently in Nigerian English, followed by Ghanaian English and Ugandan English, and that it is most common in correspondences and public dialogues across all three varieties. Also, please occurs predominantly in clause-initial position and fulfils a range of pragmatic functions, including those that have not been documented in studies of other world Englishes. Overall, these findings reflect the impact of local languages and cultures on the use of please in the three African English varieties.

What does a Cretan mean when he says that all Cretans are liars? What is his intention? While formal logic only relates to the truth values of the Liar paradox, we relate to its normative and social aspects. We argue that such utterances are used to imply that certain behaviors, even if despicable, constitute local norms. One may posit such claims either to point out that he has transcended the local culture, to socialize others into local customs, or to deflect from being caught lying. This paradox exemplifies group self-deprecation, a communicative practice intended to get us to disagree, rather than agree, with the disparaging claim and blunt the negative consequences of poor behavior. Its rhetoric relies upon \emph{tu quoque}, \emph{secundum quid} and naturalistic fallacies.

ABSTRACT The article analyzes the activities undertaken by researchers within the international project ‘NEW ABC – Networking the Educational Worlds: Across Boundaries for Community-building,’ implemented under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. This project was characterized by innovative methodology combining research and integrative aspects, employing the Participatory Action Research (PAR) paradigm, co-creation model of activities, as well as a holistic approach to children and their environment (‘whole child approach’), bottom-up strategies, and care and compassion approach. It is important to emphasize that activating methods related to the pedagogy of adventure and anchoring theory in the local environment were key elements of the project, assisting Polish children and those with migration experiences in realizing their co-created social projects. Facilitated by teacher-assistant pairs, children utilized a special sketchbook to create activities that helped them root themselves in their place of residence’s local culture and heritage. The article discusses in detail how the applied methods effectively contributed to achieving the project’s set objectives, highlighting their significant role in supporting the comprehensive development of children in a multicultural educational environment.

Against the backdrop of global shifts in discourse systems, the era of promoting Chinese culture internationally has reached a critical phase. In the field of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, beyond imparting language skills, there is a need to integrate the ideological and political mission of "telling China's stories well and disseminating China's positive voice" into the teaching and learning process. This paper explores specific approaches for cultivating Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages teacher trainees, effectively embedding the ideological and political requirement of "telling China's stories well" into their training, and highlighting the educational orientation of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages in the new era. The focus is on enhancing teacher trainees' cultural confidence and awareness of proactive dissemination, improving their ability to tell "China's stories" and innovate in teaching, strengthening the development of a thematic database on "Chinese Experience and Chinese Language Teaching," and fostering specialized professionals who, while upholding the distinctive characteristics of China's local culture, possess an international perspective and are capable of disseminating "China's stories" overseas.

While mental health and suicide literatures have established a cultural turn, local group cultures are largely ignored. By examining how several groups of students in a rural high school navigate emotional distress in peer groups, this paper reveals the local emotion cultures structured by their own local interaction order. I identify morbid talk in which youth joke about suicide, trauma, and other emotional pain. Engaging in morbid talk temporarily relieves emotional tensions, generates social solidarity, and reproduces group boundaries. A local interaction order involving negative emotions emerges: Emotional pain must be expressed as humor, and one must obtain a moral license to do so. My findings thus bring forth the group variations in cultures of emotional distress, contributing to the emotion and the youth mental health and suicide literatures. I conclude by discussing future research directions.

Ethnopedagogy is an educational approach grounded in culture that plays an important role in preserving local wisdom amid the challenges of globalisation. This study aims to describe the integration of local cultural values into the learning process and culture-based school programmes, explain the role of ethnopedagogy in shaping students' character and strengthening their cultural identity, and identify forms of collaboration between schools and communities to support the sustainability of local wisdom-based learning. This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach and was conducted at one of the public elementary schools in West Lombok Regency. The research subjects included the principal, teachers, community leaders, and 30 students in grades V and VI. Data was obtained through observation, interviews, and documentation, then analysed using the Miles and Huberman model, which includes data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results of the study indicate that ethnopedagogy is effective through Cultural Saturday activities, batik making, and Gendang Beleq drumming, which instil character values and a sense of cultural pride. The incorporation of local wisdom into Civics and Science lessons increases student motivation and understanding, while cooperation between schools and the community supports the sustainability of culture-oriented learning. A comparative analysis of informants' perspectives reveals heterogeneous learning experiences: male students are more interested in traditional Gendang Beleq music, while female students are more interested in batik and dance activities. Ethnopedagogy can be an effective educational approach for strengthening character education, preserving local culture, and developing contextual learning rooted in national cultural values.

This comparative organizational ethnography examines how two physical science PhD programs, operating under state affirmative action bans, navigate legal compliance while sustaining their commitments to diversity. Drawing on inhabited institutionalism and legal endogeneity, we show how, despite similar policy and disciplinary environments, each program interpreted the law differently and constructed distinctive admissions routines. One program broadened its definition of merit to emphasize community contribution, while the other leveraged evaluative technologies to standardize evaluations, incorporating race-neutral indicators associated with broadening participation. Findings reveal how committees navigated legal ambiguity, activated local culture to enable compliant adaptation, and expanded conceptions of merit. We offer a framework of race-neutral compliance logics to advance theory on how organizations enact law while pursuing equity.

This research analyses the local wisdom of Sigale-gale in Batak Toba culture as a social symbol rich in anthropological, philosophical, and theological meaning. While previous studies have largely examined Sigale-gale from anthropological or folkloric perspectives, limited attention has been given to its theological significance within the framework of Christian religious education. As a representation of a strong patrilineal system, Sigale-gale is positioned not only as a cultural artifact but also as a reflection of the collective spiritual longing of the Batak Toba community. This research applies an interdisciplinary approach: cultural anthropology to understand the traditional social structure of the Batak, Dooyeweerd’s modal aspects philosophy to explore the interconnected dimensions of reality, and Reformed theology to interpret the meaning of humanity as the imago Dei within the context of Sigale-gale. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative, literature-based, hermeneutical–theological approach, grounded in critical and interpretive engagement with existing ethnographic scholarship, rather than primary ethnographic fieldwork. The analysis shows that Sigale-gale can function as a dialogical medium between Christian faith and local culture, enabling a theological reinterpretation of human dignity, social structure, and cultural meaning. By integrating philosophical and theological perspectives into cultural analysis, this research proposes a conceptual framework for the integration of Christian Religious Education that is incarnational, contextual, and transformative, particularly in addressing epistemological fragmentation, digitally mediated subjectivity, and the growing tendency to reduce education to instrumental outcomes within global cultural contexts.

This MBKM program aims to develop innovative woven textile designs in Laranwutun Village, Ile Ape District, Lembata Regency, as an effort to enhance the economic value of local products through the utilization of digital marketing based on Facebook. Laranwutun Village possesses significant potential in traditional ikat weaving; however, artisans still face challenges in design development and rely on conventional marketing practices. The program was implemented over a two-month period involving MBKM students, local weavers, and MSME actors. The implementation methods included mentoring in creating innovative textile designs by combining traditional motifs with modern color trends, product photography training, and training on the use of Facebook for promotion and sales. The results indicate an improvement in artisans’ ability to create new designs, enhanced product visual quality, and expanded digital marketing reach. Following the training, five artisans actively utilized Facebook as a promotional medium and successfully received orders from outside the region.Overall, this MBKM activity contributes to strengthening the creative economy based on local culture and enhancing the independence of woven-textile entrepreneurs in Laranwutun Village through accessible and sustainable digital technology utilization.

Purpose: Learning fractions at the elementary school level remains challenging due to the abstract nature of fraction concepts and students’ difficulties in interpreting multiple representations. This study aims to develop a structured learning trajectory that supports students’ understanding of fractions by integrating the local cultural context of melemang from Muara Enim, thereby reducing abstraction and enhancing meaningful learning. Method: The study employed a design research methodology in the form of validation studies, consisting of three iterative stages: preliminary design, teaching experiment, and retrospective analysis. The participants were 28 lower-grade students from an elementary school in Muara Enim Regency. Data were collected through student worksheets (LKPD), classroom observations, and documentation of students’ learning activities. The analysis focused on examining the alignment between the Hypothetical Learning Trajectory (HLT) and students’ actual learning processes. Findings: The results indicate that the designed HLT was largely consistent with students’ learning trajectories, particularly in supporting the transition from concrete experiences to visual and symbolic representations of fractions. However, several students required additional instructional scaffolding to connect visual models with formal notation and to recognize fraction equivalence. The retrospective analysis led to the formulation of a Local Instructional Theory (LIT) emphasizing three key principles: the use of meaningful cultural contexts, progressive representational development, and adaptive scaffolding to address misconceptions. Significance: This study contributes theoretically by developing a culturally grounded LIT that integrates Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) with local culture and practically by providing teachers with a contextual instructional model to enhance students’ conceptual and procedural understanding of fractions.

This research is about the Marsiadapari tradition of the Toba Batak community based on Islamic ethical framework to identify the meeting point between local environmental wisdom and Islamic ethics. Marsiadapari embodies assistance and resilience. It is a cultural arrangement for environmental balance and social harmony among the people. This is qualitative-descriptive research, and it is an examining text on Qur’anic principle; rahmah, mizan, and khalifah as well as ethnography research on local community. The results show that Marsiadapari subscribes to normative values that are aligned with Islamic environmental ethics; the sustainability culture of a community can be linked to its Islamic theology. This integration proposes a faith- and indigenous identity-based model for environmental action, contributing to the ongoing discussions on sustainability, decolonial theology and contextual Islamic praxis. Ultimately, the study proposes the Marsiadapari tradition as a culturally rooted, faith-inspired framework for strengthening inter-community harmony and environmental responsibility in plurality. This synthesis of ideas confirms that Islam can use local customs to encourage ethical behaviour towards the environment.

Abstract Background With the acceleration of the aging process of the population, anxiety and depression among the elderly have become increasingly prominent, becoming an important factor affecting their quality of life and health. Traditional intervention methods mostly rely on medication or outpatient psychological counseling. Although they have certain effects, the willingness of some elderly people to participate is low, and the intervention effect is limited. Healing-oriented health and wellness rural homestays integrate natural environments, local cultures, physical and mental activities, and psychological support. Through the transformation of living environments, natural contact, light labor, and social interaction, they provide the elderly with immersive and experiential emotional regulation scenarios. The study explored the alleviating effect of the therapeutic health and wellness rural homestay project on the anxiety and depression of the elderly, aiming to evaluate its intervention efficacy. Methods The study recruited 160 elderly people who were screened to have mild to moderate anxiety or depression symptoms in a certain urban community from October 2023 to March 2024 as the research subjects. They were divided into the experimental group (n = 80) and the control group (n = 80) by the random number table method. The control group maintained their original lifestyle and received regular health follow-ups and mental health promotion from the community. The experimental group participated in an 8-week, 3-day-per-week healing and health care rural homestay project. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were used for assessment before the intervention, 4 weeks after the intervention, and 8 weeks after the intervention respectively, and the subjective feedback of the participants was collected. Throughout the entire analysis process, p<.05 was taken as the criterion for determining whether the difference was statistically significant. Results Baseline assessment showed that there was no statistically significant difference in GDS and SAS scores between the two groups of elderly people (p>.05). After 8 weeks of intervention, the average score of GDS in the experimental group decreased to (9.2 ± 3.5) points, and the average score of SAS decreased to (42.1 ± 6.8) points. The GDS score of the control group was (13.6 ± 4.1) points, and the SAS score was (48.7 ± 7.9) points. The decrease in the score of the experimental group was significantly greater than that of the control group (p<.01). Taking a decrease of ≥30% in GDS score as the criterion for relief of depressive mood, the relief rate of the experimental group was 68.8% (55/80), and that of the control group was 38.8% (31/80). The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p<.001). Discussion As a comprehensive intervention model integrating nature, community and psychological support, healing-oriented health and wellness rural homestays can significantly alleviate the anxiety and depression of the elderly by creating a safe, supportive and meaningful living and activity environment, promoting emotional expression, cognitive reconstruction and social connection. Future research can compare the differences among various forms of activities and delve into their intrinsic mechanisms of action to verify the sustained effectiveness and practical promotion value of this model. Funding No. 2022fzska02.

Place-based learning (PlBL) fosters awareness of local environments, cultures, and settings, as well as builds emotional and intellectual connections to local contexts. Although most studies focus on theory and local applications, limited scientometric analysis of its knowledge structure and evolution has been conducted. The study aimed to analyze the current state of research on PlBL, global relationships between researchers and countries, and the dynamics of key research themes and topics. This study employs a combined scientometric and thematic approach to analyze peer-reviewed documents from the Scopus database (2007–2024), examining the current state of PlBL research, global research relationships, and key thematic trends. Analysis revealed a significant expansion of PlBL research as it gains international traction. Thematic analysis revealed that PlBL, environmental education, experiential learning, higher education, virtual reality, outdoor education, and sustainability highlight their importance in the context of PlBL. PlBL was also found to have a critical role in socio-environmental initiatives. Lastly, PlBL has evolved significantly with the introduction of advanced technologies. The study highlights the growing nature of PlBL, specifically with the advent of technologies, which could significantly promote socio-environmental actions.

English has become a global language used for communication in education, business, science, and international relations. It helps people from different countries to connect and share their ideas. However, the global spread of English also creates challenges for many reasons. Local languages and cultures may be weakened, and non-native speakers may face inequality or discrimination. While English promotes global understanding, it is important to protect linguistic diversity and respect cultural identities. The present research paper focuses on the cultural implications and challenges of English as a global language. It also tries highlighting the need to balance global communication with the protection of cultural diversity.

Socio-cultural tourism factors include folk music, cuisine and gastronomic brands, domestic handicrafts, crafts, folk customs, events, local tourist culture and cultural–historical heritage, language, social life of residents, and other factors. Important natural factors are the geographical and tourist location, features of relief, hydrographic potential, types of climates, plant and animal species, and others. Socio-cultural factors, together with natural factors, can create the basic characteristics of a destination. This research used the two landscapes of outstanding features (LOFs) that are part of the wider area of Serbia’s capital city, Belgrade. The selected areas are the main excursion and tourist centers, which possess significant natural and cultural characteristics for the development of sustainable tourism (STO). The main characteristics of these LOFs are forest ecosystems, which have an impact on tourism and recreation. The article used a quantitative methodology, based on the survey technique, which was used to collect data. A total of 1120 respondents were surveyed. Respondents expressed their views on claims related to space factors, which can influence the development of tourism and recreation. By analyzing the results, it can be concluded that there is an impact of factors on satisfaction with STO.