Main Leaders Research Articles

Сучасні аспекти формування збірних команд у баскетболі

The main factor in the development of team game sports, including basketball, is the presence of globalization, professionalization and commercialization processes, which significantly affects the performance of national teams in the most important international starts. Changes in the system of competitive basketball activities have led to a significant expansion of the system of international competitions, which requires from coaches a reasonable approach to the formation of national teams as a basis for successful performance in the Games of the Olympics and World Championships. Material and Methods. The study analyzed the competitive performance of 21 men's and 19 women's national basketball teams that participated in the Olympic Games and World Championships from 1936 to 2020. In order to determine the peculiarities of the formation of national teams in basketball, we analyzed the data of 264 players (men and women) who became medalists of the Olympic Games in the period from 1976 to 2024. Results. The results of the study indicate that the main leaders in modern basketball are the USA men's and women's national teams with the highest percentage of winning medals in the Olympics (31.7% and 30.5%) and World Championships (21.0% and 24.6%). The main focus of the formation of the USA national teams for participation in the Olympic Games coaches - the availability of experience in international competitions (the number of Olympic cycles that the athlete spent as a member of the national team) and the age of athletes. Based on the performance of the men's and women's teams, a trend of increasing number of athletes over the age of 32 is identified, where the maximum value for men (5 players) is observed in 2024 and for women (4) in 2016. Conclusions. The analysis of basketball development shows that the use of modern international experience in the rational formation of national teams allowed to establish that the integral component is the age of players, professional experience of participation in international competitions as part of the national team, as well as the universalization of player training. At this stage of basketball development, there is a tendency to increase the age of female athletes who are members of national teams, which provides an effective rotation over several Olympic cycles

Uncovering the world's largest carbon sink-a profile of ocean carbon sinks research.

As the world's largest carbon sink, the oceans are essential to achieving the 1.5°C target. Marine ecosystems play a crucial role in the "sink enhancement" process. A deeper comprehension of research trends, hotspots, and the boundaries of ocean carbon sinks is necessary for a more effective response to climate change. To this end, academic literature in the field of ocean carbon sinks was investigated and analyzed using the core database of the Web of Science. The results show that (1) The ocean carbon sink is a global study. The number of literatures in the field of ocean carbon sinks is growing, and the USA and China are the main leaders, with the USA accounting for 31.19% of the global publications and China accounting for 26.57% of the global publications, and the environmental science discipline is the most popular in this field. (2) Keyword burst detection shows that the keywords "sink, sensitivity, land, dynamics, and seagrass" appear earliest and have high burst intensity, which are the hot spots of research in this field; the keyword clustering shows that the global ocean carbon sinks research mainly focuses on three themes: (i) carbon cycle and climate change; (ii) carbon sinks estimation models and techniques; and (iii) carbon sinks capacity and ocean biological carbon sequestration in different seas. Finally, targeted research recommendations are proposed to further match the ocean carbon sink research.

Main results of the 20-year innovative development of the Russian regions

The key objective of the study is a retrospective statistical indicators’ analysis of innovative development of Russian regions over the past decades. As part of the search for solutions to overcome the “technological impasse” and to reduce dependence on foreign technologies and raw materials export orientation, it is advisable to rely on the implementation of the innovative potential of all regions of the country due to the limited technological and scientific capabilities of individual existing leading regions. It is necessary to accelerate the transition from the current export-raw materials model of economic development to resource-innovative, assuming harmonious development, considering the innovative potential realization of the entire country territory. To fulfill the tasks set in the study, an assessment of innovative progress in Russia on a territorial basis using mathematical and statistical methods was carried out. In the course of the work, it was found that among the regions of the country there is a high degree of difference in the level of innovative financing and, as a consequence, in the pace of innovative development. There are several main leaders on which the main scientific activity and the production of high-tech products are based. Most of the regions show a significant lag, which is primarily due to the high concentration of innovation activity in only a few key points of the country.

Considering Kyai's Transformational Leadership Style for Employee Engagement of Islamic Boarding School Administrators, mediated by Self-Efficacy

Islamic boarding school administrators are the determinants of the running of activities at the Islamic boarding school. The service carried out by administrators is generally without material rewards so that their attachment to the management organization is largely determined by the caregivers as the center of Islamic boarding school leadership. Confidence in the management's own abilities is also a supporting factor in carrying out service duties. The method used in this research is a quantitative method, using a transformational leadership style scale, employee engagement scale and self-efficacy scale. The aim of this research is to prove the influence of the transformational leadership style of caregivers as the main leaders on employee engagement of Islamic boarding school administrators, as well as support from the self-efficacy of administrators as a form of readiness in carrying out service duties. The results of this research show that the transformational leadership style significantly influences the employee engagement of Islamic boarding school administrators, F(1,39) = 58.243, P < 0.01 with R2 = 0.599, and this result is stronger when mediated by their self-efficacy. administrator with results F(2,38) = 40.268, P < 0.01 with R2 = 0.679. This means that the transformational leadership style possessed by kyai influences the engagement of Islamic boarding school administrators, this is also supported by the existence of self-efficacy as the administrator's belief in their own ability to carry out their service duties.

Supporting National Science Journalism through International Organization: The Creation of the Ibero-American Association of Science Journalism

ABSTRACT Science journalism associations at a national and international level have aimed to form networks of support for the professionalization of the field. In this article, we focus at the process of consolidation of one of the first of such international organizations: the Ibero-American Association of Science Journalism (AIPC), created in Medellín in 1969, which sowed the seeds for the creation of new national associations across Latin America and connected these national organizations in Latin America and Spain through international conferences, exchange programs, and training initiatives. Through the analysis of historical documentation from the personal archive of one of its main leaders, the Spanish Manuel Calvo Hernando, we explore the dynamic between the AIPC and the national associations in Latin America during this formative period.

Selection of a traction electric motor for arctic electric transport

Aim: selection of a traction motor for electric freight transport operating in the Arctic. Methods: To achieve this aim, the main characteristics of existing types of DC and AC electric motors were considered, as well as data on the use of one or another type of motor in modern electric vehicle. Results: A comparative analysis of the most common motors has led to 2 main leaders - a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) and an induction motor (IM). Both types of motors are fully suitable for solving the aim. However, as it turned out later, PMSM is more often used for light vehicles, while IM in most cases is used for heavier vehicles. Conclusion: As a result of the analysis, it was decided that for electric transport operating in the Arctic, the best option is to use an induction motor as a traction motor.

Bošnjaci u ustanku 1921. u zapadnoj Mađarskoj

In the present study, I describe the struggles of the 1921. Uprising in West Hungary, and the lives and activities of the Bosnian and Albanian soldiers who took part in it. Hungary ended the First World War among the losers. The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was dissolved, and Romania, Serbia, and the fledgling Czechoslovakia, among the states surrounding Hungary, made territorial claims on the Hungarian state. The nationalities living on the territory of Hungary declared their secession one after the other, and the country lost territory to neighbouring states one after the other. The territories under foreign occupation also included many Hungarian minorities, and more than two-thirds of the country’s territory was under foreign occupation. The population of the country was dismayed, but when the Council of State of the former ally, Austria, announced its territorial claim to Western Hungary on 17 November 1918, the population was outraged. The Hungarian leadership attempted to negotiate with the Austrian leadership, raising the possibility of partitioning the territory, but the Austrians refused to make a deal. On 10 September 1919, the Entente approved the Austrian territorial claims in the Treaty of St. Germain. On 4 June 1920, the Treaty of Trianon was signed, in which the Kingdom of Hungary lost more than two-thirds of its territory, and the annexation of Western Hungary to Austria was confirmed. After the signing of the peace treaty, Hungary was forced to evacuate Western Hungary. The territory was divided into two parts, the so-called “A “and “B” zones. The former was today’s Burgenland, the latter Sopron, and its surroundings. However, the Hungarians did not give up. In the meantime, however, the recruitment of volunteer troops had begun, the nucleus of which was the “Ragged Guard”, formed on 18 April 1918. under the leadership of Iván Héjjas. The rebels were mostly made up of demobilised soldiers, farmers, students, and railwaymen, but they were also joined by Bosnian and Albanian volunteers led by Hilmi Hussein Durić, one of whom, Ahmed, was later killed in action against the Austrians. I will write in detail about the antecedents of the Uprising in West Hungary, its main leaders, Pál Prónay and Iván Héjjas, and the soldiers who fought in their units. I pay special attention to the travel of the Bosnian and Albanian soldiers to Western Hungary, the organisational circumstances, and the battles themselves. I have tried to identify the Albanian and Bosnian fighters involved in the uprising, using all the sources I can find. I will also write in detail about the two battles of Ágfalva and the battle of Kirchslag and other smaller skirmishes. I will also outline the circumstances of the proclamation of “Lajtabánság” (“Banat of Leytha”), and its existence. I will also devote a great deal of attention to the aftermath of the successful uprising and the subsequent fate of the Muslim veterans. The Bosnian and Albanian Muslim fighters, veterans of the 1921. Uprising in West Hungary, kept in touch with each other and their former superiors between the two world wars and successfully integrated into Hungarian society. The focus of this paper is to present the relevant Hungarian memoir literature. In addition to these sources, I drew from the books “The Uprising in West Hungary” (“Nyugat magyarországi felkelés”) by Lajos Missuray-Krug and “My Experiences of the West Hungarian War of Independence” (“Élményeim a nyugat-magyarországi szabadságharcból “) by Viktor Maderschpach.

Constructing the enemy: the evolution of Podemos’ populist discourse from anti-system movement to power (2014–2021)

ABSTRACT Podemos has been the object of extensive attention since its foundation in 2014. However, most of the academic works focus on its initial rise, which prevents a broader analysis of the evolution of its populist discourse after they reached the Spanish government in 2020. Covering this gap, this paper argues that Podemos’ populism operates as a discursive logic aimed at constructing the political by spreading antagonisms. Following the post-Marxist theories of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, Podemos’ leaders understand politics as a cultural exercise whose essential component is a permanent redefinition of the people and anti-people categories according to context. Based on this framework, the paper develops a qualitative analysis of Podemos’ discourse in the period 2014–2021. By focusing on the discursive manifestations of its main leaders, the paper shows the rhetorical turns that try to reconcile the contradictions between an initial street-level populism and a subsequent populism in power. Thus, the original people/caste antagonism is replaced by the classical left/right divide, which shows the difficult coexistence of two different approaches to populism within Podemos. Once in government, the reframing of the left/right dichotomy as democracy/fascism will lend continuity to a populist understanding of politics.

Hybrid Democracies of the Western Balkans

The governance models of Western Balkan states are now based on a liberal democracy and the development of an open and free economy. In the early 2000s, the European Union was very active in the Western Balkans, strongly promoting democratic values for good governance and strengthening the implementation of the rule of law, democratizing state institutions, with the aim of creating a legal order to protect and respect human rights. Despite the engagement of European Union structures, it is now evident that in some countries of the Western Balkans, there are tendencies towards an authoritarian model of the state, away from a functional system for effective governance. The reasons are mainly due to internal factors and circumstances of the region. The international factor has consistently criticized these governance models being created in some Western Balkan countries, which take the form of hybrid democracies. This form of governance has already established its own status quo and is an approach that is resistant to change, both by international factors and by domestic governmental/political structures. The integration of Western Balkan states into Euro-Atlantic institutions, especially the European Union, remains the main topic of discussion for key leaders, not only within the region but also among the main leaders of the European Union member countries. Integration is a complex process that requires mutual cooperation. On the one hand, serious commitment is required from Western Balkan countries to meet the conditionality criteria, and on the other hand, the European Union must be willing to undertake concrete initiatives for their inclusion. These initiatives may also require reforms within the structures of the European Union. Diplomatically, initially, traditional bilateral relations were seen as the most reliable alternative to achieve Euro-Atlantic integration, which the Western Balkan countries aspire to so much. Despite numerous efforts, the Western Balkan countries now feel "fatigued" from the long wait, resulting from difficult conditions and technicalities. The governance of the region's countries is under constant pressure from bureaucracy and the weakness in decision-making of European Union institutions, as well as from the constraints and conditions applied over the years. This situation has led to an "internal upheaval" both within the political class and the civil society of Western Balkan countries. High-ranking political leaders of some Western Balkan countries have now taken joint political initiatives with regional significance. Based on the various developments in a complex region such as the Western Balkans, this paper aims to present the implications that may arise in the Euro-Atlantic integration process from the involvement of actors with different geo-strategic interests.
 
 
 Received: 05 May 2022 / Accepted: 16 May 2023 / Published: 20 May 2023

Advances in lipid-based carriers for cancer therapeutics: Liposomes, exosomes and hybrid exosomes

Cancer has recently surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of deaths worldwide for the age group 45–65 and has been the primary focus for biomedical researchers. Presently, the drugs involved in the first-line cancer therapy are raising concerns due to high toxicity and lack of selectivity to cancer cells. There has been a significant increase in research with innovative nano formulations to entrap the therapeutic payload to enhance efficacy and eliminate or minimize toxic effects. Lipid-based carriers stand out due to their unique structural properties and biocompatible nature. The two main leaders of lipid-based drug carriers: long known liposomes and comparatively new exosomes have been well-researched. The similarity between the two lipid-based carriers is the vesicular structure with the core's capability to carry the payload. While liposomes utilize chemically derived and altered phospholipid components, the exosomes are naturally occurring vesicles with inherent lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. More recently, researchers have focused on developing hybrid exosomes by fusing liposomes and exosomes. Combining these two types of vesicles may offer some advantages such as high drug loading, targeted cellular uptake, biocompatibility, controlled release, stability in harsh conditions and low immunogenicity.

Spanish Political Communication and Hate Speech on Twitter During the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the polarized discourse of the West vs. Russia seems to have escalated to levels similar to those during the Cold War period. The aim of this article, which is centered on the case of Spain, is to discover to what extent communication from political parties contributed to such polarization by encouraging hate speech. To this end, messages sent by the political parties represented in the Spanish parliament, over the social network Twitter during the first 60 days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, were analyzed: A total of 3,186 tweets from 67 official accounts, both from these political parties and their main leaders, were coded. The results showed that despite social networks in general—and Twitter in particular—being a favorable environment for the promotion of hate speech, the communication of Spanish political parties was generally characterized by political correctness and moderation. The presence of the main indicators of hate speech analyzed (threats, criticism, ridicule, or insults) was very minor. The present article associates this finding to other variables such as the tone of the tweets (informative, opinionated), their scope (international, national), and engagement (replies, quotes, retweets), among other factors. It is concluded that Spanish political authorities had a socially-responsible behavior in the case analyzed, reinforcing the importance of public diplomacy to counteract hate speech. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the polarized discourse West vs. Russia seems to have escalated to levels like those of the so-called Cold War period. The aim of this article, focused on the case of Spain, is to discover to what extent the communication from political parties has contributed to such polarization by encouraging hate speech. To this end, the social network Twitter messages by the political parties represented in the Spanish Parliament during the first 60 days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine were analyzed; a total of 3,186 tweets from 67 official accounts from the political parties and their main leaders were coded. The results show that even though social networks in general -or Twitter in particular- are a favorable environment for the promotion of hate speech, the communication of Spanish political parties was characterized, in general, by political correctness and moderation. It is not in vain that the presence of main indicators of hate speech analyzed (threats, criticism, mockery, or insults) were very minor. The article relates this to other variables such as the tone of the tweets (informative, opinionated), the scope (international, national) or engagement (likes, comments), among others. It is concluded that Spanish political authorities have a socially responsible behavior in the analyzed case, reinforcing the importance of public diplomacy to counteract hate speech.

РИНОК МІЖНАРОДНИХ РЕЙТИНГОВИХ АГЕНТСТВ ТА ПІДХОДИ ДО ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ІНВЕСТИЦІЙНОЇ ПРИВАБЛИВОСТІ КРАЇНИ

The research findings in the domain of economics prove that foreign direct investment is a powerful engine of the development of the economy of any country in the world. One of the important aspects of the increase in the volume of investments in the national economy is its investment attractiveness. The International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, the World Bank, and international rating agencies collect and analyze data to examine the investment attractiveness of the world’s countries. The most comprehensive and systematic information on the investment attractiveness of national economies is provided by assessments conducted by international rating agencies. The article is aimed at substantiation of the methodological approach to the assessment of the investment attractiveness of the national economy based on the cascade method and comprehensive analysis. It has been established that the methodology for forming the rating of international agencies is not always transparent and clear. Even market leaders make mistakes when forming ratings, which leads to significant financial losses for investors. The structure and dynamics of the European rating agencies market in 2017-2021 have been analysed. Its main leaders and development features have been identified. The main stages of the rating assessment of the country’s investment attractiveness, which is carried out by international rating agencies, have been defined. The article reveals the essence and shortcomings of methodological approaches to the assessment of the investment attractiveness of countries by international rating agencies and provides a comparison of the rating methodology of international agencies with alternative assessment methods. As a methodical toolkit for rating assessment, it is proposed to use factor methods that allow building a cascade-type system of ratings. Four cascades of assessment of investment attractiveness are specified – political, legal, institutional, and economic, as well as factors and indicators that shape them. Each cascade is analysed on the basis of the regression approach and forms an overall rating of investment attractiveness. After evaluating the obtained results for each cascade, it is determined which of them has the greatest impact on the overall rating. Such an assessment is more informative compared to other methodological approaches as it allows to identify the most influential group of factors in the formation of investment attractiveness rating, determine the cascades, that have the greatest and least value in the overall rating assessment, and analyse strengths and weaknesses in the economic, legal, institutional, and political spheres of the recipient country. The authors have provided an example of the application of the proposed methodological approach to hypothetical countries and developed an algorithm for analysing the investment attractiveness of the investigated object in the context of these countries.

Applying Data Mining in Surveillance

In the current times where human safety is threatened by man-made and natural calamities, surveillance systems have gained immense importance. But, even in presence of high definition (HD) security cameras and manpower to monitor the live feed 24/7, room for missing important information due to human error exists. In addition to that, employing an adequate number of people for the job is not always feasible either. The solution lies in a system that allows automated surveillance through classification and other data mining techniques that can be used for extraction of useful information out of these inputs. In this research, a data mining-based framework has been proposed for surveillance. The research includes interpretation of data from different networks using hybrid data mining technique. In order to show the validity of the proposed hybrid data mining technique, an online data set containing network of a suspicious group has been utilized and main leaders of network has been identified.

A Study on the Influence of Responsible Leadership on Civil Servants' Tendency of Avoiding Responsibility

In the new era, why should China weaken and eliminate the phenomenon of avoiding responsibility such as "not acting as an official" and "slow acting" that still exist in some parts of the governance, and become a key point in breaking the bottleneck of China's governance capacity leap. This study focuses on 225 civil servants and their main leaders, and uses hierarchical regression method to explore the impact and mechanism of responsible leadership on civil servants' tendency of avoiding responsibility. Research has found that: (1) responsible leadership has a negative impact on the tendency of avoiding responsibility; (2) Subjective responsibility, as an intrinsic motivation, plays a complete mediating role between responsible leadership and tendency of avoiding responsibility; (3) The subjective power distance significantly positively moderates the positive impact of responsible leadership on subjective sense of responsibility; (4) The objective power distance significantly negatively regulates the positive impact of responsible leadership on subjective sense of responsibility. These research results are not only conducive to enriching and expanding the theory of responsible leadership behavior and the impact of power distance in the public sector environment, but also have practical significance in curbing the potential tendency of civil servants to avoid responsibility.

“NOTE” (“RISALA”) BY IBN FADLAN AND FEATURES OF THE EARLY STAGE OF THE VOLGA BULGARS FORMATION (X century)

The tribes mentioned in Ibn Fadlan’s “Note” before their migration to the Middle Volga lived on the territory of the Khazar Khaganate (the North Caucasus, the Volga-Don steppes). It was there that they began to move to a settled life, as well as to converge in language and culture. The main part of the tribes genetically belonged to the Turkic-Ogurs, the ancestors of the Bersils were Persian-speaking, and the Esegels were Ugrians. Consequently, their ethnonyms were constructed in a completely different form. During the formation of the state of the Volga Bulgars, the term as-Sakaliba meant not only a specific ethnic group, but a political unification of various northern tribes. From the 10th century its place was taken by the polytonym Bolgars (Bulgars), known in the Byzantine world since the end of the 5th century and meaning the Oghur-speaking heirs of the Huns. The process of interaction between the intraethnic groups of the Volga Bulgars of that time was based on the traditions, on the one hand, of migrants from the North Caucasus and, on the other, of the Bulgar ethnic groups from the Volga-Don steppes. The main leaders of these intraethnic groups in 922 were, as Ibn Fadlan described, Emir Almysh and a certain “imposter” from the Suvars, nicknamed “thief, robber, bandit” (Vărăh). The main reason for the public unrest was the official acceptance of the religion of Islam by the Bulgarian king, which was followed by oblivion of the traditions of the ancestors. The society was divided into two groups: traditionalists and passionaries. The cult of Muslim saints of the Volga Bulgars developed through the development of early genealogical traditions of the Oguro-Bulgar tribes. Over time, they merged with images from the Judeo-Muslim literature. The new ethnic consciousness of the Volga Bulgars since the 10th century began to function in a two-level mode. At the interstate level, the exoethnonym Bulgar is approved, and at the level of the region and the Bulgar ethnos – the endoethnonym Bulyar.

Review: Branding Bhakti: Krishna Consciousness and the Makeover of a Movement, by Nicole Karapanagiotis

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), popularly known as the Hare Krishnas, experienced a series of problems following abuse allegations and lawsuits between the 1970s and 1990s. Branding Bhakti traces ISKCON’s response to these challenges in the twenty-first century. Utilizing ethnographic material and digital archives, Nicole Karapanagiotis explains how ISKCON shifted its demographic to alter public perceptions and expand its funding base. In the process, the group became a primarily Indian diasporic movement, something scholars of the movement call the “Hinduization of ISKCON” (11). Karapanagiotis skillfully examines the complex dynamic of a movement that originated in India with the specific mission of spreading throughout North America and Europe that eventually alienated its target converts. Paradoxically, it then had to rely on members of the Indian diaspora to survive, but in doing so moved away from the intentions of its founder. A central problem for the contemporary movement thus became how to appeal to “Westerners,” its label for non-Hindus primarily in the English-speaking world.Enter the “Krishna Branders” to the rescue. This is Karapanagiotis’ term for the leaders of the movement who arise after the founder’s death and following the organizational failures and abuse scandals. The book analyzes three main leaders and their strategies to rebrand ISKCON—as a meditative social club, as the “heart of yoga,” or as a parallel movement for those raised outside of Hinduism called “Krishna West.” The Krishna Branders are at odds as to whether their strategies should serve as bridges to temple worship of Krishna or should reinvent what ISKCON is in its essence. Karapanagiotis shows how each strategy has varying levels of success but concludes that these efforts are largely ineffective. Moreover, if they were rewarding, they could generate splinter movements. Those who comprise the main body of followers of ISKCON, and provide significant financial backing, do not want ISKCON to become what the Krishna Branders and older generation of ISKCON want it to be. The remaining White Hare Krishnas from the 1970s and 1980s want change, unlike the South Asian believers, who now see ISCKON as a movement primarily for the Hindu diaspora.Branding Bhakti is a well-argued book and a fascinating case study of how a religious movement reinvents itself and then fails to achieve its desired diversity. The issues of cultural appropriation are particularly intriguing. The main intention of founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was to spread Krishna worship to the West. This meant convincing people in Europe and America to adopt an Indian deity, form of worship, and style of dress. But today, Westerners seem particularly resistant to changing cultural modes of worship. Nevertheless, the decontextualized yoga and meditation practices of the rebranded ISKCON do have appeal. But this is not Krishna Consciousness as conceived by the majority of ISKCON members. How can a movement rebrand itself to achieve diversity without losing what it means to those who already support and practice it? It is an interesting philosophical question that Karapanagiotis addresses using literature from the sociological theory on the routinization of charisma as well as marketing studies.The similarities Karapanagiotis draws between religious groups and multilevel marketing (MLM) are absorbing yet seem to support the accusation that ISKCON is a manipulative cult, using deception to draw in followers and then keep them in a program other than what they signed up for. How a new religious movement is different from an MLM is a larger question and hinges on the presence of deities and belief in an otherwise voluntary institution. The aim of joining is different in a new religion, where followers are not joining to make money as they are in an MLM, but to pursue spiritual or religious practices. These nuances are underexamined by Karapanagiotis, who discusses the marketing, branding, and deceptive advertising practices of ISKCON as if the group is unproblematically analogous to a business. Also missing is direct evidence from members of the Indian diaspora, who make up the majority of ISKCON’s contemporary adherents. Their opinions are given in oblique form on a single page, asserting only what they “must” and “likely” think (46). This feels like an ethnographic blind spot in an otherwise rigorously researched study.This book will clearly be very useful for scholars of new religions, who will make up the majority of those wanting to know what happened with ISKCON after the lawsuits and scandals of the 1970s and 1980s. Students and scholars of religion and marketing in general will also find this book worth reading. However, it will also appeal more widely to a general audience because it is a well written and carefully argued study.

The Janus face of development brokers across migration borders

AbstractEmploying an ethnographic approach, I analyse the agentive practices of a codevelopment project named Africoop, showing how it navigates the migration‐development field by blending egalitarianism rights‐based concerns with hierarchical political authority, foregrounding economic neoliberalism and translating development. Africoop advocated for migrants rights and opened up opportunities for social mobility and also reproduced gender asymmetries and power relations among Italian donors and Ghanaian recipients. By examining the organisational level of brokerage and the career trajectories of the main leaders, I unravel how social nets, aspirations and biographical paths are interwoven to reconfigure the brokers' representativeness and accountability across migration borders.

A Comparative Study on the Systems for Global Climate Governance between China and the United States from the Perspective of Leadership Competition

Global climate governance, as a public issue worldwide with mounting concern, faces the dual dilemma of an imperfect governance system and a lack of appropriate leader. Among them, China and the United States, as the main leaders of global climate governance, differ significantly in governance systems, and there is also a clear leadership competition between them in their governance practices. In this context, based on the perspective of leadership competition, this paper examines the specific institutions, characteristics, differences, and prospects of China and the United States in global climate governance practices, and hopefully provides policy proposals for China's future participation in global climate governance.

Reflections on the Economic Responsibility Audit of University Leaders under the New Regulations

With the newly revised "Regulations on Economic Responsibility Audit of the Main Leading Cadres of the Party and Government and the Main Leaders of State-owned Enterprises and Institutions" (hereinafter referred to as the new regulations) issued by the Central Office and the State Office in July 2019, the unit has put forward new requirements for the economic responsibility audit in the new era. Taking the new regulations as a starting point and combining with the actual situation of colleges and universities, this paper analyzes the main content, characteristics and precautions of the audit of the economic responsibility of college leaders under the new regulations, and puts forward the policy recommendations for the economic responsibility audit of colleges and universities.

The "own political leadership". Contributions to the understanding of the Social Alliance and unequal politicization of classes in Chile that elected Gabriel Boric

Aftermath of the presidential elections in Chile, which took place in 2021, there is a majority that identifies itself with the plain people and defined as a popular social alliance made up by middle and working classes. This majority would have been in formation since at least 2006, staunchly since 2011 and steadily until the present. In this alliance and under a progressive program, the middle class rules through its main figures, parliamentarians and party leaders and keeps swayed a fragmented majority of the working class. That explains the particular features of the social bases formed in a decade of social and electoral struggles, as well as the current Chilean government`s traits under the leadership of Gabriel Boric and the Apruebo Dignidad coalition.