Modern Policy Research Articles

The Role of Middleware in Integrating Legacy Systems with Modern Policy Administration

This comprehensive article examines the critical role of middleware integration in modernizing insurance industry legacy systems. The article reveals that approximately 75% of insurers rely on systems that are 20-40 years old, consuming up to 70% of IT budgets in maintenance. Through a detailed examination of implementation strategies, benefits, and challenges, the research demonstrates how middleware solutions serve as a crucial bridge between legacy infrastructure and modern Policy Administration Systems (PAS). The article covers key aspects, including protocol translation capabilities, service orchestration frameworks, and data transformation excellence, while providing quantitative metrics on cost reduction (20-30%), operational efficiency improvements (40-50%), and system performance enhancements (99.9% reliability). The article also presents a structured framework for implementing best practices, incorporating assessment, architecture design, security considerations, and testing strategies validated through industry case studies and expert analysis.

Maverick or Front-runner? Army Modernization in Hungary in the Light of the Other Visegrad Countries

This article compares Hungary's defence modernisation policy with that of the other Visegrad countries and finds that Poland has invested the most in developing its military capabilities and, together with the Czech Republic, has benefited considerably from rising international demand stimulated by the war. Both combined the purchase of modern equipment with the award of government contracts to local suppliers. Slovakia followed the same pattern, but without significant export capacity. Hungary, on the other hand, was unable to prevent the collapse of its former defence industry. As a result, its current development programme uniquely integrates the goals of army modernisation with the plan for rebuilding the sector, which relies heavily on the participation of large European companies, whose role is less important in the other countries. Two other distinctive features of the Hungarian modernisation policy are its embeddedness in broader economic and regional policies, and the creation of six distinct territorial clusters where the reorganisation of the sector is taking place.

Integration of Local Wisdom and Modern Policies: The Role of Traditional Village Government In The Implementation of Sasi In Maluku

This study aims to analyze the role of traditional village governments in implementing sasi in Negeri Lima, Leihitu District, Maluku, particularly focusing on the integration of local wisdom with modern policies in managing natural resources. Sasi, a traditional resource management system, has long been practiced in Maluku but has evolved alongside modern government policies and contemporary challenges. This research employs a qualitative method, with data collected through observation and in-depth interviews. The findings reveal that traditional village governments play a crucial role as intermediaries between local communities and modern policies. In Negeri Lima, the implementation of sasi is managed more systematically due to strong collaboration between traditional institutions, such as the Kewang, and local government policies. This integration enables more adaptive natural resource management, including boosting the economic value of local commodities like nutmeg and coconut. The study concludes that the role of traditional village governments extends beyond merely preserving traditions; it also involves innovating in sustainable natural resource management. This research offers a fresh perspective on how local wisdom can be preserved through the synergy between tradition and modern governance.

Эволюция национального состава Саратовской губернии в первой половине 1920-х годов

The article examines the changes in the national composition of Saratov province in the first half of the 1920s based on the materials of the All-Russian Census of 1920, the All-Union Urban Census of 1923 and the first All-Union Population Census of 1926. The factors influencing the evolution of the national structure of the region are being studied. The conclusion is made about the formation in the main features of the ethnic map of the Saratov region. The position is put forward on the development and conduct of the first censuses as the “golden” period of Soviet statistics, which had a huge impact on the country’s modernization policy.

Assessment of Russian Learners’ Institutional Confidence for the Vocational Education System

Introduction. An important factor influencing the development and stability of the vocational education system in Russia is the trust of students in educational institutions and policies in the field of vocational education in the country and regions. The purpose of the study is to assess the level of institutional trust exhibited by Russian students to the vocational education system and educational policy implemented at various levels; to develop measures to strengthen it. Materials and Methods. To study the problem, a questionnaire survey was conducted, in which 1,150 students enrolled in higher education programs and 1,150 students enrolled in secondary vocational education programs (2,300 people in total) took part. Educational institutions were located in 48 subjects of the Russian Federation of all federal districts. Generalization of the results and formation of conclusions was carried out by induction method. Results. The average level of institutional trust of students in the Russian vocational education system was revealed; the lowest level of trust is observed in the policy in the field of vocational education at the federal and regional levels. The correlation and regression analysis revealed that the index of trust exhibited by student youth of the Russian Federation to the modern policy in the field of higher and secondary vocational education directly correlates with the level of quality of life of the population and the degree of satisfaction with the qualitative parameters of the educational process. Discussion and Conclusion. The theoretical and methodological provisions developed as a result of the conducted research develop existing approaches and tools for studying the institutional trust of students in the vocational education system. A set of measures has been developed that will increase the academic and social involvement of students in the educational community, the level of satisfaction with the educational process and the justification of educational expectations.

The Sudan's Incorporation into the Capitalist World-Economy through Modern Cultivation and Trade of Cotton

Before the 19th century, the Sudan had a distinctive social system in which decentralized kingdoms held the political power. The article assumes that this intersocietal system entered a process of incorporation into the capitalist world-economy in the 19th century. Early modernization policies pursued in the Sudan during the Turco-Egyptian administration between 1821-1885 period, known as the Turkiyya. This rule shifted to the Anglo-Egyptian administration in 1899, after British forces defeating the short-lived Mahdist rule. Upon establishment of the new condominium government, the Sudan became a peripheral supplier of the expanding world economy. Throughout the peripheralization, the British gained control of raw materials such as gum arabic and cotton from the Nile valley, which were then transported to factories located in the mainland England. This article investigates economic incorporation process of the Sudan, specifically focusing on the Gezira Scheme, established with a colonial mentality, and mainly based on cotton production. The effect of this process was evident during the 1930s, when the country had been seriously impacted by the global economic crisis of 1929.

Structuring and Development of Poultry Sectors in Algeria: Limits of Modernization Policies: The Case of the “Turkey” Sector (2000-2020)

Background: The Algerian poultry industry has had the biggest growth in the country. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the modernization of the poultry industry, driven by the policies pertaining to poultry that Algeria enacted between 2000 and 2020, did not result in the creation of governance structures that were in line with the demands of improving the performance of these industries. This theory is supported by the “Turkey” sector example. Methods: In order to explain Algeria’s poor governance of the poultry industry, the new institutional economy (NIE) invests within the framework of the “Sector” approach. The 1,288 units of turkey farms dispersed among 38 wilayas, or 80% of all the wilayats in the nation representing all possible production regions, were the subject of surveys conducted on turkey farms between 2015 and 2017. Result: The “atomized” breeding structures, the importance of “independent” breeding, the lack of economies of scale, the low level of development of integrated production and the absence of hybrid institutional arrangements are what set the “Turkey” sector apart, according to an analysis of its organizational structures. All of these things contribute to high production and transaction costs. Nonetheless, the “turkey” sector’s lack of coordination mechanisms continues to be a serious problem that causes abrupt changes and volatility in producer pricing, which in turn causes cyclical crises. These crises are a source of uncertainty and dangerous hazards, especially for small farms.

Effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical policy interventions in reducing population mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Nonpharmaceutical policy interventions (NPIs) are intended to reduce population mobility in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. This paper evaluates their effect on population mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic. State space models are applied to estimate the time-varying effects of NPI stringency on weekly pedestrian counts from location-based sensors installed before the pandemic. Different models are developed that evaluate compliance with NPIs over time, identify the most effective NPI, and identify regional differences. An efficient parsimonious alternative is proposed for the multivariate Seemingly Unrelated Time Series Equation model if full covariance matrices are of full rank. Kalman filter estimates of the regression coefficients show that NPI stringency initially had a negative effect on population mobility. The effect weakened during the pandemic, suggesting a reduced willingness to comply with regulations. Four of nine NPIs were identified as the most effective. The multivariate model confirmed the findings across federal states. This paper highlights how combining new data sources, routinely collected administrative data, and sound methodology fosters modern policy evaluation.

Cultural exchange and cross-border dynamics in Europe: exploring language, heritage, and shared ideals

The issue of the development of intercultural communication in the context of cross-cultural interaction in the European region plays a crucial role due to geopolitical challenges and the need to formulate individual socio-economic and cultural development strategies. The research focuses on determining the impact of the peculiarities of the modern development of intercultural communication in the context of globalization and the spread of the trend toward the use of digital technologies that enhance the accessibility of cross-cultural interaction. The article aims to define the role of intercultural communication in the modern world and outline further development prospects. An important research area is the analysis of theoretical and practical aspects of language evolution as the main identifier of an ethnic group and its influence on cultural processes. The article outlines the main directions of intercultural communication and its impact on economic and cultural cooperation. The statistical aspects of language use and the spread of cultural influence in the European continent are investigated based on the applied analysis. It is found that strengthening cross-cultural interaction has a positive impact on socio-economic, environmental, and educational development. The results show that the majority of respondents have a low level of motivation to master professional speech competence. The level of motivation among Masters is higher than among Bachelors. There is a certain psychological dissonance of motivation. Respondents have high and very high levels of motivation to establish relations with other people, but there are no students with a high level of motivation to master professional speech competence. All this is important for ensuring democratic values and the possibility of optimizing modern policy on the exchange of cultural experience.

Technological substitution: The key control modes

One of the primary goals of public administration in Russia is ensuring technological sovereignty which is hard to attain without proper planning and coherent technology modernization policy in different fields of economic activity. However, administration tools should allow for the current stage of technological development. The article aims to identify control modes of technology modernization considering the principles of substitution and addition. The foundation of research resides in technological change theory. The research methods applied are taxonomic and structural analysis, statistical generalization. Empirical evidence for 2004–2021 was retrieved from the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat). This methodological approach has allowed establishing the key control modes and types of technology modernization – substitution and addition – according to investment in high or low technology, and formulating their central principles. The study also discusses the variants of state policy aiming to extend the country’s technological sovereignty based on the current mode of technological modernization. It is shown that the pseudo effect of technological dualism discovered in the Russian economy suggests utilising special tools designed to optimize the economic structure for boosting investment in new technologies.

Steering Towards Sustainable Mobility: A Holistic Examination of Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program Impact on Commuting Public and Private School Students in the University Belt, Manila, Philippines

The Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program aims to create convenient, accessible, and eco-friendly electric jeepneys, commonly called “Jeepney Modernization,” for commuters in urban areas. However, the price of modernized jeepneys is costly, leaving a majority of commuters, especially students, with the burden of making enough profit to fund the program, resulting in fare increases continually. Hence, this research study aims to assess the following categories: (1) students’ perceptions of the significance of jeepneys for student commutes, (2) students’ perception of Jeepney Modernization policies and possible fare increase, and (3) students’ perceptions on their affordability of the fare increase. The researchers utilized a quantitative approach using modified survey questions adapted from existing studies. This survey was distributed to (40) college students. Specifically, (10) participants from each of the following four universities: Pamantasan Ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and Unibersidad de Manila (UDM), public schools; Far Eastern University (FEU) and University of Santo Tomas (UST), private schools. Results have shown no significant differences in students’ perspectives from public and private universities within U-Belt. This indicates that regardless of variation in academic institutions, students have similar perspectives on the significance of Jeepney usage, Jeepney modernization program policies, Fares increase, and Fares affordability. Ultimately, this research provided valuable insights regarding students’ challenges and experiences due to the recent transportation changes and could potentially aid policymakers in mitigating negative impacts.

Grave Reverberations: Inherited Colonial Logics during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines

Using the theory of reverberations, we track the dissonant transformation of sanitation regimes during the American colonial period in the Philippines, particularly during the cholera epidemic of 1902, to the mis/management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the present day. We argue that the formation, interpretation, and implementation of public health policies, especially with regards to the treatment of the dead, echo inherited colonial logics designed to exacerbate stigmas of virality and unruliness. In addition to past epidemics, responses to COVID-19 resonate with recurring episodes of terror formation, militarisation, and misinformation in the country. The enduring legacies of colonialism—rooted in themes of extraction, individualism, and hegemony, and masked under the guise of benevolence—live on in modern policies in ways that are not always readily apparent. Lastly, we see the notion of reverberations as one that allows analytical generosity in understanding the messiness of the postcolonial experience.

REDUCING POVERTY AMONG LARGE FAMILIES: DIRECTIONS OF RUSSIAN STATE POLICY

Analysis of modern policies in the field of support for large families and its effectiveness is key to the development of further strategies and programs in order to ensure decent living conditions for these families and reduce poverty. Considering the importance of the family for social development and the demographic situation, the fight against poverty among large families is becoming a strategic priority of state policy. The purpose of the research work was to analyze modern Russian state policy to support large families. The study reflects a number of socio-economic aspects, such as the reproductive attitudes of young spouses, the demographic situation, updated support programs and social measures, assessment of the effectiveness and problems of existing support measures. The study revealed that existing measures to support large families in Russia, although implemented, still do not ensure the complete elimination of income inequality and poverty among these families. The low level of financial security remains the main problem hampering the life and development of large families. The main findings and recommendations of the study emphasized the need to improve social programs and support measures, and also proposed specific steps to improve the situation of large families in society. Further research and improvement of measures of social support for large families require an integrated approach and joint efforts of the state, public institutions and the active participation of the family itself. Important areas for improving the situation of large families are increasing income, access to education, employment support, housing and infrastructure development for families with children.

Prospects for the digital transformation of the transport industry

The article discusses the problems and prospects of digitalization of the transport industry. The policy of modernization, introduction of advanced automated systems and highly automated vehicles is consistently implemented here. Having identified the main digital technologies used in transport activities, the problems and threats associated with digital transformation are considered. Having analyzed the conceptual framework and features of the legal regulation of the regulatory framework, conclusions are drawn about the lack of a single approach and uniformity both in terminology and in the mechanism of regulation. Special attention is paid to the issues of regulation of the information space that arise in the process of ensuring the safety of the functioning of the transport infrastructure. The issue of employment, potentially arising from the spread of artificial intelligence and unmanned vehicles, is also touched upon. In order to solve urgent problems, the need for mandatory insurance of the most risky elements of the transport system is justified, which is still an omission. In conclusion, it is noted that due to the urgency and inevitability of the digitalization process in all areas of society and, in particular, the transport industry, it is necessary not only to keep up with current trends, but also, first of all, to create conditions that meet the needs of the effective functioning of the system itself.

Retraction Note: Political and Legal Prerequisites for the Formation of the Modern Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Field of Higher Education

Retraction Note: Political and Legal Prerequisites for the Formation of the Modern Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Field of Higher Education

Проблема «Зангезурского коридора» в современной политике Ирана и России на Южном Кавказе

For many decades, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan was one of the most important processes in Transcaucasia. He had the most direct influence on both the geopolitical and trade and economic situation in the region. In addition, the protracted nature of the confrontation and the inability of Yerevan and Baku to find common ground have become the main obstacle to the development of regional logistics. Therefore, the events that have unfolded in Nagorno-Karabakh since 2020 and the subsequent reconciliation between the conflicting parties have raised the hope among many that all problems will soon become a thing of the past. At the same time, it has recently become obvious that a number of regional players have decided to take advantage of the current situation. In this case, we are talking about Iran, which is making every effort to increase its regional status, including through new trade, economic and logistics projects. One of them could be the so-called “Araks Corridor” or “Iranian Path”, which should finally bury the idea of building the long-suffering “Zangezur Corridor”. And this is especially important at the present stage for Iran’s foreign trade and economic policy, when, on the one hand, there is a process of relative stabilization in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, and, on the other, Iranian-Russian relations in the region are developing. The purpose of this article is to study the modern policies of Iran and Russia in the South Caucasus, in particular their position regarding the problem of the “Zangezur Corridor” in the context of a slight weakening of the confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Address matching using machine learning methods: An application to register-based census

Today, most activities of the statistical offices need to be adapted to the modernization policies of the national statistical system. Therefore, the application of machine learning techniques is mandatory for the main activities of statistical centers. These include important issues such as coding business activities, address matching, prediction of response propensities, and many others. One of the common applications of machine learning methods in official statistics is to match a statistical address to a postal address, in order to establish a link between register-based census and traditional censuses with the aim of providing time series census information. Since there is no unique identifier to directly map the records from different databases, text-based approaches can be applied. In this paper, a novel application of machine learning will be investigated to integrate data sources of governmental records and census, employing text-based learning. Additionally, three new methods of machine learning classification algorithms are proposed. A simulation study has been performed to evaluate the robustness of methods in terms of the degree of duplication and purity of the texts. Due to the limitation of the R programming environment on big data sets, all programming has been successfully implemented on SAS (Statistical analysis system) software.

AN ASSESSMENT OF MODERN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY

The scholarship of traditional International Relations Theory (IR) seems that has little to say to students, academicians and analysts at present days. The events of the last decade in world politics and the present geopolitical situation seem to have passed the centuries old relations between nations, accompanied with a new and unprecedented approach to international formal conventions and agreements. Modern political leaders often use elements of traditional IR theory when articulating solutions to national and international security dilemmas. But these solutions then translate into modern policies capturing courses of action for accomplishing national objectives with varying strategic implications. It appears that policies of today convert into acts aiming at strengthening power and influence, via corporations and military means. This paper presents the incompatibility of traditional IR theory with the modern one, accompanied with examples and analysis of the key events that have startled academicians, students and interpreters of IR studies.

Implementation of the Modernization Policy of the Main Equipment of the National Maritime Defense Weapon System

This study explores the implementation of the Navy's main weapon system modernization policy in the context of meeting the Minimum Essential Forces (MEF) Phase II for the 2015-2019 period, whose main focus is to overcome threats to national security. The purpose of the study is to explain the implementation process of the Navy's defense equipment modernization policy related to MEF and analyze policy factors that affect the results of its implementation. Using defense policy data and theory, the study identified obstacles such as budget constraints, differences in understanding between policy actors, less optimal supervision, and the role of the defense industry that has not been maximized. Document evaluation, interviews, and monitoring by defense experts show that the main constraint is not just related to limited resources, but rather to the imbalance of political will of policy actors. Consistency of implementation, commitment to transparency, accountability, and improvement of resource capabilities through priority scale and empowerment of the defense industry require the support of political will. The contribution of this research includes the development of political science, particularly in the context of defense and security politics. The results can be a reference for future researchers who are interested in understanding the issue of defense equipment modernization. The successful implementation of this policy is expected to have a significant impact on national defense and national security policies, with the support of political will identified as the main key to minimizing conflicts of interest and increasing the effectiveness of MEF implementation, maintaining national security.

Developing The World By Teaching Domestic Consumption: Swiss Supermarkets And The Emergence Of Development Aid Policies In The Early Postwar Period

In the early post-Second World War period, Migros of Switzerland was the first European retail business to adopt the American supermarket model. Its success, however, has not only been a matter of technological and logistical innovation. Migros’ founder, Gottlieb Duttweiler, was convinced that consumer education was part and parcel of a new style of selling consumption. This conviction was at the basis of a strategy entering foreign markets and of exporting the Migros model abroad. Similar to post-World War II economic rehabilitation programs, Duttweiler pursued an indigenous modernization agenda, based on a new principle of “rational consumption”—he did not hesitate to label this as a genuine version of entrepreneurial development aid. Against the backdrop of the establishment of Migros’ activities in Turkey, this article discusses the participation of entrepreneurs in the international development policies after the Second World War. The history of Migros Türk sheds light not only on the entrepreneurial approach to modernization policy, which was often different to that adopted in government programs, but also on how this influenced critical consumerism inside and outside Switzerland over the long term.