Regional Partners Research Articles

Entrepreneurial networks, geographical proximity, and their relationship to firm growth: a study of 241 small high-tech firms

Start-up firms in high-tech sectors normally engage in networking to overcome their lack of resources, knowledge, and competence constraints. A newly established firm’s network can provide a source of social capital, which may enhance its growth prospects. In this study, 241 new technology-based firms (NTBFs) in Sweden are studied during their early formative years to investigate how entrepreneurial networks and the geographical proximity to actors in these networks affect the early performance of these firms in terms of growth. Three underlying factors are identified in the analysis: geographical proximity and professional and consultative networks. This study finds that professional networks have a positive and significant effect on NTBFs’ growth, which indicate that utilizing these networks benefit the growth of both young and growing firms. NTBFs in initial stages can acquire business opportunities by constructing professional networks. In addition, several formal links positively affect growth, such as regional business partners, incubator networks, and links to universities.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) for the Asia–Pacific region and world

PurposeThe regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) is promising as per the claims and can be revolutionary for the Asia–Pacific Region. The member countries will get a boost in the post-pandemic world due to the RCEP. According to Brookings, the RCEP is going to be an agreement reshaping the global economics. This study aims to clarify the aspects related to the RCEP and how it can boost global economics.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs qualitative descriptive analysis to address the status of RCEP in the region and the consequences of such main transnational partnership. The study is based on economic reports, official documents and data directly related to the subject of the study.FindingsFindings show that the RCEP will be a significant driver of regional trade despite its faults. The RCEP's tariff benefits and rules of origin, notwithstanding their relatively restricted scope, will encourage enterprises to source products and services from RCEP members, and in combination, RCEP and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) are anticipated to replace at least some competing US commodities, services and farm exports. For items that integrate parts and components from inside the area, such as from China, the RCEP is projected to reduce tax and trade facilitation costs, allowing enterprises to avoid US Section 301 tariffs.Originality/valueBy examining how the RCEP operates within the framework of domestic and international trade, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of RCEP and analyses its nature based on data and official reports.

On the Issue of the Strategy for the Formation of the Trans-regional Integration Contour of the EAEU

The instability and uncertainty of international relations accentuate the role of new and inclusive platforms of interaction and cooperation. Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) alongside its regional and transregional partners represent an example of such a platform based on new principles and values, an element of international relation configuration.Aim. Assess the prospects for a zone (cluster) within the planned and potential transregional EEU’s expansion beyond the CIS borders.Task. To evaluate the dynamics of the consolidation concerning, first, current free trade EEU agreements (FTAs or the EEU FTAs) with Serbia, Iran, Vietnam and Singapore, second, potential agreements with listed in the EEU official strategy, third, other developing states with relevant economic and/or demographic potential.Methods. The authors use additional consolidation (share of intra-bloc trade) as a metric. It is calculated as the difference between the share of EEU intra-trade and within the existing or potential EEU FTA partnerships.Results. Based on the assessment of additional consolidation, the research revealed that the existing EEU FTAs with Iran and Vietnam are effective, while trade integration with Serbia, Singapore and China are ineffective. The presence of additional consolidation was revealed for Turkey, Egypt, and Bangladesh.Conclusions. The implementation of the transregional integration track is an important development step for the Eurasian Economic Union. However, trade partnerships have different trade efficiency.

Growth in Commuting Patterns and Their Impacts on Rural Workforce and Economic Development

Residential and employment locational decisions for working households are frequently commingled. Numerous economic and social factors like job accessibility, wage differentials, housing markets, travel time, trip-chaining opportunities, dual employment, and other quality-of-life considerations influence where a household ultimately chooses to reside relative to places of employment. These choices in turn shape commuting patterns within a region. Using the U.S. Census Bureau's LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES), the authors explore longitudinal changes in the growth of commuting patterns based on commuters traveling 50 miles or more between their place of residence and place of employment for counties in Midwestern states from 2002 to 2019. The authors find that the rate of commuters traveling 50 miles or more appears to have increased in rural areas across several periods and regions. Thus, rural communities concerned about labor supply constraints must take into consideration more expansive geographic labor markets and approach labor force development in partnership across local economic development institutions. In essence, the growth in commuting sheds requires stronger regional partnerships to address the issue.

MISSION AND VISION OF THE MULTISITE VA ELIZABETH DOLE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (EDCOE) FOR VETERAN AND CAREGIVER RESEARCH

Abstract Enabling Veterans to remain safely in their homes is a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) priority. Informal caregivers play a critical role in supporting Veterans with functional impairments through their own efforts and the use of home and community-based services (HCBS). The Elizabeth Dole Center of Excellence (EDCoE) for Veteran and Caregiver Research was created in 2018 as part of the VA Choose Home Initiative to expand VA capacity to deliver integrated, Veteran- and caregiver-partnered, data-driven approaches to care through a set of complimentary projects. The EDCoE is a virtual center, with its multi-disciplinary team spread across the country at 5 different VA Medical Centers. The team also collaborates with other VA caregiver researchers. Finally, the EDCoE is closely networked with national, regional, and local operational partners, allowing for rapid dissemination of findings. In this symposium, we will first discuss the mission and vision of the EDCoE. We will then discuss multiple projects that are led through the EDCoE. Paper 1 (San Antonio) will identify measurement gaps to guide monitoring and improving HCBS. Paper 2 (Miami/Canandaigua) will describe a national survey of 8000+ Veterans and 3500+ caregivers. Paper 3 (Palo Alto) will describe caregivers’ barriers to accessing VA and non-VA HCBS. Paper 4 (Salt Lake City/Canandaigua) will describe the results of latent trajectory analyses of administrative data to identify groups of Veterans who use different combinations of HCBS and institutional services. Our results are used by VA operational partners and policymakers to improve services for Veterans and informal caregivers.

Why Partner with a Zoo or Garden? Selected Lessons from Seventy Years of Regional Conservation Partnerships at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Zoos and botanical gardens (ZBGs) play a variety of roles in regional conservation partnerships, including their most common role as the ex situ managers of rare plant and animal populations. Using case studies from a 70-year history of conservation work at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona, USA, this paper illustrates these roles and the characteristics of ZBGs that make them versatile and effective regional conservation partners. ZBGs commonly play the role of conservation advocates, as discussed in the context of the establishment of protected islands in the Gulf of California. ZBGs also conduct field research, including the collection of long-term datasets, as exemplified by the establishment of the Ironwood Forest National Monument and a 40-year Sonoran Desert phenology database. ZBGs can be effective conveners of communities and conservation partners in regional-scale efforts, such as the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan and Cooperative Weed Management Areas. The paper also explores the challenges faced by ZBGs in sustaining their conservation work.

Security Policy Options for Japan in Three Time Frameworks

This paper examines security policy options for Japan at the present stage that may be worth considering in the short term, the midterm, and the long term, respectively. Hence, the aim of the paper is to examine foreign policy security options for Japan in the foreseeable future. While providing a comprehensive overview of the Japanese foreign and security policy at the present stage, the article employs the case study methodological framework to analyze Japan’s foreign policy objectives in case of Tokyo’s relations with the most critical partners in the Asia-Pacific Region - namely, the United States, China, Russia, ASEAN, and Taiwan. Examining the origin and further development of the QUAD, the authors highlight the absence of ASEAN members and India’s hesitation to institutionalize the grouping, while analyzing the Russia-Japan relations they focus on common interests in security cooperation, as well on its limitations. As a result, in the short term, the expansion of the Japan-US alliance to the Indo-Pacific region is the most plausible option. However, without involving the ASEAN countries, the Free and Open IndoPacific (FOIP) strategy can only add Australia and India to the existing Japan-US alliance. In the midterm, an alliance with Russia may be, with some serious limitations, geographically a natural option. In the long term, Japan might need to find a proper place in a China-centered order in East Asia. Therefore, the authors conclude that the relative decline of US influence in East Asia is unavoidable in the coming decades, Japan must adjust or even reconsider its security policy.

State of Public Administration Scientific Research in the Visegrad Countries – A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract As a discipline in its own right, public administration has a variety of interpretations in European countries, which can be found at the intersection of three traditional disciplines: law, policy and management. The Central European region, such as the Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia), is of particular interest for the analysis of the state of public administration research, as it only came to the fore after the change of regime. The present study undertakes a bibliometric analysis of the publications in the field of public administration in these countries for the period 2011-2020. The publications studied were indexed in the Scopus citation database, and the tools used for the analysis were the Sci Val research support platform and the vosViewer bibliometric analysis software. The results show the different orientations, with Hungarian and Polish authors approaching the discipline from a legal perspective, while Czech and Slovak authors take a management perspective. Regional journals and conference publications dominate in terms of publication places. In terms of co-authorship, regional partners also stand out, while cooperation with Western European countries takes the form of fewer but better cited publications.

Iran's Trade with Neighbors: Sanctions’ Impact and the Alternatives

AbstractThis article investigates whether sanctions have changed or influenced Iran's trade patterns, focusing on neighboring countries. The study concentrates first on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), considered Iran's main regional partner. We hypothesize that the sanctions should have had a negative impact on Iran's trade with the UAE, as the latter cooperated with US policies toward the Islamic Republic. By contrast, sanctions were likely to positively influence its trade with Qatar. Indeed, the research shows that Iranian trade with Qatar increased significantly after 2017, while its trade with the UAE declined as a result of the measures adopted toward Iranian businesses in Dubai. However, the results also indicate that despite the UAE's anti‐Iranian stance, the country still constitutes a major trading partner for the Islamic Republic, which is trying to mitigate the paralyzing impact of sanctions by developing trade relations with Qatar and other countries, such as Turkey.

Issues in Australian Foreign Policy January to June 2022

Issues in Australian Foreign Policy January to June 2022

Carl Schmitt and Chinese political thought: Relevance for Papua New Guinea and the Pacific

This article considers the relevance of the theories of German jurist Carl Schmitt for understanding Papua New Guinea (PNG) politics and international relations, with a focus on relations with China. In pursuing this analysis, the text gives particular emphasis to Schmitt’s friend–enemy distinction. In order to understand the regional context in which China has a growing presence, this article initially highlights the preoccupation of Chinese intellectuals with the ideas of Schmitt. It proceeds to mention the use of Schmitt’s ideas in supporting the particular ideological positions of Chinese liberals, the New Leftists, those who articulate the China Path and even the Chinese state. Through a comparative analysis I both compare how Schmittian ideas have been used by Chinese intellectuals to critique the economic inequality in Chinese society and alternatively the relevance of such critiques to the issues of social inequality in PNG. The discussion subsequently focuses on PNG’s international relations and China’s increasing economic and political influence. While the United States and its regional partner Australia appear to be alarmed by an expanding Chinese presence, others do not necessarily believe that Beijing has overreaching ambitions of global dominance. The article considers the suggestion that Chinese thinking on international relations has been influenced by Schmitt’s concept of the Großraum, an alternative to the Westphalian system, in which international relations are marked by a dominant hegemon and self-contained regional blocks consisting of constellated nations. As PNG finds itself in a critical position and subject to pressures from both the West and China, the text considers PNG sovereignty within a possible regional system in which China serves as the dominant hegemon.

The role of trade liberalization in promoting regional integration and sustainability: The case of regional comprehensive economic partnership.

In globalization's era, the sustainability of a region is inseparable from the in-depth and close economic and trade cooperation of intra-regional countries to achieve complementary advantages, intra-regional and extra-regional positive economic cycles, and stable and balanced benefits distribution. For Asia-Pacific countries, the lack of deep cooperation in the past has affected their sustainability, but this can be made up for by the RCEP agreement aimed at achieving intra-regional trade liberalization. We adopt the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) simulation analysis method to quantitatively analyze the impact of changes in macroeconomic and international trade indicators of several intra-regional countries after implementing the RCEP tariff reduction and exemption on the RCEP. Simulation results and comparative analysis based on international relations prove that despite the interference of trade benefits conflicts and international political factors, the RCEP can still exist in long term, and effectively promote regional economic integration and sustainability in the Asia-Pacific region. It is also a development opportunity for intra-regional countries and can also be used in the context of globalization providing references for integration and sustainability in other regions.

The Next Step in Telehealth Education in a Low-Income Setting: Implementing a Project Echo for Sickle Cell Disease

Background and Aims: Sickle Cell Disease affects nearly 100 million people worldwide and disease complications are responsible for over 50% of deaths among those affected with the most severe form. It is estimated that each year, over 300,000 children are born annually with this disease and over 70% of these births occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, approximately 14,000 children are born with Sickle Cell Disease each year with a greater incidence in malaria endemic areas including lake-region, western, and coastal regions. Advances have been made in the United States to reduce the disease related mortality at 5 years of age to 3%. However, in developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, this number is greater than 50%. Since 2011, hematologists from North American institutions have partnered with Kenyan specialists to deliver educational seminars in African counties with a high incidence of Sickle Cell Disease. As an expansion of these efforts, a telehealth educational platform has been developed, capable of providing ongoing collaboration and mentorship for high risk communities. Methods: The combined team of Kenyans and North American providers collaborated to launch a Project ECHO program focusing on Sickle Cell Disease. The virtual educational platform - a hub and spokes teaching model - was implemented based on previous success with other chronic diseases in the region. A complete panel of experts consisting of pediatric and adult hematologists from Kenya and the United States, nursing leadership, patient advocates, social workers, and local physician leaders was assembled as the hub team. Recruitment for the ECHO began in April 2022 in Western Kenya and consisted of participants from prior educational workshops and participants from other ECHO programs at county referral hospitals. A curriculum was built focusing on infant screening, infection prevention, and utilization of Hydroxyurea, with expanding topics based on community needs. The ECHO program occurred at monthly intervals utilizing the Zoom platform. The sessions consisted of both a scheduled didactic and a case-based discussion. The didactic was given by a Kenyan expert while the cases were submitted by ECHO participants from the community. Attendance was tracked by the ECHO platform automatically including recurrent attendance and participant county. Surveys were utilized on a semi-annual basis to further assess educational impact. Results: The program launched in June 2022 with initial success. Participation at early sessions averaged 60 attendees with participants attending from 24 of the 47 total counties in Kenya. ECHO leadership maintained fidelity to the model with an emphasis on dialogue, collaboration, and mentorship. The ECHO community has also flourished outside of the virtual sessions as evidenced by increased dialogue amongst participants via electronic messaging and an increase in Sickle Cell Disease referral patterns. Conclusions: Significant morbidity and mortality persists for sickle cell disease in low- and middle-income countries such as Kenya and education at the community level is a key mechanism to address these disparities. The utilization of a telehealth education program such as Project ECHO represents a strong mechanism to continue building local, regional, and international partnerships to improve care together.

A pilot study exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on small-scale direct marketing farmers in Northwest Arkansas and their responses to the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many disruptions and challenges in local and national food systems in America. Many farms and market gardens were forced to innovate quickly and take action to survive ongoing disruption as these businesses struggled with finances and distribution of products among other challenges. Many small-scale, local farming operations in particular were able to respond to these disruptions in unique ways, which may offer useful insight into how to better prepare small farming communities for public health and other kinds of disasters in the future. This pilot study aims to better understand how COVID-19 affected the local food system in the region of Northwest Arkansas in the mid-southern United States and how small-scale, direct-sales farmers responded to the pandemic, through a survey and interview about their experiences from 2019 to 2021. Participating farmers reported changes in farming procedures and challenges in owning or working on their farms due to ongoing climate-related environmental issues or issues specific to the pandemic, such as distributing products, utilizing financial and other resources of support, and partnering with local supply-chain partners and community members to ensure local businesses’ survival during COVID-19. This pilot study can provide insight into how local farming operations and their regional and smaller-scale supply chain partners have built and utilized community resilience strategies to survive COVID-19 challenges in the Northwest region of Arkansas. A statewide follow-up study will be conducted to observe how these producers navigated these challenges on a larger scale, including in different regions of Arkansas following the start of the pandemic.

Development and Procurement of a National Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Cache for Pacific Island Countries

Background/Introduction:Pacific Island Countries and Areas (PICs) represent some of the most logistically challenging locations, covering vast ocean territory and remote islands. Light, mobile clinical response capability is critical in the disaster-prone Pacific. Beginning in January 2021, WHO researched, tailored, and procured EMT cache “kits” specifically for Pacific Island contexts, based on the core standards of the global EMT initiative.Objectives:To research, tailor, and procure cache “kits” to ensure self-sufficiency and high-quality out-patient mobile medical care for national EMTs in PICs.Method/Description:WHO facilitated the development of national cache kits for 10 PICs EMTs. A need for specialized equipment and supplies or “cache” for team self-reliance is critical. Through a consultative process, including Pacific EMT leadership and team members, EMT mentors, and regional partners, WHO curated and procured cache kits for 10 PICs EMTs.Results/Outcomes:The Pacific EMT cache kit is designed for four-to-six-person teams with the capacity to deploy for a minimum of three days, with full self-sufficiency. Because of the complex and remote access to many Pacific Islands, EMT cache must be practical for transport on small aircrafts and maritime vessels. A consultative process resulted in a curated cache list for Pacific national EMTs of over 125 items, estimated to weigh approximately 440 kilograms per kit. By the end of 2022, a total 31 kits will be delivered to EMTs in ten countries.Conclusion:The design, development, and procurement of Pacific EMT cache for national response operations will allow for increased speed and agility for response to disasters and public health emergencies.

Study on the international competitiveness of geothermal energy products in regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) agreement countries

Renewable energy usage has entered a research boom, and the exceptional use of geothermal energy in urban heating and power generation has garnered the interest of an increasing number of nations. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) countries have launched new cooperation to promote the green recovery of the regional economy, which has prompted new demands for the integration and upgrade of existing environmental resource cooperation platforms in the region, and the development of geothermal energy has greater strategic significance for RCEP nations. Using the constant market share model and innovative revealed comparative advantage index method, this article measures and analyzes the changing trend of international competitiveness of geothermal energy products in RCEP nations. The findings of this study indicate that (1) the comparative advantages of geothermal energy products in RCEP countries are insufficient; (2) structural effects have negative effects on export growth; (3) competitiveness is an important factor in promoting export trade; and (4) second-order effects have a greater impact on exports. Based on the aforementioned research findings, this article proposes appropriate countermeasures.

A partnership approach to supporting the health and wellbeing of the Charedi (Orthodox Jewish) community in London

BackgroundThere is a need for a specific programme of engagement around COVID-19 vaccination with the Charedi Orthodox Jewish community in Stamford Hill, London, UK. We co-produced a live event for women on COVID-19 safety and vaccination and wider health topics to support vaccine uptake and improve awareness of health and wellbeing issues. MethodsFor this qualitative analysis, we organised an event that was designed and delivered by a local community organisation in partnership with regional and local health partners and community groups. The event was for Charedi women aged 16 years and older, and provided information on COVID-19, childhood immunisations, oral health and dental hygiene, childhood respiratory infections, and mental health. The event included health stalls, a panel session, co-designed culturally competent physical information, and the opportunity to speak with health professionals. We evaluated the event using attendees' feedback forms, collected in person at the end of the event, and a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with organisers from community and statutory organisations. The evaluation was informed by a co-produced logic model and outcomes framework. FindingsMore than 100 women attended the event on March 28, 2022. Feedback suggested the focus on wider health issues was valued, and a greater number of more targeted events (eg on health for women older than 40) would be beneficial. Dental health, COVID-19 vaccination, and childhood immunisations were identified as the most important topics by participants. 16 (55%) of 29 respondents stated they would attend a similar event again, 12 (41%) stated they were unsure, and one (3%) said they would not attend again. Informal feedback from the community highlighted that the event was useful and acted as a basis for further engagement and collaboration with the community. InterpretationOur findings emphasised the need to work in partnership with a lead community organisation to identify and address principal health challenges within communities, to share community-specific insights, and to promote community events through community communication channels. Statutory institutions should engage with local community organisations to support and facilitate public health interventions to increase relevant vaccine uptake and to improve awareness around wider health and wellbeing issues and services. FundingNone.

LEGAL POLICY ON ECO-PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

There is a lack of maximum realization of sustainable development in the Surakarta City Government’s partnerships. This study proposes a fishbone diagram that seeks the root causes that affect the realization of partnerships that encourage sustainable development in Surakarta. The study aimed to convey ideas on environment-based local government partnership policies (Eco-Partnerships) to achieve sustainable development. It was a descriptive, doctrinal-method legal research. The primary data was sourced from library research, and the author also carried out some field research. The research used several indicators, namely Surakarta City Government’s Partners, Regulations, and Culture as the small bones and the analysis result of the failure to realize eco-friendly partnerships as the big bone. The result of the study showed that the implementation status of 19 out of 52 regional partners and five regional partners with a focus on environmental activities had not yet been followed up by the regional government. The regulation was ineffective because the Surakarta Government lacked adequate policies on eco-partnerships. Therefore, the Surakarta City Government needed to enforce a policy based on regional regulations on partnerships that integrate economic, social, and environmental aspects (Eco-Partnership).

An analysis of Pak-Russia relations in the evolving new regional order: 2013-2022

As regional political order has been shifting, Pakistan is faced with the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan and its aftereffects, Indian inference in the region political paradigm, the building of new trilateral cooperative blocs in the regional context, and the threat of fifth-generation and hybrid warfare. Therefore, the study is designed to interpret and evaluate Pakistan-Russian foreign policy achievements and their futuristic consequences. The occurrence of multiple political events like hybrid warfare from a geo-strategic perspective has signalled major geopolitical and socio-economic competition in the global market; for which Pakistan and Russia are gearing up. Given existing geopolitical compulsions like Moscow’s quest for playing a decisive role in Afghanistan’s security calculus, Pakistan’s pursuit of coming out of the US straitjacket and finding alternative regional partners offer the reasons, challenges, and outlook for reshaping ties. Pakistan and Russia require a balanced strategic plan to counter the regional threats after the departure of NATO forces from Afghan soil. This article also discusses the core socio-economic strategies between Pakistan and Russia for diluting their gaps. The main point which can play a vital role in creating a close bilateral nexus between both states is the decisive foreign policy initiative from both ends.

Creating smoke free environments by local policy

Abstract In The Netherlands, around 20.000 people die each year from the effects of smoking and passive smoking. Every week, hundreds of children become addicted to smoking. To improve the overall public health in the Netherlands, it is important to substantially reduce the prevalence of smokers. Until recent years, municipalities played next to no role in helping to reduce smoking in the Netherlands. The start of a large campaign that aims a smokefree generation by 2040 has changed that. Part of that campaign is to create smoke-free environments. In a two-year program, 90% of the Dutch municipalities started policy and actions to ban smoking from public places, as part of the National Prevention Agreement. The participating municipalities were supported by all 25 Regional Health Services (GGDs) by providing knowledge and manpower on a regional level, together with national, regional and local organisations. The project has a number of successful elements: the GGD received a (very small) budget to actively participate in the region; knowledge was shared between the regions and from national to local level and legal issues were dealt with by the Nat Assoc of Municipalities (VNG). In 2021, 317 out of 352 Dutch municipalities were active in this project. There is a significant increase of smoke-free environments, mostly schoolyards, playgrounds, sports facilities, smoke-free bus stops and municipal institutions. Other results are integrated plans for smoking cessation care and accessible stop smoking service, e.g. in GGD Fryslan the number of registrations for smoking cessation care increased dramatically and 80% actually quit smoking. All parties involved agree that the strength of this project is its positive approach and the broad social support it generates for the Smokefree Generation. It is about persuasion, not compulsion. Working from a national focus towards a smoke-free environment, while taking into account local differences and needs, makes this project a success. Key messages • This project resulted in more local and regional partnerships and an increase of smoke-free environments, bringing the ultimate goal of a Smokefree Generation closer. • 90% of Dutch municipalities have created smoke-free environments with the guidance of the regional GGD, financed by Ministry of Health: multilevel governance works.