Ranking Of Countries Research Articles

Distribution by country, region, and publisher in environmental engineering journals in SCImago Journal and Country Rank database (1999–2022)

Distribution by country, region, and publisher in environmental engineering journals in SCImago Journal and Country Rank database (1999–2022)

Precision in decision-making: a novel Z-number DEA approach for European country rankings

PurposeConventional approaches such as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Fuzzy Data Envelopment Analysis (FDEA) cannot effectively account for uncertainty, which can lead to imprecise decision-making. Furthermore, these methods frequently rely on precise numbers, ignoring the inherent uncertainty of real-world data. To address this gap, the research question arises: How can we develop a methodology that combines Z-number theory and FDEA to provide a comprehensive assessment of residency preferences in European countries while accounting for uncertainty in information reliability? The proposed methodology aims to fill this gap by incorporating Z-number theory and FDEA.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed study assesses residency preferences across 39 European countries, focusing on key factors like environment, sustainability, technology, education, and development, which significantly influence individuals' residency choices. Unlike conventional DEA and FDEA approaches, the proposed method introduces a novel consideration: dependability. This inclusion aims to refine decision-making precision by accounting for uncertainties related to data reliability. The proposed methodology utilizes an interval approach, specifically employing the a-cut approach with interval values in the second step. Unlike using crisp values, this interval programming resolves formulations to determine the efficiencies of decision-making units (DMUs).FindingsThe comprehensive findings provide valuable insights into the distinctive factors of European nations, aiding informed decision-making for residency choices. Malta (75.6%-76.1%-75.8%), Austria (78.2%-78%-76.1%), and the United Kingdom (79.3%-78.4%-77%) stand out with distinct characteristics at levels of a = 0-a = 0.5-a = 1, assuming the independence of variables of the overall evaluation. Individual consideration of each factor reveals various countries as prominent contenders, except for the environmental factor, which remains consistent across countries.Originality/valueTraditional DEA models encounter challenges when dealing with uncertainties and inaccuracies, particularly in the evaluation of large systems. To overcome these limitations, we propose integrating Z-numbers—a powerful mathematical tool for modeling uncertainty—into the conventional DEA process. Our methodology not only assesses the effectiveness of countries across various socio-economic and environmental metrics but also explicitly addresses the inherent uncertainties associated with the data. By doing so, it aims to enhance the precision of decision-making and provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders.

Mitigating subjectivity and bias in AI development indices: A robust approach to redefining country rankings

Artificial Intelligence (AI) indices have emerged to assess countries’ progress in AI development, aiding decision-making on investments and policy choices. Typically, these indices are derived from a linear weighted sum of various criteria, employing deterministic weights. However, this approach fails to capture interactions among criteria, and the use of deterministic weights is susceptible to debate. To mitigate these issues, we conduct a methodological analysis based on Choquet integral (CI) and Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis 2 (SMAA-2). We assess correlations between different AI dimensions and employ CI to model them. Additionally, we apply SMAA-2 to conduct a sensitivity analysis using both weighted sum and CI in order to evaluate the stability of the indices with regard to the weights. Finally, we introduce a ranking methodology based on SMAA-2, which considers several sets of weights to derive the ranking of countries. In the computational analysis, we evaluate our approach using the dataset employed in The Global AI Index, as proposed by the British news website Tortoise. The results reveal that our approach effectively mitigates bias. Furthermore, we scrutinize changes in the ranking resulting from weight adjustments and demonstrate that our proposed rankings closely align with those derived from variations in weights, indicating robustness.

Analysis of editor in chief gender and associated journal variables among 126 pathology journals.

Gender equity studies have shown that women are underrepresented in journal editor in chief positions, which confer major professional opportunities and influence. We sought to systematically investigate editor in chief gender and journal attributes within pathology. We constructed a journal data set using the Scimago Journal & Country Rank and Clarivate Journal Citation Reports databases. We also included official journals of the major medical societies for the 12 pathology subspecialties recognized by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The final data set included 126 journals. We obtained editor in chief gender, impact factor, publication model (ie, hybrid access vs open access), year of founding, and geographic location for all included pathology journals. Women made up only 18% of the 141 total editor in chief positions. This inequity was present irrespective of all pathology journal variables studied. Among 10 journals with 2 editor in chief positions, 5 had only men and 5 had 1 man and 1 woman. All 3 journals with 3 editor in chief positions had 2 men and 1 woman. Women are significantly underrepresented among editor in chiefs across pathology journals. Journals and affiliated members should advocate for diversity among these influential positions, given their impact on research, science, and medicine.

Publications and ranking in orthopaedics and sports medicine of European countries during the last three decades: A bibliometric analysis

IntroductionThe present investigation examined the trend of publications and ranking in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine of European countries during the years 1996 to 2022 and compared these with all the regions globally. MethodsIn September 2023, the SCOPUS data of publications in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine from the SCImago Journal & Country Rank website were retrieved. All the data from Western and Eastern Europe were extracted from the overall data of the global countries and merged into Excel files, for each of the years 1996–2022 and 2022. ResultsWestern European countries contributed significantly to the global share of publications in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine with nearly 1/3rd of the total publications. Eastern European countries’ contribution was minimal to the global publications and was almost 10 times less than the Western European countries. The total number of publications in the area of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine from 1996 to 2022 at the European scale was led by the United Kingdom (N = 51510) and has maintained its supremacy until recently, in 2022. Amongst Western European countries, during the cumulative period of 1996–2022, the maximum contributions were made by the United Kingdom (N = 51510), and also in 2022, the United Kingdom contributed maximally (N = 3339). In the cumulative period of 1996–2022, Poland contributed maximally (N = 4049) among the Eastern European countries. In 2022, the maximum contribution from the Eastern European countries came from the Russian Federation (N = 462). ConclusionThe European continent is the major contributor to Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine research and publications, with almost 1/3rd of the global share of publications. Western European countries are far ahead in their contributions than Eastern European countries.

Is journal prestige indicator equivalent of money for humans?

In this paper, we investigate the time evolution of the rank correlation coefficients of the prestige indicators of the journals (such as Scimago Journal Rank) over 21 years, for 9856 journals in various disciplines. The observed dependencies do not differ qualitatively from those observed for the time evolution of the ranking correlations in wealth rheology among the richest people recently found by Burda et al. [Entropy 23, 842 (2021)], but quantitatively the changes in rank correlations for human wealth are much stronger than in the coefficients measuring the prestige of journals. In terms of Kendall's rank correlation coefficients, disciplines "Agricultural and Biological Sciences" and "Earth and Planetary Science" are the most typical, meaning that the time evolution of their rank correlation coefficient based on Scimago Journal Rank is closest to the time evolution of an average over all disciplines. The time evolution of the mean value of the overlap ratio is closest to the time evolution of the overlap ratio for "Psychology" and "Physics and Astronomy" disciplines. The Kendall rank correlation coefficients and the overlap ratio decrease nearly linearly over time, except for the first year, where their decay is significantly faster. The analogy between human wealth and the prestige indicators of journals is strengthened by performing a Monte Carlo simulation of the time evolution of the probability distribution function of Scimago Journal Rank. The simulation is based on a simple model of economic systems. Due to the different coverage of the journals in Scimago Journal & Country Rank and Web of Science, the identically defined measures based on the data in these databases are different.

Kraje Unii Europejskiej a ubóstwo, przed i po kryzysie COVID-19

The purpose of the paper is to evaluate and present the position of the European Union countries according to the poverty level before and after the COVID-19 crisis, combining five individual indicators. The GRA (Grey Relational Analysis) method was used to calculate the composite poverty indicator. To assess poverty, the study uses criteria from the official database of the European Commission and calculates the aggregate index for 2019 and 2022. All criteria in the model have the same relative importance because the method of equal weight coefficients is applied. The paper proved that the Czech Republic and Slovenia had the most favourable indicators of poverty in both periods, while Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Latvia occupied a critical position. In general, the countries of Southern Europe and the Baltic countries have poor poverty indicators. Compared to 2019, according to the country rankings, the poverty level is significantly higher in Finland, Germany, and Hungary, while after the pandemic, the following countries made considerable progress in reducing poverty: Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Cyprus. The presented results can be useful to decision-makers at the macro level in the field of economic, social, and sustainable development policy.

ANALYZING THE EFFICIENCY OF DIGITALIZATION IN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES ACROSS EU COUNTRIES USING DEA MODELS

The process of digitizing businesses involves ongoing investments and additional costs, leading to the inevitable inquiry into the economic impact of digital transformation. Specifically, it's important to evaluate how this process contributes to the economic growth of nations. The article introduces a method for creating a ranking of European countries according to the economic benefits derived from digitalizing businesses of different scales. To achieve this, DEA models were developed to measure the effectiveness of digital adoption by small and medium-sized enterprises and larger corporations. For input variables, we selected metrics that reflect the extent of business digitalization, specifically, the proportion of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) with a high digital intensity index (DII), the percentage of SMEs utilizing cloud technologies, and the contribution of SME turnover to the overall e-commerce turnover. The output variables chosen were metrics indicative of a country's economic health: GDP per capita, the ratio of exports to GDP, and the international investment position. The evidence demonstrates that due to significant differences in size, economic advancement, and digitalization levels among EU countries, the VRS model more adeptly accommodates these disparities. This approach permits the evaluation of each country's performance based on its unique situation and potential for development, without consideration of its economic magnitude. In 2022, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Malta, and Belgium emerged as the frontrunners in digital intensity among SMEs, with nearly 40% of businesses exhibiting a high degree of digital engagement. Among these leaders, only Malta and the Netherlands achieved the highest efficiency in leveraging digitalization for economic growth, as determined by the VRS model that considers variable returns to scale. It was shown, that the economic effect of digital transformation on large enterprises in EU countries is more substantial than on small and medium-sized enterprises.

General trends in the demographic situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan: gender aspect

According to the operational data of the Bureau of national statistics of the agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Strategic Planning and reforms as of November 14, 2023, the population of Kazakhstan was 20,000,000 people. Despite the fact that in recent years there has been an increase in this indicator, it is impossible to neglect the presence of certain demographic problems in the country. Kazakhstan ranks 61st among 242 countries in the world population ranking. In turn, given the fact that the population density in the country is 7.3 people per 1 km2, experts say that in order to reach correspondence between the number of population and the size of the territory, it is necessary that this indicator is increased by no less than two times. Taking into account the fact that the average annual population growth in the Republic of Kazakhstan is 1.2–1.3%, it will take more than 70 years for the population to double. The main indicators that affect the demographic situation in the country include the population, its composition, birth and death rates, marriage and divorce rates, and migration conditions. In this regard, we consider it important to thoroughly study these indicators and, on the basis of this, take measures aimed at optimizing the demographic situation in the country. The purpose of the article is to develop suggestions for increasing the population of the country based on an in – depth analysis of the demographic situation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including the gender aspect.

Terrorism: Interpol Global Policing Goals and SDGs

In this paper, we determined how well an OECD country is achieving the Received Interpol goals with respect to the SDGs pertinent to them. We found that the Scandinavian countries were at the top in the achievement. In combatting terrorism in general, we found that the Scandinavian countries were at the top. We also show that the fuzzy similarity measure of the ranking of countries used by the SDGs relevant to terrorism compared with SDG 16 alone was high. Let [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] be rankings of a set [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] the associated fuzzy subsets, respectively. Consider the similarity measures [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] [J. N. Mordeson and S. Mathew, Journal of Mahani Mathematical Research 13(1) (2024) 279–291]. Suppose that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are known, but [Formula: see text] is unknown. It is shown in the reference by J. N. Mordeson and S. Mathew [Mathematics of Uncertainty for Coping with World Challenges, Climate Change, World Hunger, Modern Slavery, Coronavirus, Human Trafficking (Springer, 2021)] that if [Formula: see text] is near [Formula: see text] then [Formula: see text] is near [Formula: see text] In this paper, a similar result for [Formula: see text] is shown.

Uncovering gaps in women's authorship: A big data analysis in academic surgery.

Women are underrepresented in surgical authorship. Using big data analyses, we aimed to investigate women's representation as first and last authors in surgical publications worldwide and identify underlying predictors. We retrieved eligible surgical journals using Scimago Journal & Country Rank 2021. We queried articles indexed in PubMed from selected journals published between January 2018 and April 2022. We used the EDirect tool to extract bibliometric data, including first and last authors' names, primary affiliation country, and publication year. Countries and dependent territories were classified following World Bank income levels and regions. Women's representation was predicted from forenames using the Gender-API software. Citations were included if gender accuracy was ≥80%. We analyzed 210,853 citations containing both first and last authors' forenames, representing 158 countries and 14 territories. Women constituted 23.8% (50,161/210,853) of the first and 14.7% (31,069/210,853) of the last authors. High-income economies had more women as first authors than other income categories (p<0.001), but fewer women as last authors than upper-middle- and lower-middle-income economies (p<0.001). The odds of the first author being a woman were more than three times higher when the last author was also a woman (OR 3.21, 95% CI 3.13-3.30) and vice versa (OR 3.25, 95% CI 3.16-3.34) after adjusting for income level and publication year. Women remain globally underrepresented in surgical authorship. Our findings urge concerted global efforts to overcome identified disparities.

Impact of horticulture on the sustainable livelihood development of smallholders: a SPAR-4-SLR &amp; future research agenda

Purpose. The perishable nature of the horticulture (fruits, vegetables, and flowers) industry makes it more complex to study. The higher return and nutritional benefits compared to traditional agricultural products expand the research scope for the stakeholders’ sustainable benefit. Nevertheless, despite limited research, this study explicitly examines additional facets of smallholder development beyond the traditional economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Methodology / approach. To fill this knowledge gap, we comprehensively reviewed 73 articles published between 2013 and 2022 in international scientific journals with an SJR (Scimago Journal &amp; Country Rank) Q1 ranking. We followed the “Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews” (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol to identify different aspects of smallholders’ development. Literature from Web of Science and Scopus databases was analysed and organised using the TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methodology) framework. Results. The study identified important factors like infrastructure, commercialisation, market access, marketing, credit, policies, information, intervention, training, technology, and collaboration that could uncover crucial economic, political, social, psychological, ecological, cultural, physical and nutritional aspects of development in general. The study also suggests that implementation Agriculture 4.0 through advanced technologies like IoT, AI, and vertical and bio-fortification practices can help in sustainable livelihood development in horticulture. Originality / scientific novelty. The limited or lack of comprehensive studies on smallholders’ sustainable livelihood development with different dimensions makes this research a bridge to identify other dimensions instead of only focusing on the horticultural sector’s economic, social, and ecological aspects. It uses the Agricultural Innovation System and Farmer First theories, stating that the farmer is the first priority and must collaborate and interact to implement technology and innovations for smallholder livelihood development. Practical value / implications. This research will help in decision-making regarding smallholders’ livelihoods in all eight dimensions at all levels of government, private and other stakeholders, suggesting a triple-helix model.

Generative artificial intelligence: Educational reflections from an analysis of scientific production

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI-Gen) in education is a challenge for educational administrations due to the benefits and risks of its use. This research seeks to analyse the scientific production of AI-Gen in the educational field. The method used was a bibliometric analysis of descriptive and quantitative documents from the Web of Science database. The VOSviewer statistical programme was used to identify the keyword clusters and to create the network map. The results of this study ascertain that 2023 is the birth of AI-Gen research in education and has since produced a total of 178 papers, where Australia heads the ranking of countries with studies on this subject matter. The ChatGPT phenomenon materialises as a focus of study in the majority of cited research. The study includes seven keyword clusters, where the IA-Gen cluster which is related to terms such as challenges, risks and opportunities are highlighted. Following the discussion, the main conclusion of the study denotes that further research is required on the use of AI-Gen during the teaching-learning process in several educational stages to prevent plagiarism and to obtain a comprehensive understanding of this technology as an educational resource.

Increasing Regional Competitiveness through Project Financing

The notion that regional competitiveness can be fostered and controlled to enhance national competitiveness has gained increasing acceptance in the scientific community in recent years. Based on this, several initiatives have been developed and implemented to enhance the company’s competitiveness in specific target regions of Europe and Bulgaria through targeted project financing. This article aims to investigate and evaluate the concept of the “white field” in the competitiveness literature, as well as the influence of project financing on businesses’ competitiveness. The competitiveness of nations is a major topic in many publications. For many years, the World Economic Forum and other international organizations have developed and published country rankings based on the competitiveness index. However, the focus is on the macroeconomic (national) competitiveness context. Over the course of the last two EU program periods (2007 – 2013 and 2014 – 2020), several projects amounting to over BGN 2 billion were approved for funding under the Competitiveness Operational Program. The program is part of the EU cohesion funds and involves partial national financing. Regrettably, there is a lack of social and economic studies regarding the effects of these programs. In summarizing the author’s argument, it can be claimed that project financing in Bulgaria in recent years has failed to establish the conditions necessary to enhance business and regional competitiveness. The following sections of the article’s structure will serve to validate the thesis: The theoretical foundations explain the characteristics of various levels of competitiveness; regional competitiveness is defined, and data on the competitiveness of the municipality of Kardzhali is presented; project financing and regional competitiveness are analyzed based on project financing data in the municipality of Kardzhali. The introduction sets the stage for a discussion of the key definitions related to competitiveness and its dimensions.

The Quest for an ESG Country Rank: A Performance Contribution Analysis/MCDM Approach

Utilizing Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods based on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors to rank countries according to these criteria aims to evaluate and prioritize countries based on their performance in environmental, social, and governance aspects. The contemporary world is influenced by a multitude of factors, which consequently impact our lives. Various models are devised to assess company performance, with the intention of enhancing quality of life. An exemplary case is the ESG framework, encompassing environmental, social, and governmental dimensions. Implementing this framework is intricate, and many nations are keen on understanding their global ranking and avenues for enhancement. Different statistical and mathematical methods have been employed to represent these rankings. This research endeavors to examine both types of methods to ascertain the one yielding the optimal outcome. The ESG model comprises eleven factors, each contributing to its efficacy. We employ the Performance Contribution Analysis (PCA), Clifford algebra method, and entropy weight technique to rank these factors, aiming to identify the most influential factor in countries’ ESG-based rankings. Based on prioritization results, political stability (PSAV) and the voice of accountability (VA) emerge as pivotal elements. In light of the ESG model and MCDA methods, the following countries exhibit significant societal impact: Sweden, Finland, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Denmark, India, Norway, Canada, Germany, Austria, and Australia. This research contributes in two distinct dimensions, considering the global context and MCDA methods employed. Undoubtedly, a research gap is identified, necessitating the development of a novel model for the comparative evaluation of countries in relation to prior studies.

INCLUSIVE ECONOMY AND PUBLIC FINANCE: CURRENT STATE AND PRINCIPLES OF POST-WAR RECOVERY

The purpose of this study is to analyse the current state of the economy and public finances in Ukraine and to develop an inclusive and collaborative framework for their post-war recovery. The main research methods used were quantitative, qualitative and documentary analysis. Quantitative analysis was used to evaluate and compare key economic and financial indicators between different countries, as well as to identify trends, including inclusive ones, in the development of the economy and public finances. Qualitative analysis was used to study and analyse the political, social and economic factors that influence the development of an inclusive economy and public finance after conflicts. The documentary analysis was used to assess the legal and regulatory framework governing economic and financial relations in Ukraine and other countries, and to determine the capacity of the existing regulatory system to ensure inclusive post-war recovery. The results of the study, based on the study of empirical material and typologies of best practices of countries that have been in various types of conflicts, prove the need for an in-depth study of the interactions and interdependencies between the inclusive economy and public finance based on the Inclusive Growth Index and structural changes in the issues of the impact of inclusion on the ontogeny of public finance, solving problems with corruption, involvement of civil society institutions and adaptation of SMEs to the conditions of the military economy. The paper also identifies structural, fiscal and debt obstacles to ensuring the sustainability of public finances, which threatens Ukraine's further post-war recovery based on an inclusive paradigm. The authors present the key determinants of post-war recovery based on an inclusive country ranking, which should underpin further progress in public finance in the context of short-, medium- and long-term post-war goals. The study's conclusions are based on the inclusive economy paradigm, which forms an ecosystem of rationalisation of natural resources and the use of innovations, which should become the basis for post-war recovery, ensuring sustainable and balanced development of public finances and inclusive economic policy based on the Ukrainian Peace Formula. To this end, the article substantiates the need to develop a modified version of the strategy (in the tactical projection – more broadly adapted to the conditions of the wartime economy, the need to provide financial resources for the shift in economic policy from raw material orientation to inclusive development, in the medium term – anti-crisis correction of behavioural models of economic agents in the direction of imbuing the Ukraine Facility Plan for 2024-2027 with the spirit of inclusion and barrier-free access, and in the long term – achieving the goals of post-war recovery, ensuring the sustainability of public finances and the national economy) for reforming the public finance management system, which should organically include the post-war recovery of Ukraine and take into account the inclusiveness of the economy, taking into account the programmed joint evolutionary progress in the specified niche (sectoral) strategies. The new socio-economic, financial and budgetary reality coloured by the Russian-Ukrainian war makes it necessary to rethink the interactions and interdependencies between inclusion, public finance and the potential for post-war recovery, both as a result of their collaboration and multidirectional development. The unregulated transition of economic policy to inclusive development is the root cause of the current restraint of transformational changes in public finance, and further creates a regulatory "vacuum" in the unbalanced development of niche strategies that define the paradigm of inclusion and sustainability of public finance. In such a disposition, there is no logical institutional and regulatory "flow" between these strategies to the conceptualisation of Ukraine's post-war recovery from the consequences of the war, as expressed in the Ukraine Facility Plan for 2024-2027.

Spatial and component structure analysis of the inclusive circular economy: SGICE

Modern statistics and scientific research consider the circular economy rather one-sidedly, essentially as recycling and reuse of resources. The article proposes methodology (concept) of the global inclusive circular economy, which can be considered as a complex multidimensional system, the main components of which are the economic, sociological, ecological and circular aspects of the country's life. To achieve this goal, the GNU regression, econometrics and time-series library was used – an applied software package for econometric modeling, a part of the GNU project. Accordingly, we will define the global inclusive circular economy as the SGICE (Global Inclusive Circular Economy) system, characterized by the vector of functions. For the most exhaustive consideration of the entire range of opportunities of the global inclusive circular economy, the study developed and accordingly analyzed the integrated index of the development of the global inclusive circular economy (IGICE) by ecological, economic, social and circular components with isolated weakly correlated indicators. The ranking of countries was carried out separately by the components of the index, on the basis of which circular cores were distinguished: the social component (Belgium, the Czech Republic, USA, China, France, Greece, Austria, Australia), the ecological component (Japan, Denmark), the economic component (Germany, China), which became the basis for the model of formation of global inclusive circular chains. The conducted cluster analysis based on the component indicators of the index of the global inclusive circular economy confirmed the formation of a large circular gap (gap) in the ecological and circular components. This indicator is introduced for the first time and makes it possible to comprehensively analyze the country and highlight additional effects that arise from the moment of implementation of circular business projects and the inclusion of the country (on the basis of firms, corporations) in global circular chains of added value. After all, the main problematic aspects are the illegal trade in waste and growing smuggling, which cause serious negative social consequences and actualize the inclusive component in the justification of the global inclusive circular economy paradigm. Waste reduction combined with wise use of resources has the potential to address the gap resulting from the scarcity of natural resources and a growing global population or consumption. The formation of circular trade will contribute to: the determination of priority materials for trade and the required level of processing capacity, coordination of material quality standards, promoting demand for used goods and secondary raw materials, removing unnecessary regulatory barriers and avoiding environmentally harmful activities such as non-compliance, poor regulation and informal recovery.

Comparative Analysis of Higher Education Financing Policies Used by OECD Member Countries and Financing Policy Proposal for Türkiye

The Turkish higher education system has developed remarkably in parallel with the developments and changes in the world today. With the ease of access to higher education for students and the increase in the number of students, higher education costs are increasing. This situation puts the higher education system under financial pressure in countries that provide higher education financing from public sources. In this study, higher education financing methods used worldwide are compared and the most appropriate financing method for Türkiye is discussed. For this purpose, the Entropy method was used in weighting the criteria determined for the evaluation of financing policies, and the performance analysis of the alternatives was carried out with the TOPSIS method, which is one of the multi-criteria decision-making methods. Alternative decision options for financing higher education are based on "No Fee", "Pre-charging" and "Income-Contingent Loan-ICL" methods and the main criteria are enrollment, education expenditures and labor force. In this context, sub-criteria were created and the financing methods used by OECD countries were analyzed. Within the scope of the study, it has been determined that the financing methods used by Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom in higher education systems are in the top three. In this context, it has been determined that the "Income-Contingent Loan" method used by the first and third ranked countries is the most preferred method in terms of performance.

Logistics Performance Index of Africa: An Indicator for Türkiye and Africa Trade Relations?

The logistics performance of countries is important in trade flows. As part of the supply chain process, logistics is the backbone of trade processes. In this direction, the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) put forward by the World Bank can be considered as an indicator. With the LPI, countries have the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of their activities in trade and logistics. The aim of the study is to rank and analyze African countries with the integrated Entropy-MOORA Reference Approach using the LPI values for 2023. In order to increase the depth of the study, an evaluation is made based on the trade data between Türkiye and African countries for 2022. The study aims to rank African countries on the basis of six criteria defined by the MOORA Reference Approach and to provide a perspective on the development of Türkiye’s trade relations with African countries in line with trade figures. According to the results of the study, South Africa ranks first, Botswana second, and Libya last in the ranking of LPI countries. Türkiye’s trade volume with the continent, South Africa ranks fifth, Botswana fifty-third, and Libya third. Therefore, there is no correlation between LPI and trade data in current situation.

ГЛОБАЛЬНЫЙ ЭКСПОРТ И ИМПОРТ АПЕЛЬСИНОВ: ОБЪЕМЫ, СТРАНЫ, ТЕНДЕНЦИИ

In this scientific work, the authors analyzed changes in global exports and imports of oranges for 2016-2022, and compiled a ranking of countries that were leaders in the international turnover of this citrus fruit in 2022. During the indicated period, the volume of global exports of oranges decreased from 7431.647 thousand tons to 7415.296 thousand tons, and imports from 7082.773 thousand tons to 7029.937 thousand tons. In 2022, the top ten of their main suppliers Egypt, Spain, South Africa, USA, Netherlands, Turkey, Greece, Australia, Portugal and Morocco were present in international trade. Together, they accounted for 83.72% of the world's exports of this citrus fruit in 2022. The top ten major importers of oranges were the Netherlands, France, Russia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, UK, Iraq, UAE and the USA. In total, they accounted for 50.43% of the corresponding global parameter in 2022. We found that during the study period, imports of oranges to Russia increased from 451.822 thousand tons to 464.641 thousand tons. As a result, our country is in the ranking of the largest importers of this citrus fruit moved from fourth place in 2016 to third place in 2022.