Sectors Of Activity Research Articles

Responsibly Buying Artificial Intelligence: A ‘Regulatory Hallucination’

Abstract As part of its ‘pro-innovation’ approach to artificial intelligence (AI), the UK has left public sector AI procurement and deployment to ‘regulation by contract’ based on thin guidance. Borrowing from the description of AI ‘hallucinations’ as plausible but incorrect answers given with high confidence by AI systems, I argue that this is a ‘regulatory hallucination’: an incorrect answer to the challenge of regulating the procurement and use of AI by the public sector. The pretence that public buyers can ‘confidently and responsibly procure AI technologies’ can generate individual harms and broader negative social effects as the public sector ramps up AI adoption and accumulates a potentially significant stock of AI deployments across all areas of public sector activity. I sketch an alternative strategy to boost the effectiveness of the goals of AI regulation and the protection of individual rights and collective interests through the creation of an independent authority.

FEATURES OF FINANCIAL AND LEGAL LIABILITY IN UKRAINE

The subject of the study is public relations in the field of financial and legal responsibility in Ukraine. Methodology. The methodological basis of the study is the methods of induction and deduction, the dialectical-materialistic method, the method of analysis and synthesis, and the historical method, which allowed for an objective understanding of the content and essence of the issues under study. The aim of the article is to analyse the theoretical aspects of the features of financial and legal liability in Ukraine in order to propose effective ways to improve the mechanism of these procedures. The results of the study have shown that the independence of financial responsibility in Ukraine is emphasised by the relevant criteria, which include the obligation of a person guilty of committing a financial offence to undergo measures of state coercion provided for by the sanctions of financial legislation. Conclusion. Financial responsibility in Ukraine is a legal relationship with a special procedural form of implementation. Financial and legal responsibility is an independent measure of financial sovereignty of the state, has its own legal nature and occupies a certain place in financial legal relations. At the same time, it should be said that liability for violation of financial legislation does not exist only within the framework of financial legislation. Financial responsibility is undoubtedly a type of legal responsibility and is primarily due to the special sphere of sectoral activity of the state and its authorised bodies, which today is considered to be the financial activity of the state, where not all subjects of law are involved, but only subjects of financial law and their financial obligations, which differ only in their ownership, price and public character. Another peculiarity is that, as a rule, financial and legal liability is by its nature restorative, aimed at eliminating negative and other undesirable consequences caused to the financial system of the state. This feature of financial and legal liability reflects the public nature of financial obligations, the fulfilment of which is ensured by the application of financial liability. Some peculiarities that distinguish financial liability in Ukraine are caused by the nature of financial offences that are the basis for financial liability and distinguish financial liability from other types of liability applied both in connection with administrative and disciplinary offences and in connection with criminalised financial crimes and civil offences, the subjects of which are usually independent individual subjects of financial activity, individuals, and companies.

Results of 2023 for Regional Budgets. Is the Restructuring of the Economy Visible?

The generally favorable situation with the implementation of the consolidated budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation in 2023 is a result of the positive dynamics of key macroeconomic indicators, expressed in an increase in tax revenues of budgets. In the context of generally high growth rates of tax revenues, the federal transfers showed a slight nominal increase. In most regions, there has been a reduction in federal transfer recеipts, which may indirectly indicate an emerging revision of the existing model of inter-budgetary relations. There is a certain dependence of the dynamics of transfers on the dynamics of tax revenues and the availability of funds (last year’s surpluses) in the budget accounts of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The structure of tax revenues by type of economic activity has not yet shown significant changes. There is a pronounced decrease in the share of wholesale and retail trade, against the background of an increase in the share of the financial sector and extractive activities. Expenditures of regional budgets in 2 023 grew more actively than revenues, which led to the formation of a deficit in the consolidated budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The differing growth rates of budget expenditures have the consequence of the continued concentration of regional-level expenditures in a relatively narrow group of the most powerful regions in terms of economic potential. The increase in the volume of accumulated state subfederal debt occurs in conditions of active substitution of market forms of debt obligations with loans from the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation.

Issues of productive employment of rural population of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The goal is an integrated approach characterizing the state of labor resources in agricultural sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan; identifying the main problems and ways to solve them to increase employment and well-being of rural residents. Methods – monographic, economic-statistical, abstract-logical, qualitative and quantitative methods of scientific research. Results – based on application of economic-statistical method, it is noted that provision of personnel to agricultural sector of the republic’s economy is unsatisfactory in terms of both quantitative and qualitative indicators. Foreign experience in supporting labor activity in agriculture has been studied. The issues of implementing state programs for sustainable development of agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan are analyzed. The dynamics of changes in labor force nationwide by gender and age for the period from 2019 to 2023 are presented. The level of wages in agro-industrial production is shown in comparison with other sectors of economy. The authors provide data on shortage of labor reserves at the average and managerial level of agricultural enterprises. Trends in the number of employed people and reasons for the outflow of young personnel from rural areas have been identified. Proposals have been developed to increase the number of people employed in agricultural sector of the republic. Conclusions - scientific results obtained during the study can be used to develop and implement various government programs aimed to increase employment, level and quality of life of rural residents of Kazakhstan. The efficient use of human capital contributes to the growth of labor productivity in rural areas. The expansion of rural employment in modern conditions is associated with development of the real sector of economy and small businesses, industry diversification, use of various types of agribusiness, primarily processing, tourism, service sector, and alternative activities of economic entities.

Pelestarian Penyu kepada Generasi Muda Untuk Keberlanjutan Satwa Langka di Kawasan Sanur, Denpasar, Bali

Turtles as one of the rare and almost extinct animals need to be preserved. The prevention effort taken is through conservation. Conservation cannot work alone without the support of the surrounding community. For this reason, there is a need for public awareness of the importance of preserving turtles. Community service activities by IPB International lecturers and students were carried out in the Sanur area, Denpasar, Bali. The activities are giving counseling about turtle conservation as well as activities to clean up the beach area. Counseling was given by a manager from the turtle sanctuary conservation. There are three stages carried out in this activity, namely the preparation, the counseling, and the cleaning stages. In the preparation stage, the team approached community supervisory groups, fishermen groups, and youth groups in Sanur. Next, the counseling stage was carried out with material about the life cycle of turtles and the process of caring for them. In the final stage, the beach area is cleaned to create a comfortable place for turtles that lay their eggs and hatch on the coast. This community activity is felt to be very beneficial for the young generation who live around the Sanur Beach area. In the future, the community hopes that the team will carry out similar activities in other tourism sectors that can benefit the community in the Sanur area.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Transition to Sustainability Trajectories: An Activity-Based Conceptual Analytic Framework

As the road to environmental and social sustainability is tied to large-scale systemic transitions, inevitably, sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship should be considered in their context. In this paper, we investigate how entrepreneurial opportunities develop in trajectories of sectoral transitions to sustainability. We adopt a social practice perspective and, based on insights from sectoral systems of innovation, socio-technical systems and activity theory, we develop an activity-based template/framework to represent sectors and their inherent dynamics in a structured and holistic way. The framework allows for the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities in the contradictions that emerge during transitions in the activities of sectors due to internally developed inconsistencies and/or external interventions. Hence, plausible narratives of the anticipated business futures can be constructed. It also surfaces the role of learning and knowledge creation, i.e., innovation, in resolving contradictions, thus creating value and stirring transitions in the direction of sustainability. The case study of the transition of the automobility sector to sustainability is used to test the framework proposed.

Implementation of Information and Communication Technology Innovation Policy through E-Government in Public Services

The development of information and communication technology encourages changes in community activities in various sectors. One of them is in the public service sector brought by the government through e-government. This research aims to discover how information and communication technology innovation policies are implemented through e-government in public services. The method used in this research is Systematic Literature Review (SLR) from the Google Scholar site within the year of 2012-2023. From the search results, a selection process was performed, resulting in 20 journals for analysis. The research results show that many of the current researchers are focusing on e-government, specifically regarding public services at the local government level. Interviews and observations are widely used data collection techniques. Elements that help the implementation of e-authorities offerings in public offerings are supported via way of means of a organized bureaucratic structure, making plans and a centralized and ok system. Obstacles for the implementation of e-authorities offerings in public offerings are encouraged via way of means of the exceptional of human resources, incomplete making plans, the exceptional of centers and infrastructure, and public recognition of e-authorities itself

Current research and opinion on land governance for societal development in and on the global south

The articles analysed and presented in this editorial are from the Special Issue (SI) entitled, Current Research and Opinion on Land Governance for Societal Development in and on the Global South, curated from an e-conference that brought together many diverse scholars and practitioners from across the global land community. These articles can become multi- inter- and cross-disciplinary reference material for in-class and on-field education and learning in land studies. Their knowledge base covers specific subjects on land use planning, urban development, land administration, land governance, land policy, rural development, land management, real estate, land tenure, property rights and gender and women concerns (to mention a few). All scholars within the land profession—whether in the business, geography, sociology, area studies, anthropology, planning, engineering and the built environment disciplines—are encouraged to read, use and apply this knowledge base in their distinct roles in the land sector or land-related activities.

A science-based heuristic to guide sector-level SDG investment strategy

ABSTRACT Aligning investments with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been a longstanding ambition for many private investors. The assessment of corporate impact on the SDGs is not a trivial task, and most present-day attempts often overlook SDG interactions, and lack scientific anchoring and transparency. We present an evidence-based review approach for investors to assess sector-level impacts on individual SDGs, and score these using a traffic-light system. Our initial review documents impacts of 81 economic sectors on SDGs 1-16. Results show that environmental SDGs are impacted negatively by most economic sectors, and that primary sector activities negatively impact the highest number of SDGs. Using the agricultural sector as a case, we draw on Causal Loop methodology to illustrate spillovers resulting from SDG interactions. Our findings point to three key considerations of relevance for sustainable investment strategies; the necessity to capture ‘impact shadows’, spillovers across SDGs, and the hierarchical nature of the SDGs.

Commercial Determinants of Health and its influence on trauma care

As the World Health Organization (WHO) states, Commercial determinants of health (CDoH) are the private sector activities that affect people’s health, directly or indirectly, positively or negatively. The private sector influences the social, physical, and cultural environments through business actions and societal engagements. CDoH includes all products and services provided by private entities to gain a financial profit, market strategies, research funding, working conditions, production externalities, and political activities, such as misinformation, lobbying, and donations. Some parts of the private sector also use instrumental, structural, and discursive power to undermine public health policies that threaten profits. Therefore CDoH impacts a wide range of health outcomes, such as non-communicable diseases, communicable diseases and epidemics, injuries on roads and from weapons, violence, and mental health conditions

Private Sector Participation and the Development of University Education in the Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, 1999-2021: A Historical Analysis

The main thrust of this paper is to historicize the involvement of the private sector in the development of university education in Nigeria in the Fourth Republic. While the year 1999, marked the commencement of the birth of the second batch of private universities in Nigeria, the year 2021 was when the last batch of private universities were granted provisional licenses of operation by the Federal Government. History of educational development in Nigeria has its origin in the activities of the private sectors, that is, the Christian missions. Their involvement in the development of western education in the country between the late 19th and 20th centuries was mainly confined to the provision of primary and secondary education. Up to the birth of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the provision of university education in the country was exclusively the responsibility of both the Federal and the State governments. Although an attempt was made during the Second Republic, 1979-1983, to encourage private sector participation, this eventually failed. However, with the return to civil rule in 1999, the country witnessed the emergence of the second attempt towards private sector involvement in the development of university education. The paper argues that the active involvement of the non-state actors in the delivery of university education in Nigeria since 1999 has helped in improving efficiency in delivery, expanding service coverage as well as increasing manpower production. The methodology adopted for this work is historical, qualitative and quantitative, utilizing materials from both primary and secondary sources.

BIOECONOMY – PRESENT AND FUTURE

The pressure on ecosystems has intensified as a result of excessive pollution, overexploitation and depletion of natural resources. This imposes the need of a radical change in the existing methods of processing, storage, recycling and disposal of biological resources by establishing sustainable production and consumption models. The need to step up the transition to both clean energy and sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems has never been stronger and clearer. Future implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Action Plan will need to take into account the implications for food and energy prices, as well as the prices of energy-intensive products and global supply chains, and address the resulting additional pressures on natural resources at ecosystem boundaries. Activities in the bioeconomy sectors are especially reliant on healthy ecosystems to ensure a sustained production of biomass, but at the same time activities along the bioeconomy supply chains generate environmental impacts which can damage local and global ecosystems. The bioeconomy is directly related to 11 of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals but though the EU undertakes the steps necessary to achieve sustainability, there is still a wide range of actions to be taken in order to ensure the transition towards bioeconomy and to mitigate and eliminate the negative impacts on the environment. In the study we have focused on three important indicators that give insight about current state and trends in EU and Bulgaria about bioeconomy, respectively employment in the bioeconomy, turnover in bioeconomy, and value added at factor cost in the bioeconomy. The trend in Bulgaria follows that of the EU for those indicators which indicates the continuity of the measures adopted at the EU level and the consistency of the actions at the supranational level. The paper is based on a thorough review of available reports, analysis of official documents as action plans, communications, programs, strategies and data related to bioeconomy at EU level, reviewed in the context of global efforts for achieving sustainability. The main objective of this research is to represent the international efforts aimed at the protection of natural resources and to evaluate the measures taken to stimulate the EU transition towards bioeconomy. Keywords: Bioeconomy, European Union, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals JEL: Q01; Q56; Q57

The Unequal Economic and Livelihood Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdowns: Qualitative Evidence from Uganda.

Lockdowns were a key policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While they were viewed as a necessary intervention, concerns were raised about their potential for harmful economic and livelihood impacts. However, few studies have addressed the unequal economic and livelihood impacts of lockdowns. Our article reports findings from a qualitative study conducted in Uganda on economic and livelihood impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns in urban and rural settings. This study used 14 focus group discussions, 40 household, and 31 key informant interviews in both urban (Kampala district) and rural (Wakiso district) areas in central Uganda. Data analysis was conducted thematically with NVivo 2020 (QSR International). The findings emphasize the unequal impacts of the COVID-19 lockdowns across a range of dimensions: informal sector activities, formal employment, fluctuating prices alongside scarcity and surpluses, food insecurity, and government interventions. Wealthier households in urban areas were least affected, with urban households reliant on informal sector activities experiencing the most significant impacts. Our findings also suggest that longer-term development strategies, such as increased food self-sufficiency and informal sector interventions can support future pandemic preparedness and response. To address these impacts, policymakers should provide targeted support, alongside protecting key productive sectors, and supply chains.

Review and comparison of three emerging regional space agencies: the African Space Agency, the Arab Space Coordination Group, and the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency

Groups of nations with aligned strategic interests on Earth are joining forces to bolster their interests in space. In particular, within the last six years three new regional space agencies have been formed in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. These are the African Space Agency (AfSA), the Arab Space Coordination Group (ASCG), and the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE). In this study, a regional space agency is defined as an organisation with actor quality established between multiple national governments, underpinned by legal instruments, to promote cooperation across the full spectrum of space sector activities, with participation from most countries within an extended geographical area. This paper provides the first comprehensive review and comparison of the AfSA, ASCG, and ALCE, at a time when all three agencies are still in their infancy and being operationalised. Their history, current status, and future prospects are charted, drawing upon diverse media including in local languages. The European Space Agency (ESA), the oldest regional space agency, is included as a reference point. The study is expected to be useful for local policymakers as well as those in other regions considering the creation of a regional space agency, such as Southeast Asia.

Analisis Kerusakan Jalan C. Bangas Kota Palangka Raya

Roads are land transportation which is the main supporting factor for the entire community, especially in the economic sector and other social activities. The damage to the C. Bangas road is like road damage in general, namely that there are many holes in the road caused by rainwater which .will flood the road. This research was carried out using 2 (two) methods, namely the Pavemanet Condition Index (PCI) and the Surface Distress Index (SDI) Method. The research was carried out along Jalan C. Bangas, Palangka Raya City, with a road length of 875 meters and divided into 18 segments with 50 meter intervals. The results of the research will be compared between the 2 (two) methods used. From the results of the research conducted, there are differences in the level of road damage in the PCI and SDI methods. The average PCI value for all roads is 17,278. The PCI value indicates that the condition of the road surface is serious, so it is necessary to upgrade/reconstruct the road. The average SDI value for all roads is 51,389. The SDI value indicates the road surface condition is Medium. So it is necessary to carry out routine maintenance. With this it can be concluded that the 2 (two) methods used got different results, namely the PCI method got serious results (severe damage) and the SDI method got moderate results (moderate damage)..

Challenges of integration of immigrant students into Slovenian primary schools—Perspectives of teachers and other professionals

The primary school sector, where educational and socialization activities occur, is the first and most important sector for integrating migrant students into a new environment. Nevertheless, the 2019 Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) for Slovenia concludes that while Slovenian integration policies provide equality on a legal or theoretical level, they do not fully integrate immigrants into society. Therefore, this research has answered the main research question with a methodologically empirical analysis based on semi-structured interviews with teachers or other professionals in selected primary schools. The study examines the integration of immigrant students into Slovenian primary education, specifically within the pedagogical framework. It explores the challenges encountered by pedagogical and professional staff in this context, as well as the experiences of immigrant students and the overall classroom community throughout the educational process, as reported by the interviewees.

Unveiling Economic Synchrony: Analyzing Lag Dynamics between GDP Growth and Construction Activity in Poland and Other EU Countries

This study examines the dynamic relationship between the business cycle and the construction sector activity in 27 EU countries, focusing on Poland. Using the cross-correlation function (CCF) and a set of economic- and construction-related variables, including GDP growth, construction production, building permits, and construction operating time by backlog, quarterly data from 2000Q1 to 2023Q2 (94 quarters in total) are analyzed. Beyond the CCF analysis, causality is also examined using Toda–Yamamoto tests to explore the nuanced temporal relationships between GDP growth and construction activity proxies. The research uncovers synchronized positive lag max results for construction production, suggesting a harmonized response to broader economic changes, especially within 9 to 11 quarters. In contrast, building permits and construction time by backlog show divergent positive lag max values, suggesting the need for tailored, localized strategies. Negative lag max values emphasize the anticipatory role of the construction sector as an early indicator of economic change. Overcoming methodological challenges, this study provides insights critical for policymakers and researchers, promoting a nuanced understanding of economic synchrony and guiding informed strategies for sustainable development. Future recommendations include refining localized strategies based on lag patterns for optimal economic management.

Analysis Of Service User Satisfaction With The Performance Of Supervisory Consultants Based On Implementation Allocations In The Housing And Settlement Area Activities Of East Java Province

To realize better infrastructure development for housing and settlement facilities in East Java province and the success of the project, the government, especially in the PRKP sector of East Java Province, collaborates with service providers, one of which is supervisory consultants. This encourages supervisory consultants to improve their understanding of customer satisfaction. This research has several objectives, namely identifying variables related to the project management performance in the PRKP sector activities in East Java Province, measuring the customer satisfaction level of project management performance in the housing sector activities in East Java Province, and identifying the variables in the project management performance of the PRKP housing sector activities in East Java Province that need to be proposed for improvement or maintenance to enhance customer satisfaction. The research stages include the background of the research, formulation of the problem and research objectives, literature review, preliminary survey, data collection, data testing, and data analysis. The analysis method used is the customer satisfaction index and importance-performance analysis. The customer satisfaction index analysis results show a CSI value of 93.55%, indicating satisfaction. Meanwhile, the importance-performance analysis (IPA) results reveal an overall gap score of -13 and an overall conformity percentage of 94.61%, indicating that the project owner is not satisfied with the project management performance of the supervisory consultant. The importance-performance analysis (IPA) in this study identifies variables with high importance and satisfaction to be maintained, namely Integration Management, Scope Management, Schedule Management, Resource Management, Communication Management, and Procurement Management. Meanwhile Cost Management, Quality Management, Risk Management, and Stakeholder Management have low priority and need improvement.

The market of medical tourism: opportunities and perspectives

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and the complex geopolitical situation have considerably reduced international medical travel, which has had a significant impact on the medical tourism market. At the same time, these circumstances have acted as a trigger for expanding the range of opportunities in the domestic market and the emergence of new types of medical services, such as vaccine tourism.
 AIM: To study the current opportunities of the medical tourism market in Russia and to outline promising areas for its development and optimization in view of the existing limitations.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The article reviews current legislative and regulatory legal acts, publications of modern authors on the issue of medical tourism development in Russia and also studies the demand for and popularity of medical tourism among the consumer audience (through Google Trends service).
 RESULTS: Based on the analysis, it is established that the main difficulties of medical tourism sector development in our country at the present stage are weak transport infrastructure, low targeting of services and imperfections of the unified register.
 CONCLUSION: Such problems as weak transport infrastructure, low targeting and amateur private sector activities reduce the pace of development of domestic tourism. Given the current shortcomings, optimization of the domestic medical tourism market in Russia requires building new logistics solutions.

On the possible impacts of a regulatory change on resource conservation: The case of the plumpox virus in France

Preserving natural resources in the context of global change includes looking at how to protect trees, whether in forests or for fruit production, from various epidemic diseases. A change in European regulation presently underway (EU 2016/2031; currently, in 2023, transitional measures are being implemented in France) transfers, from the public authorities to the profession (all the tree growers susceptible to be concerned), the responsibility for detecting plum pox virus, which has the potential to damage virtually all stone fruit orchards, and for eliminating the affected trees. Yet the disease is a viral one, transmitted by a vector (aphids) from tree to tree and from orchard to orchard. Within a few years, fruit from contaminated trees can no longer be marketed. We show here that, in the context of this new regulation, the heterogeneity of the tree growers (due to the size of the orchards, the diversification of the crops, the future of the farm...) can lead to a recrudescence of the disease throughout the stone fruit orchards. This would also imply all kind of negative effects on the economic (employment in the agricultural sector, national trade balance, processing and marketing sector activities...), social and environmental (landscapes...) levels. The results can easily be generalised to any problem of conservation of natural resources whose management is delegated to private stakeholders.