scholarly journals The Impact of ERASMUS Exchanges on the Professional and Personal Development of Medical Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13312
Author(s):  
Paweł Żebryk ◽  
Piotr Przymuszała ◽  
Jan Krzysztof Nowak ◽  
Magdalena Cerbin-Koczorowska ◽  
Ryszard Marciniak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Specialty Choice ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Competency Development ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Impact

The ERASMUS program is one of the most popular student exchange projects, particularly among the students of Central and Eastern European countries. However, limited research is available with regard to its influence on the professional and personal development of its participants. The study aimed at investigating the experiences and impact of the ERASMUS program on different domains of the personal and professional life of medical students. A questionnaire containing closed and open-ended questions was distributed among 269 former participants of the ERASMUS program from the Poznan University of Medical Sciences to collect qualitative and quantitative data regarding the topic. The response rate was 41%. Mastering professional foreign language skills was the most frequently reported benefit of ERASMUS (94%), followed by a change of approach towards learning by exposure to innovative teaching techniques, character, professionalism and cultural competency development, impact on the migration decisions of the students, as well as the opportunity to compare healthcare and educational systems across countries. Additionally, 57% of respondents stated that ERASMUS impacted their career plans, and few indicated that it had affected their specialty choice. Approximately 28% of respondents have worked abroad in healthcare or research since graduating. Participation in the ERASMUS program proved to be a unique opportunity for professional and personal development.

scholarly journals Does a National Innovation System Encourage Sustainability? Lessons from the Construction Industry in Serbia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3591
Author(s):  
Marija Mosurović Ružičić ◽  
Mirjana Miletić ◽  
Marina Dobrota
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Innovation System ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
National Innovation System ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
System Perspective ◽  
Modern Business ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Impact

Influences from the modern business environment indicate the need for the incorporation of sustainability concepts from an innovation system perspective. In the presented research, we emphasize the energy efficiency concept within the frame of sustainability and innovation. The aim of this research was to underline and explore the relationships between innovation, energy efficiency, and sustainability in the construction industry. To answer the research questions, a questionnaire was created to explore the impact of the energy efficiency certification process on the innovation behavior of construction industry enterprises in Serbia. The results show that energy efficiency has supported innovation, and that there exists a relationship between sustainability and innovativeness in the construction industry. Applying energy efficiency passports has influenced the co-operation of enterprises in the construction sector and other actors in the national innovation system in Serbia. The innovation concept demonstrates that enterprises in the construction industry should be observed as a part of the wider picture—the national innovation system. In turn, the specific context of a particular national innovation system should be seen within the wider picture of national innovation systems of Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs).

The Impact of a Novel Outdoor Orientation Program on Incoming Medical Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 105382592110486
Author(s):  
Jacquelyn B. Kercheval ◽  
Alec Bernard ◽  
Hanna Berlin ◽  
Nicole Byl ◽  
Boone Marois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Orientation Program ◽  
Outdoor Orientation Programs ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Outdoor Orientation ◽  
Outdoor Orientation Program

Background: Undergraduate outdoor orientation programs facilitate students’ transition into college. Research has yet to be conducted on the few programs at medical schools, which may have unique benefits given the specific challenges of transitioning to medical school and high rates of burnout among medical students. Purpose: This mixed methods study examines the impact of one medical school's outdoor orientation program on its participants. Methodology/Approach: A survey was administered immediately following the 2018 trip ( N = 56 responses). Follow-up focus groups were conducted with a sample of the same participants ( N = 18) in 2019. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings/Conclusions: Participants felt that the program helped ease their transition into medical school, establish a support system, and hone personal development and wellness skills. Many of these effects persisted up to one year later. Implications: These findings are of particular interest to the medical and experiential education communities because many outcomes persisted for at least one year after the original trip and aligned with factors believed to protect against medical student burnout. There is opportunity for additional research as well as expansion of similar programs to other medical schools.

scholarly journals Patterns of Interrelationships between Inflation, R&D, Innovation, and Economic Growth: Evidence from Central and Eastern European Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-33
Author(s):  
Ljubivoje Radonjić ◽  
◽  
Nevena Veselinović ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Output Growth ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Impact

The primary objective of the article is to examine the nexus between inflation, R&D, patents, and economic growth within a group of Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). The examination is conducted in two parts. First, the impact of total R&D expenditures on economic growth is observed, as well as the influence of growth on private and public R&D investments. Second, the conversion from private and public R&D investment to innovation, measured by the number of patents, is observed. Throughout the analysis, economic growth and inflation are representative of macroeconomic stability. The outcomes of the panel auto-regressive distributed lag estimation indicate that total R&D expenditures are essential and positively significant for economic growth in the observed countries. The results also show that output growth has a remarkably positive impact on generating private R&D expenditures. Such an influence is also found, but at a weaker level, in the case of public R&D expenditures. In this part of the analysis, inflation has demonstrated a harmful influence on R&D expenditures. The results of the second part indicate that public and private R&D expenditures, at a significant level, generate innovation activities, while the impact of inflation has proven to be unimportant.

scholarly journals Mining, Poverty, and Income Inequality in Central and Eastern European Countries: What Do the Data Tell Us?

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-25
Author(s):  
Kunofiwa Tsaurai
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Random Effects ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Infrastructural Development ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Impact

The study investigates the effect of mining on both poverty and income inequality in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) using econometric estimation methods with panel data spanning from 2009 to 2019. Another objective of this paper was to determine if the complementarity between mining and infrastructural development reduced poverty and or income inequality in CEECs. What triggered the study is the failure of the existing literature to have a common ground regarding the impact of mining on poverty and or income inequality. The existing literature on the subject matter is contradictory, mixed, and divergent; hence, it paves the way for further empirical tests. The study confirmed that the vicious cycle of poverty is relevant in CEECs. According to the dynamic generalized methods of moments (GMM), mining had a significant poverty reduction influence in CEECs. The dynamic GMM and random effects revealed that the complementarity between mining and infrastructural development also enhanced poverty reduction in CEECs. Random effects and pooled OLS shows that mining significantly reduced income inequality in CEECs. However, random effects and the dynamic GMM results indicate that income inequality was significantly reduced by the complementarity between mining and infrastructural development. The authorities in CEECs are therefore urged to implement mining growth and infrastructural development-oriented policies in order to successfully fight off the twin challenges of poverty and income inequality.

scholarly journals Domestic Final Demand as a Determinant of R&D Activity in Selected Central and Eastern European Countries

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-128
Author(s):  
Iwona Świeczewska
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Final Demand ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Household Demand ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Leontief Model ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Impact

This article presents the results of an empirical study conducted based on selected countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The study focused on the impact of domestic final demand for products manufactured by individual industries on the R&D activity in the country. The main research tools are the Leontief model and R&D multipliers. The application of the input-output methods allows domestic R&D expenditures to be broken down into institutional sectors to establish what part of the expenditures is embodied in products manufactured to meet final household demand, in exports, etc.

The roads of ‘excellence’ in Central and Eastern Europe

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 547-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Antonowicz ◽  
Jan Kohoutek ◽  
Rómulo Pinheiro ◽  
Myroslava Hladchenko
Keyword(s):  
Eastern European ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
Flagship Universities ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Strategic Funding

The aim of the article is to explore the impact of excellence as a powerful policy idea in the context of recent and contemporary developments in three selected Central and Eastern European countries, namely, the Czech Republic, Poland and Ukraine. More specifically, we explore how excellence as a ‘global script’ was translated by policy makers into local contexts with institutionalized practices. It shows that the translation of the idea of excellence involved the rise of a series of novel policy measures such as long-term strategic funding and the establishment of various pertinent schemes (e.g. flagship universities, centres of excellence). By doing so, the analysis – which is comparative by nature – focuses on exploring major differences and similarities in the conceptualization and implementation of the idea of excellence in the three local contexts of science.

scholarly journals The impact of real exchange rates on price competitiveness in Eastern European countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
Nadiia Proskurnina ◽  
Jürgen Kähler ◽  
Rosario Cervantes-Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Exchange Rates ◽  
Real Exchange Rates ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Local Exchange ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Countries In Transition ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Impact

The subject of this paper is empirical research on studies of exchange rates in Eastern European countries, such as Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, (North) Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia, in order verify the validity of theories that explain these changes. This research aims to explain the mixed evidence of the Balassa-Samuelson effect in Ukraine, taking into account the intentions of Ukraine to become a member of the European Union. Unlike previous works, the attention is shifted to a review of empirical evidence and the identification of main factors that limit the ability to verify the theory. The main conclusion is that all the currencies studied underwent substantial real appreciations during the study period. Thus, it can be concluded that an adequate monetary policy in countries under study is very important, given that local exchange markets are not sustainable enough and the volatility of exchange operations is higher than in countries with developed economies. However, the Balassa-Samuelson Hypothesis (BSH) can explain the impact of the real exchange rate due to changes in productivity in countries in transition.

scholarly journals Challenges and Motivational Facilitators of Social Accountability in Medical Students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahbobeh Mohammadi ◽  
Mehdi Bagheri ◽  
Parivash Jafari ◽  
Leila Bazrafkan
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Informed Choice ◽  
Social Accountability ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Educational Challenges ◽  
Content Analysis Method ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Background: Accountability in the community is one of the main missions of the medical school. Objectives: The current study aimed at explaining the motivational facilitators and challenges in medical students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, for social accountability based on their experiences. Methods: The current study using semi-structured interviews was conducted on 28 individuals, 16 of whom were students and 12 professors and managers of the medical school. Purposeful sampling was used up to saturation. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method. First, conceptual codes were extracted and then grouped into several main themes. Selected concepts or main themes included facilitators, inhibitors, or challengers. Results: Selected concepts or main themes included facilitating factors and educational challenges for the social accountability of the students. The facilitators included informed choice, personality and moral commitment, content and process of motivation, promotion of community-based learning in the university, and the role of professors in motivation. The inhibitors or challenges included traditional routines, ineffective evaluations, manners of meeting the students’ needs, the lack of educational facilities, and the impact of the increased number of students on the quality of education. Conclusions: According to the current study findings, the conditions and facilities should be shared among medical education programs to provide a supportive environment for the students, and take a positive and effective step toward motivating them to improve their accountability.

scholarly journals The Impact of Interplay Between Formal and Informal Institutions on the Development of Innovation Networks: A Comparative Study of CEECs

2021 ◽  
Vol 13(49) (3) ◽  
pp. 105-120
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Godlewska
Keyword(s):  
Case Study Research ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Informal Institutions ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Innovation Networks ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Economies In Transition ◽  
Formal And Informal Institutions ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this paper is to present the results of comparative case study research concerning the impact of the interplay between formal and informal institutions on the development of innovation networks of the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). The primary contribution this article makes is to link the literature on the interplay between institutions related to innovation networks in a broad range of economies in transition like CEECs. This paper provides an understanding of how interplay between these institutions may influence the development of innovation networks of CEECs. Practical policy recommendations are to introduce a risk guarantee mechanism, which may promote the innovation process at different levels and influence the development of innovation networks later.

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