scholarly journals The Role of a Collaborative Research Network (CRN) in Improving the Arabian Gulf Countries’ Performance in Research and Innovation

Author(s):  
Ali Al-Soufi ◽  
Jaflah Al-Ammary

Research and development is considered a main source of knowledge and innovation in the Gulf countries and Arab region. Therefore, building a Collaborative Research Network (CRN) in the Gulf is necessary for high quality and sustainable research. In this paper, the authors examine the role of CRN in improving Gulf countries’ performance in research and innovation. Four objectives have been set: investigate the current situation regarding scientific research and CRN in the Gulf countries, identify factors that influence the building of a CRN, identify the impact and contribution of CRN in improving the Gulf countries’ performance, and develop a model. To achieve these objectives, a quantitative method was adopted. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 100 participants. The current paper presents the first stage of research that investigates the role of building CRN in improving the Gulf countries’ performance in research and innovation. The next stage will examine the model of building CRN.

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-35
Author(s):  
Ali Al-Soufi ◽  
Jaflah Al-Ammary

Research and development is considered a main source of knowledge and innovation in the Gulf countries and Arab region. Therefore, building a Collaborative Research Network (CRN) in the Gulf is necessary for high quality and sustainable research. In this paper, the authors examine the role of CRN in improving Gulf countries’ performance in research and innovation. Four objectives have been set: investigate the current situation regarding scientific research and CRN in the Gulf countries, identify factors that influence the building of a CRN, identify the impact and contribution of CRN in improving the Gulf countries’ performance, and develop a model. To achieve these objectives, a quantitative method was adopted. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 100 participants. The current paper presents the first stage of research that investigates the role of building CRN in improving the Gulf countries’ performance in research and innovation. The next stage will examine the model of building CRN.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-63
Author(s):  
Mariana Sandu ◽  
Stefan Mantea

Abstract Agri-food systems include branching ramifications, which connect in the upstream the input suppliers with farmers, and downstream farmers, processors, retailers and consumers. In the last decades, at the level of the regions, food systems have undergone rapid transformation as a result of technological progress. The paper analyzes the changes made to the structure, behavior and performance of the agri-food system and the impact on farmers and consumers. Also, the role of agricultural research as a determinant factor of transformation of agri-food system is analyzed. The research objective is to develop technologies that cover the entire food chain (from farm to fork) and meet the specific requirements of consumers (from fork to farm) through scientific solutions in line with the principles of sustainable agriculture and ensuring the safety and food safety of the population.


Author(s):  
Ferdinand Thies ◽  
Sören Wallbach ◽  
Michael Wessel ◽  
Markus Besler ◽  
Alexander Benlian

AbstractInitial coin offerings (ICOs) have recently emerged as a new financing instrument for entrepreneurial ventures, spurring economic and academic interest. Nevertheless, the impact of exogenous and endogenous signals on the performance of ICOs as well as the effects of the cryptocurrency hype and subsequent downfall of Bitcoin between 2016 and 2019 remain underexplored. We applied ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions based on a dataset containing 1597 ICOs that covers almost 2.5 years. The results show that exogenous and endogenous signals have a significant effect on the funds raised in ICOs. We also find that the Bitcoin price heavily drives the performance of ICOs. However, this hype effect is moderated, as high-quality ICOs are not pegged to these price developments. Revealing the interplay between hypes and signals in the ICO’s asset class should broaden the discussion of this emerging digital phenomenon.


2021 ◽  
pp. 107-120
Author(s):  
Viktor Medennikov

The article substantiates the need to re-evaluate the role of human capital in the development of society in the digital age. Since high-quality education is the main direction of the formation of human capital in any country, the importance of creating an information space for scientific and educational institutions is demonstrated. A methodology for assessing the level of human capital on the basis of information scientific and educational resources is proposed. The author presents results of calculations obtained by this method on the example of agricultural educational institutions and a mathematical model for assessing the impact of human capital on the socio-economic situation of the regions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Chow ◽  
Samuel Kai Wah Chu ◽  
Nicole Tavares ◽  
Celina Wing Yi Lee

This study explored the impact of the role of teacher-researchers on in-service teachers’ professional development, as well as the reasons behind the lack of a teacher-as-researcher ethos in schools. In the study, teachers from four Hong Kong primary schools participated in a school-university collaborative research project that promotes collaborative inquiry project-based learning (IPjBL), in which they took the dual role of the teacher and researcher. Five focus group interviews were conducted with the teachers to collect in-depth qualitative data on their experiences. The impact of this experience on teacher professionalism was examined from four dimensions: knowledge enrichment, school culture, teaching practice and curriculum design. The study provides evidence for the benefits of teacher research and sheds light on how university-school collaboration could contribute to engaging teachers in action research in their everyday classroom.


Author(s):  
Athbi Zaid Khalaf

Purpose The purpose of this study is to cover the change that happened in the American foreign policy toward Iran by changing the American leadership from Obama to Trump. In addition to its coverage for the Iranian foreign policy toward the Arab region during the presidency period of Obama in the USA and also during the presidency period of Trump, to discover whether a change has happened in the Iranian foreign policy toward the Arab region is a result of the change in the American foreign policy or not. This can be discovered by concentrating on Yemen, Syria and Iraq, taking into consideration the Iranian and American national interests in the Arab region, as well as the regional role of Iran and its intervention in the Arab region. Design/methodology/approach This study was based on the analytical method of the foreign policy that is based on analyzing facts and events, as well as analyzing the roles and interests within the framework of the states’ foreign policy. This method was used in the study for the purpose of analyzing the impact of the change in the American leadership from Obama to Trump on the US foreign policy toward Iran in the light of the American interest; in addition to the Iranian foreign policy toward the Arab region (Yemen, Syria and Iraq) in the presidency period of both Obama and Trump in light of the regional role of Iran and its passion to achieve its national interest. Findings The study concluded that the change in the American foreign policy toward Iran is a result of the change of the American leadership from Obama to Trump by the American interest requirements in accordance to the respective of both of them. The change in the American policy led to a change in the trends of the Iranian foreign policy toward the Arab region in the term of the regional Iranian role. Under the American and Iranian convergence in the period of Obama, the Iranian role in the Arab region was limited to what could achieve its national interest and what did not threaten the American interest, especially after Iran had guaranteed that the USA is by its side. In the framework of the American and Iranian confrontation under Trump’s current presidency, the Iranian role has expanded in the Arab region, where Iran has intensified its intervention in Yemen, Syria and Iraq politically and militarily. Iran became more threatening to the American interest, as it became a means of pressure to the USA under Trump’s ruling in the purpose of changing its position toward it. Originality/value The importance of the study stems from the fact that it is seeking to analyze the change of the American foreign policy toward Iran within the period of two different presidential years of Obama and Trump, whereas, their trends were different in dealing with Iran between rapprochement and hostility toward it, on the basis of the American interest. In addition to testing whether this change in the American foreign policy toward Iran has been accompanied by a change in the Iranian foreign policy toward the Arab region.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia Marques Postal ◽  
Gabriela Benatti ◽  
Mar Palmeros Parada ◽  
Lotte Asveld ◽  
Patrícia Osseweijer ◽  
...  

The growth in biofuels’ investment brings with it concerns about the social and environmental impacts of the sector. Several tools and frameworks have been used to address these concerns, including the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) framework. This paper analyzes whether this framework can be applied in contexts where local culture and values shape differently the freedom of speech and engagement, such as in developing countries in which biofuel innovation projects are often implemented. A literature review focused on eight case studies of other authors was used to explore the role of “participation” as a structural element of the RRI framework and the impact of its absence where effective participation in the innovation development process is not possible. In conclusion, we highlight how this inspirational normative framework, designed to influence innovation, is misused to judge its impacts. More than that, the conclusions of such misused applications reflect more the difficulties involved in applying guidelines than the responsible character of the innovation, whose impacts are usually defined upfront materially and measurably.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-86
Author(s):  
Muna Balfaqeeh

Abstract During the last decade, the Arabian Gulf region has headed towards an increasing use of a ‘Pan Gulf vernacular’, “…a homogenized form of ‘Gulf’ speech not identifiable with any particular Gulf community” (Holes, 2011: 130), where new words are introduced or borrowed from neighboring Gulf countries while many others disappear from the local lexicon. This paper is an extension of a previous study (Balfaqeeh, 2015) in which the Emirati vernacular was investigated in order to identify which words had become obsolete from Emiratis’ mental lexicon and been replaced by what were considered to be more accessible words borrowed from neighboring Gulf countries. The method used is twofold: a vocabulary test generated from two popular Emirati TV serials: ‘Sh-ḥafan’ (1970), and ‘Firi:dʒ’ (2006). In addition, a Likert scale survey measured students’ perception of their use of the Emirati vernacular and the possible reasons that may have led to the disappearance of some of these words. The aim of this study is to measure the attrition of Emirati vocabulary among young people and measure their attitudes (mostly opinions) towards language use and language change. The research also concentrates on multiculturalism, the media and social media, and the economy and each of these areas’ possible roles in driving language change in the UAE. Finally, the researcher considered whether masculinity and exposure to culture and heritage play roles in the subjects’ competence in Emirati. The analysis of the data confirmed that despite the male subjects’ exposure to culture and heritage, it did not have any impact on their competence or use of the Emirati vernacular. It also confirmed that the subjects are aware of the impact of the above-mentioned factors and their implications for identity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Triyani Triyani ◽  
Lovy Herayanti ◽  
Syifaul Gummah

The role of education is to improve the quality of education, especially in producing high-quality students. High-quality students are those who are able to think critically, creatively, logically and take initiatives in responding to issues in society caused by the impact of the development of science and technology. This study aims to determine the effect of a scientific approach to students' critical thinking skills. This study is an experimental research with one group pretest-posttest design. The sample of this study consisted of one class (28 students), which was treated using a scientific approach. Critical thinking skills are measured using a test instrument and then analyzed statistically (t test). Hypothesis test results indicate that there is an effect of using a scientific approach toward students' critical thinking skills.


Author(s):  
Charles Z Levkoe ◽  
Alison Blay-Palmer ◽  
Irena Knezevic ◽  
David Szanto ◽  
Nii A. Addy

How can academics and community practitioners better collaborate to overcome the existing barriers? What role can intersectoral research collaboratives play in supporting, enhancing, and sustaining the impact of community-engaged research? In response to these broad questions, this paper shares insights from the Food: Locally Embedded, Globally Engaged (FLEdGE) community-engaged research network, a collaborative, interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners that crossed sectors, scales, and geographies. The FLEdGE research program ran from 2015 to 2021, and built on over a decade of academic and community partnerships to assess the current and potential role of food initiatives as pillars for sustainable transformation. Our mixed-methods study draws on data from a social network analysis survey, summary reports, semi-structured interviews, and reflections from the authors who were all active members of the network. Our findings reveal that beyond making theoretical and practical contributions to food systems scholarship and initiatives in the participating regions, FLEdGE played an important role in building food movements across Canada and beyond. We describe this as a modular approach, an organizational structure in which multiple units (or modules) operate independently while also sharing enough commonalities that allow them to be interrelated, modified, and reconfigured in diverse and dynamic ways. We argue that intersectoral research networks adopting a modular approach require interdisciplinarity and collaborative methodologies, but also flexibility and critical reflexivity. In addition, we underscore that setting objectives, both overarching and tactical, requires a negotiated approach, particularly when budgetary administration resides within an institutional partner.


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