How COVID-19 Has Stimulated Innovation in the Chinese Education Sector

2022 ◽  
pp. 343-364
Author(s):  
Poshan Yu ◽  
Samuel Kwok ◽  
Zhongyue Jiang

This chapter aims to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 in China's education sector. It will capture the dynamics of the interlinked changing relationships between the availability and use of education technology (EdTech) and the demand for online learning among various stakeholders in the Chinese education market. In addition, this chapter examines whether and how these relationships enhance operational efficiency via transforming the current business models in the sector, in particular due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By analyzing the current practices of the sector, this chapter will critically discuss the challenges and opportunities for technology in education and how these changes in turn drive stakeholders (including students, educators, and regulators) to respond and engage with each other, and how these stakeholder engagements impact the sustainable development of delivery modes, such as digital education and remote learning by using EdTech strategies in the sector.

2020 ◽  
pp. 29-36
Author(s):  
М.V. Zos-Kior ◽  
V.Y. Ilin ◽  
I.M. Kyryliuk ◽  
O.V. Solod

The article describes the digitalization of ecological and economic principles of agricultural enterprise development management. It presents effective techniques for adapting enterprises to the challenges of the smart economy, which changes human needs, products, services, value chains, markets, processes, business models, forms of competition and business partnerships. The article proves the efficiency of precision farming, which includes parallel driving, yield mapping, differentiated application of seeds and fertilizers. It is determined that the lack of systemic demand for digital solutions from domestic agricultural enterprises and rural communities and unpreparedness (strategic, financial, technological, personnel, organizational, etc.) of most enterprises and communities to cardinal innovations significantly deter the formation of smart agribusiness in Ukraine. The article describes the system of measured indicators and capabilities of the Hummingbird Technologies platform and consequences of its implementation for land management, in particular normalized relative biomass index, leaf surface index, crop heterogeneity map, plant lodging risk map, weed map, seedling density map, electronic maps creation tasks, task map for differentiated desiccation, task map for differentiated application of herbicides, task map for differentiated application of growth regulators in plants. It justifies the need to intensify the work of rural a community, which try to communicate with agricultural producers on mutually beneficial terms and with other stakeholders for the sustainable development of rural areas. The issues of participation of rural communities in projects to increase soil fertility, organization of organic farms, service cooperatives, which are directly or indirectly related to the effective management of environmental and economic development of agricultural enterprises. The article shows the necessity of professional development of business engineers, personnel and strengthening of role of analytics for agricultural enterprises to digitalize the economic activity.


Author(s):  
Vasja Roblek ◽  
Ivan Erenda ◽  
Maja Meško

The purpose of the chapter is to find out the meaning of the sustainable development in the post-industrial society in the first half of the 21st century. The financial crisis that started in 2008 is an indicator of how short-term profitability mindsets and related strategies, policies and actions of individuals and individual organizations can cause global economic, ecological and ethical crises. These events have contributed to the judgement that most organizations operate on business models that are not sustainable. The conceptual content contributes to the ongoing discussion about the increasingly important role of sustainable development as a major concern for the profit and non-profit sector that wish to develop the policies that will enable low but sustainable growth of society.


Author(s):  
Job Taminiau ◽  
Joseph Nyangon ◽  
Ariella Shez Lewis ◽  
John Byrne

Establishing a sustainable energy future can justifiably be considered the next frontier in global sustainable development under the agenda laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The newly adopted Paris Agreement which seeks to hold global average temperature increase to “well below 2°C” above pre-industrial levels inserts additional urgency into this agenda. To realize the commitments outlined in the agreement, implementation of innovative sustainable business models capable of producing strong mitigation and adaptation outcomes is required ‘on the ground' and needs to be available for subsequent diffusion across different countries, contexts and domains. This chapter explores the value of polycentric climate change governance through an investigation of sustainable business model innovation. An example of a sustainable business model, called the Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), is evaluated and an assessment of United Nations-based programming to aid future diffusion of such business models is conducted.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 772-785
Author(s):  
Unai Tamayo ◽  
Gustavo Vargas

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of biomimicry to inspire sustainable development in economic systems. The research purpose is to explore the link between ecological systems and economic systems to highlight applied environmental solutions. The goal is to propose some driver to develop sustainable business practices inspired on the principles of biomimicry. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a theoretical approach that builds the basis for a better understanding of the relationship between nature and sustainable economic decisions. The premise is that in the field of sustainable development, strategies based on “learning from nature” are useful. Furthermore, the concept of biomimicry provides principles and tools specifically aimed at design practice. Findings The complexity of economic systems has shown that high levels of abstraction are required when conceptualising problems and explanations related with nature-inspired solutions. Stakeholder engagement and transdisciplinary collaboration are required to face long-term environmental challenges. Moreover, the exploratory analysis applied in this paper appeared suitable to compile existing literature. Practical implications The study provides some general guidelines and empirical approach through case studies that could help decision makers convert nature-inspired alternatives into valuable strategic business opportunities. Although presented practical cases are framed in the local sphere (i.e. the Basque Country), they can serve as references in other international contexts. Social implications New business models should recognize the positive synchronization between well-managed social, environmental and economic systems. Originality/value The proposed ideas deepen the understanding on the sustainable development and the link between ecological and economic systems. In fact, the concept of biomimetic economy has not been dealt with or developed in depth in previous academic works, nor has it been published thoroughly in the field of research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 311 ◽  
pp. 02015
Author(s):  
Sergey Efimushkin ◽  
Anna Efimushkina

The article, on the basis of domestic and foreign experience, the problems of possible limitations in the short term, natural resources, as well as the possibility of increasing the effectiveness of the solution of global problems of natural resources and sustainable development of society by improving innovation, creating natural-like technology, the convergence of technological innovation, organizational transformation and designing new business models. The examples of the development of innovative technologies, the creation of technical equipment and their practical use in the interaction of universities and industrial enterprises are considered. The possibilities of increasing synergies through the use of business incubators, science and technology parks, technology clusters as well as partnerships between universities and industrial enterprises are considered. The foreign experience and successful domestic experience of innovative activity of the regions confirming the prospects of creating innovative territories of priority development using the integration of scientific, educational and industrialentrepreneurial activities of various forms of organization and support of innovative activities are presented. The analysis of the competencies and characteristics of an engineer-entrepreneur necessary for successful work in the modern conditions of an innovative economy is carried out, as well as recommendations for the successful formation of the required competencies and characteristics.


2019 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 03002
Author(s):  
Yuri Fridman ◽  
Ekaterina Loginova ◽  
Galina Rechko

The article views the problems related to harmonizing the development of a resource area. Kemerovo Oblast – Kuzbass is selected as the object of this study. We point out that, in the absence of consensus between authorities and business concerning the prospective development of the region, its economy may decay even despite obvious success in the fundamental industry, namely coal mining. It is strategically important for Kuzbass to create an efficient infrastructure for transforming the development of the coal industry into the economy-wide development of the region. Taking into account best international harmonization practices, we propose a conceptual system of mechanisms aimed at coordinating the interests of the commodity-driven business and the resource area built on the ‘common grounds’ shared by the coal industry and Kemerovo Oblast. The concept in question relies on the need to introduce business models to the industry management that would harmonize with the interests of the territory. At the same time, the territory should start to build a new economy by creating new standards that would establish requirements for doing business.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Fioramonti ◽  
Luca Coscieme ◽  
Lars F Mortensen

In a 2014 issue of Nature, members of our research group called for abandoning the gross domestic product as the key indicator in economic policymaking. In this new article, we argue that a new post–gross domestic product economy focusing on wellbeing rather than material output is already emerging in the Anthropocene, thanks to the convergence of policy reforms and economic shifts. At the policy level, the Sustainable Development Goals require policymakers to protect ecosystems, promote greater equality, and focus on long-term equitable development. At the economy level, the provision of services has outpaced industrial production as the key driver of prosperity, with innovative business models optimizing the match between supply and demand and giving rise to a burgeoning “sharing economy”, which produces value to people while reducing output and costs. The economic transformation already underway is, however, delayed by an obsolete system of measurement of economic performance still dominated by the gross domestic product–based national accounts, which rewards the incumbent and disincentives the new. We show that a different approach to measuring wellbeing and prosperity is the “missing link” we need to connect recent evolutions in policy and the economy with a view to activating a sustainable development paradigm for a good Anthropocene.


Author(s):  
Antonina Ivanova Boncheva ◽  
Alfredo Bermudez-Contreras

AbstractMangroves are ecosystems made up of trees or shrubs that develop in the intertidal zone and provide many vital environmental services for livelihoods in coastal areas. They are a habitat for the reproduction of several marine species. They afford protection from hurricanes, tides, sea-level rise and prevent the erosion of the coasts. Just one hectare of mangrove forest can hold up to 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide, more than tropical forests and jungles. Mexico is one of the countries with the greatest abundance of mangroves in the world, with more than 700,000 ha. Blue carbon can be a novel mechanism for promoting communication and cooperation between the investor, the government, the users, and beneficiaries of the environmental services of these ecosystems, creating public–private-social partnerships through mechanisms such as payment for environmental services, credits, or the voluntary carbon market. This chapter explores the possibilities of incorporating blue carbon in emissions markets. We explore the huge potential of Mexico’s blue carbon to sequester CO2. Then we analyse the new market instrument that allows countries to sell or transfer mitigation results internationally: The Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM), established in the Paris Agreement. Secondly, we present the progress of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) to standardize the methodologies to assess their stock and determine the magnitude of the blue carbon sinks. Thirdly, as an opportunity for Mexico, the collaboration with the California cap-and-trade program is analysed. We conclude that blue carbon is a very important mitigation tool to be included in the compensation schemes on regional and global levels. Additionally, mangrove protection is an excellent example of the mitigation-adaptation-sustainable development relationship, as well as fostering of governance by the inclusion of the coastal communities in decision-making and incomes.


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