Young women’s (mother’s) needs and expectations regarding the development of professional competences – A comparative analysis of research results from Poland, Lithuania, Spain and Cyprus

Over the last two decades, there has been a significant improvement in the participation of women in education and the labour market in the European Union. Nevertheless, there are still many challenges to improving the situation of women. The excessive burden of household duties is a major barrier to the educational and professional activity of women, especially young women with small children. Apart from the inability to balance work and personal life, other factors limiting women’s professional activity include the mismatch between their education and the challenges of the modern labour market. Although the majority of people with higher education are women, when planning their careers, they tend to choose less attractive courses of study which are not linked to the professions of the future. The text presents the results of an analysis of research on the needs and expectations of young women (mothers) regarding the development of professional competences. The results show in which types of activities raising competences the surveyed women participate; how they evaluate the effectiveness of activities raising their competences in the professional area; what factors influence the decision of women to participate in the selected form of training; what are the attitudes of the external environment of the surveyed women towards their participation in training; what problems the surveyed women encounter in connection with participation in training raising their professional competences. The focus was on similarities and differences in statements of young women (mothers) from Poland, Lithuania, Spain and Cyprus who participating in the international project Mommypreneurs.

The goal of psychological intervention and performed functions of psychologists as an aspect of the professional identity of psychologists: Latvian sample

Professional identity is formed by combination of several aspects, including professional practice, which for psychologists relates to psychological intervention and performed functions. The exclusive goal of psychological intervention and exclusively performed functions of psychologists are an important research subjects because more and more practicing professionals are performing activities linked to psychological intervention. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the exclusive goal of psychological intervention and exclusively performed functions of Latvian psychologists. Data was collected through an online survey developed in the framework of the international project “The Identity of Psychology” [1]. Three open-answer questions were used. Sample consisted of 54 Latvian psychologists of which 91% were women (n = 49) and 9 % were men (n = 5) aged from 25 to 60 years (M = 44.94; SD = 8.98). Data was analysed using thematic categorical content analysis. Findings indicate clear diversity in the opinion about the professional practice among Latvian psychologists. The results of this study indicate limited agreement and comprehension of Latvian psychologists about their professional practice which leads to necessity for further research to investigate the causes of such outcome to determine solutions on how to strengthen their professional practice and, more broadly, professional identity.

OVERPARENTING IN EDUCATION REALITY: TEACHER EXPERIENCE

Most parents would agree that parenting is extremely complex and challenging. It is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of a child from infancy throughout a person’s life. Children are not born successful or unsuccessful. It is up to the parents and their behaviours to become what they become later. Normative or healthy parenting is a precondition for a child’s success, self-confidence, and autonomy. Meanwhile, non-normative, unhealthy parenting or overparenting may have a harmful impact on a child’s social skills and overall life. The research was aimed to gather teachers’ experiences about the existing parenting behaviours and to reveal the dominant parenting patterns that may be observed in nowadays child-raising practices. For this aim the research instrument was constructed designing of which was based on a specific focus on different areas of unhealthy, non-normative parenting. An international study was conducted that led to identification of the key aspects of the experience of teachers working with the overprotective parents and their children. 262 teachers from Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey, Romania and Lithuania participated in the survey. The study findings served to reveal the dominant behaviours of overparenting observed by the teachers The findings also allowed to define the difficulties that teachers face in dealing with overparenting parents and overparented children. The study was conducted in the framework of the international project “Overparenting – allow your children to make mistakes”, project No. 2020-1-PT01- KA204-078497.

MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION OF QUASI-INFINITE DEPLETED URANIUM TARGET IRRADIATED BY 1…10 GeV DEUTERON AND PROTON BEAM

Simulation of a ~21 t depleted uranium target irradiated by 1…10 GeV proton and deuteron particles with the help of FLUKA simulation package was carried out. Neutron spectra and neutron flux in a target volume were obtained. Total number of 235U (n,f), 238U(n,f) reactions occurred in a target were determined. Beam particle power multiplication are calculated. The calculations were performed for the purpose of planning experiments on irradiation of a uranium target (22 tons of depleted uranium) at JINR (Dubna) within the framework of the international project “Energy and Transmutation of RAW”.

Project management

The textbook summarizes modern concepts and approaches in the field of project management and is intended for studying training courses on project Management. The textbook materials are based on the recommendations of the International Project Management Association IPMA (International Project Management Association) and international standards ISO 21500 and ISO 21502. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. For undergraduate, graduate and MBA students of higher educational institutions studying in the direction of "Management". It can be used in practical activities by managers and specialists involved in project management in organizations of various profiles.

Knowledge Building International Project as an Innovative Learning Environment

The Knowledge Building International Project (KBIP), implemented in a network of eight schools in Catalonia, demonstrates the value of an Innovative Learning Environment (ILE) towards supporting dialogical, technological, and systemic dimensions in teaching and learning. Using a design-based research (DBR) approach, a survey queried teachers, students, and external stakeholders regarding their perceptions about educational innovation. The results provide both the profile and the innovative nature of the whole KBIP experience at each participating school. The main results help illustrate the potential of KBIP methodologies. The findings exemplify the value of this particular DBR method for evaluating educational innovations.

Successful Completion of an International Project of the Department of Natural Sciences at New Bulgarian University

The paper presents the results of a successfully completed international project of the Department of Natural Sciences titled “Monitoring and identification of the entomopathogenic fungus Entomophaga maimaiga in Lymantria dispar populations” and funded by the National Research Fund in 2017-2019. Investigating the distribution of E. maimaiga in Austria and Bulgaria in 2018-2019 shows that the pathogen has expanded its range to the west and reached Lower Austria. E. maimaiga has been identified in Bulgaria as well and has become part of the natural enemy complex of L. dispar.

XVIII Russian-Chinese Expert Forum “Resource and Technological Basis of Sustainable Development”

The resource and technological basis for sustainable development became the key topic of the XVIII International Russian-Chinese Expert Forum held on June 15-16, 2021 as part of the Russia-China Cross Year of Innovation and Technology (2020-2021). The program of the event included reports by scientists from Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, who raised the issues of achieving sustainable development goals, introducing technological innovations, improving cooperation between our countries within the framework of the international project "Dialogue partnership as a factor of stability and integration" ("Bridge between West and East "). Fruitful discussions and exchange of experience took place, and plans for further cooperation were outlined.