University Business Education for the “New Global Normal”

This chapter examines the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on university business education within the context of a post-pandemic era which has created the “new global normal.” The speed at which a nation's society and economy will recover in the “new global normal” shall largely determine the degree to which business organizations and university business education in different nations reinvent themselves to meet the new global transitions brought on by the pandemic. This will entail being more innovative with products, services, organizational structure, and business modeling than in the past. The chapter suggests university business education focuses on entrepreneurial leadership to combat post-pandemic uncertainty which is a complex situation requiring a delicate “balancing act” between practice and theory that considers its effect on global income inequality to be successful for all societies.

PARLIAMENTARY AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN BULGARIA. TAKE 3

The article analyzes the preconditions, course and outcome of this year third consecutive elections to the National Assembly (14th November) and of the Head of State (14th November to 11th November). The epilogue of the protracted political crisis caused by the inflexibility of the leadership of the new «protest parties» (ETN, DB and «Stand Up Bulgaria...») resulted in their loss of both people’s trust and a significant number of parliamentary seats. The «We continue the change» movement hastily put together by two Harvard graduates Kiril Petkov and Asen Vasilev, both former ministers of the interim cabinet who proved themselves sensible managers, turned out to be able to respond to surviving hopes of the electorate for changes for the better. They were backed both by the President and external partners (Washington and Brussels). The President’s upright behavior in a complex situation ensured his re-election for a second term thus demonstrating obvious superiority over his main electoral contender. Based on the tough lessons learned by the hapless former leaders of the protest, the new movement changed the course of action, and Petkov managed to form a coalition government with the participation of socialists, although the same could have been achieved immediately after the first elections. The rather diverse new cabinet faces difficult tasks of tackling the pandemic in a country with a majority actively advocating against vaccination, of putting an end to the corrupt practices of the former regime whose members still retain strong political positions, and of starting economic and social recovery. These challenges do not promise an easy or a long life to the government. The general conclusion that can be drawn from the recent developments is that brought to power on the tide of a mass protest political amateurs might be able to play the role of a battering ram against a rotten regime but they turn out to be less competent in effectively exercising their authority. It remains only to believe that the government that has got to work will be able to prove the opposite.

Modernity as Crisis: Goeng Si and Vampires in Hong Kong Cinema (translation into Russian)

This article is a translation of a chapter from the collective monograph Draculas, vampires, and other undead forms: essays on gender, race, and culture, edited by John Edgar Browning and Caroline Joan (Kay) Picart (2009, Scarecrow Press). The author analyzes the question of how Hong Kong cinema responds to the complex situation of Hong Kong's transition from its status as a British territory on loan to a special territory with extended autonomy within the PRC. As a marker pointing to the crisis development of this process, the Chinese people's particular ideas about the so-called “goeng si” (“jumping corpses”) were chosen. These revived corpses move in a peculiar jumping way, due to which they received this name. According to the author, in the images of these creatures, as well as in the cinematic vampires that have become an integral part of films made by Hong Kong studios, all the contradictions of the cultural and political situation in Hong Kong are manifested as in a mirror. Despite the fact that Hong Kong was able to actively oppose the global cinema represented by Hollywood, it had to adjust to the global cinematic trends in which vampires played an important role. All of this led to a certain hybridity of images that combined both Western and Chinese traits.

Building South Vietnamese delta settlements in the Whirlwind of climate change

Deltaic settlements worldwide are facing unprecedented challenges. This is especially the case in the Mekong Delta, where high population density, capital, and service provision increasingly intersect to expose vulnerable communities to the adverse effects of climate change. Due to a limited understanding of climate change, the presence of unique hydrological phenomena, and anthropogenic actions, the complex situation of the delta and its settlements has led to the implementation of inadequate architectural and urban solutions. This has caused abrupt socio-economic changes, shifting from an ecological integration mindset to a normative and disruptive approach resulting in the imposition of unsuitable models. Community capacity, which includes low-cost, circular and reuse practices, can offer more ecological perspectives on sustainable building in the delta. Illustrating local in-depth environmental expertise, communities have developed socially and environmentally adapted construction cultures. This paper argues for an alternative paradigm in which cities and settlements promote and integrate local building knowledge to enable architectural and urban forms to play a leading role in the resilience of South-Vietnamese deltaic cities and to mitigate developmental impact on the environment. Findings show a diversity of options and capacities at the local scale and flexibility in housing design. They also show that persistent gaps in policymaking and inconsistent perception of risk affects architectural and urban climate resilience. The discussion and conclusion advance the potential of local capacity in the building of South-Vietnamese deltaic cities, the need to integrate local knowledge and community capacity into policy, and the necessity to better assess local perception barriers to formulate localised, integrated and multisector policies to build resilient and sustainable South-Vietnamese settlements.

The ‘Dutch Case’ and Its Civilizational Dimensions: Situating the Transition Debate to Capitalism

The Netherlands is considered to be an exemplary case of study of the transition to capitalism. Most studies, however, lack a comprehensive interpretation synthesizing the different aspects and providing a summarized idea of this complex situation. The perception and pursuit of the civilization perspective outlined by M. Weber and F. Braudel, enables the identification of the basic dimensions of early capitalism in the Netherlands. The debate on the transition to capitalism is used as a methodology and interpretative forum for approximation of the views of both scientists and their further development through the prism of contemporary views. The general picture of the epoch of the 17th century outlines the idea that the country has not been completely transformed into capitalist but the process had already started. Certain cultural, economic and political preconditions and factors had contributed to its development whilst it was dependent on their combination both in internal and European and global context. It was found that to a lesser degree the role of the socio-cultural dimensions of capitalism is outlined, which may be based on the factual situation as well as on its incomplete interpretation in the different studies. The pluralistic explanation of the transition to capitalism renders it possible to clarify this assumption and use it in subsequent studies.

A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of an Engineering Programme

<p>The extensive literature relating to student barriers within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and, in particular, engineering education illustrates that STEM education has a widespread problem in retaining students. A plethora of studies have concentrated on placing the student at the centre of the problem – for example by focusing on student academic ability, work habits and social background. By analysing staff interviews, and investigating pertinent factors from the surrounding institutional, cultural and social environment, I shift the focus away from the phenomenological experience of individuals to examine the way power relations affect the teaching and learning environment. Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) offers a theoretical and methodological basis for critically exploring networks of power, through the investigation of discourse and can provide insights into the complex situation in the School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS). I use FDA to ask: how is power experienced and manifested by lecturers in the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (BE) first-year teaching and learning environment at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), New Zealand. I do this by analysing transcripts of interviews with teaching staff, as well as ECS, University, and Government documentation. By adopting an FDA approach to lecturers’ experiences of power, situated in the New Zealand neoliberal educational context, I aim to identify issues that impact the teaching and learning environment. These include academic practices relating to Government and University pressure to increase engineering student recruitment and retention numbers, an academically diverse incoming student cohort, course design, teaching and research. From a Foucauldian perspective, the New Zealand Government, the University, its lecturers, and students are all part of an educational setting comprising a complex network of power relationships active in the operation of the teaching and learning environment. By placing lecturers at the epicentre of the situation and by understanding how lecturers both experience and exercise power in the teaching-learning environment, the issue of student retention may be re-framed. This study offers a unique perspective from which we can assess these problematic experiences at the source, whether that be at government, institution, department, teacher or learner level. As such, by exploring the operation of power, this thesis explores an important aspect of the retention problem which has never been fully investigated in NZ engineering education.</p>

A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of an Engineering Programme

<p>The extensive literature relating to student barriers within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and, in particular, engineering education illustrates that STEM education has a widespread problem in retaining students. A plethora of studies have concentrated on placing the student at the centre of the problem – for example by focusing on student academic ability, work habits and social background. By analysing staff interviews, and investigating pertinent factors from the surrounding institutional, cultural and social environment, I shift the focus away from the phenomenological experience of individuals to examine the way power relations affect the teaching and learning environment. Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) offers a theoretical and methodological basis for critically exploring networks of power, through the investigation of discourse and can provide insights into the complex situation in the School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS). I use FDA to ask: how is power experienced and manifested by lecturers in the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (BE) first-year teaching and learning environment at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), New Zealand. I do this by analysing transcripts of interviews with teaching staff, as well as ECS, University, and Government documentation. By adopting an FDA approach to lecturers’ experiences of power, situated in the New Zealand neoliberal educational context, I aim to identify issues that impact the teaching and learning environment. These include academic practices relating to Government and University pressure to increase engineering student recruitment and retention numbers, an academically diverse incoming student cohort, course design, teaching and research. From a Foucauldian perspective, the New Zealand Government, the University, its lecturers, and students are all part of an educational setting comprising a complex network of power relationships active in the operation of the teaching and learning environment. By placing lecturers at the epicentre of the situation and by understanding how lecturers both experience and exercise power in the teaching-learning environment, the issue of student retention may be re-framed. This study offers a unique perspective from which we can assess these problematic experiences at the source, whether that be at government, institution, department, teacher or learner level. As such, by exploring the operation of power, this thesis explores an important aspect of the retention problem which has never been fully investigated in NZ engineering education.</p>

Patients’ experiences of medicines on initiation of antineoplastic agents for the treatment of colorectal cancer: a qualitative study

ObjectiveTo explore the patients’ experiences on initiation of treatment with antineoplastic medicines for colorectal cancer.DesignA qualitative study using semistructured, face-to-face interviews based on the adapted patients’ lived experience with medicines conceptual model was conducted. Ethics approval was granted. Interviews took place while eligible patients were receiving their first cycle of antineoplastic medicines, audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used.SettingNational oncology hospital in Malta.ParticipantsAdult patients over 18 years, newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer and initiating treatment with 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) or capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) between October 2018 and September 2019 were recruited. Patients were included if fully aware of their diagnosis and the treatment being received. A purposive sample of 16 patients participated in the study.ResultsFive themes emerged from our analysis: (1) beliefs and knowledge on cancer and treatment; (2) healthcare system in relation to treatment; (3) medicine-taking practice; (4) medicine-related impact and (5) personal support structure. In addition, 16 subthemes were identified to describe the interplay of all aspects of the patients’ experiences on initiation of treatment with antineoplastic medicines.ConclusionThis qualitative study illustrated that the patients find themselves in a complex situation on initiation of treatment with antineoplastic medicines. The patients’ knowledge on their specific treatment and active participation in making an informed decision need to be addressed. The healthcare system should develop tailored patient-centred services that specifically address the lack of patient empowerment and patient’s concern about treatment specific information.

Meeting the Challenges of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care: Lessons Learned From an International Perspective

The outbreak of COVID-19 is a major challenge for health care systems all over the world. Older residents of long-term-care facilities (LTCF) such as nursing homes (NH) are among those at highest risk for COVID-19 and comprise a population with dramatically higher rates of morbidity and mortality than the general community. NH staff are also affected by the pandemic as they are challenged by increased workloads, emotional burden caused by the loss of resident life, and the fear of becoming infecting themselves or infecting family members. Finally, the pandemic places emotional and practical demands upon informal carers who are involved in the life of the NH resident. Therefore, research should investigate different perspectives on LTCF during the pandemic and discuss major challenges and possible support structures and strategies. Such an understanding is necessary to optimize care, support post-pandemic recovery, and prepare for future public health challenges. This international symposium will therefore provide four presentations to address these issues. The first presentation will report on global mortality data associated with COVID-19 in LTCF. The second presentation reports on the situation in German NHs addressing the complex situation of morbidity, care dependency, and social isolation. The third presentation will describe the effects of the pandemic upon NH staff in Poland. The final presentation examines the impact and guidelines of allowing visitors in NHs in the Netherlands for residents, family caregivers and staff. Our discussant, Marie Boltz, will synthesize the research findings and lead a discussion of future directions for policy and practice.