Raising International Discourse Rights in Translation and Interpreting Pedagogy

This research project aims at consolidating and revitalizing translation and interpreting pedagogy with dual emphasis on the cultural soft power and international discourse rights of China via emphasizing international competitiveness. In order to realize the significant needs of the current market requirements and the new era of China, this project proposes the “ICC” interpreting training model. It refers to the combination of intercultural communication competency with international competitiveness as the teaching and learning outcomes by means of integrating the following five components in the course content and the whole curriculum design: (1) interpreting competency – bilingual competence and interpreting skill-based training; e.g., short-term memory and note-taking; (2) national value – strengthening translation and the crucial roles and responsibilities of interpreter trainers and trainees in disseminating national culture; (3) expertise of subject matters – equipping students with expertise for work field and meeting the market requirements; e.g., specific professional knowledge and jargons demanded by the tasks; (4) professional ethics and image – extra-linguistic knowledge emphasizing a translator’s and an interpreter’s professional code of conduct and ethics in a way that can establish the “iconic” image of a professional interpreter; e.g., confidentiality, posture, and appearance; (5) practical assessment – evaluation of students’ performance in practical translation and interpreting opportunities and/or internship in organizations of various natures according to international standards. This research proposes a new training model to incorporate intercultural communication competency with international competitiveness. The significant role of interpreting pedagogy in contributing to a sound national name is investigated. The new “ICC” model that this research is proposing answers such a call for the significant role of raising cultural soft power and international discourse rights in China.

Scoping Review on Research at the Boundary Between Learning and Working: A Bibliometric Mapping Analysis of the Last Decade

Context: The research field at the boundary between learning and working is multidimensional, fuzzy, dynamic, and characterized by high growth. A study that comprehensively maps and aggregates this research field is missing. Approach: Using tools of bibliometric analysis (bibliographic coupling, co-citation analysis and co-occurrence analysis), we map the research at the boundary between learning and working in a scoping review study. Our study considers peer-reviewed articles published between 2011 and 2020 and recorded in Scopus. In total, 5,474 articles are included in our analysis. Findings: Focusing on the intellectual structure of the research field, we identified the most publishing and most cited countries, journals, and authors, as well as latent collaborative networks among countries, journals, and authors. Furthermore, we used references and keywords to identify the conceptual structure of the research field and distinguished four types of conceptual clusters: motor clusters, highly developed and isolated clusters, emerging or declining clusters, and basic and transversal clusters.Conclusions: Research at the boundary between learning and working is highly parcelled out internationally. This scientific parcelling represents a disadvantage for exchanging ideas and accumulating knowledge. In addition to forming a parcelled field, a dividing line runs between centre, periphery and excluded countries and scientists. Especially scientists from developing countries and nations, economies in transition and those from post-conflict situations are excluded from the international discourse. This situation is more than just a disadvantage for the exchange of ideas and the accumulation of knowledge. Instead, there is a systematic bias in the research landscape here.

Subjektívne vnímané riziká užívania psychedelík

Introduction. With growing interest in hallucinogens, majority of psychedelic research focus mostly on the therapeutic potential and benefits. The objective of this paper is to explore how users of psychedelics verbalize their experience and perceived risks of using such substances. Methods. The authors used a questionnaire with open-ended and multiple-choice items. The sample included persons with at least one phenomenological experience with psychedelics (N = 422, age M=27.78; SD=7.84; SE=0.38; 35.1% women). Qualitative data were analyzed using concepts of The Grounded Theory using the Atlas.ti suite. Results. The target group uses terms taken from the English language (“bad trip”, “set and setting”, “sitter”, or the grammatically localized version of the word „psychedelic“), with shared and well-understood semantic meaning within the community. The central domain “inappropriate set and setting” and its inadequate preparation is linked to the negative experience of “bad trip” which can lead to difficult “integration of experience” or even “psychotic disorders”. Users of psychedelics report various harm reduction strategies which are consistent with relevant literature. Conclusion. This study illustrates that Slovak users of psychedelics seem to understand and use the established terminology of international discourse related to these substances. At the same time, the authors suggest that users seem to use various relevant strategies to lower risks associated with the use of psychedelics.

Playing with Peace: Solomon as the Man of Peace and Rest, and the Temple as the House of Rest

It is well-known that the notions of peace, rest and order belonged to the royal Achaemenid ideology, particularly from the time of Darius I onwards. This can be witnessed in Achaemenid architecture, iconography and royal inscriptions. However, although the relations between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states were never completely peaceful, the diplomatic relations between Persia and particularly Sparta emphasised the value and importance of peace for international politics. How did this international discourse influence the literature formation in Yehud at the same time? In addition, can one read the Chronicler’s portrayal of King Solomon of old as playful (and undermining) irony and polemic against the imperial masters? In this article, I revisit an earlier study in which I have started investigating the rhetorical locus of the Chronicler’s portrayal of this king.

Universal basic income as a regulator of increasing the standard and quality of life of citizens and society sustainability: problems and possible ways of their solution. discussion at the Russian-German international conference. Moscow. May 20, 2021

This paper examines international discourse borders regarding theoretical and practical problems of Universal basic income concept through the prism of the scientific discussion which took place in May 2021 at the International Scientific Russian-German Conference «Universal basic income as a regulatory measure for improvement of citizens’ standard and quality of life improvement and social sustainability: problems and possible solutions». The authors presented the digests of the speakers' speeches, which formed the scientific basis of the article devoted to the conceptualization of the phenomenon of universal basic income (UBI), scientific, political, and state aspects of the discourse on the implementation of UBI, the problems of introduction of UBI in transitional forms, the practice of the experimental introduction of UBI, modeling the consequences of the introduction of UBI, the impact of UBI on various aspects of life, etc. The materials of the above-mentioned Conference depict the main problematic edges of UBI concept exploration as well as implementation issues and allow to determine directions of further appliances. The most important ones are – search for country-specific transitional forms of UBI and instruments for its experimental approbation in order to improve quality of life and social sustainability of the society. The discussion at the Conference about the UBI concept is commented in the paper in the context of factual actions of Russian and German officials, ideas and suggestions of the international scientific community, and the need for a transition towards greater and complex UBI piloting, considering aspects examined in detail at the International BIEN Congress (August 2021), Glasgow, Scotland

Are Academics Driven by Managerialism? Governance and the Changing Role of Academics on the Way Towards a Knowledge Society

Changes in the governance system have been viewed as one of the key issues of higher education since about the 1990s. In many countries, the “managerial university” emerged accompanied by a controversial discourse about its strengths and about dangers implied. As academics are key actors performing key functions in higher education and as governance reforms increased the power of university management to steer academics, the academics’ perception of and response to the “managerial university” is crucial for its successes and failures. International comparative surveys of academics undertaken in the early 1990s and during the years 2007-2010 indicate that the modes of governance and the responses to these modes by academics vary more substantially across countries than the convergent international discourse suggests. Altogether, scholars’ views and behavior seem to have changed to a lesser extent than expected. The third comparative survey of that kind addresses similar issues, but additionally raises the question of whether strong footprints can be observed of the move toward a “knowledge society” with regard to the governance of higher education and academics’ views and activities.

Environmental Education-related Policy Enactment in Japanese High Schools

Over the past decade, Japan’s rich tradition of environmental education-related policy has shifted to encompass international discourse concerning global competition and education for sustainable development. In view of this shift, this article explores environmental education-related policy enactment from the perspective of high school teachers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 experienced teachers and were analysed using the environmental education-related conceptual lenses of Lucas (1972) and Stevenson (1987, 2007). The findings suggest that the current policy enactment in Japanese high schools features a narrow interpretation of environmental education that emphasises knowledge acquisition and overlooks the development of practical skills, attitudes or democratic citizenship. This case study highlights the necessity that, for a progressive environmental education to become established, policymakers must find a way to balance local knowledge with the demands of international organizations, paying particular attention to curriculum ideology, policy competition and the teachers’ voice in policy creation.

Green(er) Cities and Their Citizens: Insights from the Participatory Budget of Lisbon

There is rising scholarly and political interest in participatory budgets and their potential to advance urban sustainability. This article aims to contribute to this field of study through the specific lens of the city of Lisbon’s experience as an internationally acknowledged leader in participatory budgeting. To this end, the article critically examines the lessons and potential contribution of the Lisbon Participatory Budget through a multimethod approach. Emerging trends and variations of citizen proposals, projects, votes, and public funding are analysed in tandem with emerging key topics that show links and trade-offs between locally embedded participation and the international discourse on urban sustainability. Our analysis reveals three interconnected findings: first, the achievements of the Lisbon Participatory Budget show the potential to counteract the dominant engineered approach to urban sustainability; second, trends and variations of the achievements depend on both citizens’ voice and the significant influence of the city council through policymaking; and, third, the shift towards a thematic Green Participatory Budget in 2020 was not driven by consolidated social and political awareness on the achievements, suggesting that more could be achieved through the 2021 urban sustainability oriented Participatory Budget. We conclude recommending that this kind of analysis should be systematically carried out and disseminated within city council departments, promoting much needed internal awareness of PBs’ potential as drivers of urban sustainability. We also identify further research needed into the sustainability potential of green PBs.