Does Mechanization Improve the Green Total Factor Productivity of China’s Planting Industry?

Mechanization is an important factor to improve the green total factor productivity of planting industry, which is the key way to realize the sustainable development and high-quality development of agriculture. Using the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2001 to 2019, this paper uses the stochastic frontier analysis method of output oriented distance function to measure the green total factor productivity of planting industry based on net carbon sink, and empirically studies the impact of mechanization on the planting green total factor productivity. The empirical analysis finds that mechanization can significantly promote the planting green total factor productivity, and this basic conclusion is still robust after using instrumental variables, sub sample regression. Further research found that the path of mechanization on planting green total factor productivity is mainly reflected in technology progress and spatial spillover. The mechanism of operation scale expansion, factor allocation optimization and technical efficiency change is not significant. Given these findings, the paper adds considerable value to the empirical literature and also provides various policy- and practical implications.

Scalarization and convergence in unified set optimization

This paper deals with scalarization and stability aspects for a unified set optimization problem. We provide characterizations for a unified preference relation and the corresponding unified minimal solution in terms of a generalized oriented distance function of the sup-inf type. We establish continuity of a function associated with the generalized oriented distance function and provide an existence result for the unified minimal solution. We establish Painlevé-Kuratowski convergence of minimal solutions of a family of scalar problems to the minimal solutions of the unified set optimization problem.

Formation of research skills in university non-linguistic training profile students during the implementation of a professionally oriented distance course in a foreign language

The research purpose is to identify the level of development of research skills in non-linguistic training profile students in the process of professionally oriented teaching of a foreign language and to summarize the data obtained in the experimental work. The research was carried out based on the author’s distance course “Foreign language for specific purposes in scientific research”, comprising three modules, using electronic testing with the application of the computer knowledge testing program MyTestXPro11.0. The sample comprised 250 students studying English and German. In order to verify the data obtained and the conclusions drawn, a comparative analysis of the test results of the control and experimental groups was carried out. The authors revealed the level of development of research skills in non-linguistic training profile students. So, at the stage of the ascertaining experiment, the average score of successfully completed tasks was 8.9 (44.7%), and at the stage of the control experiment, respectively, 16.7 (83.3%).

Implementation of ICT tools to improve the object-oriented distance education in India: A perspective

India, being a country with a majority youth population, has a good opportunity to strengthen its economy in the next few decades. However, this could only be possible, if the youth population is trained with the required skill-set for the job market with improved opportunities for higher education. Unfortunately, the percentage of higher education enrolment does not possess encouraging numbers due to various social & economic reasons. The ratio in the coming years can be improved by offering the higher education courses in open & distance learning mode (ODL). Recently University Grants Commission (UGC also eased the norms for the higher educational institutes to offer ODL programs. However, the present ODL programs that are being offered were challenged with (i) lack of quality checks (ii) lack of paradigm shift in the course delivery, which is still through correspondence mode (iii) the degrees offered by the distance mode are not on par with regular courses. In this view, it is time to assess the quality of the present ODL programs and the necessary steps have to be initiated to improve the quality of the program. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic condition, major parts of the world dependent on online classes for the delivery of the regular courses, in this view, various tools for delivery and assessment are being widely used/developed. The integration of these tools with the present corresponding courses shall improve the quality of the courses. Herein, we comprehensively present the above-mentioned problems and solutions to improve the quality of ODL courses in India.