Relations between the RSFSR and the Ukrainian SSR in the 1920s: diplomatic and administrative-institutional aspects

The article discusses the specifity of the relations between the RSFSR and the Ukrainian SSR in 1919–1929. The authors present the relations between the goverments of the two republics and actions of the Russian side aiming to transforme into the unitary state, initially rather loosely connected among them the constituent elements of the Soviet state. Relations between RSFSR and the Ukrainian SSR were burdened with significant disavantages from the very beginning, as the former appropriates the rights of the union center. The article explains also the role and the place of the permanent representations of the union republics in Moscow, as well as the influence of the commissioners (Ukrainian government representatives in Moscow) on Soviet Russia’s policy towards Ukraine. Permenent ignoring by the government in Moscow of Ukraine’s needs and expectations, prompted the leadership of the party and the government of Ukrainian SSR to seek protection of its economic interests at the institutional level. With the creation of the USSR, the legal status of the republics included in that state changed. Relations between the republics lost their interstate character. In place of the existing ones, new representations were established to ensure the maintenance of permanent ties between the government of the RSFSR and the governments of the union republics.

What Accounts for the German Labor Market Miracle? A Structural VAR Approach

This study examines the driving forces behind the strong decline in German unemployment from 2005 onwards and the exceptionally small increase during the Great Recession. Structural vector autoregressions (VARs) with sign restrictions show that wage moderation in the aftermath of labor market reforms was the dominant factor of the unemployment decline, and that improved matching and shrinking labor supply also contributed to it. The adjustment to business cycle shocks (Great Recession), on the other hand, is to a large extent borne by the intensive margin, which can be explained by institutional aspects of the German labor market.

Investigating Scientists’ Views of the Family Resemblance Approach to Nature of Science in Science Education

In this paper, we use the “Family Resemblance Approach” (FRA) as a framework to characterize how scientists view the nature of science (NOS). FRA presents NOS as a “system” that includes clusters or categories of ideas about the cognitive-epistemic and social-institutional aspects of science. For example, the cognitive-epistemic aspects include aims and values such as objectivity and scientific methods such as hypothesis testing. Social-institutional aspects refer to a range of components including social values such as honesty about evidence and institutional contexts of science such as research institutions. Characterized as such, NOS is thus a system of interacting components. The initial account of FRA was proposed by philosophers of science and subsequently adapted and extended for science education including through empirical studies. Yet, there is little understanding of the extent to which FRA coheres with scientists’ own depictions about NOS. Hence, an empirical study was conducted with scientists to investigate their views about FRA as well as their views of NOS using the FRA framework. In so doing, the research sought to explore the utility of FRA from scientists’ point of view. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of 17 Taiwanese scientists’ responses to a set of written questions indicates that scientists are in agreement with the FRA account of NOS, and they detail all aspects in their reference to NOS, although the social-institutional aspects are underrepresented in their depiction. Implications for further studies and science education are discussed.

Self-as-Subject for Doctoral Research

This chapter presents reflections on the use of self-as-subject research within doctoral education as a pathway to explore meaning of study phenomena to uncover new knowledge from the individual of the self. Knowledge is contextual and discoverable from within this rich internal experience of the researcher-participant and extant and contemporary perspectives are presented to illustrate the importance and appropriateness of the selection of self-as-subject research methods including autoethnography and heuristic inquiry for doctoral-level research. The importance of the relational aspects of the doctoral researcher and doctoral research supervisor is briefly considered as well as contextual and institutional aspects necessary to inform doctoral researchers who may choose these methods of inquiry.

Revival of Islamic Civilization: Strategies for the Development of Muslim Society in the Thought of Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (Kebangkitan Tamadun Islam: Strategi Pembangunan Masyarakat Islam dalam Pemikiran Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi)

This study attempts at analysing Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi’s suggestions towards a revival of Islamic civilization as an alternative to the Western civilization. It is based on library research and is qualitative in nature as it basically focuses on textual analysis. Moreover, the major approaches are descriptive, analytical and evaluative. This study found that Nadwi believed in the capacities of Islamic civilization to be revived if the existing challenges are overcome. For him, despite its tremendous breakthroughs in the fields of science and technology, Western civilization is bound to fail due to its moral decline. Therefore, it is only an Islamic civilization which is overtaken by the Western civilization should lead the humanity. In light of his argument, this study explores the strategies provided by Nadwi for the development of Muslim society as a revival of Islamic civilization. It focuses on three basic domains, namely, intellectual, political, and institutional aspects of reform. Keywords: Western civilization, Muslim leadership, Ijtihad, Jihad, Intellectual reform, Political reform, Institutional reform. Abstrak Kajian ini cuba menganalisis cadangan Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi ke arah kebangkitan tamadun Islam sebagai alternatif kepada tamadun Barat. Ia berdasarkan penyelidikan perpustakaan dan sifat kualitatif di mana ia pada dasarnya memberi tumpuan kepada analisis tekstual. Selain itu, pendekatan utama adalah deskriptif, analisis dan penilaian. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa Nadwi percaya kepada keupayaan tamadun Islam untuk dihidupkan semula jika cabaran sedia ada dapat diatasi. Baginya, walaupun kejayaannya yang luar biasa dalam bidang sains dan teknologi, tamadun Barat sebenarnnya gagal kerana kemerosotan moralnya. Oleh itu, Nadwi menegaskan bahawa hanyalah tamadun Islam yang harus memimpin manusia. Kajian ini meneroka hujah Nadwi tentang strategi untuk pembangunan masyarakat Islam sebagai usaha ke arah kebangkitan semula tamadun Islam. Ia memberi tumpuan kepada tiga domain asas, iaitu, intelektual, politik, dan aspek institusi pembaharuan. Kata Kunci: Tamadun Barat, Kepimpinan Islam, Ijtihad, Jihad, Pembaharuan Intelektual, Pembaharuan Politik, Pembaharuan Institusi.

Institutional aspects of economic development in the works of I.V. Vernadsky

The article is devoted to the study and coverage of the institutional environment formation in the scientific achievements of the famous scientist-economist of the XIX century Ivan Vernadsky. The purpose of the study is the historical and economic generalization of I. Vernadsky's views on the institutional aspects of economic activity and development. The scientist had a deep understanding of the important role that social institutions play in economic reality and the importance of their study for the completeness of economic analysis. He highly valued the work of other economists who used institutional approaches, and paid considerable attention in his work to the influence of the institutional environment and its individual components on the results of economic activity. The main attention of the article is devoted to the historical-theoretical analysis of I. Vernadsky's views on the concept of property and possession as key categories of economy and law, their economic significance and relationship with other categories of political economy, such as wealth, value, income. The author analyzes I. Vernadsky's views on the most important institutional factors of economic development, in particular economic freedom, free private property, development of knowledge, education and science, education of such moral qualities as conscience, honesty, thrift, etc., as well as the influence of national mentality on economic policy. The conclusion is that the original concept of property and possession developed by I. Vernadsky can be assessed as a significant achievement of contemporary economics, as it contains not only the postulates of classical political economy, but also elements of the subsequent institutional theory of property rights, in particular the institutional nature of ownership and property as factors that determine the borders of economic activity.

Institutionally Speaking, are Global Standards Adoptable in a Given Jurisdiction? A Critical Analysis of the IFRS's Use in Ukraine through the Lens of New Institutional Accounting

This paper examines the consequences of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption in Ukraine through the lens of New Institutional Accounting theory. IFRS adoption's effects on management's reporting incentives, enforcement and institutional complementarities are analysed. I find that adoption at a technical level is not enough to be called "adoption" as profound changes at the institutional level are also required. Adopted IFRS are subjected to the same type of institutional and market pressures that gave rise to the old set of standards and as a result, the practice of financial reporting is unchanged at its core while only new technical rules apply. Hence, jurisdictions should not pursue only technical adoption but should also try their best to align as close as possible all institutional aspects of this issue. The best advice for all jurisdictions with an institutional infrastructure similar to Ukraine's is to strengthen management's reporting incentives and enforcement mechanisms.

Critical infrastructure and its functions

The analysis of definitions on the content and significance of critical infrastructure, contained in national and foreign scientific publications, as well as in regulatory documents, is carried out. Attention is drawn to the fact that the adopted approaches do not take into account the place of critical infrastructure in its totality, as well as in the use of critical infrastructure in production processes to provide critical services. New conceptual provisions for determining the content of critical infrastructure, its components, use in production processes, achievement of final results (provision of critical services) are substantiated and recommended for application in state regulation. The concept of critical functions, as well as their importance in the provision of critical services is revealed. Emphasis is placed on the need to take into account institutional aspects, which provides for the formation of characteristics of entities involved in the provision of critical services. It is noted that critical functions are divided into different types, and their classification is taken as a basis for classifying sectors of the economy as critical. There is a reasonable provision that such a division should be regulated by the legislation of the country in order to carry out state regulation of the formation and development of critical infrastructure. It is determined that in Ukraine the regulatory framework for the regulation of critical infrastructure is in its infancy and needs significant improvement. This applies both to the adoption of new (conceptual) approaches to the content and components of critical infrastructure, and to the regulation of the list of critical sectors. Equally important are regulation issues of the list of services, as well as the effectiveness of their use to ensure the development of the country in terms of preventing the deterioration of financial stability.

Strengthening Institutional Aspects of Farmers, Cipanas, Kabupaten Cianjur

Cooperative is an institution formed with the aim of prospering members in particular and society in general. This PKM activity was carried out with the aim of raising awareness of Cipanas village farmers, Cianjur Regency to join themselves in a cooperative in order to increase the competitiveness of Cipanas village farmers in general. This activity is carried out through the formulation of a model for strengthening farmer institutions and counseling to farmers in order to raise awareness of farmers to join in forming cooperatives. The result of this activity is the growing awareness of farmers about the importance of joining a cooperative as the first step in forming a cooperative.