Industrial Engagement in the Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) System

From 2010 through to 2021, this study critically assessed Malaysia's government efforts to increase industrial involvement in the country's TVET system. The goal of this research is to look at what the Malaysian government has done to strengthen industrial involvement in the country's TVET system from 2010 to 2021, as well as to make recommendations for any future changes. A textual narrative synthesis, based on three elements: strategy, execution, and the impact of those policies in promoting industrial involvement in the Malaysian TVET system, was used to conduct a systematic review. Five government policies since 2010 have been extracted from 231 linked-literature sources, each of which presented a strategy to improve industry-TVET cooperation. All of these government measures, according to the report, adopted a corporatist paradigm, in order to encourage corporate participation in the national TVET system. This was done by providing various incentives, including tax breaks, training grants, and subsidies. Improvements have been suggested to boost the industry-TVET relationship in Malaysia, particularly by giving connected industries some obligations to participate in the country's human-resource development, in comparison to the German model of the dual Apprenticeship programme.

Directed Internationalized Statism in Germany

Germany has been seen as relatively closed to overseas equity purchases because of its corporate governance system based on insiders. Yet, after an initial period of debate, it has followed policies of directed internationalized statism towards Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs). A powerful coalition of the federal finance and economics ministries, together with representatives of firms, has argued that openness to SWF investment offers export orders and patient capital, in contrast to short-term private investors. The coalition has followed policies of welcoming and seeking SWF investment in industrial firms, large and small. Although a new legislative framework for non-European share purchases has been established, its powers have never been used against SWFs. The German case shows how economic and finance ministries, and representatives of companies, are able to use SWFs to reinforce key elements of the German model of capitalism such as patient capital and export-led growth.

Germany

This chapter examines the relationship between religion and the state in modern Germany, in particular the church–state regime from German unification onwards, and church involvement in politics at a variety of levels. It contrasts the ‘stubbornness’ of the ‘partnership model’ between church and state with a variety of policy changes, themselves the result of an increasingly fluid context of religious pluralization which puts pressure on the church–state relationship. The chapter aims to capture this tension, both from a historical perspective and in light of current challenges. The first section delineates the historical origins of the German model and its relevance for the relationship between the majority churches (Protestant and Catholic) and democratization. The second section addresses aspects of religion and state at particular levels of interaction: the polity (the constitution), and policies (the influence of churches in public education, and the governance of religious diversity—particularly Muslim rights).

Kuhlmann, Sabine, Proeller, Isabella, Schimanke, Dieter &) Ziekow, Jan (Eds.) (2020). Public Administration in Germany. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Hardcover &) open access, 416 Seiten, ISBN 978-3-030-53696-1 ISBN 978-3-030-53697-8 (eBook); https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53697-8.

The book “Public Administration in Germany” provides an encompassing overview about both the historical foundations and the basic principles of the ‘German Model’ of Public Administration. Furthermore, readers learn about the most recent challenges of this model, e.g., a severe backlog with respect to digitalization of public administration and public service provision. The editors have provided a well-coordinated compilation of 22 chapters written by 31 authors. The book addresses the international community of Public Administration scholars: it can be recommended for practitioners, researchers and, in particular, for lecturers teaching Public Administration in Germany in an international context. It is a valuable source for everyone who wants to understand why this model was – and still is – highly influential for the development of Public Administration in the Western sphere.

Introduction

The German federal election in September 2021 marked a significant transformation for German politics. As Chancellor Angela Merkel decided not to run again, the election spelled the end of her 16-year tenure; it also signaled a major shift in the German party system. The right-populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) entered the Bundestag again after their first entry in 2017, implying—for the first time since 1949—the establishment and sustained parliamentary presence of a party on the national level to the (far-)right of the Christian Democrats. The challenges facing the new parliament and government after the election are paramount. The climate crisis looms as large as ever. With the exception of the AfD, all German parties (and a distinct majority of voters) see this as the most pressing issue to tackle. However, the scope of action will be limited as the extensive state debt accumulated through covid-19 relief measures exerts pressure on the specific German model of social market economy. Finally, the international environment has seen drastic changes in the last years: While the election of u.s. President Joe Biden as successor to Donald Trump implies a return to normal for transatlantic relations, the uk exit from the eu shifts the balance between the remaining member states. After the Euro, refugee, and pandemic crises, European solidarity is strained, complicating Germany’s role as the eu’s “reluctant hegemon” or “gentle giant.” This reluctance or restraint connotes far more than a strategic policy choice: it is deeply rooted in the German history of the twentieth century that witnessed the cruelty and atrocities of the Nazi regime.

Vindication of Real Estate: The Stage of Building a General Vindication Model for the Protection of Violated Absolute Rights

The article considers the legal structure of vindication of real estate developed in Russian science and practice. Protection of the rights of the owner of real estate who has lost possession and is not registered in the Unified State Register of Real Estate (EGRN) is carried out by filing two lawsuits in court: for recognition of the right of ownership and vindication. Due to the peculiarities of the statute of limitations, in Russian practice, the priority of actual ownership of real estate over the records of ownership in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities is established. The need to combine the two claims is caused by their possible competition in connection with the application to each claim of its own rules on the validity of the statute of limitations. The refusal to extend the limitation period to the vindication claim for the return of ownership should lead to the establishment of only one claim within the framework of the method of protecting the violated rights of the owner to real estate – vindication. An independent claim for recognition of the right in this situation seems redundant. Its necessity is caused by an attempt to apply the German model of protection of the violated rights of the owner of real estate, where the impossibility of vindication is due to the high level of public reliability of entries in the register. In modern Russia, the position of complete denial of vindication of real estate is not supported by the consistent implementation of the principle of irrevocability of rights registered in state registers. At the same time, the construction of a claim for the protection of the rights of the owner of real estate allows us to take the first step towards the development of a vindication model for the protection of any absolute right, the elements of which are the requirement to recognize the right and the requirement to restore the legitimation of the right holder.

Prokuratura Sądu Okręgowego w Zamościu w latach 1944–1950. Zagadnienia wybrane

The Prosecutor’s Office at the District Court in Zamość in the years 1944–1950: Selected issues The study is an attempt to present in general terms the institution of the Prosecutor’s Office in the years 1944–1950 in the reality of the Polish state revived after the Second World War. On account of the fact that Zamość was located in the border strip within newly established borders, special attention is paid to the activity of the Prosecutor’s Office at the District Court in Zamość. The Prosecutor’s Office, just like other state authorities, was created after the Second World War along with the formation of a Polish statehood. The system and the competencies of the post-war Prosecutor’s Office were based on the legal regulations enforced in the interwar period, i.e. the Decree Law of the President of the Republic of Poland on organisation of common law courts dated 6th February, 1928. A capitalist type of prosecutor’s office was established, based on the German model in particular. Although the new authorities did not make any amendments to these regulations in the years 1944–1945, they introduced some legal acts that had an impact on the functioning of the Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecutors’ obligation of loyalty to the political system and the people’s authorities instead of the existing obligation of impartiality was a clear symptom of that. Consequently, the authorities demanded absolute obedience from prosecutors. The Prosecutor’s Office at the District Court in Zamość began its activity on the initiative of the local authorities after the German occupiers left the region on 1 August 1944. In terms of territory, the Prosecutor’s Office included four districts: Zamość, Tomaszów Lubelski, Biłgoraj and Hrubieszów. The post-war social and political situation, as well as the immediate proximity of the border had a significant influence on the scope of the cases handled by the Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation into the mass murders of Polish people by the Germans in the area of the Zamość “Rotunda” was the greatest challenge for the Prosecutor’s Office at the District Court in Zamość. The Prosecutor’s Office functioned until the middle of 1950, when, as a result of system changes, it was replaced by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Zamość. Die Staatsanwaltschaft beim Bezirksgericht Zamość in den Jahren 1944–1950. Gewählte Fragen Die Ausarbeitung ist ein Versuch, die Institution der Staatsanwaltschaft in den Jahren 1944–1950 in den Realien des nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wieder entstehenden polnischen Staates zu skizzieren. Da Zamość nach Festlegung der neuen Grenzen in den grenzanliegenden Streifen gelang, wurde die Aufmerksamkeit der Tätigkeit der Staatsanwaltschaft beim Bezirksgericht Zamość geschenkt. Die Staatsanwaltschaft und andere Staatsorgane entstanden nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg zusammen mit der Entwicklung des polnischen Staatswesens. Die Vorschriften, die in der Zwischenkriegszeit mit der Verordnung des Präsidenten der Republik Polen kraft Gesetzes — Gesetz über die Struktur der ordentlichen Gerichte vom 6. Februar 1928 eingeführt wurden, bestimmten die Ordnung und die Kompetenzen der Nachkriegsstaatsanwaltschaft. Sie beschlossen einen kapitalistischen Typ der Staatsanwaltschaft mit besonderer Berücksichtigung des deutschen Modells. Obwohl die „neue Gewalt” diese Regelungen nicht novelliert hat, führte sie bereits in den Jahren 1944–1945 neue Rechtsakte ein, die für die Tätigkeit der Staatsanwaltschaft nicht unerheblich blieben. Seinen Ausdruck fand das in der Verpflichtung der Staatsanwälte, der Staatssystemordnung und der Volksherrschaft treu zu bleiben, die die bisher bestehende Unparteilichkeitspflicht ersetzte. Folglich erwartete die Staatsgewalt ein absolutes Gehorsam der Staatsanwälte. Die Staatsanwaltschaft beim Bezirksgericht Zamość begann ihre Tätigkeit aus Initiative der örtlichen Obrigkeit nachdem der deutsche Besatzer am 1. August 1944 das Gebiet um Zamość verlassen hat. Die territoriale Zuständigkeit der Staatsanwaltschaft erstreckte sich über vier Kreise: Zamość, Tomaszów, Biłgoraj und Hrubieszów. Die sozialpolitische Situation der Nachkriegszeit und die unmittelbare Nähe der Grenze hatten wesentlichen Einfluss auf den Umfang der von der Staatsanwaltschaft bearbeiteten Fälle. Die größte Herausforderung, der sich die Staatsanwaltschaft beim Bezirksgericht Zamość zu stellen hatte, war die Ermittlung in Sachen der deutschen Massenmorde an der polnischen Bevölkerung auf dem Gebiet der „Rotunda“ in Zamość. Die besprochene Staatsanwaltschaft arbeitete bis Mitte des Jahres 1950, als sie infolge von strukturellen Wandlungen von der Kreisstaatsanwaltschaft Zamość ersetzt wurde.

BRIDGING THE LABOUR SHORTAGE THROUGH VOCATIONAL ORIENTATION AT AN EARLY STAGE OF EDUCATION – THE GERMAN EXPERIENCE

The changes in the labour market which have taken place in recent years mean that there is a need to educate young people in deficit occupations and fields of study. The increased interest in general education has resulted in a shortage of skilled workers in the EU labour markets, which small, medium, and large enterprises face. This problem is particularly evident in countries with a low level of links between vocational training and business. Countries with an education system based on cooperation with business are in a better situation, which does not mean a need to increase interest in vocational training. Based on literature research and own experience, the article presents the German model of dual vocational education, which can be used to promote vocational education. The authors presented the system and structure of education in Germany and analysed the dual education model against this structure. They showed the advantages of this system and analysed the threats related to the decreasing number of trainees. Despite the system, many initiatives related to vocational orientation are implemented in Germany. They aim at orienting young people to vocational training by getting to know the specifics of a profession already at an early age in primary school. This article describes empirical experiences from visits to the BVTU (Bildungsverbund Thüringer Unternehmen e.v.) in Thuringia of an association of training companies involved in the BERUFSSTART plus project on early career choice. An analysis of the rolled-out project, its objectives and effects were made. The described activities can be regarded as good practices, adapted and used in other countries. It was pointed out that activities related to career orientation should be an essential part of all stakeholders' activities to ensure a sufficient number of employees with high professional qualifications for the labour market.

HPV vaccination of girls in the German model region Saarland: Insurance data-based analysis and identification of starting points for improving vaccination rates

In Germany, the incidence of cervical cancer, a disease caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV), is higher than in neighboring European countries. HPV vaccination has been recommended for girls since 2007. However, it continues to be significantly less well received than other childhood vaccines, so its potential for cancer prevention is not fully realized. To find new starting points for improving vaccination rates, we analyzed pseudonymized routine billing data from statutory health insurers in the PRAEZIS study in the federal state Saarland serving as a model region. We show that lowering the HPV vaccination age to 9 years led to more completed HPV vaccinations already in 2015. Since then, HPV vaccination rates and the proportion of 9- to 11-year-old girls among HPV-vaccinated females have steadily increased. However, HPV vaccination rates among 15-year-old girls in Saarland remained well below 50% in 2019. Pediatricians vaccinated the most girls overall, with a particularly high proportion at the recommended vaccination age of 9-14 years, while gynecologists provided more HPV catch-up vaccinations among 15-17-year-old girls, and general practitioners compensated for HPV vaccination in Saarland communities with fewer pediatricians or gynecologists. We also provide evidence for a significant association between attendance at the U11 or J1 medical check-ups and HPV vaccination. In particular, participation in HPV vaccination is high on the day of U11. However, obstacles are that U11 is currently not funded by all statutory health insurers and there is a lack of invitation procedures for both U11 and J1, resulting in significantly lower participation rates than for the earlier U8 or U9 screenings, which are conducted exclusively with invitations and reminders. Based on our data, we propose to restructure U11 and J1 screening in Germany, with mandatory funding for U11 and organized invitations for HPV vaccination at U11 or J1 for both boys and girls.