Regional Science Policy and Practice最新文献

The agricultural economy of India is undergoing significant distress – low growth and farmers’ indebtedness - leading to 0.35 million farmers’ suicides during the period 1996–2021. India has a varied agro-ecosystem. The distress is acute in some regions, like Maharashtra (Marathwada, Vidarbha regions), Punjab, and Karnataka. This study explores the intricate relationship between contextual (social-economic and environmental) conditions of entrepreneurial uncertainty and agricultural disruptions, malfunctioning institutions for regional socio-ecological systems, and subsequent tragic re-actions (including suicidal behaviour) by farmers. We discuss not only facts but also provide a research framing incorporating theory, practice and spatial governance. The research focuses on the socio-spatial fabric of poor agricultural entrepreneurs in India. The case study of Osmanabad district of Deccan region of India reveals that the consequences of poor institutional response mechanisms to perturbations of agriculture are far-reaching, leading to physical and emotional tolls on farmers and their families, food scarcity, economic instability, and a deep sense of insecurity. The study brings out agricultural vulnerabilities and tragic responses by farmers, shedding light on the underlying causes and dynamics of this complex phenomenon (including low community support systems). A tipping point analysis on farmers’ indebtedness is presented, which can help policy makers to prevent farmer communities from reaching the extreme stage of economic and mental distress leading to suicidal behaviour, and to ensure the well-being and stability of the community. The paper argues that understanding and addressing these challenges require collaborative action and partnerships among different stakeholders, especially among communities, states, and universities.

Globalization, as a process of world market integration, offers the possibility of economic growth. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to determine the long-term and short-term effects of economic, social, and political globalization on economic growth within Western Balkan countries transitioning from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. Annual data from 1998 to 2020 were analyzed using the autoregressive distributed lag approach (ARDL). The results showed a significant positive effect of economic and political dimensions of globalization on economic growth in the short run, while social globalization has no significant effect. The results also revealed a significant negative effect of political globalization and a significant positive effect of social globalization on economic growth in the long run, while there is no significant effect of economic globalization. The reasons for the different impacts of economic globalization should be sought in the fact that middle-income countries in their development path often fall into the "middle-income trap". To achieve the long-term effects of economic globalization on the economic growth of the Western Balkans, the governments of these countries and economic policymakers need to promote international trade and attract foreign direct investment. Also, Western Balkan countries have to build a better institutional framework which can motivate larger foreign investment inflow (especially greenfield investment), and which could make starting a business easier. For the Western Balkan area is very important and cooperation between countries can improve managing with globalization effects.

This article analyses the impact of the European integration process on the Western Balkans; which process is assumed not only as an instrument for economic convergence and growth but additionally as an instrument for peace, security, and political reconciliation of the region. In addition, the article analyses regional integration, namely the transformation of the Regional Economic Area to the Common Regional Market in the Western Balkans. Regional integration in the Western Balkans is characterized by political obstacles, long-lasting transitions, and institutional and trade disputes among the participating countries. In the framework of the Berlin Process, the European Union introduced Common Regional Market as a new instrument to be implemented in the Western Balkans from 2021 to 2024. Besides Western Balkans limited implementing capacities, the European Union shows limited absorption capacity due to critical developments such as BREXIT and the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, there are two assumptions regarding the Common Regional Market; the first assumption is that, the Common Regional Market deepens integration among the Western Balkans; second, the Common Regional Market was launched due to a lack of concrete plans for the European Union enlargement towards the Western Balkans. This article examines whether the European Union enlargement process is affected by limited European Union absorption capacities, in which scenario the Common Regional Market serves primarily as a time–winning strategy. Or if the European Union enlargement process is affected by limited Western Balkans absorption capacities, in which case, these countries should increase their political stability, economic cooperation, and regional integration.

The evidence suggests that resource-rich countries tend to exhibit a relatively constant level of economic complexity, with limited progress. To investigate the underlying causes of this phenomenon, we employed a Pooled Mean Group (PMG) model using data from the top 20 resource-rich economies spanning the period 2000–2020. Our analysis aimed to identify the factors contributing to this behavior. The findings of our study support the natural resource curse hypothesis, indicating that effective control of corruption can lead to an improvement in long-term economic complexity. Furthermore, the heterogenous short-run dynamics observed in the PMG model indicate that economic and institutional variables have influenced the short-term economic complexity behavior of certain countries, such as Gabon, Iran, Algeria, and Kazakhstan.

Despite their significant resource potential, Central Asian countries face acute challenges in realizing their investment potential due to socio-economic issues, an unfavourable investment climate, and regional tensions. The research aims to analyse Kazakhstan's leading economic growth in Central Asia to assess the current situation and derive recommendations for enhancing investment potential and attractiveness. The complex of methods used in the research process includes analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, comparison, abstraction, statistical methods of analysis, and a systematic approach. It was determined that among the Central Asian economies, only the Republic of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan provided significant gross domestic product growth and positive dynamics of capital inflows. The results of Kazakhstan are ensured by more successful implementation of institutional reforms, multi-vector approach and openness to integration processes.

As the geopolitical context changes, the development of a certain region is based on a reform of its regulatory approaches. The field of water relations is no exception, as their effective existence requires constant analysis and innovation, including legislation. Thus, in the context of acute geopolitical and natural changes, this issue is of particular relevance both in theory and in practice. The purpose of this research paper is to assess current approaches and instruments for regulating water relations in Central Asia. The methods of analysis, comparison, deduction, generalization, and the formal-legal method were used in the study. As a result, it has been possible to uncover the content and significance of water relations, describe their object and classify them. The structure of water legislation in Central Asian countries was also investigated. This revealed the main ideas and vectors of national public policy on water protection and international cooperation to address such crisis issues. The system of laws and regulations that form the basis of the legal regulation of water relations in Central Asia has been studied. Their relevance, according to current societal conditions, is assessed. Based on the analysis conducted, own recommendations for improving the field of water regulation, namely its use, protection, and restoration, have been formed. The practical value of the work lies in the fact that the findings can be used by other researchers or legislators to improve the norms of national legislation governing water relations.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing war conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the article explores the needs, challenges, and opportunities that researchers affiliated with Ukrainian relocated university experienced. In the study, we investigated the impact of the war and the safety situation on the scientific activity of Ukrainian university researchers based on their geographical circumstances: those who living in occupied territories, those who had relocated to Ukrainian-controlled areas, or those who had temporarily moved abroad. We also analyzed the relationship between the unique challenges and needs faced by these researchers in light of their security predicaments and explored the extent to which they capitalized on available opportunities. The study identifies a notable decrease in scientific activity among those who temporarily moved abroad. The widespread uncertainty and instability within Ukraine due to the conflict compel researchers to seek novel avenues for resuming scientific undertakings. Overall, the study underscores the evident impact of the war on researchers' scientific activities, necessitating immediate attention and effective actions. The decline in scientific activity and projected loss of academic potential pose political consequences demanding focused strategies for supporting university researchers during wartime.

COVID-19 had repercussions in many fields, including education. Although society worldwide was affected, students and the academic sector were hit hardest. Distance learning was used by almost all governments globally during the pandemic to keep education going when schools were closed. Lockdown, maintaining social distance, online classes, financial insecurity of the parents, etc., have tremendous impacts on students’ academic performance and mental health. The primary aim of this article is to review the existing literature to explore how COVID-19 affects students’ academic performance and poses a threat to their mental health. We reviewed 88 articles published between 2020 and 2023 and found that students from low-income backgrounds face disproportionate educational barriers. Converting from face-to-face to online classes was not equally smooth for students from all backgrounds. We also found that various life circumstances negatively affected students' mental health, including concerns about contracting a disease, financial difficulties, isolation from peers, the death of a parent, and the transition to online education. Worry, despair, and stress have all reached potentially lethal heights due to COVID-19 among students. Geographical disparities in the impacts of COVID-19 were seen, with certain nations seeing a greater degree of influence, particularly in the realm of education. We urge the stakeholders and policymakers to better prepare for and manage this type of crisis in the future. We also suggest that teachers, parents, and policymakers enhance students' virtual communication effectiveness while acquiring new knowledge and implementing more systematic approaches to fostering students' cognitive growth.

The article focused on customer loyalty and examined the factors that influence end-users' loyalty and attitudes towards domestic manufacturers. Factors such as price, quality, place, promotion, satisfaction, awareness, and trust were chosen to measure customer loyalty towards domestic medication manufacturers. The result of our study showed the role of trust as a critical driver of customer loyalty in the pharmaceutical market, with a specific focus on the case of Kazakhstan. Choosing appropriate marketing tools to increase trust and loyalty is crucial for both domestic medications and manufacturers. The research employed a quantitative method using a questionnaire, with 974 valid responses.

The agri‐food supply chain has been a popular research topic in recent years. The combination of a demand for products of high quality and safety standards and the increasing number of stakeholders in supply chain networks has required the agri‐food business to transform from vertically integrated to vertically operated supply chain networks. Nevertheless, this traditional agri‐food supply chain form has exposure to some drawbacks. Meanwhile, blockchain technology as a disruptive technology today has the potential to provide value‐added contributions towards multiple‐disciplinary applications. Blockchain technology gains success and proves its functionality in improving the current supply chain by ensuring traceability, transparency and efficiency across the network from farmer to consumer. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on vertical coordination in the supply chain and its mechanism and to develop a framework that explores how blockchain technology can address the challenges in coordination mechanisms. Furthermore, taking the current Vietnamese vertical coordination cashew supply chain as a case study, this research is based on the proposed framework to suggest a solution combining blockchain and other relative technologies for the Vietnamese cashew business. This paper will close a research gap, as the blockchain‐based supply chain for Vietnam cashew nuts has potential benefits for each supply chain actor in terms of effectiveness in operations, costs and time‐saving, and human resources.