Teaching in a Global World: Challenges and Opportunities for Small-Sized Universities - Insights from Italy

Today’s academic institutions are strongly involved in the modern globalization process. The aim of the paper is to investigate if small-sized universities face particular challenges and if they obtain some advantages or are adversely affected by the ongoing process. The focus is on Europe and, specifically, on Italy, one of the signatory countries of the Bologna Declaration, that has implemented the European international reform process. Based on official data from the Italian Ministry of University and Research, first we analyse university characteristics and then we calculate performance selected indicators that are informative of a few key aspects, such as teaching quality and internationalisation and look at student satisfaction. Results show that teaching quality in small-sized public universities is similar to that in big-sized public ones whereas small-sized private universities perform better than big-sized private ones. Attractiveness for students abroad is greater for smaller and more specialized universities, and this is especially evident for private universities. Satisfaction as well is higher for students studying in small-sized universities. However, doubts exist for the future due to the possible negative effects of the very complex and strict administrative procedures of the current organization and evaluation system. Keywords: universities, small-sized, teaching, performance, Europe, Italy

Public Administration (PA) Education in Italy

PA education is closely related to the public administration understanding of the relevant country and the public administration reform process. In this context, the structure of the Italian public administration, its historical roots, traditions, and public administration reform processes are discussed in order to understand the PA education in Italy. Since Italy is from the Continental European school of public administration, its effects on public administration reforms and PA education in Europe have been examined. Factors such as the spread of the new public management approach and the Bologna process initiated by the European Union, the convergence process in PA education and its effects on Italy are discussed. It is aimed to shed light on the PA education studies in Turkey by considering the PA education in Italy, one of the important representatives of the Continental European public administration understanding, which constitutes the intellectual foundation of the Turkish administrative system.

KOORDINASI ANTARA PEMERINTAH PUSAT DAN DAERAH DALAM UPAYA PROSES PENEGASAN BATAS ANTARA KABUPATEN MERAUKE DENGAN KABUPATEN BOVEN DIGOEL PROVINSI PAPUA

Since the reform process began in 1998, there has been a previously centralistic change of the system towards decentralization. With this principle, the authority of the central government partly began to be handed over to the local government with the principle of regional autonomy. The region has the authority to organize its own household with the aim to be able to develop the potential of the area owned. This principle opens the need for the region to expand the region by dismantling the New Autonomous Region (DOB). However, after the formation of DOB began to arise problems related to the affirmation of unfinished regional boundaries. In its rules 5 years after the Regional Formation Law was established, the regional boundaries must be completed immediately, but in reality many exceed more than 5 years. This is due to the conflict of interest from each region so that a coordination is needed between the central and regional governments in the efforts of the boundary affirmation process in Indonesia. One example that can be raised is the Boundary Between Merauke Regency and Boven Digoel district of Papua Province. The success of this coordination process requires a firm commitment from the stakeholders involved in it. In addition, the Central Government (Minister of Home Affairs) who applies as a leader (leader) must also be able to influence others; motivating others; provide accurate information; And be able to make wise decisions

Pius IX in 1846-1848 - the Liberal Pope?

The paper discusses the first years of the pontificate of Pius IX (1846-1878), when the newly elected head of the Catholic Church was perceived as a “liberal Pope”. On the one hand, in 1846-1848 Pius IX was the Pope who carried out reforms and announced an amnesty. On the other hand, in the same period he criticized rationalism and created censorship commissions. The paper is another attempt to answer the question whether Pius IX was indeed a “liberal” Pope at the beginning of his pontificate. Special attention is given to the Pope’s policy during 1847. It was the time when the Papal States’ population expected the continuation of the reform process. The paper raises the question of Cardinals’ impact on the Pope, as well as on the pace of reform in the Papal States. Another key issue is the response of Pius IX to the revolutionary movement in Italy. The author concludes with the significance of the Pope’s refusal to struggle against Austria for the further development of the process of Italian Unification.

Critical evaluation of English and Saudi insurance law: A case for reform

The global significance of English law continues, particularly in Saudi as it is the most frequently chosen insurance policy law. Both jurisdictions provide consumer protections in insurance markets including the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and) Act and the 2015 Insurance Act and the Insurance Consumer Protection Principles 2014 in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to analyse the current reform impact on the interpretation of these doctrines between the UK and Saudi jurisdictions. In the last few years British insurance law has been significantly reviewed and modified and the most recent amendments, as per the Insurance Act 2015, are of the greatest significance and will be given due consideration within this paper. However, both the rationale for the reforms and the reform process will be reviewed as well as the UK perspective of the increasing rivalries between countries on account of legal business.

تحليل مسار الاصلاح الاقتصادي و معوقاته في اقليم كردستان- العراق

The research aims to diagnose the obstacles that hinder the implementation of the economic reform program in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq, with reference to the reasons for the failure of previous economic reform programs in the region, and to indicate the extent of citizens’ confidence in implementing the economic reform in the region, as well as evaluating the economic reform law of the new government for the year 2020. The research reached a set of results, including: 1- There is no time limit for implementing the economic reform process. 2- Efficient and specialized cadres in the field of economic reform were not relied upon when forming committees to implement economic reform decisions. 3- The absence of a monitoring committee to implement economic reform decisions. 4- The project did not extend to the national domain, and receded within the partisan domain. 5- Weak desire for real economic reforms on the part of the ruling parties. 6- The previous economic reforms project did not include all governorates in the Kurdistan Region, but was reduced to the governorates of Erbil and Dohuk. The research concluded by presenting a number of proposals, including: 1- It is the responsibility of the regional government to deposit all revenues, whether oil or non-oil revenues, in the banks affiliated with the Ministry of Finance and Economy. 2- Distributing a share (petro dollars) of the revenues of the Ministry of Natural Resources to the oil and gas producing areas, with the aim of enhancing services provided to citizens and raising the standard of living for the residents of these areas. 3- Activating the role of the Financial Supervision Bureau and the Integrity Commission in the Kurdistan Region. 4- Develop comprehensive planning for the development of all oil fields in a fair manner, without giving preference to the region over other regions

The Relevance of Language as a Predictor of the Will for Independence in Catalonia in 1996 and 2020

The Catalan secessionist parties, if added together, have won all the elections to the Parliament of Catalonia from 2010 to 2021. Their voters have been increasingly mobilized since the start of the controversial reform process of the Statute of Autonomy (2004–2010). The aim of this article is twofold. First, it intends to test whether language is the strongest predictor in preferring independence in two separate and distinct moments, 1996 and 2020. And second, to assess whether its strength has changed—and how—between both years. Only the most exogenous variables to the dependent variable are used in each of two logistic regressions to avoid problems of endogeneity: sex, age, size of town of residence, place of birth of the individual and of their parents, first language (L1), and educational level. Among them, L1 was—and still is—the most powerful predictor, although it is not entirely determinative. The secessionist movement not only gathers a plurality of Catalan native speakers, but it receives a not insignificant level of support among those who have Spanish as their L1. Conversely, the unionist group, despite being composed primarily by people who have Spanish as their L1 and have their family origins outside Catalonia, has a native Catalan-speaking minority inside. This imperfect division, which is based on ethnolinguistic alignments—and whose relevance cannot be neglected—alleviates the likelihood of an ethnic-based conflict.

Role of China in Rohingya Crisis

The research paper focuses investigates the geo-political moves from the Chinese perspective whether there is a possibility for China to succeed in their negotiating acts between Bangladesh and Myanmar, which chronologically provides: a background to find the origin of the problem, clarifies reasons so important as a negotiator in this issue, the possible outcomes of the negotiation process and how it may affect China’s political standing with a series of research questions and problem statement. The researcher primarily denounces the conventional ideas that China only prefers to look after Myanmar’s interest or Sino-Myanmar relationship. Methodology section briefly analyzes the nature of the research and the type of data are used to justify researcher’s alternative views. The researcher demonstrates a comparative picture between Bangladesh and Myanmar in terms of their economic, political and military relationship with China both nations equally from their geo-political standing. Finally, the researcher describes to predict the possible outcomes of the current negotiation process considering Chinese involvement in Humanitarian aspects, steps taken by the Myanmar Military regime in repatriating the Rohingyas, Why does the democratic reform process so necessary for China as a negotiator, What Myanmar must do to regain the trust Rohingya citizens and how the current situation is endangering the Chinese diplomacy or why a worsening scenario between China and Myanmar may arise. All the findings and analysis inherently support the author’s alternative view and duly answer the research questions. Finally, the researcher discussed about the common lessons learned so far from international relations perspective. 

Reforming to Please: A Comprehensive Explanation for Non-Exit from the European Court of Human Rights

States’ growing dissatisfaction with the performance of the European Court of Human Rights – Governments’ commitment to reform process – Threats of exit that failed to materialise – Adaptation of Hirschman’s exit–voice–loyalty framework to explain states’ non-exit from the European Court of Human Rights – Sufficiently effective voice, manifestations of loyalty, and high costs of exit as possible reasons behind non-exit – Governments’ inability to achieve change in the Court’s practice unilaterally – Divergent perceptions and expectations of governments – Court’s responsiveness to governments’ concerns – Showing the importance of cautious, incremental changes to accommodate diverse governmental expectations on the role of the European Court of Human Rights