Keywords: scientific research; development; innovation; good governance; national security;
Scientific research is one of the engines of economic and social development and it is an important part of the culture of a country. The 19th century represented a period of great technical and scientific progress. The scientific and technical discoveries made in various fields have led to a rapid modernization of society and an increase in living standards.
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Keywords: Ken Bugul; Senegal; fantastic literature; marvelous; supernatural;
When analyzing African fantastic literature, one needs to be aware of the specific context of its emergence. Unlike in Western fantastic literature, the supernatural is rooted in everyday life and often does not evoke any fear nor surprise. This article aims to analyze the heroines’ reaction to the supernatural in two novels by a Senegalese writer Ken Bugul: De l’autre côte du regard and La Folie et la Mort. The hesitation between belief and disbelief of the supernatural, as defined by Todorov, is possible when the protagonist has an ambivalent relationship with the African tradition and is influenced by the Western thought. However, if the protagonist is not at all surprised or afraid of the supernatural, we are dealing with a neighboring genre: the marvelous. In my study, I will refer to the Western, as well as the African theories of fantastic literature.
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Keywords: illiteracy; school-system;
Yugoslavia, young in its present political form but very old in traditions and culture, organized an educational system in 1918 that was free and obligatory for all its youth from infancy to early manhood and womanhood. Education has always had a significance beyond mere instruction in dry facts. It has become a national symbol of vital importance to a people who for hundreds of years were repressed as ignorant serfs by Turks, Magyars, Germans, or Italians. The tremendous value of education to the Yugoslavs can be better appreciated when it is remembered that “Black George,” the liberator and first ruler of Serbia, was an illiterate who could sign official documents only by making a rude cross. // Even to this day, illiteracy is high in the country. In the southern districts, where the Turks ruled longest, only 27-37 per cent of those over ten years of age could read and write. By way of comparison, in the Slovene districts, where the somewhat more enlightened Austrian rule had permitted education at a much earlier date, more than 94 per cent were literate. But in spite of the higher degree of literacy in the north, only 54.8 per cent of the nation as a whole could read and write. Among women this proportion was only 43 per cent, though men made a better showing (67.3 per cent).
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Keywords: Slovakia; foreign policy; 2019; development cooperation; ODA; OECD; NGO; migration; humanitarian aid;
2019 brought with it a number of new strategies, instruments and policies. Nevertheless, the old demons returned and our foreign policy and values continued to be undermined. Two main topics dominated – migration and private sector involvement in development cooperation. While migration framed both the beginning and end of the year, caused heated debates, was the reason minister Miroslav Lajčák submitted his resignation to the president (he later withdrew it) and was a politicized in the parliamentary election campaigns at the end of the year, private sector involvement has attracted less public and social media attention and been less prone to open misuse by politicians. Nonetheless both are equally important for development cooperation.
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Keywords: Slovakia; 2019; foreign policy; treaties; agreements; conventions;
1. Presidential treaties and agreements; 2. Governmental treaties and agreements; 3. Multilateral treaties and agreements
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Keywords: Extracorporeal fertilization;Women's health;Endangering rights;State measures;
The financial support of countries in the treatment of infertility with biomedically assisted fertilization is increasing in the world. That support comes either on the basis of law, or other acts. Fertility measures in the media have been portrayed as the last hope for couples without children to achieve the desired parenting. However, research shows that assisted technology in fertility is a threat to women's health, as strong hormone therapies are used that can cause severe health disruption in women. In this paper, the author analyzes the impact of extracorporeal fertilization on endangering women's rights to health. It gives opinions and examines the views of scientists from the United Kingdom and the United States on the treatment of infertility by biomedically assisted fertilization. Points to cases where a healthy woman is being treated for infertility, and questions how it is possible for a doctor to diagnose a man as infertile and commence a woman's medical treatment. It proposes measures that the state can achieve to address demographic problems without endangering women's right to health.
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Keywords: European Union; tax avoidance; profit shifting;
The issue of corporate taxation applied in the jurisdiction in which a company operates has recently received increasing political traction, as tax havens have increasingly drawn attention and also as multinationals have developed colossal turnovers, far above the GDPs of less developed countries. Tax havens deprive of billions of dollars many states that have not established through adequate legislation an assertive fiscal control, generating and fueling social inequities and a high degree of poverty. By funneling money through tax havens to avoid the payment of taxes and fees, multinationals deprive national governments of large sums of money that could be directed to education or health programs.
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Keywords: financial performance;ROA;ROE;net profit margin;pharmaceutical field;
Financial performance is a complex indicator that has represented and represents a priority, an assurance of profitable economic results, and also a hard to reach indicator. Given the importance and necessity of measuring the financial performance both for the internal and external environment of the economic entity, the main purpose of this article is to present concepts regarding the financial performance: typology, importance, indicators that measure the performance. The paper also aimed to highlight the importance of knowing and measuring performance, based on an empirical study conducted on a sample of five companies in the pharmaceutical field (companies whose object of activity is the retail trade of pharmaceuticals, in specialized stores - CAEN 4773) for which profitability indicators were analysed for a period of fifteen years (2004-2018). The five companies were chosen on the basis of turnover, representing the five best performing companies in the field of trade in pharmaceuticals. The research results show that financial performance is the goal of an economic and social game whose main actors are economic entities, also it is a measure of profit, growth, productivity, value creation, being a complex indicator that confirms the profitability of the business, and performance evaluation involves meeting the requirements of stakeholders. In addition to obtain profit, an entity must focus on sustainable development business, on a capitalization of factors of production, obtaining the best and optimal results in relation to the resources consumed.
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Keywords: Heritage and regional development;technology;methods of interpretation;crowdfunding;virtual reality;
This article presents a current EU project on the methods of interpretation of European cultural heritage in the context of tourism. Around 453 cultural heritage sites are on the UNESCO World Heritage List within Europe [1]. Europe's cultural heritage is very diverse. This is by no means just about museums, castles or theatres; tradition and customs are also part of Europe's cultural heritage. As an essential part of the collective European memory, it is important to preserve this diversity.On the other side, the influence of new information and communication technologies (ICT) is increasing in all areas of society.How could the potentials of new developments within technology be instrumentalized within the interpretation of cultural heritage? To what extent does fintech (finance technology) tools like crowdfunding also play a decisive role in the interpretation of cultural heritage along with make it financially sustainable to align private and public interests? Based on a research project, the authors want to give empirical proposals of the usability of modern devices and technologies in the use of heritage interpretation and tourism marketing.
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Keywords: President; Joe Biden; Armenians; Armenian; Genocide; US; Turkey relations; Tayyip Erdogan; international; NATO; meeting; ethnic; religious; minorities; republic;
President Joe Biden recognized atrocities committed against Armenians as the Armenian Genocide in his statement on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (24 April 2021). The statement represents a watershed moment in US-Turkey relations. President Tayyip Erdogan can address US and international concerns prior to the Biden-Erdogan summit on the margin of June’s NATO meeting, or he can double down and intensify repression against Turkey’s ethnic and religious minorities. Erdogan’s course will define international relations prior to the centennial of the founding of the Turkish republic in 2023.
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Keywords: novel; naturalism; document; mysticism; protagonist; modification
From "À rebours", the Huysmansian novel, faithful to the naturalistic aesthetic and to the traditional formula, sets off in a direction which is immediately identified by Zola as a blow to naturalism, and which also constitutes a blow brought to the novel as a genre. In the catholic trilogy, the plot deteriorates from novel to novel, the document takes over, the protagonist’s monologue invades the story. The author explains it by a desire to renew the novel formula, which arrived at an impasse; the pedagogical design of the cycle contributes to the need to seek a new form. But that’s not all. The changes introduced reflect the wishes and needs of the protagonist, who seeks to huddle in a safe place and dreams of finding a haven of peace in the spiritual realm.
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Keywords: Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs); Contact Tracing; Community-based Solutions;
The war on coronavirus is being fought on many fronts. Unquestionably, the battle is in the ICU rooms, but non pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are equally important. Humans can win a battle but lose the war with the virus. If an increase in asymmetric information in human interactions is the social consequence of a spreading virus, that information problem has to be directly addressed.The challenge is more than a task in science. It is also a socio-economic institutional challenge. Health systems of the world, while largely adopting a TTT (Testing, Tracing, Treatment) procedure in managing the virus, has not sufficiently addressed to community spreads in designing mechanisms that can signal suspects and hotspots effectively. The need for examining the system outside the healthcare structure is essential once we understand the traveling journey of a virus. Contact tracing,while direct in identifying suspects of infected individuals, may not be effective even with technology such as AI embedded. Aside from privacy issues, digital contact tracing entails human execution that is a voluntary decision in a free society. There is no assurance that the public will necessarily cooperate. This paper articulates a reason for addressing community-based solutions that are outside the normal health system management. We argue that for a community-based solution to be effective,incentive-compatibility must be considered. Our paper proposes a solution that entails the least privacy intrusion.
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Keywords: Festival; Popular Music; Dancing; Tradition;
Unfortunately, this year will see a complete different organization of the 23rd edition of the concert in Melpignano, Puglia; it will be held behind closed doors, due to the pandemic that has had a stark impact worldwide, precisely as it strongly affected most regions of Italy. Therefore, the concert will be broadcast on the Italian channel Rai 2 on Friday 28th August at 10.45 pm. The musical performance is a symbol of a tribute paid to the traditional music of Salento. The renowned composer Paolo Buonvino, along with, will bring joy to their viewers admiring the performance from home by including an emotional soundtrack, as the concert takes inspiration mainly from both various musical traditions and the current situation in Salento, thus the two musicians strive to encapsulate the image of people’s misfortunes over the past few months, during lockdown, as everyone seems to have forgotten how to smile lately. Moreover, the accompaniment will also cover a mixture of popular customs of the pizzica dance and the world of cinematography. Two notorious orchestras will be performing from the stage of Melpignano, namely the Orchestra Popolare “La Notte della Taranta” and the Orchestra Roma Sinfonietta. The decision to postpone the live performance of the festival was made in order to avoid further transmission of the COVID-19 virus. At the same time, the festival is dedicated to the lion-hearts who fight against the viral disease. The final concert will be held three years from now, in 2023.
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Keywords: tourism; budget; jobs; multiannual financial framework; travelers; tourist;
Tourism has as its legal basis the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union of December 2009, a relatively recent date, given the importance of this area. Although it does not have a separate budget in the multiannual financial framework (MFF), it contributes significantly to the European Union's Gross Domestic Product and remains a good job seeker. The special measures at EU level, which have been taken in the field of tourism, concern: the interest of travelers and/or tourists, the interest of the tourism sector and regions. This area remains the most affected by the COVID Pandemic 19.
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Keywords: insurance companies; a statement of financial position; IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts; IFRS 9 Financial Instruments
The information presented in general purpose financial statements of insurers is particularly important both at national and global level because of their institutional nature. The qualitative and organizational aspects of the financial statements of insurance companies are relevant and in the interest of a wide range of stakeholders – regulators, investors, insured, insurers, among others. With the application of the two standards IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts and IFRS 9 Financial Instruments from 2023, the insurance sector in Bulgaria is facing serious new challenges. That is why the purpose of this publication is to present structurally the statement of financial position of insurance companies with the application of both standards and to outline the differences from the applicable financial statements. Due to limitations in the scope of this publication, the author is limited to presenting only the statement of financial position and not all components of general purpose financial statements prepared and presented by insurance companies in Bulgaria.
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Keywords: man; animal; history; care; ecological discourse; Élisabeth de Fontenay; literature
The author seeks to relate the ideas of Élisabeth de Fontenay to what is now called an ecological turn in the humanities − particularly in literary studies − to see how the work and thought of the philosopher can accompany us in the exercise of ecocritical discourse on literature. Particular attention is paid to the reading of her book "Gaspard de la nuit. Autobiographie de mon frère", which reveals human and animal fragility and invites the questioning of contemporary ecologically sensitive discourses.
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Keywords: geopolitical realities; international alliances; business environment; political conjuncture
Geopolitical realities inherently determine the coordinates of the business average at national, regional and international level. This business environment is a prerequisite for the implementation of real economic activities that determine security in various aspects of specific political territories. These realities are a function of international relations transformed into international alliances with specific activities and with a specific legal status. The international political alliances are dynamic quantities, which in their transformation determine the new political situation with new business opportunities.
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Keywords: sanctions; energy supplies; Russia; European Union; effect of sanctions; global food crisis
In response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the European Union imposed a significant number of individual, economic and diplomatic sanctions on Russia. An important aspect of the sanctioning policy concerns energy resources imported from Russia into Europe. The implementation of these sanctions is currently taking place in the context of a global food crisis. Russia imposed an embargo on the exports of some of its agricultural products, while also imposing a blockade on Ukrainian ports. As a result of these actions, a number of countries face a prospect of food supply shortages as Ukraine and Russia are among the largest exporters of agricultural products. Resolving these problems requires timely and effective solutions. In conclusion, the article proposes the implementation of mutually agreed measures by the European Union and Russia to counter a global food crisis.
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Keywords: energy conservation; Helmholtz; physics history; physics education; science education;
In this research, an educational approach to the concept of energy is proposed. It is based on the history of physics. In 1854 Hermann Hemlholtz gave a popular lecture on the recent discovery that energy is conserved. Such lecture is used as a guide to introduce the pupils within several nuances of this concept. Not much mathematics is used, so Helmholtz's work, with several additions proposed here, is an excellent guide to understanding, from a qualitative point of view, the reasons that led scientists to establish the principle of conservation of energy. At the same time, it allows us to grasp two other concepts which are fundamental in reference to energy: work and heat. This panorama will be drawn in the first section. In the second one, some more mathematical and physical details on the teaching of energy in mechanics and thermodynamics will be offered. Finally, in the Conclusion, the interdisciplinary value of a historical approach to physics education will be pointed out.
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