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Originated in southern China, nanyin (南音) is regarded as 'the sound of motherland' (乡音) performed and loved by the Hokkien dialect speakers in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and diasporic populations living in Southeast Asia. Having thrived in transnational spaces, nanyin is now celebrated as a shared heritage in China and Southeast Asian countries, such as Singapore. This paper explores the process of heritage‐making, that is, the ways in which the art form and cultural practice of nanyin have been re‐shaped and re‐appropriated by the diasporic communities and the native place to articulate different understandings of the Chinese identity in their distinct nation‐state frameworks. In this ambivalent entanglement, China has re‐appropriated the diasporic history of nanyin to gain international recognition and build soft power through United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In Singapore, the Siong Leng Music Association has actively engaged in the heritage‐making of nanyin, leading to the creation of a unique Singapore brand that speaks to hybridity and cosmopolitanism, in the same way as the re‐construction of their Chinese identity. Examining the two processes of heritagisation of nanyin along the China‐Singapore 'heritage corridors', the paper argues that the two ends are connected in important ways but always seek to maintain distance to articulate their own cultural representations at international stages. Thus, nanyin through a comparative perspective enables a critical examination of issues of centre versus periphery, authenticity, and hybridity in the Sinophone world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the dynamic connectedness framework of Antonakakis et al. (2020), this paper explores the financial stress spillover characteristic across nine Asian countries during major economic, political and public health emergency events, especially during COVID-19. We first find a substantial increase in the intensity of total financial stress spillover across nine Asian countries during COVID-19. Second, there are clear differences in the financial stress spillover networks across Asian countries during different economic and political events. In particular, in the first three months after the outbreak of COVID-19, there was considerable month-to-month variation in the financial stress spillover network. Singapore and Japan are the major net transmitter and receiver of financial stress shocks, respectively, during all considered events. During COVID-19, China, as the first country to detect and contain COVID-19, is the strongest net financial stress shock receiver in March 2020, but transmitted net financial stress shocks in February 2020, when the epidemic in China is serious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threat perception has been central in the field of international relations, especially in the literature of states' alliances and conflict solutions. International Relations (IR) balance of power and alliance theories have largely equated "threat" to "power." A standard narrative in Singapore's foreign policy toward great powers is its reluctance to choose between both. Singapore's immediate neighbor, Indonesia, the largest archipelagic country in the world, has voiced similar inclinations. Studies have concentrated on the larger power threat interpretation and their responses toward the change in the international order arising from China's growth or the rise of terrorism but rarely examining issues from small states' point of view. According to Realists' logic, small states possess little capacity to influence the fate of their own survival; therefore, they can only choose between balancing and band wagoning. Threat perceptions play an intermediary role in connecting the external environment and state foreign policy behavior. Hence, the study of threat perception is critical as it influences states foreign policies regarding issues ranging from defense spending to states' level of commitment toward international multilateral cooperation. IR scholars have examined how states form threat perceptions from various psychological and non-psychological perspectives. However, these factors are often studied independently. This paper argues that Gestalt principles of threat perception offer a more thorough analysis of Singapore's threat perception by bridging the gap between realist and constructivist studies by demonstrating how Singapore's threat perception as a small state is magnified due to its unique geographical position and its shared cultural affinity with China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between inward foreign direct investment inflows and governance of the United States, China, and Singapore. The study employs governance indicators including control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, political stability and the absence of violence, rule of law, voice, and accountability to examine the relationship between inward foreign direct investment flows and governance for the period 2002–2019. The baseline regression results are based on bivariate and multivariate regressions with fixed effects. The results confirm a direct and significant relationship between governance and foreign direct investment. The results are robust while applying other regression techniques such as Prais–Winsten regression, Driscoll–Kraay regression, and a two-step system generalized method of moments' estimation. More specifically, all six governance indicators including control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, political stability and the absence of violence, rule of law, voice, and accountability exhibit the same i.e., direct and significant relationship. The paper also suggests various recommendations for investors at the individual and country levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constructs a mathematical model to study China's urban real estate markets, in which there are different types of demands from house buyers, and housing suppliers adopt the strategy of quality differentiation second-degree price discrimination. Our theoretical result shows that, in China's case, without government intervention in the housing market, it is almost inevitable that the prices of both housing and the related resources will rocket. To achieve the goal of "houses built for inhabitance", we put forward a policy scheme to achieve "houses built for inhabitance" in China's cities from the perspectives of "speculation limitation" and "price control". We also conduct a numerical analysis to consider the macroeconomic effects of these two policy solutions on the housing market, and we conclude that Chinese authorities should introduce a resale tax in the housing market and learn from Singapore's experience in housing market regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary centers on one of the insightful articles in this Special Issue: "Curriculum Hybridization and Cultural Glocalization: A Scoping Review of International Research on Early Childhood Curriculum in China and Singapore" [EJ1342945], authored by Yang and Li (2022). The commented article provides insights and directions regarding early childhood curriculum policy and practice in China and Singapore. Aligning with Yang and Li's (2022) findings, this commentary further paints a new three-component framework (the foreground, the background, and the middle ground) for understanding and harmonizing the global-local dissonance in the early childhood curriculum landscape. Leveraging both hindsight and foresight, this commentary also provides insights for policy and practice to advance a harmonious early childhood curriculum landscape in China and Singapore as well as in other societies confronted with similar predicaments.

Purpose: Compared with traditional approaches, integrated project delivery (IPD) improves project performance by enhancing integration. To adopt IPD, however, existing practices need to be changed, which creates barriers to implementation. This study aims to identify the barriers to IPD practices in China and Singapore, whose practitioners show different types and levels of integration experience. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was administered to two groups of respondents: Chinese and Singaporean. The data were analyzed using three nonparametric techniques, including Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test, and Spearman rank correlation. Findings: (1) Of 39 possible barriers, 36 were consistently felt by both Chinese and Singaporean practitioners with different backgrounds; (2) The Chinese group perceived more issues to be significant barriers than the Singaporean group; (3) The Singaporean group had more experience than the Chinese group in performing integration in five areas. This lessens some barriers to adopting IPD practices. Originality/value: This study is important because it uncovers barriers to the effective implementation of IPD and shows the importance of certain types and levels of integration experience in overcoming these barriers. The results will be useful to practitioners planning to adopt IPD in China or Singapore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws attention to the current and possible effects of COVID-19 on the mobility trajectories of mainland Chinese students studying in Asia. By drawing on 35 biographical interviews, this paper focuses on their decision to study in Asian countries and regions. Particularly, it calls for more attention to Asia in global student mobilities and discusses whether COVID-19 has changed the position of Asia in the global landscape of student mobility. Results show that even if COVID-19 provides an opportunity for Asian universities to embrace more international students, Asia still lacks the capability to attract great numbers of them. Finally, the study argues that college students' choice of mobility destinations is shaped by their perception of the central-periphery structure of higher education, which is hard to be shaken by the pandemic.

From the size of A4 paper to 5G in the telecommunications sector, standards are ubiquitous. Standard essential patents (SEPs), which protect technology essential to standards, enable their proprietors to gain significant market power. Antitrust authorities therefore scrutinize the exercise of SEPs for breaches of competition law. In this regard, the ability of SEP proprietors to obtain injunctions against implementers as a remedy for infringement of SEPs where licensing negotiations have broken down or are 'ongoing' has proven controversial. Some fear that this enables SEP proprietors to threaten injunctions unless implementers agree to unfair, unreasonable, or discriminatory terms. In Huawei Technologies Co Ltd v ZTE Corp [2015] ECLI:EU:C:2015:477, the Court of Justice of the European Union identified circumstances where a SEP proprietor's application for injunctive relief as a remedy for infringement of its SEP constitutes an abuse of a dominant position, with the classification of the SEP proprietor's application as being abusive forming a 'FRAND Defence' which implementers may invoke against the grant of the injunction requested. This article analyzes whether this approach can be replicated by the Singapore Courts and whether the Chinese Courts, which have already dealt with SEP licensing disputes, adopt a similar approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese is a highly complex language with internal variation unprecedented in most other languages. Yet, that does not mean Chinese is unique in the sense that it cannot be compared to other languages and new concepts need to be introduced for the description of it. This paper is dedicated to the question of how to apply the notion of pluricentricity to the Chinese language whilst at the same time keeping Chinese comparable to other pluricentric languages. Attempts have been made to see Chinese through a pluricentric lens, yet they have not incorporated the entirety of Chinese with its various Fangyán or have introduced concepts that distort the discussion on Chinese from its linguistic reality. To ensure comparability across pluricentric languages, this paper acknowledges that the term "Chinese" is an umbrella term that does not refer to any single Fangyán but that encompasses all of them. Hence, instead of Chinese, Fangyán are used as a point of departure for the application of pluricentricity. This paper proposes an inclusive framework of Chinese pluricentricity comprising 15 standard varieties: two Cantonese, three Hokkien and five Mandarin varieties as well as two varieties of the Chinese script and three varieties of Mandarin phonetisation systems.

Sustainable consumption is crucial in reducing the growing pressure of environmental crises. This study proposes the Technique of Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach to evaluate sustainable consumption toward green growth. The proposed approach assesses criteria weights in Interval Valued Neutrosophic Sets (IVNSs) using the Method of Maximizing Deviation. The proposed method evaluates sustainable consumption for ten selected developed and developing countries, including Canada, France, Japan, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The evaluation process encompasses four main criteria with eight sub-criteria, namely environment (population density, CO 2 ), energy (total natural resource rents, renewable electricity), economics (value added of agriculture, forestry, and fishing, GDP per capita), and health (fertility rate, mortality rate). The countries are ranked based on the relative closeness coefficient. The results reveal that two economic sub-criteria are pivotal in the sustainable consumption rankings. Canada emerges as the country with the highest degree of green growth, attributed to its extensive land area and potential for renewable energy. Based on the findings, this study proposes some policy implications for Vietnam, including balancing fertility and mortality rates and regulating economic growth and resource exploitation., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

It is difficult to detect bridges in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images due to the inherent speckle noise of SAR images, the interference generated by strong coastal scatterers, and the diversity of bridge and coastal terrain morphologies. In this paper, we present a two-step bridge detection method for polarimetric SAR imagery, in which the probability graph model of a Markov tree is used to build the water network, and bridges are detected by traversing the graph of the water network to determine all adjacent water branch pairs. In the step of the water network construction, candidate water branches are first extracted by using a region-based level set segmentation method. The water network is then built globally as a tree by connecting the extracted water branches based on the probabilistic graph model of a Markov tree, in which a node denotes a single branch and an edge denotes the connection of two adjacent branches. In the step of the bridge detection, all adjacent water branch pairs related to bridges are searched by traversing the constructed tree. Each bridge is finally detected by merging the two contours of the corresponding branch pair. Three polarimetric SAR data acquired by RADARSAT-2 covering Singapore and Lingshui, China, and by TerraSAR-X covering Singapore, are used for testing. The experimental results show that the detection rate, the false alarm rate, and the intersection over union (IoU) between the recognized bridge body and the ground truth are all improved by using the proposed method, compared to the method that constructs a water network based on water branches merging by contour distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Indo-Pacific states have found themselves embroiled in a competition between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States for influence. Particularly concerning is the notable increase in military cooperation between long-standing US partner Singapore and the PRC. This article asserts, through a comprehensive analysis of Singaporean military cooperation with China and the United States, that Singapore's overwhelmingly positive relationship with the United States remains secure. Key leader engagements, joint military exercises, memorandums of understanding, and professional military exchanges will be the focus of this article's examination. Unlike other works on the subject, this article specifically employs a case study to scrutinize a US partner's susceptibility to Chinese influence. By illuminating these developments, the article offers insights pertinent to the US military as they strategize and implement their operations in the region alongside US partner forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Interactions between non-migrants and migrants inflect their ageing experiences. • The spatial attributes of shared spaces can deter or foster intercultural relations. • Micro-publics reveal whether meaningful co-presence exists in shared space. • Ageing-in-place needs to be analysed alongside ageing-across-borders. • Qualitative GIS methods provide a fuller perspective of older adults' life-worlds. While there has been considerable academic interest in the topics of encounters and conviviality, including within the migration literature, little is known about how non-migrant and migrant older adults interact with one another in shared spaces, forming micro-publics that inflect the experiences of ageing for both groups. Using Qualitative Geographic Information Science (qualitative GIS), this paper identifies three types of spaces shared by non-migrant and migrant older adults from Singapore and the People's Republic of China respectively. The first type of shared space is characterised by asynchronicity in that, despite co-located activities, intercultural interactions are less likely to be fostered between non-migrants and migrants. The second type of shared space features informal, spontaneous encounters that develop into more regular forms of interaction with 'otherness', but active negotiation of social difference could be limited. The third type of shared space is marked by formal, organised activities where non-migrants and migrants work towards a common goal, prompting productive negotiations with difference. Through juxtaposing these three types of shared spaces, we argue for the importance of drawing out how spatial attributes can deter or foster varying degrees of negotiations with difference, while acknowledging that the fluidity of such processes depend on the users and social contexts too. We also suggest that notions of ageing-in-place need to be analysed alongside ageing-across-borders, giving attention to how migration impacts ageing in later life—both for migrants who are adapting to life abroad temporarily as well as non-migrants who may experience "transnationalism by proxy". (247 words; max 250 words) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study dynamically examines the impact of foreign direct investment and other explanatory variables on economic growth and carbon emissions, and tests the validity of pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) and environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in China, India, and Singapore from 1980 to 2020. The results of Westerlund's (Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 69(6):709-748, 2007) panel cointegration test illustrate long-run equilibrium relationships among the proposed set of panel variables in the model. The estimated parameters of the AMG, CCEMG, and MG estimators in each of the specified models show that renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, and capital accumulation all have significant and progressive effects on economic growth. However, the labor force is insignificant and carbon emissions have a significant negative impact on economic growth. Non-renewable energy consumption significantly stimulates and renewable energy consumption significantly reduces carbon emissions. Moreover, the moderating role of non-renewable energy in the impact of foreign direct investment on carbon emissions is significantly positive, thus validating the PHH. The moderating role of renewable energy consumption in the impact of foreign direct investment on carbon emissions is significantly negative. The study's analysis also clearly validated the inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis in China, India, and Singapore. Policymakers in emerging economies must prioritize the maturity of renewable energy, which not only increases productivity but also protects the environment from damage by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The governments of China, India, and Singapore should initiate direct foreign inflows based on advanced and clean technologies to avoid environmental degradation and drive higher growth in these economies., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Belt and Road is an international trade interconnectivity Initiative that intersects countries through seaports, roads, corridors, railways, bridges, gas, and oil pipelines etc. In view of U.S., Japan and India, China's economic influence and rise is rapidly growing particularly through this initiative which is not for peaceful purposes. The initiative is endorsing cooperation, interdependence, and development throughout among the countries of various regions. It is projecting neoliberalism by empowering the economies of the developing countries and boosting their social progress by providing financial assistance for development infrastructures and projects. It is bringing idea of common peace and development. In paper, the descriptive-analytical approach has been used to examines China's role under the initiative for promoting mutual, development, peace, and interdependence particularly in Singapore Seaport, Strait of Malacca and Kyaukpru Seaport, Myanmar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governance and regulation of the use of live animals in research and teaching is examined in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and India. A comparison of the systems in different countries will enable the determination of best practice and fit-forpurpose regulation. The most comprehensive government regulation of animal welfare in institutions covers a broad range of animals and institutions are required to have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, whose membership is specified in guidelines or regulations. The work of the Committees is rigorously overseen by government and facilities that use live animals are audited externally. All countries examined have legislation governing the use of live animals in research, although only Australia and Malaysia have a fully equivalent mandated oversight of teaching. Teaching that uses live animals is partly covered in the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Thailand This paper thus aims to review the regulation of animal use in different Asian jurisdictions in order to determine best practices that are appropriate to those settings. The most comprehensive oversight is provided in Australia and Malaysia that essentially use the same regulatory framework.

Research has explored age-related and cultural differences in moral evaluations of dishonesty; however, this has not yet been examined in an aging context. The present study provided a novel account of how younger and older adults (in Canada, Singapore, and China; N = 401) morally evaluate adults' truths and lies in antisocial, modesty, and politeness settings. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing how acceptable it is for adults to tell the truth or a lie in given social scenarios, and they reported on their levels of collectivism and individualism. In all countries, older adults provided more favorable evaluations to blunt and immodest truths than younger adults did. Compared with younger adults, older adults provided harsher evaluations to Polite Lies (in Canada and China) and Modesty Lies (in Canada and Singapore). Thus, there may be an age-related increase in the acceptability of direct honesty over good-intentioned lies, and this age effect is somewhat stable across cultures. Older adults were also more lenient in evaluations of an antisocial lie to conceal an affair compared to younger adults. Overall, adults in China tended to rate lies less negatively, and their greater levels of collectivism mediated their greater approval of polite lies. The present results demonstrate that evaluations of (dis)honesty differ as a function of age and culture and these results can assist in developing a more complete lifespan model of the morality of dishonesty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age group typically identifies millennials – those born between 1982 and 2004. Yet our research challenges the designation based on age group by considering this population in the context of an individual's citizenship or culture. Based on tenets of social identity theory, we explore a citizen's personal value orientation and cognitive moral reasoning to discover commonalities or differences across individuals from eight countries. We report wide variations among citizens' personal value orientations and principled moral reasoning despite being borne within an identified age group. We conclude that an individual's geographic context is a stronger classification descriptor based on values and moral reasoning than their age-based generational categories. Implications for business practice and scholarly research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is ranked as the number one maritime connected country in the world. This study attempts to analyse the characteristics of its 155 maritime trading partners. Five components of maritime connectivity have been used for the analysis. A hierarchical clustering technique is applied to group the trading partners into distinct meaningful clusters. As China's main maritime competitors within the East Asian region, the analysis is also applied to Singapore and Hong Kong. The clustering technique produces three distinct clusters for China and Singapore and two for Hong Kong. The results reveal the importance of direct maritime connectivity, with China having the highest number of trading partners with zero transhipment (including its top 15 trading partners), compared to Singapore and Hong Kong. The analysis is further extended by applying ordered logistic regression. The results show that the logistic performance index (LPI) and exports/imports have a positive and significant influence on clusters. Conclusions are drawn as to the potential for implementing strategies and policy interventions on the basis of the emergent clusters, particularly the need for Hong Kong to improve all five components of maritime connectivity in order to compete with China and Singapore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various topics within the issue, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on social workers in Australia, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and the preparedness of social workers in Israeli hospitals for the next pandemic.

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults experience various challenges, including information uncertainties, financial pressure, and visit restrictions, which may lead to anxiety about the future. As a protective factor, sense of coherence (SOC) may play a role to reduce some psychological discomfort. This study aimed to analyze the relationships of SOC with anxiety, digital health literacy (DHL), information, and financial satisfaction among older adults during the outbreak. Methods: This is part of a large-scale DHL study with a cross-sectional survey across 41 countries. This study extracted data from three Asian countries (China, the Philippines, and Singapore) and included people aged ≥60. Structural equation modeling with path analysis was utilized to examine the relationships of SOC with anxiety about the future and other variables. Results: A total of 266 older adults were included, with 43.2% expressed anxiety about the future. DHL (β=–0.13, p < 0.05) and SOC (β=–0.26, p = 0.01) were negatively associated with anxiety, while financial and information satisfaction were not. However, financial satisfaction (β = 0.34, p < 0.01) and DHL (β = 0.32, p = 0.01) were positively associated with SOC. Higher SOC further mediated the negative relationships of DHL (β= −0.11, p = 0.004) and financial satisfaction (β= −0.12, p = 0.004) on anxiety of older adults. Conclusions: SOC had direct negative effect on anxiety and mediated the relationships between anxiety and DHL/financial satisfaction. Strategies should be developed to enhance SOC and DHL among older adults, as these capacities may help to manage anxiety during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic, an exceptional crisis, sparked the introduction of new digital infrastructure to halt the novel coronavirus's spread. This paper explores how such digital infrastructure's impact might reverberate over the long term, by comparing Singapore, Hong Kong, and mainland China's utilization of digital technology in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak, and their responses to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. We find that advancements in digital technology since 2003 have boosted governments' surveillance and segregation abilities substantially—most dramatically so in China. Even though some of these new digital interventions are ostensibly designed to be temporary ones to address the needs of the immediate crisis, we argue that the resultant extensions of state power experienced during COVID-19 are likely to have profound long-term effects because they fundamentally affect sociopolitical contexts, institutional capabilities, and digital cultures. We also find that the extent to which governments can extend digital surveillance and segregation abilities during the pandemic is contingent on their respective sociopolitical, institutional, and digital cultural contexts. • COVID-19 pandemic sparked calls for a new digital infrastructure. • We compare 2003 SARS outbreak to COVID-19 pandemic. • New digital technologies increased governments' ability to surveil and segregate. • Their impact on surveillance and segregation will persist post COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the determinants of efficiency in the energy sectors of China and Singapore. It examines three possible futures for the electricity industry in China and Singapore: business as usual, energy efficiency improvement, and regulation and incentive improvement. A panel dataset was subjected to cross-sectional analysis using data envelopment analysis and Tobit regression. In the last 10 years, the electric power sector has reduced carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and mercury emission rates by 90%, 88%, and 95%, respectively, as a result of imperatives for the closing of small coal-fired power stations, air emissions regulations and the utilisation of renewable energy initiatives. Finally, it is suggested that the maximum capabilities of such expenditures can only be achieved if they are considered and involved in the project discovery process, rather than just as an add-on to initiatives initially planned as demand initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous research showed that discrete social-emotional skills such as empathy, motivation, and social relationships in school significantly predict achievement, students tend to use various social-emotional skills in combination. As such previous investigations cannot comment on how different combinations or profiles of students' social-emotional skills predict achievement relative to discrete skills. Likewise, little is known about cross-national comparisons of social-emotional skill profiles (SESP), and the extent to which SESP differ on their academic achievement. The purposes of this study were three-folded: 1) to determine whether a four-factor social-emotional skills model could be used for cross-national comparisons; 2) to identify social-emotional profiles in 15-year-old students from four different countries -- Canada, the United States, China, and Singapore; and 3) to evaluate how different profiles predict students' reading, maths, and collaborative problem-solving (CPS) test scores. Our results showed multigroup measurement invariant in the structure, loadings, and thresholds of the four-factor social-emotional skills model. We identified three profiles labelled Sociable, Reserved and Withdrawn in Canada, Singapore, and the United States; whereas, we found three profiles labelled Solitary, Team-oriented, and Reserved in students in China. Finally, the way each profile associated with reading, maths and CPS in each country appeared to align with the cultural expectations of learning.

Purpose: It is still unclear how Asian universities incorporate the theory or practice of sustainable development (SD) in their research and education programmes. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is to report on a study that has examined how universities in Asian countries handle and address matters related to SD. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a bibliometric analysis and an online survey-method. The online survey data were analysed through descriptive analysis and one-sample student's "t"-test. Findings: The study indicates that there is considerable variation among the Asian countries regarding sustainability practices in higher education institutions (HEIs). The HEIs in far eastern countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are perceived to demonstrate more sustainability practices. Research limitations/implications: Even though a substantial number of participants participated in the survey, it did not cover all Asian countries. The online survey was carried out over a limited period of time, and not all HEIs in the field may have received information about the study. Practical implications: Asia is the largest continent facing a number of sustainability challenges. In this context, the contribution of HEIs is very important. The findings of the current study may serve as a baseline for Asian HEIs to take more initiatives towards SD goals, as HEIs are responsible for the education and training of hundreds of thousands of students who will be occupying key positions in industry, government or education in the coming years. Originality/value: The study contributes to the existing literature in two distinct ways. First, it was possible to develop a comprehensive instrument to measure sustainability practices in HEIs. Second, this study has filled the gap of the scarcity of studies regarding sustainability practices in HEIs in Asia.

Background: COVID-19 has a direct impact on the employment of older people. This adds to the challenge of ageism. The World Health Organization has started a worldwide campaign to combat ageism and has called for more research and evidence-based strategies that have the potential to be scaled up. This study specifically aims to identify solutions to combat the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the global ageing workforce. Methods: We present 15 case studies from different countries and report on what those countries are doing or not doing to address the impact of COVID-19 on ageing workers. Results: We provide examples of how COVID-19 influences older people's ability to work and stay healthy, and offer case studies of what governments, organizations or individuals can do to help ensure older people can obtain, maintain and, potentially, expand their current work. Case studies come from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Israel, Japan, Nigeria, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Across the countries, the impact of COVID-19 on older workers is shown as widening inequalities. A particular challenge has arisen because of a large proportion of older people, often with limited education and working in the informal sector within rural areas, e.g. in Nigeria, Thailand and China. Remedies to the particular disadvantage experienced by older workers in the context of COVID are presented. These range from funding support to encouraging business continuity, innovative product and service developments, community action, new business models and localized, national and international actions. The case studies can be seen as frequently fitting within strategies that have been proven to work in reducing ageism within the workplace. They include policy and laws that have increased benefits to workers during lockdowns (most countries); educational activities such as coaching seniorpreneurship (e,g, Australia); intergenerational contact interventions such as younger Thai people who moved back to rural areas and sharing their digital knowledge with older people and where older people reciprocate by teaching the younger people farming knowledge. Conclusion: Global sharing of this knowledge among international, national and local governments and organizations, businesses, policy makers and health and human resources experts will further understanding of the issues that are faced by older workers. This will facilitate the replication or scalability of solutions as called for in the WHO call to combat ageism in 2021. We suggest that policy makers, business owners, researchers and international organisations build on the case studies by investing in evidence-based strategies to create inclusive workplaces. Such action will thus help to challenge ageism, reduce inequity, improve business continuity and add to the quality of life of older workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asia-Pacific region has the highest number of active smokers in the world. Efforts to reduce tobacco use should implement evidence-based measures. The Association of Pacific Rim Universities is a non-profit network of more than 50 universities representing 18 economies. In 2017, it held a virtual global health case competition relating to the use of universities as platforms for tobacco control. This study is a content analysis of tobacco control proposals submitted by 24 teams from 10 economies. Content analysis of the 10-min videos examined (1) general tone and scope of videos; (2) contextual analysis; (3) intervention approaches; (4) theoretical framework; (5) primary versus secondary prevention; (6) individual versus structural approaches. Proposals were not comprehensive; most included some but not all elements recommended by the WHO FCTC. Smoking was often referred to as a 'habit' (instead of an addiction), which likely explains the predominance of individual-level behavior change interventions (smoking cessation) over structural interventions (tobacco ad or sales bans). The most common intervention was the enforcement of current bans on smoking (proposed in 78% of videos), perceived as a major barrier to tobacco control. While most proposals emphasized individual components (e.g. health education and peer support), some also proposed to create more supportive smoke-free environments through billboards, posters and cues to action, such as 'no smoking' reminders and signs with cessation hotline numbers. University faculty, students and campus-wide organizations are well positioned to lead tobacco control efforts. More work is needed to support the establishment of smoke-free campus environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study analyzed the common points and discrepancies of COVID-19 control measures of the two countries in order to provide appropriate coping experiences for countries all over the world. Method: This study examined the associations between the epidemic prevention and control policies adopted in the first 70 days after the outbreak and the number of confirmed cases in China and Singapore using the generalized linear model. Policy comparisons and disparities between the two countries were also discussed. Results: The regression models show that factors influencing the cumulative number of confirmed cases in China: Locking down epicenter; activating Level One public health emergency response in all localities; the central government set up a leading group; classified management of "four categories of personnel"; launching makeshift hospitals; digital management for a matrix of urban communities; counterpart assistance. The following four factors were the key influencing factors of the cumulative confirmed cases in Singapore: The National Centre for Infectious Diseases screening center opens; border control measures; surveillance measures; Public Health Preparedness Clinics launched. Conclusions: Through analyzing the key epidemic prevention and control policies of the two countries, we found that the following factors are critical to combat COVID-19: active case detection, early detection of patients, timely isolation, and treatment, and increasing of medical capabilities. Countries should choose appropriate response strategies with health equity in mind to ultimately control effectively the spread of COVID-19 worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transnational policy transfer through cross‐border government‐to‐government collaboration projects has been widely adopted as a tool to facilitate economic growth, especially by developing countries. Why did some transnational projects of policy transfer succeed while others fail? What are the facilitating and constraining factors in shaping their fates? What are their theoretical and policy implications for public administration and economic development in a globalizing world? This article examines the case of the China–Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park which has been in operation since its establishment in 1994. Challenging the previous studies and adopting a mixed research method utilizing a wide range of quantitative and qualitative data, we identify three major factors affecting the results of policy transfer: (1) a systemic combination of "hardware" and "software" in the conceptualization of transnational policy transfer; (2) localization of transnational policy and its enforcement; and mostly importantly, (3) institutionalization of key processes in both ends of policy exchanges and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]