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Upon the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Soil Science Society of America in 2011, a session was held at its annual meeting to document howthe field has changed over the years. I was asked to give the long-term perspective for soil physics. I surveyed soil-physics research published by the society over the past six years (2005-2011) and compared it with a review done in 1961 upon the twenty-fifth anniversary of the society. Of the 299 papers in my survey, 186 came from outside the USA (62% of the total). Twenty-nine countries were represented with the People's Republic of China having the most papers (27 papers). In the 1961 review, only five countries outside the USA were cited. My survey showed that 48 papers (16%) dealt with water, 35 (12%) with mechanical properties, 19 (6%) with aeration, 18 (6%) with solute transport, 14 (5%) with repellency, and 10 (3%) with temperature. Of the non-USA papers in the survey, 27% gave no source of funding and the other 73% usually cited funding by the government of the corresponding author. Of the USA papers, 47% cited no source of funding. The results showed that soil-physics research has become heavily international. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The articles in this special issue extend research on urban space and politics in Istanbul with approaches that explorate the relationships between urban form, urban change, and political processes as assemblages of things, beliefs, institutions, and landscapes. They share a commitment to extended ethnography and thick description in urban studies, and contribute to research that destabilizes universalizing urban theory produced in Europe and America. The dramatic state-led project of neoliberal urban transformation in Istanbul has generated an important body of work that focuses on the consequences of creative destruction, urban displacement, and urban social and political exclusion. These papers contribute to that research with additional questions that incorporate understudied material and cultural elements of the urban political economy. What role do material elements (concrete, plexiglass, signs, maps) play in the practices that propel urban dynamics: that justify, for example, the rebuilding of some properties and the destruction of others? How do the subjective dimensions of human life (memory, belief, emotion, art, suspicion, and imagination) propel particular forms of urban development? Istanbulites' theories of why, where, and to whom destruction or fortune happens – and of what particular material things mean, or what they're meant to be used for – are crucial elements of the total urban situation. Istanbulites' theories cohere disparate elements into assemblages which, in turn, work to transform the city's material realities and social worlds. These papers invite us, as scholars, to resituate our urban theories and to bring urban residents' theories into assemblage with our own. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the globalization of fundraising. It details how fundraising professionals face growing opportunities to involve diverse constituencies in the support of their organizations. The article offers practical tips for working with Japanese in pursuit of the major gift regardless of where the nonprofit may be based.

International migration is arguably an important challenge and opportunity for the world today. In these two first decades of the 21st century, we are witnessing important changes in the direction of flows, the motivations of people on the move and the complex patterns of human migration. In addition, 2020 has brought an extraordinary and unexpected pandemic crisis, that has temporarily brought international migration to a standstill while further exacerbating inequalities and vulnerabilities of migrants and their families. This special issue finds its origins in the inaugural conference of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration programme at Ryerson University in Toronto which took place in February 2020, while the COVID‐19 epidemic was being felt in China but was still believed to remain a regional and short‐lived challenge. As we developed our writing, COVID‐19 turned into a global pandemic pushing us also to rethink some of our considerations and arguments. The first set of papers aims to unsettle the main migration policy narratives and to critically engage with dominant views of international migration governance. The second set of papers focuses on the new complex realities of temporary migration, investigating critically policies and practices in different world regions, and how they compound vulnerabilities for migrants while failing to offer a sustainable way forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business Internationalization is a subject of great interest for small and medium enterprises from all over the world due to its extensive benefits. However, some industries are neglected in this process due to their activities, impact on the environment and lack of knowledge, so the companies that are part of those industries are not taking the risks of embarking on this journey of internationalization. This research paper highlights the importance of knowledge and enhances the reasons why small and medium enterprises (SMEs) do not internationalize, specifically the Romanian ones from the oil and gas industry. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings over an in-depth analysis of the most searched journal articles on the topic of business internationalization of SMEs from Romania in the energy sector. This literature review brings value by discussing the similarities and discrepancies between the journals and identifies the results that come from the search of the most popular keywords on this topic, coming with more arguments for authorities on the investments that need to be done for companies, and possible solutions for enhancing the chances of more SMEs to attend the global trend of internationalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1990, a large and dynamic global science system has evolved, based on grass roots collaboration, and resting on the resources, infrastructure and personnel housed by national science systems. Euro-American science systems have become intensively networked in a global duopoly; and many other countries have built national science systems, including a group of large- and middle-sized countries that follow semi-autonomous trajectories based on state investment, intensive national network building, and international engagement, without integrating tightly into the global duopoly. The dual global/national approach pursued by these systems, including China, South Korea, Iran and India, is not always fully understood in papers on science. Nevertheless, China is now the number two science country in the world, the largest producer of papers and number one in parts of STEM physical sciences. The paper investigates the remarkable evolution of China's science funding, output, discipline balance, internationalisation strategy and national and global networking. China has combined global activity and the local/national building of science in positive sum manner, on the ground of the nationally nested science system. The paper also discusses limits of the achievement, noting that while China-US relations have been instrumental in building science, a partial decoupling is occurring and the future is unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization, Poverty and Income Inequality: Insights from Indonesia: Edited by Richard Barichello, Arianto A. Patunru and Richard Schwindt. He also does not distinguish between Gini coefficients based on household income and those based on household expenditures; Indonesian estimates are usually based on expenditure figures, which are not directly comparable with other countries in Asia, let alone the OECD countries. Trade openness may well have increased less rapidly in Indonesia than in China, India and Vietnam since 1980, but in 1980 these three last economies were still largely closed to global trade. [Extracted from the article]

This paper addresses the tensions between political sovereignty and global capitalist accumulation that arise from neoliberal globalization: in the context of neoliberal globalization, the role of the state was substantially altered, and competitiveness became important to sustain economic growth, employment and wealth. However, for this purpose, the internal stabilization of the economy also has to be ensured. Competition state-ness aims to reconcile domestic and global market dynamics. This paper addresses this challenge from a Cultural Political Economy perspective, arguing that the specific way this is done results from ideas, institutional selectivities and materiality. As the supranational level gained importance during globalization, this paper uses the European competition state project as an empirical example. It uses a Critical Discourse Analysis to analyze the economic imaginaries on competition of the European socio-economic strategy, Europe 2020. The central findings are two imaginaries on competition that address different market dynamics in the neoliberal political economy: the 'sovereign entity' that promotes a well-functioning domestic market, and the 'competitive entity' that aims to increase European competitiveness to thrive on the world market. Although tensions arise between the imaginaries, it is argued in the end that three strategies based on them constitute the European competition state project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Internationalization has been a paramount objective for higher education institutions (HEIs) for decades. However, the landscape of education underwent significant transformation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to altered contexts, challenges and opportunities for HEI internationalization. This paper aims to critically evaluate the dimensions of internationalization strategies in HEIs and the opportunities within each dimension. Adopting a reflexive approach, the study focused on non-Western HEIs, recognizing the diverse approaches to internationalization within higher education contexts. Design/methodology/approach: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, this paper covered 74 articles published in Web of Science database from January 2019 to December 2023. Findings: The study organized dimensions related to internationalization strategies in non-Western HEIs, offering a comprehensive framework comprising six dimensions: students, programs, faculty, research, international ventures and other sources; and nine internationalization facilitators: international partnerships, funding, government education, international policies, technology, internationalization culture, diversity and inclusion, staff competence and attitude, student/faculty engagement, intercultural experience and satisfaction, English as a medium of instruction (EMI), and knowledge transfer mechanisms. Furthermore, the study delineated strategies within each dimension and highlighted prevalent performance indicators utilized by HEIs. Originality/value: The study's primary contribution is a conceptual framework designed to assist HEI directors and academics. This framework delves into dimensions, strategies and indicators of internationalization particularly relevant in the post-pandemic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural heritage builds a sense of belonging and identity. Heritage as a means of establishing identity is acknowledged and emphasized at a global, national, and regional level. Heritage sites are vital assets for deciphering and experiencing the cultural significance of any place. Identity construct, as well as the significance of Heritage places, arise not merely from the physical remnants representing a historical past but out of the range of values attached to it, be it tangible or intangible. So, any efforts towards safeguarding and sustaining heritage to ensure its continuity need to start with a comprehensive value assessment process. This approach is particularly relevant in the Indian context, more so in the case of Living heritage, where heritage does not exist as mere monuments but as living traditions and a way of life. This paper explores the value-based approach and its suitability to establish the significance of cultural heritage. Two techniques are adopted: Review of selected published papers and case studies through secondary data. It begins with a review of selected papers and national and International Conservation charters for a general comprehension of values in the context of Cultural heritage and methods to assess them. The case study method is then employed to specifically comprehend values associated with Living Religious Cultural Heritage in India. Through case examples, this paper establishes that the most dominant heritage values arise out of Religion and the multiple ways in which it manifests to enable a two-way connection between the divine and the devout. Religious, Historical, and Sociocultural values are critical to the heritage identity of historical religious sites in India. Both tangible and intangible heritage figure strongly in heritage assessment. Heritage values are not intrinsic but dynamic, resulting from the constant transfer of sacrality in religious heritage precincts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing globalisation, organisations are confronted with intensifying market competition. Consequently, organisations continually implement novel technologies to address the challenges posed by market competition. In business process management (BPM), robotic process automation (RPA) is regarded as a tool or methodology that can automate specific tasks or activities within a business process. RPA is widely employed as a standard solution in various industries to assist enterprises in automating their processes, enhancing their operational efficiency, and reducing operational costs. Nevertheless, it is prudent to consider which processes can be automated by applying RPA and the most appropriate deployment methods for RPA. A literature review reveals that process identification is the optimal method for identifying processes suitable for automation, and three approaches - process mining, process quality-based and interview-based can be considered. There are three principal models for deploying RPA: local, cloud and hybrid. The RPA managers in an organisation are thus able to select the most appropriate deployment option based on the organisation's policies, requirements, and cost considerations. Furthermore, this study identifies the critical success factors (CSFs) and analyses their relationships using a 'why-why' diagram. This study could assist organisations in a more comprehensive understanding of RPA technology, which enables more effective utilisation of RPA for enhanced process management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case study is about Hector Beverages Private Limited (HBPL), a company that ventured into energy drink and non-carbonated ethnic beverages of the genre of aam panna under the name of its flagship brand Paper Boat. Four years of existence and HBPL decided to foray into the ethnic sweet segment with a very quintessential offering named Paper Boat Chikki. Chikki, as we all know, is a hyper-seasonal offering to be consumed in the winter season. It is a traditional peanuts and jaggery preparation. The case maps the journey of local and handmade commodity chikki to the brand Paper Boat Chikki. The case elaborates upon the challenges faced by the brand and the strategies adopted to become a commodity brand. Also worth pondering is the expansion of HBPL into the snacks category. Is the move from drinks portfolio to snacks portfolio judicious? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The articles discusses the growing interest in an ongoing research on Chinese Feng Shui, architecture and urban planning. Topics discussed include different conceptions related to Chinese Feng Shui with the onset of globalization, using Feng Shui as a problem solver for space planning and design problems and reasons for contemporary architectural interest in using Chinese Feng Shui.

This paper describes digital cultural policy as a slow and ambivalent or reluctant revolution in a policy field. In investigates how cultural policy has gradually been affected by digitalization in the field of cultural production. I argue that digital cultural policy has developed in a sedimentary fashion, but that it also has been continuously marked by a certain ambivalence towards the digital revolution. Digital cultural policy is ultimately described as a field of hyperconvergence, where ideas, political tools, technology, and policy areas are entangled to an increasing degree. This challenges the research on and the analysis of digital cultural policy. The paper is primarily based on a close reading of Norwegian cultural policy documents. I have employed all the white papers on cultural policy from the Ministry of Culture between 1973 and 2019 – both the ones that explicitly deal with cultural policy and the ones that deal with a specific field of the arts (performing arts, visual arts, music etc.), as well as annual reports from Arts Council Norway between 1975 and 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deglobalization and elevated inflation are important features of the current world economy. Will the reversing of globalization affect the level and formation mechanism of inflation in the countries (or regions)? This paper selects 163 sample economies and constructs an index system in measurement of globalization. On such basis, it integrates the index system into the hybrid Phillips curve under the condition of open economy to study the influence of globalization on inflation and the logical mechanism and to further evaluate the driving effect of deglobalization on global inflation. The result shows a deflation effect of globalization, and the effect decreases first and then grow as the globalization level of a country (or region) improves. To further investigate the formation mechanism of inflation, the paper decomposes inflation into inflation trend and inflation cycle. As far as inflation trend is concerned, trade globalization marked by participation in global value chain is the main driver of downward inflation trend in developed economies, while globalization of information and finance is the primary driver of downward trend in emerging and developing economies. As to inflation cycle, trade globalization makes inflation cycle of the countries (or regions) more sensitive to price of international commodities and forms a linkage through trade network. Since the outbreak of the major public health emergency in 2020, the reversing of globalization drove up inflation of the countries (or regions), and those with higher participation in global value chain have higher level of inflation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]