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Objective: To analyse the productivity of post-Soviet countries, adjusted by population, in terms of research papers published and the proportions of those papers indexed by Scopus and the Web of Science. Methods: Relevant data on the journals indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science were analysed. Where required, data were also extracted from Russian Science Citation Index databases and websites of journals. Results: On average, the post-Soviet countries had 31 researchers per 10,000 people. The average numbers of publications per researcher in journals indexed by Scopus was 1.04 and the corresponding figure for the Web of Science was 0.87. In terms of the number of journals indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science, the leading countries were Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Conclusion: Although the post-Soviet countries differed considerably in terms of bibliometric indices, the overall values were low. Main features of the journals were as follows: articles published in national languages - in Russian in many cases - and in English, articles mostly by authors within the region, and only a minority of foreigners as members of editorial boards. Thus most of the journals cannot be considered international. All the journals examined have websites in a national language and/or in English and invariably carry information on ethical practices, although such information is not given in a uniform format and varies from country to country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about the two conferences on economic policy in Estonia in 2009-2010 is presented. The 25th anniversary of the organization of the first scientific conference held in Tartu discussed topics about environmental and social policies, corporate strategies and sectoral economic policy. Moreover, the 15th anniversary of the first international scientific conference organized by German research publishers would discuss business administration, corporate finance and accounting management.

Only sufficient economic wealth can produce science with the highest quality. However, there is room for many intervening factors, which can moderate the process of how money invested into research transforms into a bibliometrically measurable outcome. In this paper, based on the latest update of the Essential Science Indicators (ESI), covering the period 2007-2017, we analyze the progress of Estonian science against the background less successful neighbors, Latvia and Lithuania, in the pursuit of scientific excellence. Estonia improved the impact of scientific papers by eleven positions occupying the 17th position in the world-ranking list of countries/territories, sandwiched between France and Israel who both have approximately two times larger DGP per capita to say nothing about 68 and 12 Nobel Prize winners respectively. By the percentage of papers reaching the topcited category, Estonia occupies the 7th position of the most successful nations. The fact that Estonian papers are cited 30% more frequently than papers recorded by ESI in general is a puzzle because Estonia is spending only about 0.8% of its GDP on the R&D with a dropping tendency during the last three years. Factors that could moderate transformation of the input money into scientific output are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology-facilitated abuse (TFA), a consequence of structured gendered disadvantage, poses increasing harm to women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their children. This paper presents a small explorative transdisciplinary (social work and geography) study which aims to assess the knowledge of women professionals from four European countries (Estonia, Finland, Greece, and Northern Ireland) working in the area of IPV about TFA in general and in particular safety planning. The focus on safety planning is what distinguishes this research. The research findings indicate that the risk assessment of TFA is not always included in safety planning. Barriers, such as lack of professional knowledge, are reported. The paper ends with feminist insights about the risks of engaging in a reductionist approach when the focus becomes just the lack of knowledge per se, without accounting for the wider structural inequalities that exist within the context of patriarchal surveillance capitalism and which are primarily responsible for TFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences is the property of Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Politologija is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The main objective of this paper is to identify how small powers can make a difference by taking up a role at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as non-permanent members. This research takes a closer look at the Baltic states, Lithuania and Estonia, and give a perspective for Latvia too. This paper examines whether these states use strategies that have made other small powers successful at the Security Council. Most of the materials used were documents from foreign services and the UNSC, and the methods employed were qualitative document analysis and interview. Lithuania was successful at making resolutions and highlighted topics, such as small arms and protection of journalists, whereas Estonia was successful at agenda setting and highlighted cyber security and environment security. Small powers can successfully work at the UNSC by setting the agenda and working on resolutions. However, their time as part of the UNSC is limited and their abilities to solve military conflicts depend on the support of the great powers. The Baltic states used some strategies that other small powers have successfully used, although they lacked influence for mediation and coalition building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the digital transformation of education in Moldova, with a comparative analysis of Estonia's successful experience in this area. First, the article provides an overview of the current status of digital transformation in education in Moldova and identifies critical challenges in financing this process. Next, the Education Strategy 2030 in Moldova, which aims to improve the functionality of the educational system through the effective implementation of digital technologies to ensure the quality and sustainability of education, is discussed. The success factors of digital transformation in education in Estonia, including government support, high levels of digital literacy, a strong IT sector, and a culture of innovation and experimentation, are identified. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for financing digital transformation in education in Moldova, including allocating a specific portion of the state budget, seeking funding from international organizations and donors, and exploring opportunities for educational institutions to generate income. The implications for policy and practice and suggestions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of the research into the participation of scouts and scouting associations present in three countries. Three Baltic states (BS) - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - have been chosen as the subject of the research. The goal of this paper was to answer the questions of how the scouts perceive their role in the national defensive education system, and what the older scouts want to teach the youth. Based on this, we have attempted an appraisal of whether - and to what degree - scouting organizations contribute to increasing the level of defensive education in a given community. The paper has avoided strictly system-wide solutions, as the latter form a mere backdrop for the results of the research. In order to achieve the goal of the current research, the following research questions were formulated: Does participation in a scouting association represent a form of defensive education? Are the skills obtained from one's membership in them helping increase the mentioned indicators? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the impact of relative endowments of skilled labour and physical capital on the location choices of multinational firms (MNEs). We demonstrate potential methodological issues and possible solutions related to the identification of vertical MNE activity when using aggregate country-level data. To support our analysis, we introduce data matching and various assumptions with respect to the degree of profit shifting activities of MNEs that we apply to study unilateral inward foreign direct investment (FDI) across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Our choice of data is motivated by various legislation gaps, taxation specificities, and growing equity stocks in sectors related to profit shifting in the aforementioned economies. Ultimately, we highlight the importance of international tax differences and the growing discrepancy between real and reported cross-country FDI data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims to investigate prisoners' rights to use and access the Internet, focusing on the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The study's principal objective is to assess the fundamental rights aspects of Internet access, particularly within the context of relevant EU legislation, and to interpret how the digital divide impacts prisoners. The study primarily relies on a thorough review of pertinent literature and legal materials, and it incorporates case studies from Estonia, Lithuania and Türkiye to contextualize the literature findings within specific legal jurisdictions. The research findings suggest that prisoners' Internet access should be evaluated in accordance with fundamental rights, including Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Regarding the digital divide, the study concludes that limiting prisoners' access to the Internet could exacerbate the already existing societal gap, potentially hindering their reintegration into society. The particular focus on the above three countries stems from the fact that as per the precedent of the ECtHR, only four countries are involved in cases concerning restriction of access to the Internet (Estonia, Lithuania, Türkiye and Russia); however, Russia ceased to be a party of the European Convention on Human Rights, so analyzing the future of the issue of Internet acces there is highly limited. Our research contributes significantly to the literature on the digital divide, particularly in terms of its legal implications. The study's comprehensive approach, which integrates both theoretical and practical aspects, is beneficial for domestic legal professionals and researchers engaged in interdisciplinary investigations of EU law and fundamental rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the trust/commitment theory and the customer-based brand equity theory, this study aims to ascertain which of the brand equity drivers of A. Le Coq beer have an impact on attachment and its overall brand equity in the Estonian brewery market. In order to achieve this goal, an empirical study was conducted based on the 17 customer-based/consumer-based brand equity models: the 15 brand equity models, including the beer/beverage brand equity models, the 2 internal brand equity models, as well as 3 other related models. The study utilised a sample of convenience of 120 University of Tartu students. The questionnaire was placed on Google's online survey administration service. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through AMOS29 was used for testing the fit of the model and covariances (through AMOS29) were used for testing the hypotheses. Additionally, t-test analysis was used for the differences in the means between the demographic characteristics and the items of the model. The results show that brand meaning has a strong positive effect on attachment strength, which significantly influences relationship factors—commitment, trust, and satisfaction. Another major finding is that the relationship factors—commitment, trust, and satisfaction—play a significant role in the development of the brand equity of A. Le Coq beer. This study provides useful insights for brewery marketing managers by exploiting the strong positive relationships found between beer brand equity drivers, such as the strong positive relationships found within consumers of beer, i.e., the relationships between brand reputation and brand image, brand meaning and attachment strength, attachment strength and commitment, attachment strength and satisfaction, attachment strength and trust, satisfaction and brand equity, commitment and brand equity, and trust and brand equity. This finding contributes to the literature on brand equity related to the Estonian environment. Five differences in demographic characteristics seem to play a role in designing strategies by the management teams of different brands for increasing the consumption of their competing brands of beer. A replication of a model previously used for a non-product is part of the novelty of this paper. In addition, all the examined relationships are found to be positive and significant, which provides a contribution to the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandy beaches high in recreation value make up 16% of the over 4000 km long shoreline of Estonia. The shore processes associated with climate change have remarkably accelerated over recent decades. Many sandy shores have suffered from strong erosion, including an excellent former beach at Valgeranna. The jetties, which were built in the 1860s to protect the navigation channel of Port Pärnu from clogging, have prevented natural sediment transport along the coast from south to north. At the same time, the sandy beach in Pärnu is expanding, and part of the sand accumulates with strong storms also in between the jetties, reducing the width of the shipping channel. The channel needs regular dredging, but, so far, the dredged sediment has been taken far away to the open sea and accumulated on the seabed. The current paper addresses the possibilities of using that sand for beach restoration in destructed and eroded areas. An overview of the applied methods and measurements during field studies is given. The results of modelling the processes of wave activity and sediment transport are discussed. The recycling of shore sediments is an important measure in sustainable coastal zone management. Different options and scenarios are analysed in order to find the most reasonable ways to bring sand back onto beaches and stabilize natural processes. Support from the state by working out respective laws and regulations would be motivating as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estonian Journal of Archaeology is the property of Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper analyzes the transmission of return and volatility from different stock markets. The stock markets that are analysed in the paper are from Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Euro zone. The indices that quantify the evolution of this stock markets are EURO STOXX 50, OMX Tallinn, OMX Vilnius and OMX Riga. These indices are used for determinations of return and risk in the case of this stock's markets. Multivariate asymmetric heteroscedastic BEKK model was applied for estimate the transmission of return and volatility between the markets. The results of the empirical study confirm the existence of spillovers phenomenon: first, the spillover return from the Euro Zone stock market to the Baltic stock markets, second, the spillover volatility from the Euro Zone to Estonia and Lithuania stock market and third, the asymmetry of volatility transmission only between markets from Lithuania and Estonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been several data revisions to output statistics in Estonia during the past six years as methodologies have been harmonised. These changes are significant enough to require corrections to the earlier understanding of Estonia's potential economic growth rate. In this paper the latest data vintage from 2009 is used to estimate Estonia's potential output growth and output gap. The production function approach that has been used shows that the gap varies quite extensively, ranging from -8% in 1999 to +8% in 2007, while the average potential growth rate in 1997-2009 was around 6%. The macro model simulations expect the potential growth rate to fall in the future. The fall in the marginal productivity of production inputs makes growth slow to about 4-5% in the next five years, if there are no additional shocks to the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide a brief investigation of the Estonian-German scientific collaboration in terms of quantity and quality of the scientific output and impact based on the Web of Science (WoS) and the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) of Thomson Reuters. An overview of the overall scientific productivity of Estonia and a ranking of the countries of cooperation is given. The most active affiliations and research fields involved into the cooperation of the two countries are identified. We analyse in particular the development of the output (i.e. the number of joint publications) of the Estonian-German cooperation and of the impact (i.e. the number of their citations) since around 1972. Finally, the most frequently cited Estonian-German joint papers in the field of Physics and Astronomy are listed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into the integration of artificial intelligence within Estonia's education system, showcasing the country's global reputation for digital innovation. Utilising the method of the case study and the method of document analysis, we explore not only the practical outcomes, challenges, and strategies related to the adoption of artificial intelligence in the Estonian education system but also its economic implications. The research highlights artificial intelligence's potential to lead to cost efficiencies and economic benefits for the education sector. Furthermore, we address the critical issue of fostering artificial intelligence literacy among students, schools, and universities, pinpointing data privacy and ethical considerations as key areas of concern. The strategies implemented by educational institutions to mitigate these challenges and promote a comprehensive understanding of artificial intelligence are also discussed. In conclusion, the paper underscores artificial intelligence's transformative potential in reshaping education, offering guidance for other nations and academic entities aiming to successfully integrate artificial intelligence-based technologies. Emphasis is placed on the importance of a supportive policy framework and a solid ethical foundation to navigate the complexities of artificial intelligence adoption and ensure responsible use, while also considering the economic impact on the educational ecosystem and the labour market at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are no systematic approaches available in current specialist literature when it comes to the optimization of the process of drying out hardwood species of wood, such as birch, aspen, or black alder, all of which find industrial uses in Estonia. In order to investigate the drying of these three hardwood species, this paper has made use of an experimental and theoretical drying optimization methodology which was developed previously for pine sapwood within the framework of the EIC Grant No. 16200 project. The same methodology was used to determine the critical diffusion coefficient and corresponding critical relative humidity levels (RH) in relation to the surrounding air, with those levels being important from the point of view of drying optimization, and calculating those levels separately for each species of hardwood. For alder it was found that the critical diffusion coefficient is Dcr = 36.57 * (10−4 mm2 s−1), while for aspen the figure was Dcr = 30.71 * (10−4 mm2 s−1), and for birch it was Dcr = 16.35 * (10−4 mm2 s−1). It was found that the time dependencies for the total deformation of different tree species tend to differ considerably, although the same drying regime was used for all of those tree species which were incorporated into the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania and Estonia both have young fintech ecosystems that are growing rapidly and closing the gap with the more developed ecosystem in Western Europe. Although Romania is larger both in terms of population and GDP, the Romanian fintech ecosystem is almost 4 times smaller than the Estonian one. In this paper the author examines what are the factors that are contributing to the faster development of the Estonian ecosystem and whether some of these factors can be replicated in other countries, besides Romania. My results indicate that factors such as a government that is open to innovation and working with startups, a more international mindset of the startups and better collaboration between fintech startups themselves and between the startups and universities can accelerate the development of the ecosystem and help the startups grow faster. My results both confirm existing studies on the subject and can help the stakeholders in the ecosystem better work together to accelerate the development of the ecosystem and, ultimately, better service their clients. These success factors that have contributed to the faster development of the Estonian ecosystem can most, if not all, be replicated in Romania and other countries in the region to achieve similar, if not better results. The silver line between all this factor is a change in mindset that allows for a better collaboration between the stakeholders in the ecosystem, but also for improved individual business models and more innovative products and services that we can all benefit from. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fast growth in the Estonian economy, unemployment has remained high for extended periods of time. This paper analyses and quantifies the mismatch between registered unemployment and vacancies and how it has contributed to unemployment in the Estonian labour market at the (county) regional, occupational, and industrial levels for the time span 2011-2021. We apply the search and matching theory and the mismatch index framework, and our findings show that around 4–5 per cent of potential hires have been lost in the Estonian labour market because of mismatch. The contribution of mismatch to the level of unemployment is roughly 5–8 per cent, meaning that if the match between unemployed individuals and vacancies was efficient, unemployment would have been 5–8 per cent lower. Mismatch has the smallest impact at the regional level and the largest at the industrial level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first attempt to bring together the historians of science from the Baltic States took place in Riga in 1958. Prof. Pauls Stradiņš (1896-1958) initiated and organised a joint meeting for historians of science from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania under the supervision of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. A program for future joint activities was developed, and the tradition of joint conferences--the Baltic Conference on History of Science (BCHS)--in each country followed. In 1991, the Baltic Association of the History and Philosophy of Science (BAHPS), uniting historians and philosophers of science of independent Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, took over organising the BCHS. The article aims to present an overview of the published results of the conference, which is partly based on the annotated bibliography (1958-1985) of the conference. The authors analyse the subject, dissemination and tradition of the BCHS, and discuss the role of academic institutions in organising the events. Since the overview was inspired by a decision to gather a complete set of books of conference abstracts, it also resulted in recommendations for conference organisers. Between 1958 and 2019, twenty-nine conferences were organised and 2,880 papers were presented. The next conference will take place in Finland in 2022. The main ideas of the article were presented at the 26th International Congress on History and Philosophy of Science in Prague in 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social entrepreneurship is a relatively new concept in Estonia and measuring the social impact of enterprises is not yet the norm. It has gained more awareness during recent years and therefore several support instruments have been established. The aim of the paper is to provide a framework for impact analysis of an incubator and analysis of the evaluation of the program for social enterprises according to the designed framework. The incubation program itself was piloted at a higher education institution. The paper addresses the concept of social enterprises, new social venture creation, incubation by a higher education institution and its impact on social enterprises. While the development of enterprises is a common topic, the research on social impact incubators is still scarce. The study is characterised by a descriptive and an exploratory study design. The paper explores the social enterprise incubator through mixed-method two-stage content analysis of the applications and self-analysis reports of the participants of the incubator. In the process of the content analysis, qualitative data analysis is used. Finally, the paper concludes that the incubator was successful as it helped the social enterprises to become sustainable and enhanced their social impact. The limitation of the research is the evaluation design which addresses measuring the successfulness of the incubation immediately after the end of the programme and not in the long-term. The study contributes to the literature on measuring the successfulness of incubation processes and on the practice of incubating new social ventures with social impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista CES Derecho is the property of Universidad CES and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The European Union (EU) presented a uniform List of Waste (LoW) in 2000 and last updated the technical guidance in 2018. The respective local regulations for the classification of waste in Estonia were set in 2015. Due to the changes in the regulations, it was necessary to review the properties of solid wastes generated in Estonian oil shale industry in light of hazardous properties. Therefore, the properties of the produced ash streams were analysed and the obtained results were compared to those for coal for being in accordance with common practices. The main objective of the paper was to answer the question whether the properties of oil shale (OS) are comparable to those of coal as coal and its combustion residues were not considered hazardous waste in Europe, but the respective counterparts of oil shale were. The EU guidelines suggest the use of calculations based on trace element concentrations for the classification of hazardous property (HP) 14 - ecotoxic. Therefore, an extensive study was conducted to investigate the hazardous properties of all the solid residues from power plants operating on oil shale and shale oil production facilities. This paper describes one part of it - the trace element compositions of the major ash streams produced in the Estonian oil shale industry and focuses on their comparison with data available for coal ash samples. The findings of the study showed that, similarly to coal, oil shale ash (OSA) should not be considered as ecotoxic due to the low concentrations of trace elements. It was found that the investigated oil shale ash samples exhibited a very similar composition and properties to those of coal, and as a result of a larger study, from the beginning of 2020, oil shale ash and other oil shale thermal treatment residues are not classified as hazardous waste in Estonia, thereby initiating policy changes that affect most areas of the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of risk attitudes and financial expectations in households' borrowing behaviour. The central research question is whether risk aversion and optimistic expectations provide additional information beyond the main economic and sociodemographic characteristics in predicting applications for credit and the size of debt. The paper uses microdata from the Estonian Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) and estimates probit and Heckman models. My analysis shows that risk-tolerant households apply for loans more often than risk-averse households do and that their loans are larger. The variables describing the household's expectations for its future financial situation are on their own related to the decision to apply for a loan, but they do not contain any relevant additional information beyond the main economic and sociodemographic characteristics of the household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the developments of the journal "Discussions on Estonian Economic Policy." It notes that the journal on economic policy in Estonia has been published for five years and have offered doctoral students in institutions of higher education the opportunities to publish their ideas and results of their thesis. It states that valuable cooperation of the editorial members and contributors have significant role in the journal.

The paper discusses the applicability of using limiting phase angle temperatures, measured in the Dynamic Shear Rheometer, for low temperature ranking of performance, in comparison with limiting low temperature grades in accordance with AASHTO TP 122-16 extended Bending Beam Rheometer method. During this study, also other low-temperature test methods were compared to each other. For this purpose, 13 asphalt binders were sourced from around North-Eastern Europe, twelve of which are currently used throughout Estonia as well as the neighbouring countries. The thirteenth was a highquality Laguna Venezuela binder that is no longer commercially available in the region but was deemed suitable for comparison. Samples were tested to measure their needle penetration, Superpave Grades, Fraass breaking points, AASHTO TP 122-16 limiting low temperature grades and limiting 30° phase angle temperatures. Additionally, a correlation found in previous work was applied to the set of samples studied in this paper. Of the binders tested, the low temperature behaviour of the Venezuelan binder stands out with better performance. The analysis suggests that the twelve commercially available binders are from a similar source which was observed through their tendency to undergo thermo-reversible aging. The study shows that the phase angle approach provides a reasonable surrogate for the AASHTO TP 122-16 limiting low temperature grade. However, the latter should currently remain the preferred approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Estonia, up to 90% of local wool is not adequately valued, while in Norway, due to the well-functioning wool-buying and -sorting system, a large part of local wool is used purposefully. However, both countries have room for improvement in terms of the better usage of local wool. This article provides an overview of the Estonian-Norwegian wool research conducted in from 2020 to 2023 and its main results. During the study, wool was collected from three Estonian and three Norwegian sheep breeds, semi-worsted yarn was made from it, and knitted and woven fabrics were produced. Wool, yarn, and fabrics were tested in numerous ways. The paper presents the main test results and suggests how wools with a wide range of qualities can be used in innovative ways to create textiles. The smart use of materials is based on the possibilities offered by medium-sized production and knowledge about local wool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Politologija is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 began the modernisation of state security systems in the Baltic Sea region. A pioneer in the creation of comprehensive security was the Republic of Estonia, which began to implement the total defence strategy as early as 2008, after the political crisis caused by the Russian minority. The protests have disrupted the functioning of Estonian public institutions and the private sector, which are threatened by cyberattacks. The Russian Federation could use not only military but also hybrid means. Therefore, Estonia has decided to implement a completely new version of the total defence strategy. The paper seeks to assess the Estonian concept of holistic security, with particular emphasis on solutions for civil defence in crisis situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Middle Corridor, a transport route from Asia to Europe that also facilitates major energy projects through the Caspian Sea and its surrounding countries, has gained even more attention after the intensification of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. Methods: On the basis of major scientific papers on the topic, foreign policy addresses from The Diplomat and studies by the United Nations and Asian Development Bank Institute, a framework with five aspects was created. In addition, two interviews with sector stakeholders were conducted to apply the framework and determine the relevance of the route to Finnish and Estonian economies. Results: A multifaceted overview of the current economic, political, and infrastructural state of the Trans-Caspian trade route is given. The practical value of the article lies in creating a framework for evaluating the route for related economies and testing this out for the Finnish and Estonian economies. Conclusions: Despite the challenges, there are enormous opportunities in this logistics route, especially with the restrictions facing Russia due to western bloc sanctions. Finland and Estonia, however, are suffering under the effects of war in Ukraine and the related sanctions, which has hindered the capacity to further enhance development projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Folklore is a small area of research in the arts and humanities and it is fairly unique in every country or region. Because of these virtues it is hard to measure the impact of folklore research. This paper presents a detailed overview of the publications published by Estonian folklore researchers from 2005-2014 and verifies that Estonia is a highly active country with an impact as immense as its neighbors and the world in this area of science. One of the main reasons for this seems to be the indexing of Estonian folklore journal Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore in the Thomson Reuters Web of Science Core Collections Arts & Humanities Citation Index. Since 2008 when the indexing started the journal has developed into a regionally important folklore journal which is publishing papers not only from Estonia but also from other countries far and near, and these papers have a visible impact not only on the area itself, but to other areas as well, meaning Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore is catching up with other big folklore journals. Estonia is on the huge map of world science not only with biology, genetics or physics, but also with folklore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, research on trade rebalancing in agri-food supply chains has gained prominence due to trade sanctions, supply chain disruptions, and vulnerabilities exposed by pandemics and conflicts. This study focuses on the recalibration of agri-food trade dynamics, using the 2014 Russian import ban as a case study. The ban significantly altered the structure of agri-food export destinations for affected countries, particularly those sharing a border with Russia (e.g., Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). Employing a cross-section regression model and structural break tests, we assess the trade rebalancing process. Our findings reveal short-term trade rebalancing effects, primarily observed in product groups not traditionally considered main trade specializations. There is evidence that significant part of the lost trade was redirected to EU28 or EAEU countries and end up in the common trade areas of these countries. Furthermore, we argue that the Russian import ban initiated a long-term structural shift in export patterns for non-traditionally traded banned products, while rebalancing for traditionally traded products was significantly quicker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Methis is the property of University of Tartu Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management & Innovation is the property of Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu-National Louis University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)