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Based on data from the China Statistical Yearbook and China Family Panel Survey (CFPS), this article investigated the influence of regional transportation infrastructure development on family education expectations. Research results show that there is a significant positive correlation between transportation infrastructure and family educational expectations and that the improvement of transportation infrastructure can enhance the family's willingness to engage their children in higher education. According to the results of influencing mechanism analysis, transportation infrastructure development affects family education expectations by increasing family income and changing family reproduction concepts and educational ideas. In addition, the impact of transportation infrastructure construction on family education expectations is heterogeneous: the positive correlation between them is particularly significant in rural areas with less developed transportation infrastructure, in areas with low average education level of parents and slow information communication, and among families of lower social classes; however, the relationship between the two variables is not prominent in urban areas, in areas where information communication is fast and parents have a higher average education level, and among families with higher social classes. These research findings offer the nation and government new implications for better promoting poverty alleviation through education and rural revitalization in underdeveloped areas.

For a long time, rural revitalization has been a topic of concern. After it was put forward in the form of a policy in 2017, it has further received research feedback in many fields, and the education field is no exception. This article is based on the quantitative analysis of the reports in the CNKI database, with rural revitalization as the theme of educational research from 2000 to 2021. We summarized its development trends and research priorities. We found that after 2017, there has been a surge in education research related to rural revitalization, focusing on three aspects: vocational education, teacher plight, and education construction. At present, the rural revitalization strategy is still in its infancy. Grasping the research focus in time and referring to international experience can provide a more comprehensive theoretical basis for the realization of rural revitalization, promote the flexible change of research focus, and facilitate the effective implementation of policies.

Tax increment financing (TIF)--an economic (re)development tool originally designed for urban cities--has been available to rural communities for decades. This is the first study to focus solely on TIF in rural school districts, to examine TIF effects on school districts' property tax base and rates, and to conduct event-study estimations of TIF effects. The study finds that TIF has mostly positive effects on rural school districts' property tax base and mixed effects on property tax rates, and that TIF-induced increases in tax base come primarily from residential property and slightly from commercial property. The study's findings assert the importance of returned excess increment if rural school districts in Iowa and many other states are to benefit from TIF.

At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, the party put forward the 14th five year plan and the long-term goal of 2035, it put forward that we should not only give priority to the development of agriculture and rural areas and comprehensively promote rural revitalization, but also strive to build an educational power, improve farmers' scientific, technological and cultural literacy and promote the revitalization of rural talents. Human resources are the first resource for China's economic and social development, and education is the main way to develop human resources. Rural Revitalization needs talent revitalization, which is inseparable from the revitalization of rural education. However, there are still some problems to be solved in rural education. This paper combs the problems existing in the school running conditions, teachers, family education, education quality, local culture and the development status of rural vocational education, analyzes the causes of the problems, and puts forward the countermeasures for the development of rural education. Such as increasing investment in education funds, strengthening the construction of school standardization; improving the economic treatment and social status of rural teachers, strengthening the construction of rural teachers and enhancing their sense of rural belonging; strengthening the role of family education and sharing the responsibilities of vulnerable groups; improving the quality of education and creating local characteristic courses; vigorously developing rural vocational education. Through these measures, we can promote the healthy and sustainable development of rural education. At the same time, the government, society, schools and families need to work together to attach great importance to and strive to solve the problems existing in rural education. Therefore, this article combs the problems existing in rural education and seeks solutions in order to help the rapid development of rural education.

The education system of the 21st century mainly accentuates on pragmatic and collaborative learning where field trip is one of the most prominent methods of learning. Considering this, Brac University arranges a lot of experiential learning activities. Visiting different programs of BRAC is one of them where every student of the university is taken to observe the development trends in rural areas of Bangladesh. This study explores the impact of those visits. The methodology of this research includes both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A survey was conducted where 200 students were selected who visited programs of BRAC. Subsequently, a focus group discussion was arranged where 40 students had taken part. The study shows that this field visit helps students becoming more attached to villages, and it inhibits a sense of responsibility among many of them. This research may help policy makers to design their curriculum more effectively in the future.

Access and use of mobile phones by communities in rural areas is a topical issue in different countries. However, there has been limited empirical literature to account for mobile phone use in rural areas for development and lifelong learning. This study employed the data which were collected from 66 phone users in rural areas to report on their technological literacy in the use of mobile phones. The data were generated through questionnaires, focus group discussions and practical tests. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were employed to analyse the data. The analysis revealed that the majority of adults in rural communities could use mobile phones through voice calls and short messages only. Only a few of them could use mobile phones to access internet services. Financial transactions and searching for information on weather, health, politics and businesses were challenging to them. This led to the conclusion that rural communities need to be empowered to access internet services through mobile phones to enhance their socio-economic development activities. It is recommended that technological literacy programmes on the use of mobile phones and the internet to maximise productivity be implemented in rural communities that are mostly farmers and producers of raw materials.

This article recounts our field experience and research in TfD in the Ofabo community, Kogi State, Nigeria. Through socially engaged performance and participant observation, this study finds that the poor state of drinking water in the Ofabo community results from government negligence, inadequate awareness, and the inactivity of community stakeholders/representatives. TfD approach works for education, awareness creation, and community mobilisation but there is a need for multi-disciplinary, public, and private partnership-based engagement in the region to make water testing and water treatment possible and to maximise the community-friendly engagement medium that the TfD methodology creates for measurable rural development.

The 21st century has brought with it unforeseen challenges and influential trends that will have significant impact of the livelihood and wellbeing of Georgia residents. Extension personnel within Georgia can extend their mandate by identifying issues that represent present and near-present threats and use these issues to inform programming and direct resource allocation. The conceptual basis for this study relied upon the community capitals framework and the consensus-building theory. Data were collected using a three-round Delphi process, with an expert panel comprised of 19 Extension leadership and administrative personnel. Descriptive statistics, including mean importance scores and absolute frequency counts, were computed. A final list of 21 unique issues resulted from the Delphi process and was analyzed thematically using the constant comparative method. Five heuristic themes resulted from this analysis: 1) Investment in Youth and Adults, 2) Agricultural and Rural Economic Development, 3) Agriculture and Food Safety Information, 4) Resource Access and Availability, 5) Social and Personal Economic Concerns. Comparison with the community capitals framework revealed that multiple capitals interacted within each of the resulting themes. Utilizing the Delphi technique in conjunction with the community capitals framework enables extension professionals to compare community resources and strengths and may allow for greater efficiency in addressing critical issues. The immediate efforts of extension personnel should be directed towards addressing issues within the Investment in Youth and Adults and Resource Access and Availability themes. We recommend using the associated community capitals as strategic entry points for further discussion and program development.

China's rapid economic growth and correlating growth of metropolitan areas has attracted young people leaving their hometowns from the rural areas. Revitalizing the rural areas has been a national development strategy in China. College students returning home to start businesses is one way to alleviate the current shortage of young talents in rural areas of China. Based on the model of goal-directed behavior (MGB), this paper takes behavioral attitude, subjective norms, positive expectations of emotion, negative expectations of emotion, perceived behavioral controls, and government support, all as independent variables. The paper uses the desire as the intermediary variable to construct a goal-oriented behavior model about the intention of entrepreneurial initiatives by college students. By using survey data, the empirical analysis shows that the model has a strong explanatory power on the intention of college students. The positive expected emotions, perceived behavioral control, and government support, have a significantly positive influence on college student's intentions through controlling behavior desire. The perceived behavioral control and behavioral desire of the subjects had a direct positive and significant influence on their intention. This research provides a reference for the government to formulate policies to attract college students to return to their hometowns to start businesses and boost rural revitalization.

With the increasing employment pressure of college students and the steady promotion of China's rural revitalization strategy, attracting college students to participate in rural revitalization has become an important issue. This study explores the relationship between rural volunteering, role identity, and career expectations of college students' rural volunteers, and provides a theoretical basis for improving college students' rural career expectations. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 266 college students, and the structural equation modeling and bias-corrected self-sampling methods were used to explore the logical relationship between college students' rural volunteering and career expectations, and to examine the mediating role of role identity in them. The results show that: (1) College students' rural volunteering helps to raise their career expectations in rural revitalization; (2) College students' rural volunteering can promote their role identity; (3) College students' volunteer role identity can positively influence career expectation; (4) College students' rural volunteering positively influences career expectations through the mediation of role identity.

Lack of development in different societies of the world has been attributed to university education in recent times. Degrees are envisaged to be synonymous to skill acquisitions which are expected to be reflected in the society. Meanwhile, it remains controversial whether university education is actually responsible for development of skills and societies or not. Thus the reason for this study which adopts a review method. Relevant literatures were reviewed with regards to the subject matter. The findings show that university education can aid skills acquisition, promotion, amongst others. However, the findings also show that acquirement of degrees is not necessarily synonymous to skills acquisition and may not be a determinant to development in the society in some instances. Meanwhile, the relevance of degrees in skills acquisition is largely dependent on the type of designed education provided. The study recommends that focus and due attention should be given to education that enhances skills acquisition and promotes glocalization where students are trained to acquire and put to use skills that are needed in their society while using global standard.

This article reports on a technology stewardship training program to promote ICT leadership development with agricultural extension practitioners in Sri Lanka. Researchers used a multi-method approach with a single embedded case study. Data were collected using a pre-course survey, formal course evaluation, classroom observation, and semi-structured interviews with participants. Kirkpatrick's four-level evaluation model was used to structure analysis of the results. Findings from this study show a positive response to technology stewardship training among agricultural extension practitioners in the course, that learning objectives of the course are achievable when offered as an in-service training program, that self-confidence with ICT is improved, and that some participants applied their learning in a post-course activity. Results from the study also raise a number of considerations for future course design in order to better support digital leadership development in practice. Technology stewardship training shows promise as a form of ICT leadership education for agricultural communities of practice in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. This article contributes to a better understanding of the role of social learning among communities of practice in agricultural extension services, and in contributing to effective use of ICT for agriculture development more broadly.

Scholarship on service-learning demonstrates a variety of benefits to students, faculty, and the university. One clear benefit beyond these is the ability of service-learning to support and advance a university's civic mission within its community and region. This article offers an account of the use of service-learning in a collaborative project that included the host university, its art department, a local chamber of commerce, and a state department of economic development. The project addressed the promotion of an emerging cultural venue in rural central Georgia, the economic revitalization of the region through travel and tourism, and the community relations required to acclimate a traditionally conservative community to supporting a visionary arts venue. An assessment of the effectiveness of the project, its overall impact, and improving the pedagogical model is also provided.

Objective: This project analyzed recent doctoral dissertations addressing the role of community colleges in rural development for the purpose of identifying themes in the reported results and offering recommendations for future research. Methods: A meta-synthesis approach was utilized with 20 doctoral dissertations from the time period 2009 to 2020 investigating the role of community colleges in rural community development, rural economic development, rural workforce development, and collaboration with other entities relative to rural development. Results: Themes derived from the analysis and synthesis are presented, with discussion of the representative studies for each. Building on the results of the thematic analysis, the review offers recommendations for practical steps that rural community colleges can take to contribute to the communities they serve. Additionally, we offer suggestions for a research agenda to produce further insights and understandings that can strengthen and enhance the roles of community colleges in rural development across America. Contributions: Collectively, the reported themes and suggested research agenda speak to both the important role that rural community colleges can play in rural development and to the need for ongoing work in this area of the literature.

The intersection between education and regional development has long been a key discourse in educational research. This study used Hainan, the second largest island in China, as a case to explore the role of education in regional repositioning, taking both the economic and cultural domains into account through the lens of history and space. Policymakers from three selected administrative areas of Hainan were interviewed. The findings suggest that regional economic structure and cultural traditions in both the past and the present together shape the provision of education in Hainan, local people's participation in education, and their education aspirations for their offspring. The people on the island view education choice through a lens of accumulated and contemporary, intergenerational economic, and cultural experiences. This study also confirms the mutual interaction of education and regional economy and culture. Education serves the region via manpower fostering and cultural mobilization. Many policies and initiatives developed to improve regional education are strategic and realistic, but local inhabitants' voices deserve to be heard and respected for better acceptance and effectiveness of policies. For education to fully play its mediating role in regional repositioning, it is necessary to locate any policies and initiatives within an analysis and full understanding of the region's complexities and specificities.

Smart phones can be regarded as one of the greatest invention of this century and have become inseparable gadgets from everyone's pocket. The diffusion of smartphones has been widening more rapidly due to its means for communication, gaming, education, entertainment, technical support, information, day to day news coverage, and trading and business. Mobile apps are software programs designed to run on smartphones, tablets and other devices. There is a need for the design and development of a mobile application for farmers, students and agriculture experts with improvisation of content/features in both educational and advisory services. This study aims to explore the present scenario of mobile agricultural applications in the global mobile ecosystem available in various platforms and to highlight the challenges in the upscaling of the mobile agricultural apps, while pointing out certain additional contexts to strengthen mobile agricultural applications. Developers and agricultural experts must review carefully to avoid the stereotypes and clichés and the new mobile applications must be user friendly to the farmers in advisory services and in education.

Purpose: This paper aims to contribute to deepening insights on social media in agricultural research by presenting a case study on how a research and education centre in Mexico connected, communicated, and interacted in a research and education community on Twitter. Design/methodology/approach: By using a Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach, 1585 tweets were analysed. The data was gathered using NodeXL. Afterwards, SNA was performed through the igraph R package. Findings: The dynamic of virtual interaction around an agricultural research and education centre shows that different roles are needed to connect and foster the interaction on Twitter, as well as to spread information broader. While some accounts are functioning as creators of information, others act as consumers and diffusers of it, and a few more accounts play both roles. Practical Implications: To increase the size and strengthen the interaction of a network on Twitter, it is advisable to have the support of other accounts and to promote its use among potential users. This requires capabilities to develop a social media strategy and pro-actively engage new followers. Theoretical Implications: Through a SNA approach, it is possible to understand better the functions of weak and strong ties in virtual settings, i.e. the former to extend the network, and the latter to strengthen it. These ties can enhance information dissemination and enable exchanges on social media. Originality/value: This paper applies SNA as a theoretical and methodological framework to demonstrate that the interactions among users are different when a whole network is analysed, and when it is divided into the mentions and retweets networks. By doing this, hidden patterns are revealed.

This article explores a case methodology of action research in Tennessee and investigates how library and information science (LIS) educators can extend their social responsibility to the state's small businesses and rural public libraries. Insights are drawn from a planning grant that was recently awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services to the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee. The case project involved a process of conceptual model development to toolkit blueprint design in implementing action research in order to address a practical concern, develop a tangible resource, and promote positive changes in praxis built on local partnerships and collaborations. It served as a pilot test-bed to propose strategies for similar rural settings in the future. Findings fill gaps in the "how-to" of operationalizing action research to inform LIS educators of how they might extend the impact of their traditional information-related teaching-research-service toward economic development and economic growth.

The paper is based on the concepts of the learning society and community-led local development, specifically focused on community education in rural areas of the Czech Republic. The research questions are connected with the identification of objective and subjective conditions for the development of community education and with the development of activities of Rural Community Schools, both from the supply and demand perspectives. The aim is fulfilled through a secondary analysis of Rural Community Schools' websites and mainly through primary research carried out by interviewing techniques with a high level of standardisation, conducted with the main actors (Community Coordinators) of Rural Community Schools. The results of the study show the higher importance of subjective conditions for the successful development of community education in the Czech Republic. The paper also identifies the demand for educational activities provided by Rural Community Schools as a positive factor in their development. On the other hand, weaknesses could mainly be seen in cooperation with local partners. This is also the main possibility or necessity for their successful future development.

Almost all countries periodically review and discuss their educational systems and their content due to the growing importance attached to educational activities. The goal here is to allow the use of innovative and different methodologies and to reflect scientific advances and social developments and innovations on school life which is one of the main dynamics of society. However, there are some topics that are never included in teaching curriculums although their content is directly related to the other topics in the curriculum. One of these topics is "Geographical Indications" ("GI"). Literature shows the fact that one of the most crucial parts of country and regional development both in scientific and political areas is rural development as emphasized in all platforms. The simplest way to ensure rural development is to make use and market the goods and values produced in rural environments. Based on this, it can be claimed that protecting the goods via GI, which aims to ensure the protection of goods which possess a certain reputation, is actually protecting the producer. Providing value for the product in markets will satisfy the producer in economic terms and the area will develop since the producer will not leave the present location. Therefore, the economy of the country will also benefit. Since GI does not only aim to protect the producer but also the consumer; the producer, consumers and all people in a nation will benefit from this protection. Although it is a rather well established process historically, such a significant program which has come to the fore in the past 30 years in our country is not directly or indirectly included in geography curriculums in Turkey. This study which utilized document review, a qualitative research method, addresses the topic of GI and presents suggestions as to how GI can be included in Secondary School Geography Curriculum for 11th and 12th grades and what learning outcomes it can entail.

Scientific vision and scientific understanding in today's world are in the path of new glory. Chemical Engineering science is witnessing drastic and rapid changes. The metamorphosis of human civilization in this century is faced with vicious challenges. Progress of Chemical Engineering science, the vision of technology and the broad chemical engineering applications together will go a long way in the true emancipation of scientific publishing and scientific editing. The author as a Chemical Engineer deeply delves into the world of chemical engineering science and unfolds the vast and visionary domain of publishing and editing. The author with deep and cogent insight uncovers the various branches of chemical engineering subject, its vast and varied applications and the futuristic vision of publishing in Chemical Engineering Journals. Scientific writing in today's world is in the path of newer regeneration. Plagiarism issues are changing the face of global scientific writing. It is a burning as well as a vexing issue. The human scientific endeavour is in the state of a difficult crisis. The sole aim and objective of this treatise is to address the need of lucid and plagiarism-free scientific writing in India. The message of plagiarism free writing in India needs to be strong and far-reaching. In today's scientific perspective, the need for scientific writing, whether it is of Engineering or Medicine, is immense and also needs to be targeted to the common mass. Chemical engineering is also in the path of new regeneration and newer reenvisioning. The domain of chemical engineering is now diversifying into different areas of Bio-engineering, Biotechnology and Medicine. In a separate section, the author delineates the visionary scientific endeavours in scientific writing especially medical science writing. There is an immense need for Chemical Engineering writing as India moves into a new eon of scientific cognizance and greater scientific vision. Mankind's vision and scientific prowess will be emboldened as India moves into a new scientific era. The basic upshot of scientific writing with targets towards sustainable development needs to be re-envisioned. The author touches upon the wide world of interdisciplinary areas of chemical engineering particularly, biotechnology, bioengineering and rural development in India. These aim and objectives will open up newer future thoughts and newer future vision in the years to come.

This case study explored the development of a rural cradle-to-career network with a dual focus on the initial mobilization of network members and subsequent adaptations made to maintain mobilization, while meeting local needs. Data sources included interviews with network members, observations of meetings, and documentary evidence. Network-based social capital facilitated mobilization. Where networks were absent and where distrust and different values were evident, mobilization faltered. Three network adaptations were discovered: Special rural community organizing strategies, district-level action planning, and a theory of action focused on out-of-school factors. All three were attributable to the composition of mobilized stakeholders and this network's rural social geography. These findings illuminate the importance of social geography in the development and advancement of rural cradle-to-career networks.

Education means all round development, this all round development means intellectual, social and emotional development. It is only education that can mould the behavior of an individual. READ (Rural Education and Development) Foundation is not-for-profit organization established in 1994 to address the dire need for education and literacy in Pakistan. Pakistan is facing an educational crisis with more than 25 million children not being able to avail their constitutional right to a quality education. One in ten of the world's out-of-school children are Pakistani. Education is the only tool which can enable the country to develop and progress amongst the communities and nations. Realizing this problem, READ Foundation's founders initiate a school system to serve the marginalized communities and underprivileged families and to contribute for MDGs. The main aim of this study is to assess the actual role of READ Foundation of quality improvement in Pakistan. The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare the key roles of READ Foundation for providing quality education in Pakistan. For this purpose a significant review of on hand literature was passed out. On the basis of deeper and critical investigation into the literature, the study found that the READ Foundation truly contributed with the admirable system of accountability with equal opportunities to all. System having good quality assessment system, non political interference, and quality curriculum and teachers motivation for achieving quality oriented goals.

Modern universities are facing challenges due to the increasing number of young people attending higher education. The sheer number of students raises the question of how to organize teaching-learning activities that allow the students to become active learners and engaged participants in academic discussions within their disciplines rather than passive spectators. Mass universities face heterogeneous students of those who are motivated by career opportunities and need situational motivation to engage in deep levels of learning that are necessary to reach the necessary deep level of understanding of the often complex phenomena studied at the university level. Within the last decade, "student-centered" instructional methods have become increasingly popular in higher education and one such method is peer learning. Peer learning was not well understood in earlier education system as it was perceived learning as matter of competition rather than cooperative. Still there are evidences showing that not all students are willingly involved and participating in the process of peer learning at higher institution. Therefore, this study is intended to identify factors affecting peer learning, and thereby to improve students' academic performance through strengthening peer learning. In this regard, all the third year students of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension were taken and interviewed. The descriptive results revealed that there is awareness problem among some students about the importance of peer learning. Moreover, many students were engaged in peer learning outside the classroom learning only for a few activities and not regularly practiced.

On the one hand, the relevance of this problem is primarily determined by a growing gap of rural territorial entities in socioeconomic development, and on the other hand, due to their significance in such prominent aspects for the country as food security, maintaining the existing land, industrial, ecological, demographic and human potential. The purpose of the article is comprehensive assessment of socioeconomic, institutional and ecological situation of rural areas in order to justify managerial decisions and effective policy making at the regional and local levels. The leading method for studying this problem is strategic analysis of processes of developing rural areas, as well as factors affecting development. The results of the study: In this article the authors assessed the situation in the socioeconomic sphere of municipalities in the Samara Region of the Russian Federation, accordingly, based on this, the authors concluded about a predominance of degradation processes, which form instability in the development of rural areas. The results of this study can be used by the regional authorities in their practice for the making and implementation both regional policy, as well as strategy of socioeconomic development of rural area.

Agriculture is one of the main industries of Kazakhstan, especially in the Kyzylorda Region. Before the reforms, agriculture in this region was better developed than the manufacturing industry; this is no longer the case. The main crop grown on the irrigated land of the region is rice. Inefficient distribution of cultivated areas, their excessive use, and the growing volume of fertilizers used in the soil increases the salinization of the soil on arable land. This necessitates the investigation of the soil on irrigated land through environmental and geographical monitoring. This research analyzes the current reclamation state of irrigated cultivated land in the Kyzylorda Region located in the Kazakhstani part of the Eastern Aral Sea region, in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya River. The causes and level of soil salinization in said areas were determined. In addition, the factors that affect land salinization in the Shieli-Zhanakorgan, Kyzylorda, and Kazaly-Aral irrigation sectors were determined. The research classifies the arable land in the Shieli, Zhalagash, Karmakshy, Kazaly, and Aral Districts in terms of salinization type, characterizes its peculiarities, and investigates ways of improving the salt regime of soil on irrigated arable land.

The relevance of the research problem is reasoned by the need to create conceptual grounds of life organization variants in the rural school as a resource of intellectual and labor potential formation of rural society taking into account the socio-economic realities of Russia's development in the beginning of the twenty-first century, as well as by the need to maintain the competitiveness of Russia in the agricultural sector. The aim of this article is to present the theoretical and methodological substantiation of the model of the rural school system "school-employer-society", to disclose terms and principles of its construction. A leading approach to the study of this problem is poly paradigm approach implying a dialectical unity of systematic, integrative and differentiated, activity and competence, technological and axiological approaches, the totality of which is directed on problem solving how to transform a rural school into building and strengthening resource of intellectual and labor potential of rural society. The article reveals the author's understanding of the concepts "intellectual potential of rural society", "labor potential of rural society", presents the formulation of the theoretical and methodological terms, conditions and principles of constructing a model of the rural school as a resource to form intellectual and labor potential of rural society, reveals the peculiarities of the model, which first of all is oriented on rural school student's comprehensive training for independent activity in the conditions of market economy in agrarian society.

Sprouting Entrepreneurs is a three-year teaching programme for rural primary and secondary schools that focuses on entrepreneurship in agriculture. It addresses the South African real-life challenges of food insecurity, youth unemployment and rural poverty from a classroom perspective, by linking agriculture, food and entrepreneurship as main learning areas. This paper outlines the programme in its local social and economic context. It argues for the need for a concept of entrepreneurship education that views opportunities in the context of young people's positive freedoms. Its didactical model combines the EntreComp framework with the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen and others. It emphasises the role of capabilities or freedoms in developing and implementing ideas that create value for others. The Sustainable Development Goals form a medium of learning.

Purpose: As a new channel for agricultural extension, university-based agricultural extension is changing the traditional pattern of agricultural extension in China. This study reveals the mechanism through which policy affects the performance of university-based agricultural extension. Design/methodology/approach: Based on Rhodes' policy network analysis, this study analyses the interactive relationships between the stakeholders in university-based agricultural extension. Taking 12 institutes of new rural development at agricultural universities in China as its sample, the study uses grounded theory to model the mechanism by which policies and policy changes influence the performance of university-based agricultural extension with a view to providing a new theoretical perspective and paradigm for research on university-based agricultural extension policies. Findings: The study reveals a self-reinforcement mechanism in the changes in university-based agricultural extension policies, and shows that path dependence has a normative effect on policy changes. Practical implications: University-based agricultural extension is of great significance to promoting reform and innovation in China's agricultural extension system, which features 'one core with multiple supplements'. Theoretical implications: The study reveals the influence of a more complex policy network composed of three levels of policy -- state, provincial, local -- on university-based agricultural extension, and expands the application of the policy network theory. Originality/value: The findings will guide the Chinese government in achieving its vision of creating the perfect mechanism for university-based agricultural extension.

Purpose: The present descriptive-analytical study aimed to rank the barriers of the application of the value chain in the context of rural entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: The statistical population was composed of 125 entrepreneurs from the provinces of Tehran, Hamedan, and Golestan, Iran. Data were analyzed by the TOPSIS technique. Findings: The results suggest that the lack of a correct financing mechanism and the lack of targeted policymaking and government support of the rural entrepreneurship are the main factors hindering the cycle of the value chain to develop rural entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurs who work in the service sector identified the lack of training of entrepreneurial skills as the main barrier and in contrast, those working in the animal farming sector listed the lack of government support policies as the main barrier. According to the entrepreneurs working in the agricultural sector, the lack of specialized advisors about job issues and the lack of financial resources are the main deterrents of rural entrepreneurship. Practical implications: Different organizations (such as Jihad-e Agriculture Organization, banks, and the Office of Industry, Mine and Trade) cooperate to facilitate the access of agricultural entrepreneurs to low-interest bank loans and credits that have long enough repayment periods. Theoretical implications: Training institutions, such as academia and private educational institutions, focus on the training of entrepreneurial skills and concepts in different aspects such as business running, marketing, and the recognition of risks and target markets at the elementary and advanced levels. Originality/value: The paper provides insight for rural entrepreneurs to recognize the barriers to the application of the value chain in the establishment of entrepreneurial businesses.

This study investigated the extent to which personal factors relate to the utilization of development information in the rural communities of South-South Geo-political Zone, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. The population comprised all adult male and female rural dwellers from the three out of the six states in the Zone (Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States). A sample size of two thousand, four hundred respondents was selected for the study. Questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument which was validated by three experts in relevant fields has two parts: part A elicited the respondents' bio-data while part B consisted of five items which elicited information to answer the research hypothesis. The items were structured on a modified four-point Likert scale. In the research area, the instrument was administered personally by the researchers and with the help of research assistants. Percentages were used to provide information on the respondents' bio-data while ANOVA and multiple regression were used to answer the research question. While ANOVA determined the joint contributions of the predictors (dependent variables), multiple regression analysis indicated the relative contributions of the predictors. The results showed that the respondents personal characteristics had significant joint contributions to their utilization of development information; age, educational attainment and sex had significant positive contributions while marital status and occupation had negative contributions. It was recommended that rural development planners must take into account the special circumstances of the rural people especially their age, sex, occupation, educational level and marital status if they are to participate meaningfully in development.

The study explores and unfolds the purpose of education in general, its value and the role it plays in helping development of the people in rural areas especially at Thabaneng Village in Lesotho. It reveals that education is the key to development and functions to equip the rural population in Lesotho with knowledge, training and worthwhile skills that are intended to uplift their standards of living in their respective milieus. Education is so vital for the rural poor for it makes them to have critical thinking and reasoning. It further renders them, through participation, to be part and parcel of their own development. In conclusion, the paper indicates that the Government of Lesotho launched the Free Primary Education (FPE) to promote the importance and value of Education for All (EFA) that is hoped to promote the development of Basotho especially in the rural areas.

Telecentres in the 21st century may be able to improve standard of living, quality of life, and stability of knowledge for the rural population. The role of telecentres is widely increasing in developing political and management awareness, economic, socio-culture, technology, education and regulation awareness in rural communities. Telecentres in this context is a premise or a centre of information and communications technology (ICT) for rural residents to obtain information and knowledge. The major role of telecentre is to bridge the digital divide and socio-economic gap between rural and urban population. Telecentre is also a centre of lifelong learning activities for the rural population to seek formal and informal knowledge. This paper is intended to demonstrate the development of telecentre experiences in Malaysia that focuses on scholarly activities through lifelong learning of the rural population. The scope of discussion depicts the seven routes of informal symbiosis between lifelong learning with the telecentres that gave positive impact on rural development in Malaysia. The discussion is based on the discourse and experience of telecentre development in Malaysia.

The present paper deals with the sphere of Power Engineering and it's past developments, current status and future scope of Power Engineering education in India. The aim of this manuscript is to explore the prevalent status of Power Engineering education in India from the grassroot level to Industry level applications, data has been collected from India's premier Institutes of National Importance for this purpose. Introduction to Power Engineering has been given with India-specific past developments and current obstacles faced by the nation's Power Engineering community in order to achieve a hundred percent electrification rate through clean and efficient means. India ranks second on the list of countries with the most population and seventh on the list of countries with the most land area, it is imperative that India becomes independent in terms of energy production, energy transmission and most importantly energy management. Electric power transmission-loss remains a major roadblock in the delivery of sufficient electric power to India's citizens and the Power Engineers of India have to contribute to the best of their abilities in order to solve the problem of electric power transmission-loss in the worlds second most populated and seventh largest country. Challenges faced by Power Engineering aspirants and students who are pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Power Engineering have been analysed for every level of technical education available for students in India. Requirements for a Power Engineering Undergraduate aspirant currently in twelfth grade or currently pursuing a Diploma degree and requirements for a Power Engineering Post-Graduate currently in graduation have been explained separately using data from their syllabus which is verified by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), a regulatory body formulated by the Government of India to guide, promote and scrutinize technical education syllabus' in all institutes and organizations of India concerned with science and technology. Since a large portion of India's population resides in rural areas and indulges in agrarian based employment practises, the importance of the Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DUGJY) which is an initiative specifically formulated by the Government of India for electrification of India's villages and rural areas has been explained, India is the second most populated country in the world and predominantly most of this population lives in villages, many of which are located in remote areas and thus it becomes nearly impossible to supply continuous electricity to these areas. As mentioned earlier a major part of India's economy depends on agrarian products and by-products, thus it is imperative that Power Engineers of India contribute in the development of these areas through continuous supply of clean electrical power which helps in keeping the rural environments of India's villages clean and green. Government of India's approach towards marginalised sections of the Indian society for the implementations of these schemes so that they can offer last-mile connectivity has been statistically explained. Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) is being approached and implemented for using the sun as a source of electrical power on war-footing by the Government of India to meet the demands of the second most populated nation on the planet. Power Engineers have actively participated for the efficient utilization of India's 7500-kilometre coastline in order to generate electrical power from the force of blowing wind, employment opportunities for Power Engineering aspirants, Power Engineering Graduate and Power Engineering Postgraduate students have been disclosed in this manuscript. Initiatives of the Government of India in developing and redefining Power Engineering courses through massive open online courses through National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) which is an online based platform for students and academia alike, NPTEL lectures are available in video format and are delivered by faculties from India's designated Institutes of National Importance. Past involvement of power engineers in the electrification of India and their role in research and development of new technologies such as ultra-high voltage direct current and superconductors has been scrutinized. In conclusion, future scope of Power Engineering and new technological research and developments have been mentioned with regards to Industrial Revolution 4.0. Possibilities of Power Engineering's contribution in research and development of Smart-Grids, Micro-Grids and Electrical Power Management sourced from academia, which includes the fourth largest Ph.D. population on the planet and industry alike have been explored in this manuscript.

Since rural Canada contributes about one-third of the national economy and significantly to culture, we argue it deserves greater attention in public policy, beginning with policy education. A scan of 22 Canadian Masters of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs reveals a marked absence of policy training focused on rural issues and communities. By comparing the subject areas offered in these programs and the learning outcomes presented at the 2015 International Comparative Rural Policy Studies (ICRPS) summer institute, we identify subject areas essential for training in rural policy. The comparison establishes an important congruence in the learning offered in the MPP/MPA programs and the summer institute, and yet critical differences. The analysis recognizes that training in analytical tools and socio-political contexts is foundational for policy design and implementation. However, acquiring competency in rural policy reinforces the need for graduate coursework centred on rural policy sectors.

Recent media reporting and research suggest that regional comprehensive universities (RCUs) and other postsecondary institutions may play an integral role in the welfare of rural regions, yet empirical research on the regional service of rural postsecondary institutions is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine how a single RCU serves its rural, Appalachian region. Guided by case study methods, this study used a theoretical framework consisting of community capitals theory and the anchor institution framework. After analysis of interview, documentary, governmental, and observational data, the case study resulted in a rich description of the RCU's regional service. Our findings demonstrate the RCU's role as an anchor institution as it expended resources to grow, invest in, and leverage rural community capitals. The university's most significant focus as an anchor institution was on leveraging and increasing human capital through investing in education, workforce development, and public health. These findings point to several implications and policy recommendations to better support the anchor institution role RCUs play in rural regions.

In this National Science Foundation Advanced Technician Education program (NSF ATE) project, we aimed to explore factors that would strengthen the rural IT employee workforce and improve educational support related to broadband, telecommunications, and networks in rural settings. Using multiple methods to triangulate rural IT program curricula content with employers' perceptions and new professionals' on-the-job experiences, we gained an understanding of common general and technical competencies, perceived rural IT technician workforce readiness, and strategies to bring educational experiences in alignment with professional performance. We also offer findings concerning alignment of technician pathways and recommendations for how to transfer identified competencies to other similar rural markets, along with examples of extensions of this work for exploring and assessing IT pathways.

Purpose: This study explores the potential of the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) to assess the technical, economic and environmental effects of cooperative innovation projects at farm level. Design/Methodology/Approach: The analysis of the FADN potential relies on the classification of innovations and the co-identification, through the Most Significant Change (MSC) approach, of the most relevant indicators for tracking and assessing the performances of innovations and attributing to them the effects of a specific innovation. Findings: The study shows that the FADN has a certain range of useful indicators and that they have a good coverage of the different types of innovation. Furthermore, the farm visits let emerge the importance of participatory approaches to capture the different changes and interplays occurred in farming processes. Practical implications: The paper lays the foundations for the adaptation of the current methodology for data collecting and provides useful insights concerning the overcoming representativeness claims, costs' issues, and problems related to the observation time limit. Theoretical implications: The paper reveals the importance of participatory monitoring and evaluation approaches in helping the collection of more robust and relevant account data on farm, as well as in attributing certain results to a specific innovation and recognising synergies and side-effects of cooperative processes. Originality/Values: The paper provides some recommendations on how to enlarge the scope of the FADN survey in order to be used effectively in the analysis of the performance of cooperative innovations at farm level.

This article was introduced due to a sharp decline in research publication output by 120.69 units at the University of Venda (UNIVEN). Because research publication output is necessary for income generation, ranking of an institution of higher learning and international networks for possible collaborations, UNIVEN may experience long run instabilities if the situation persist. Even though there might be several other issues responsible for the low output, suspicions have been on poor involvement of researchers in research publication enterprise of the University. Whereas this may be true, the reasons are yet unknown, which motivates the current study. The essence is to unpack issues around the phenomena with hopes of suggesting intervention measures. An exploratory sequential mixed research design was followed. A sample of 32 (Masters & PhD students) was drawn from the Institute for Rural Development (IRD) at the University. Data was collected using semi-structured and structured questionnaires of which thematic and descriptive analyses were performed through Atlas-ti v8 and Microsoft Excel 2013 statistical tool, respectively. The qualitative result yielded several issues clustered into three themes namely: student, supervisor and the management. The scores of the casual issues suggest 12 factors that should be taken into account. This include student rewards (17%), student conference attendance (13%), regulations on theft of student researches (11%), strengthening supervision ties (9%), research skills training (8%), and adequate service delivery (8%). Other factors fall between 7% and below.

This chapter discusses an innovative state public policy which has incentivized Iowa's community colleges to become the economic drivers of their region. Created in the 1983 legislation, it continues to this day to affect Iowa's rural communities and their colleges.

Rural America has been challenged with a fast-changing world of economies and migration in recent years; it is imperative to address the issues with thoughtful and strategic partnerships that have a common focus. This chapter presents several successful rural partnership models which demonstrate collaborative and cooperative partnerships, where improved quality of life and sustainability of rural communities can be the ultimate positive outcomes.