This paper introduces the Socioeconomic Interaction–Psychological Resource (SIPR) Theory, a novel metatheoretical framework that conceptualizes social equality as a fundamental biopsychosocial nutrient essential for human vitality and resilience. While traditional models such as the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory—often treat psychological resources as static individual assets, the SIPR conceptualizes them as dynamic capacities, continuously regenerated through the quality and equity of social interactions embedded within socioeconomic structures. Employing an integrative theoretical methodology, the study synthesizes perspectives from social justice philosophy, neuropsychology, and motivation theory to examine how structural inequalities are ontologically translated into deeply embedded psychological experiences. The SIPR Theory identifies four interdependent mechanisms of resource regeneration: (1) Equal Interaction, (2) Meaning-Making, (3) Solidarity, and (4) Motivational Renewal. The theory proposes that interactional equality functions as a neurobiological recalibration mechanism that fosters existential coherence. By reframing social equality from a normative political ideal into a biopsychosocial necessity, this study positions justice not merely as a moral virtue, but as a critical determinant of neurobiological and existential resilience.
This study conducts an econometric analysis of the accounting and banking determinants influencing trade balance fluctuations in emerging economies, with a focus on various macroeconomic factors. Utilizing data from credible sources, including the World Development Indicators and national statistics (spanning from 1990 to 2024), the research employs advanced econometric techniques, such as the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test for stationarity and the Johansen test for cointegration. The results of the cointegration test indicate a rejection of the null hypothesis, which states that there are no cointegrating vectors. The trace statistic of 219.6742 exceeds the 5% critical value of 117.7082, with a P-value of less than 5%. Similar findings support the presence of cointegrating relationships among the variables in the long run. According to the vector error correction method, the coefficients of adjustment are -0.675934% for the subsidy rate, -0.564562% for the economic growth rate, and -2.122484% for terms of trade, illustrating the necessary shifts to achieve sustainable equilibrium in imbalanced situations. The findings reveal significant relationships among variables such as the exchange rate, terms of trade, and economic growth, elucidating their impacts on trade balance dynamics. These in sights provide valuable implications for policymakers seeking to enhance trade balance stability and promote sustainable economic growth.
This paper analyses India’s strategy and its impact on the South Asian polity. The focus of the analysis is primarily on India’s strategic centrality in South Asian geopolitics, as the region’s largest country. Global power balances are changing, and India wants to be seen as a serious regional player. It is not easy to find much evidence of regional diplomacy amid all that is happening. The following symposium explores the policy challenges of the July 1998 tests as India attempts to manage its own regional great-power aspirations within South Asia’s security environment, and the potential for adverse side effects. Except for a few links within SAARC, they are all major ones in and around India that can be carried forward as part of an exclusive relationship with SAARC and beyond. The final consensus is that the cards India plays now will determine the future course of South Asian geopolitics. The research underscores the need for continued academic attention to policies that foster greater regional co-operation and stability.
Stunting remains a major public health challenge in Indonesia, particularly in Jeneponto Regency where prevalence remains high. This study develops a Community-Based Nutrition Education Innovation (CBNEI) model through a multi-actor collaborative approach. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining a quantitative survey (N = 100) with qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, and NVivo-assisted analysis. Six variables were examined. The findings show relatively high nutrition attitudes (M = 20.85) but low participation in nutrition-related activities (M = 15.36). Qualitative results identify four central elements: community articipation, cross-sector collaboration, knowledge strengthening, and behavioral support. Key actors include the Public Health Office, PKK, Bappeda, and private CSR institutions. The integration of findings highlights the role of cross-sector coordination, diversified funding sources, and participatory monitoring in ensuring program sustainability. The proposed CBNEI model integrates the CBPAR framework with the Quadruple and Quintuple Helix approaches. The model contributes to the literature on collaborative innovation and offers a practical, replicable framework for stunting reduction in comparable regions.
This study investigates the determinants of Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves (1976–2024), focusing on trade balance, external debt, remittances, FDI, and exchange rates. Employing time-series econometrics, we conduct stationarity tests (ADF), cointegration analysis (Johansen), and Granger causality tests. Key findings reveal that remittances, foreign debt, and trade balance positively influence reserves, while exchange rates exhibit a negative impact, and FDI shows negligible effects. Vector Error Correction Modeling (VECM) highlights equilibrium adjustments in exchange rates, remittances, and debt, whereas trade balance and reserves display weak long-term convergence. Bidirectional causality emerges between remittances and exchange rates, and impulse response analysis underscores the persistent effects of trade balance shocks. The paper concludes with policy recommendations to enhance reserve stability.
This study explores the compact city model as a sustainable response to urban sprawl, environmental degradation, and socio-economic challenges. Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), is a set-theoretic, Boolean-algebra-based method that systematically identifies minimal configurations of conditions that are necessary or sufficient for an outcome across multiple cases to assess 25 global cities to identify the key conditions driving successful compact urban development. The findings highlight the critical roles and configurations of economic stability, effective governance, social equity, and technological innovation. Especially Singapore emerges as a leading model, demonstrating how integrated policy, infrastructure, and environ mental planning can enhance urban quality. This research offers strategic insights for urban planners and policymakers aiming to design more resilient, efficient, and livable cities.
This study contributes to the existing literature by empirically examining the dual impact of tariff liberalization and regulatory challenges under the EVFTA on Vietnam’s coffee export performance, using integrated econometric models. The Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has had a significant influence on Vietnam’s coffee exports by granting tariff free access to the EU market while introducing new regulatory hurdles. Employing a mixed methods approach that combines the Gravity Model and the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, this study evaluates the EVFTA’s effects on Vietnam’s coffee trade with the EU. The findings reveal that, although export value has increased, persistent challenges remain—including compliance with EU quality standards, sustainability requirements, and competition from global producers. The study underscores a notable shift toward processed coffee exports and stresses the need for improved trade policies, greater value-added production, and deeper integration into global supply chains. Key recommendations include enhancing regulatory compliance, diversifying markets, and fostering innovation in the coffee sector. By providing a post EVFTA empirical assessment of Vietnam’s coffee exports through the application of the Gravity Model and RCA index, this study offers detailed insights into the interplay between tariff liberalization, non-tariff barriers, and export competitiveness. It also delivers practical implications for policymakers, exporters, and stakeholders seeking to maximize the benefits of the EVFTA while addressing structural constraints within Vietnam’s coffee industry.
The N-Power scheme was introduced by the Nigerian government as part of efforts to reduce unemployment and improve youth employability. Despite numerous poverty alleviation and job creation policies implemented by successive administrations, tangible positive out comes have been limited. Distinct from previous initiatives, the N-Power programme emphasizes the development of entrepreneurial skills among beneficiaries, aiming to enhance their capacity for self-employment. Although this initiative has received significant attention and commendation for its focus on addressing youth unemployment, concerns persist regarding its practical utility and sustainability. Through document analysis and observational methods, this paper finds that while N-Power provides beneficiaries with entrepreneurial training, it does not offer initial capital support. As a result of the training, although participants acquire entrepreneurial skills that may facilitate access to decent work, the absence of financial support limits their ability to establish their own enterprises. Furthermore, the study reveals that the N-Power scheme functions primarily as an empowerment programme but does not ensure safe, secure, or decent working conditions. While it addresses the issue of inadequate or mismatched skills among Nigerian youth, it also exacerbates the challenge of political patronage, whereby unqualified political affiliates are rewarded over trained N-Power graduates. The paper concludes that the effectiveness of the N-Power scheme in reducing unemployment depends largely on the genuine commitment and constructive support of the government.
This study examines how international trade reduces poverty through case studies from Vietnam, India, Mexico, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. It identifies key channels—economic growth, job creation, and empowerment of marginalized groups, especially women and small scale producers. While trade fosters development, structural barriers, adjustment costs, and gen der inequality can limit its benefits. The study underscores the need for policies that lower trade costs, enhance infrastructure, and promote inclusivity. Diversification emerges as crucial for resilience against economic shocks. These findings provide actionable insights for leveraging trade as a tool for sustainable development and poverty reduction worldwide.
The African continent, particularly the sub-Saharan region, has faced several challenges since its independence: getting rid of neocolonialism, creating regional economic communities, and implementing the free movement of people, goods, and services to establish acommon market. It was in this context that the CEMAC (Central African Economic and Monetary Community) was created on March 16, 1994, comprising the following states: Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo Brazzaville, Chad, and the Central African Republic. Until recent conflicts in the western and northern regions, Cameroon was considered a peaceful country and, as such, welcomed many Central African nationals into its territory. These Central African nationals are seeking to improve their well-being. This analysis of the problem of the socio economic integration of these Central Africans in the rural regions of Eastern and Northern Cameroon took place in a socio-historical context, adopting a mixed method that includes both quantitative and qualitative data. Two groups of Central African nationals were the subject of this article: legal residents and refugees. Their experiences during the period 2003 to 2020, studied within labor market and housing institutions, were assessed considering public policies aimed at Cameroon’s integration into CEMAC. This approach therefore aims to clarify integration in Central Africa through the example of Cameroonian villages. The main results of the study show that living conditions between these Cameroonians and Central Africans are similar. However, legal Central Africans seem to integrate better than other categories of Central Africans, while refugees benefit from assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
This study examines the impact of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) on Vietnam’s footwear exports to the European Union during the period 2017–2023, with a specific focus on segment-level performance across key product categories. Drawing on trade data disaggregated at both HS 2-digit and 4-digit levels, the research applies three complementary indices—Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Trade Intensity Index (TII), and Regional Orientation (RO)—to assess shifts in competitiveness, bilateral trade depth, and market alignment before and after the EVFTA’s enforcement. The findings show that Vietnam’s core export segments, particularly textile-upper and rubber/plastic footwear, achieved stronger comparative advantage and tighter alignment with EU demand in the post-EVFTA era. However, performance remained volatile, with a notable contraction in 2023 following a peak in 2022, highlighting external economic pressures and persistent structural dependencies, especially on foreign-invested enterprises. Notably, exports of eco-friendly footwear rose despite the broader downturn, signaling emerging trends in EU consumer preferences. This study fills a gap in the literature by providing the first systematic, indicator-based assessment of the EVFTA’s effects at the sub-sectoral level within Vietnam’s footwear industry, moving beyond aggregated trade analysis common in prior research. The article contributes to existing scholarship by offering empirical insights that can inform targeted policy measures to enhance value-chain upgrading, promote sustainable manufacturing, and improve the EVFTA’s utilization by domestic firms.
International remittances have emerged as a significant and stable source of external finance in developing nations, often surpassing FDI and official development assistance in recent years. While remittances are widely recognized for their potential to stimulate domestic investment, their actual impact is heterogeneous across different segments of the economy, depending on household income levels, regional disparities, and access to financial services. This study examines how financial sector moderates the distributional impact of remittances on domestic investment. The study utilised the novel quantile-based nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (QNARDL) estimation procedure to estimate the distributional role of financial sector in shaping how remittances affect domestic investment. The following outcomes were obtained: First, it demonstrates that remittances positively influence domestic investment at the upper in come quantiles, with the magnitude of the impact increasing at higher levels. Second, financial sector development substantially amplifies the positive effects of remittances at almost all quantile levels. This underscores the importance of a robust and inclusive financial sector in maximizing the development potential of remittance flows. The study therefore recommends the Nigerian government to implement incentives such as tax rebates or reduced transaction fees for remittances sent through formal channels, to better capture remittance data and maximize their developmental utility. Also, the government should partner with diaspora communities to promote safe and traceable remittance inflows via regulated financial institutions.
The study examined the inequality-informality nexus and the mediating role of financial technology in this relationship across 19 African economies over 2012-2022. Using the pooled mean group approach (PMG), the long run and the short run relationship are determined. The study found that, in the long run, equality improves as informal activities increase. Although financial technology reduces inequality the persistent inequality appears to weaken the inequality reducing effects of financial technology as the moderating term in the long run. The results of the study strengthen the case for government policies to carefully consider the encouragement of using financial technology when the economies are rife with structural rigidities in the informal sector.
This study explores the motivational and attributional dynamics influencing success in the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) within the Philippine educational system. Utilizing Vroom’s Expectancy Theory and Weiner’s Attribution Theory, it examines how these psychological constructs impact educational leadership performance. The research analyzes responses from NQESH top-ten achievers between 2009 and 2019, revealing that success is attributed differently across age, sex, tenure, educational level, and number of attempts. Findings underscore the importance of emotional competence and cultural dimensions such as bayanihan in shaping motivation. The study advocates for policies and programs that are culturally responsive and support continuous learning and professional growth among educational leaders. It is recommended that educational policies provide clear pathways to success and meaningful rewards that resonate with educators’ values and beliefs. A comprehensive approach should be adopted to develop tailored support systems, such as mentorship for younger educators, gender-inclusive policies, targeted development programs, and preparation work shops, to enhance leadership quality. Furthermore, interventions aimed at fostering emotional intelligence are essential for cultivating a culture of excellence and emotionally intelligent leadership within educational institutions.
This review article analyses various indicators of the circular economy at national level and assesses their potential and limitations. Based on a critical review of established models such as the Circular Material Utilisation Rate (CMU), the Material Footprint (MF) and multivariate indices adopted in various countries, an integrated alternative is proposed, structured around three dimensions: material flows, socio-economic impact and institutional capacity. The proposed framework aims to support the development of sustainability-aligned metrics for national policy planning.
This study empirically investigates the impact of financial development and trade openness on the economic growth of Bangladesh from 1975 to 2023. The central research question asks whether a stable long-run relationship exists between these variables and to what extent they have fueled the country’s economic expansion. Utilizing time series data sourced from the Bangladesh Bank and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the study employs the Johansen cointegration technique and error correction models to analyze the relationships. The findings confirm a significant positive long-run cointegrating relationship. Economic growth, proxied by real GDP per capita, is positively influenced by both financial development—measured by domestic credit to the private sector as a percentage of GDP—and trade openness, measured by the trade to-GDP ratio. Specifically, a 1% increase in financial development and trade openness leads to a 0.27% and 0.56% increase in economic growth, respectively, confirming their roles as pivotal engines of growth. However, this positive relationship is juxtaposed with significant contemporary structural challenges. These include a fragile banking sector plagued by high levels of non performing loans (NPLs), a persistent trade deficit, and external pressures from impending Least Developed Country (LDC) graduation and global instability. The study concludes that while financial development and trade openness have been fundamental to historical growth, their sustainability requires deep financial sector reforms, aggressive export diversification, and prudent macroeconomic management to navigate future global complexities.
This research critically examines how risk governance in micro-banking shapes macroeconomic outcomes in Bangladesh, focusing on the dynamic interplay between financial inclusion, institutional oversight, and economic indicators. The study employs a robust empirical framework, integrating time-series analysis (ARDL bounds testing and ECM) to establish long run and short-run dynamics, with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PL-SEM) to elucidate complex structural relationships. This study complements its quantitative analysis with a qualitative investigation into the impact of operational risk governance on digital financial services (DFS) in Bangladesh, using structured surveys in the Tangail district. Diagnostic and stability tests ensure the robustness of the findings. The evidence challenges the conventional focus on quantitative microfinance growth. In this research framework, there is a unidirectional relationship whereby monetary policy variables influence economic growth, with independent variables like money supply and interest rates clearly impacting GDP growth. Additionally, governance practices predict financial inclusion outcomes, establishing a causal flow from governance to inclusion metrics, further underscoring the unidirectional nature of these dynamics. The study reveals that effective risk governance is the pivotal mechanism for translating financial inclusion into macroeconomic benefits. Specifically, the study highlights the necessity of transitioning towards stronger institutions, integrated regulatory frameworks, and financial products designed to mitigate systemic risks like inflation. For micro-banking models, such as Societal Banking (Ali, 2016, 2020,2025), to achieve their full potential as engines of inclusive growth, the priority must shift from numerical expansion to qualitative institutional strengthening. This governance-centric approach is presented as the critical next step for Bangladesh and comparable economies.
The narrative of the Serbian strategy claims to “help” the West during the process of “confession” and repentance for the historical mistake it asked us to make with the military intervention in Kosova [1999] in the name of saving an unworthy and incapable people. created and built state! In the service of this cause, how is Serbia using the geoeconomy, putting it fully at the service of the long-term national interest? In this political essay we will bring data on how Serbia is using the war in Ukraine and its geo graphical position, connections with global powers and economic partnerships, following a balanced approach, which also includes traditional relations with Russia and China, but and efforts for greater integration with the European Union and the countries of the Western Balkans. Thanks to the diplomacy and network inherited from the Yugoslavia era, Serbia, we have highlighted how Serbia has managed to secure a wide range of supporters not only within the EU, but also in the so-called Multi-aligned Community, imposing for a certain time the idea that “even it must gain something in the case of the loss of Kosova”!
BRI is an intricate global undertaking, with significant regional and international implications. The paper considers BRI’s economic, political, and social impacts on participating countries, not the least of which are former Soviet republics in Central Asia, small nations in Southeast Asia, African countries, and Latin America. It also looks at how major actors at the international level, such as think tanks, are involved. The paper has a mixed-methods design. It examines literature and policy documents and quantitatively assesses trade, investment, and media flows. The most essential results reveal that the BRI provides opportunities and challenges. It may represent an opportunity to enhance connectivity and development, but it can also trigger issues relating to debt sustainability, geopolitics, sociosustainability, and environmental efficiency. International responses to the BRI are divided along interpretations of its motivations and implications. The BRI is complex, and the assessment finds that it requires prudently managing gains and risks.
This study examines how individuals with and without migration backgrounds prefer to allocate tax revenues, highlighting the roles of redistribution preferences, fairness beliefs, and social identity. Using an experimental vignette method, participants allocated tax revenue between political campaigns supporting fiscal or redistributive purposes. In the redistributive campaigns, varying levels of effort required from beneficiaries were distinguished. The results show no significant difference in overall redistributive preferences between migrants and non-migrants. However, migrants allocated more tax revenues to education and less to social transfers than non-migrants, particularly among those who believe in the connection between fairness and success. Further analysis indicates that group interests shape tax allocation preferences only among non-migrants.
