This study examines changes in old-age mortality in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic period, focusing on two critical disparities: the East-West mortality gap and the gender mortality gap. Motivated by long-term variations in mortality rates across European regions and between sexes, this research aims to clarify how these inequalities changed during the pandemic. By addressing the interplay between regional and gender-based disparities, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the pandemic's effects on vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly. Factor and cluster analyses were employed to categorise European countries into clusters for comparison of mortality trends and to evaluate the persistence of the East-West gradient. The research on mortality gaps utilises a quantitative approach, analysing data from the Human Mortality Database and Eurostat for the years 2019-2022. Annual weighted and unweighted mean differences in life expectancy at age 65 were calculated to assess changes during the pandemic. Gender-specific differences were examined alongside regional disparities to highlight the compounded impacts of the pandemic on old-age populations. The study reveals that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the East-West mortality gap among the elderly widened. Before the pandemic, the life expectancy difference at age 65 between Eastern and Western Europe was 4.44 years for men and 3.24 years for women. By 2022, this gap widened to 6.02 years for men and 4.75 years for women. Western European countries showed signs of recovery in 2022, whereas Eastern European countries experienced prolonged declines in life expectancy. Gender disparities remained relatively stable during the pandemic, with differences of approximately 4.4 years in Eastern Europe and 3.2 years in Western Europe. The findings underscore the pandemic's role in amplifying regional inequalities while maintaining gender disparities. This study provides novel insights into the compounded impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on old-age mortality in Europe, emphasising the interplay between regional and gender gaps. It contributes to the literature by demonstrating how crises, such as pandemics, can exacerbate existing inequalities. The findings have significant implications for public health policies, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address regional disparities and support ageing populations in vulnerable regions.
This paper examines how environmental degradation, geopolitical competition, and governance failure intersect to shape political instability in Burkina Faso. Once considered a relatively stable democracy in West Africa, Burkina Faso has undergone two coups since 2022 amid mounting social and environmental crises. Using the Modelling Dense Urban Networks (MDUN) analytical tool, this study identifies the sociocultural, economic, and political dimensions of vulnerability that preceded these events. MDUN's multidimensional analysis demonstrates how public sentiment particularly declining confidence in government, growing xenophobia, and demands for national sovereignty crossed critical thresholds months before the second coup. These dynamics were shaped by worsening environmental stressors, including land degradation, resource competition, and declining agricultural productivity. The analysis situates Burkina Faso's experience within a broader theoretical framework linking environmental security and political ecology. It underscores how global and local forces converge in multi-scalar ways foreign mining interests, regional insurgencies, and global rivalries between France, Russia, and China all of which influence domestic legitimacy and governance. Environmental scarcity and political marginalization reinforce one another, eroding state capacity and fuelling public discontent. Findings suggest that societal vulnerability in Burkina Faso is best understood as a dialectical process: environmental stress undermines governance, weak governance deepens vulnerability, and both are shaped by internal and external actors seeking strategic advantage. Addressing instability in the Sahel requires more than counterterrorism or aid. It requires integrated approaches that strengthen environmental management, equitable access to resources, and political legitimacy at multiple scales. By combining environmental security theory with a structured vulnerability assessment, this study offers a framework for anticipating and interpreting sociopolitical instability in environmentally stressed regions.
The study responds to the paradigm shift that is taking place within the concept of sustainable tourism development. The so-called "regenerative shift" moves the goals of its development from minimizing impacts on sociocultural-ecological systems (SES) towards the ability of tourism to contribute to the improvement and restoration of SES. Many authors consider it a significant paradigm shift, which they also refer to as a separate line of development outside sustainable tourism. Although there are already relatively solid theoretical frameworks for the concept of regenerative tourism, it has not been sufficiently developed in the area of cultural heritage restoration. This study responds to this gap by applying a regenerative framework to a specific case of a historical building-the wooden church of Sf & acirc;ntul Gheorghe in Prod & abreve;nesti, Romania. The aim of the research is to empirically assess the extent to which the microclimatic and environmental conditions of the building are compatible with the principles of regenerative cultural heritage management and how they affect its physical integrity and usability in the context of local tourism and community needs. Methodologically, the study is based on long-term monitoring of the internal microclimate, which took place between August 2024 and January 2025. The subject of monitoring was the measurement of temperature, relative humidity, particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, volatile organic compounds, light intensity, acoustic intensity, negative and positive ions. Within the research, biological degradation factors (lichens, microorganisms) were examined, and the research was supplemented by a non-invasive investigation using infrared thermography to capture the momentary condition of the surface temperature and interior painting in the wooden church, which is in a state of significant decay.The results show a significant exceedance of the recommended temperature and relative humidity values, a high dependence of the interior environment on external climatic conditions, and the presence of biological degradation processes that negatively affect the authentic building materials and preserved fragments of interior decoration. It transpires that the physical degradation of the building is not an isolated technical problem, but a manifestation of the broader dynamics of the SES within cultural heritage management. Recommendations include the introduction of continuous microclimatic monitoring, the application of non-invasive conservation measures. The proposals include adaptive management, which combines data-driven decision-making with community participation, and enables flexible responses to the SES dynamics of cultural heritage systems.
This paper deals with the framing of NATO's political-geographic imaginations in the Western Balkans. The focus of the research is on the media portrayal of NATO, i.e. it includes a media analysis of 190 articles on NATO's enlargement to Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The selected articles were researched over three time periods from 2008 to 2021. The results show that over the period of three NATO enlargements, the number of articles framed negatively in today's non-members nor the number of articles framed positively in today's NATO members of the Western Balkans has not increased. In fact, the opposite processes have occurred; a decrease in negative articles in members and an increase in positive articles in non-members. The research confirmed that the choice of photographs and keywords in members is consistent with NATO's professional political-geographic imagination. The results confirm that the media, by choosing the mentioned countries and the mentioned politicians, emphasize Euro-Atlantic integration. In the end, it turned out that Serbia and Russia are presented as "enemy" states with the aim of opposing the leading Euro-Atlantic narrative.
This article analyses the geographical thought of Emil Mazur (1925-1990), one of the most important figures in Slovak geography during the second half of the 20th century. Through intertextual and genealogical analysis, it explores how Mazur critically received allochthonous influences, such as systems theory, cybernetics, the quantitative revolution, Soviet constructive geography and German axiomatics, and transformed them into autochthonous contributions, including landscape syntheses, the category of space, the axiomatisation of geography and the concept of landscape potential. This paper pursues several objectives. First, at the theoretical - methodological level, we aim to develop a methodology for identifying and analysing autochthonous and allochthonous determinants, and their mutual interference, in the study of geographical thought development. This framework should also include a procedure for identifying the developmental trajectories of a given author's thinking. Empirically, we aim to uncover and interpret the evolution of Mazur's geographical thought by analysing a corpus of texts for which he was the lead or sole author. Particular attention is devoted to identifying autochthonous and allochthonous influences and their mutual interactions, culminating in a synthesis that demonstrates how these influences were transformed into original concepts within Slovak geography, and the implications for contemporary disciplinary discourse (epistemological, methodological and institutional) within the Slovak geographical school.
Globalisation, climate change, and agricultural industrialisation, as part of a broader polycrisis, are increasingly influencing the future of the peasantry. Currently, depeasantisation and rural ageing are realities in most countries. However, these social processes are not linear and, under specific contexts, re-peasantisation also occurs, modifying the peasant culture, systems and movements. This review aims to analyse these three dimensions of the peasant world, reflecting on the possible futures of the peasantry in a globalised world, subject to constant changes and pressures on the rural environment. Understanding peasant culture, systems, and movements provides critical insights into sustainable agriculture, resource sovereignty, and the resilience of rural livelihoods. This study explores how peasants actively forge their futures by looking into how they adopt diverse social reproduction strategies. Traditional narratives of the de-peasantisation process are analysed, identifying pathways to empowerment, resilience, and sustainable livelihoods, to understand the adaptation of peasants' life systems as expressions of a metamodern sensitivity. The future of the peasantry lies in a delicate balance between tradition and innovation. The first plays a crucial role in protecting local knowledge gained through decades of trial and error; the second is essential to cope with the growing climate and economic uncertainties. Peasant systems can become important frameworks for adapting agricultural and pastoralist processes into a present and future fast-changing world. This review provides a multidisciplinary overview of social-environmental impacts on peasant socioecosystems by analysing territorial de-peasantisation, re-peasantisation, and rural ageing, exploring social, ecological, and ethical dimensions of peasant systems. Traditional ecological knowledge, coupled with agroecology and circular economy, may play a crucial role in the future, enhancing food sovereignty, rural sustainability, affecting agrarian change, and improving peasants' systems of life.
The study aims to examine the spatiotemporal aspects of quality-of-life differentiation across European countries in 2018 and 2023, with consideration of the potential impacts of the polycrisis. Specifically, we identify and quantify the key determinants of quality of life and the latent factors shaping it. We also assess the potential shifts that occurred between 2018 and 2023, as well as whether and to what extent disparities among the observed countries have deepened or diminished. The research is based on a set of 27 quality-of-life indicators grouped into eight thematic domains, following the Eurostat database section titled Quality of Life (QoL). To evaluate and compare QoL across countries, the study employs a scoring method, correlation and regression analyses, and principal component analysis (PCA). The results confirm the existence of a northwest-southeast axis of differentiation among European countries. The highest levels of quality of life are consistently observed in Switzerland, Norway, and the countries of Northern and Western Europe, whereas those of Southern and Southeastern Europe remain at the opposite end of the spectrum. PCA results reveal the dominance of factors associated with material living conditions, the working environment, and sociocultural participation. The analysis demonstrates that the polycrisis has affected the hierarchy of individual expectations. These changes are corroborated by both correlation and PCA analyses, which indicate an increased importance of indicators reflecting economic resilience. Specifically, in high-welfare countries, the polycrisis has reduced the relative importance of satisfaction and happiness (a decline in the significance of indicators C and ZA), whereas in economically weaker countries it has heightened the emphasis on material security and resistance to financial shocks. Quality of life in the context of a polycrisis is therefore not merely a reflection of economic parameters but also of the resilience of social and institutional structures within individual countries. The findings suggest that the polycrisis has not led to a convergence in living conditions; on the contrary, it has often exacerbated disparities in quality of life, primarily through the deterioration of economic security and subjective wellbeing.
Tourism, a sector of the globalised economy particularly susceptible to disruption, was severely affected by the emergence of the novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The ability of destinations to absorb shocks and recover3 rapidly, i.e. their resilience, became a key research issue. This paper investigates the tourism sector's resilience in the historical Partium region of north-western Romania (Arad, Bihor, Maramures, Satu Mare and S & abreve;laj counties) between 2019 and 2023. The period under investigation encompassed pre-crisis prosperity, two pan3demic years and the immediate post-pandemic rebound, further complicated by the war in Ukraine. This study utilised a curated micro-database comprising nearly 1,000 accommodation enterprises (CAEN Rev. 2 codes 5510, 5520, 5530, 5590), complemented by official fiscal returns, to conduct a comprehensive analysis. The analysis encompassed net turnover, employment, and labour productivity alterations, delineating intraregional disparities. Furthermore, identifying factors underpinning disparate recovery trajectories was a pivotal objective. The results demonstrate several key findings: (i) a substantial 34 per cent decline in net turnover and a 9 per cent decrease in employment in 2020; (ii) a swift recovery, with 2023 turnover 50 per cent higher than the 2019 baseline, while employment remained 4 percent lower; (iii) significant north-south variations, with Maramures and Satu Mare exhibiting stronger growth in both firm numbers and turnover; (iv) the pivotal role of thermal resorts and mountain destinations in driving recovery; and (v) indications of structural reallocation of labour towards the Bihor metropolitan zone.The argument is that local natural assets, pre-existing tourism specialisation, and frontier position shape resilience outcomes. At the same time, the war-induced uncertainty mainly dampened growth in the immediate border zone. The policy implications of these findings underscore the necessity for targeted support to be provided to peripheral communities, diversified product development, and cross-border collaboration in the Schengen era.
Tourism is continually shaped by emerging technological innovations. Artificial intelligence (AI) is also rapidly transforming the travel industry by enhancing operational efficiency, optimizing cost management and improving the customer experience. With the help of AI, experience is personalized, accommodation services are automated, and consumer decision-making is assisted. This paper deals with the role of AI in the tourism of EU countries, its benefits and future expectations of the global market. The data base consisted of the global AI index, its dimensions, the share of GDP for tourism in the total GDP for 2019. We rely on the analysis of the main components as the basis of our chosen methodology. This method is recognized for data visualization, helping to reveal correlations between quantitative variables. We also applied cluster analysis and biplot visualization to identify interrelationships and patterns in the data set. The main goal of the paper is to provide a more comprehensive overview of the latest AI solutions and their application in tourism. In our analysis, we evaluate important AI innovations that will continue to shape the future of tourism, such as virtual assistants, chatbots, predictive assessments or biometric technologies. We also analyze the uniformity in the use of AI in a set of EU countries in the context of the share of tourism in GDP creation.The presented paper highlights potential future trends that are likely to play a significant role in sustainable and intelligent travel. The role of AI in tourism is substantial and is expected to expand as countries want to use customer experiences and optimize their business strategies and operations based on them. Our results demonstrate the uneven distribution of AI development in tourism across EU countries. We identified differences depending on infrastructure, talent, commercial integration and applied public policy. Based on the previous review of AI applications in tourism, we suggest specific AI steps that similar countries in each cluster should take to increase the importance of tourism in their economies through the effective use of AI technologies.
Deaths caused by diabetes have increased significantly over the past 2 decades, becoming a public health concern in the U.S. Guided by social determinants of health theory, this research uses Ordinary Least Squares regression to examine the relationship between diabetes death rates and contextual demographic, socio-economic and environmental characteristics at the county subdivision level in the State of Connecticut, U.S. The results show that explanatory variables, such as percent of Hispanic population, population density, unemployment rate, the percent of population beyond 1 mile from supermarket, the percent of population beyond 1 mile for urban areas or 10 miles for rural areas from supermarket, the percent of households reported not having sufficient funds in the last 12 months to purchase food are statistically significantly associated with diabetes death rates. This research enables health practitioners and policy makers to gain a better understanding of the demographic, socio-economic and environmental determinants of diabetes death rates at the county subdivision level. Accordingly, provided are policies to reduce the death rates. This study presents an initial and exploratory step towards better understanding of diabetes death rates in Connecticut, U.S., but much more in-depth work is needed before health researchers and practitioners understand why explanatory factors only explained up to 57.8% of the diabetes death rates in the state.
In the article, we address the issue of a metamodern shift in geographical thought, reflecting on the context of the current Anthropocene polycrisis, which encompasses a range of environmental, geopolitical, economic, and socio-cultural challenges of the present era. We start from the assumption that postmodern epistemological and methodological frameworks are insufficient for a comprehensive understanding and resolution of these challenges. In this context, we explore the potential of metamodernism as a new philosophical and scientific platform that oscillates between modernist rationalism and postmodern skepticism, allowing for the productive integration of these frameworks. The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate how metamodernism can contribute to the reinterpretation of geographical thought and to identify its potential as the fifth first-order discontinuity in the historical development of this discipline. In the theoretical and methodological section, we discuss discontinuities in scientific thought and apply the Latour-Barnes model to analyze the phases of mobilization and autonomization of metamodernism within academic discourse. We introduce key metamodernist concepts and principles-metarealism, zetetism, hylosemiotics, sublation, oscillation of scientific discourses, the paradoxical position of truth and grand narratives, dia/ polylogical thinking, and the coexistence of layers of cultural evolution (Pipere, Martinsone, 2023, Storm, 2021), - and outline their applicability in geographical research. We employ qualitative, discourse-based, and historical-contextual methods to examine the metamodern shift in geographical thought, focusing on epistemological, ontological, and methodological transformations. We reinterpret geography as a post-disciplinary and post-paradigmatic scientific discipline that oscillates between various ontological, epistemological, and methodological frameworks. In this context, we emphasize the necessity for an open, reflective, and pluralistic approach that facilitates the integration of diverse types of knowledge and methodological strategies. Understood through the lens of metamodernism, geography becomes a field of dynamic oscillation between the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and technological interpretations of reality.This conceptualization of geography addresses the need for comprehensive, practice-oriented knowledge that can tackle contemporary global challenges, such as polycrisis. This aligns with zetetic epistemology, which prioritizes abductive reasoning (inference to the best explanation) over rigid deductive or inductive models. We introduce hylosemiotics as a methodological tool that enables researchers to analyze material-symbolic interactions in space and place. This approach integrates semiotic analysis with material studies, providing a novel framework for interpreting geographical landscapes. In doing so, we aim to encourage discussions about applying metamodernist concepts in geographical thought while also acknowledging its limitations and potential risks. Moreover, we underscore the necessity for further theoretical and empirical reflection to refine methodological strategies and practical applications of the metamodernist framework in geographical research.
The study aims to investigate the impact of the internal microclimate factors of wooden sacral buildings on the quality of their visitors' experience, using the example of protected cultural heritage objects of local significance, with higher conservation requirements. The topic of the study is a relevant contribution to the ongoing debate on the sustainable conservation of tangible cultural heritage, especially in the context of polycrisis, particularly climate challenges and the increasing demands of their visitors for an authentic tourist experience. Using the example of a protected wooden religious building from Romania, it highlights the close link between the physical protection of monuments, the health of visitors and the quality of their experience. The research was conducted over a period of one year (February 2024-February 2025) through continuous measurement of indoor environmental parameters (temperature, relative humidity, CO2, PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, formaldehyde, lighting and noise) in the cultural monument under study. A second set of primary data, obtained from a parallel survey conducted on a sample of 90 cultural heritage monument visitors, was also examined. The survey focused on the respondents' perception of indoor air quality and its impacts on their health. Generalized regression analysis was used to test the relationship between the indoor environment of the monument and the symptoms described by respondents. The study revealed significant deviations from international standards of protection. Indoor temperatures varied from-6.4 degrees C to 29 degrees C, with an average relative humidity of 70.83 %, which favoured the growth of micro-organisms. CO2 and dust particle levels were highest during religious ceremonies and correlated with discomfort (dry throat, sneezing, stuffy nose). Statistical analysis confirmed that individual characteristics such as medication use and exposure to pollution influenced these symptoms. Visitors most frequently identified dry and stale air as negative factors but they appreciated the authentic atmosphere of the temple. The study provides a unique data-driven perspective on the complex relationship between conservation conditions and the authenticity of the visitor experience at vulnerable cultural sites. It highlights the importance of microclimatic monitoring in preventive conservation and promotes the use of adaptive technologies to preserve heritage while ensuring the health and comfort of visitors. The results can support practitioners in finding a balance between physical protection and meaningful public access to heritage sites.
Urban shrinkage is a complex phenomenon affecting many regions globally, with small towns in old industrial regions often experiencing the most severe impacts. This study aims to examine the patterns of urban shrinkage in the small towns of Latvia, focusing on socioeconomic and demographic dimensions. We drew on data from the 2000 and 2021 censuses. Employing hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), we analysed data from 48 small towns in Latvia. Our research revealed distinct geographical differences in urban shrinkage patterns, highlighting the uneven nature of this process across the country. This study unveils two primary clusters of urban shrinkage. The first is characterised by a combination of geographical location and demographic factors, while the second is mainly determined by the socio-economic indicators considered. Our findings reveal that small towns in non-metropolitan regions, particularly the border regions of the country, exhibit higher levels of population decline and worse demographic indicators. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on urban shrinkage by providing a nuanced understanding of its manifestation in the case of Latvia. Our findings have implications for regional development policies in Latvia and underscore the need for tailored strategies to address the challenges caused by urban shrinkage.
Changes in sediment formation can tell us a lot about the palaeogeographical conditions in a given place. In order to contribute information about the conditions of sediment accumulation in the area of Lake Lubāns, studies have been carried out in different places. This study was done in the Aiviekste oxbow, located in the Stone Age settlement area of Abora I. A core U17 was taken and analyses such as Loss on Ignition (LOI), plant macro-remain analysis and sediment dating using AMS 14C technique were carried out. The results show the process by which this part of the River Aiviekste became an oxbow, quickly becoming overgrown with vegetation. The dates obtained indicate that the process of sediment accumulation was for a time quite rapid, before slowing down. As far as the settlement is concerned, the only evidence of human activity are some fragments of amber in the oxbow. This suggests that the settlement didn't extend to this part of the oxbow.
Increasing attention in Europe is being paid to the new territorial development approach or planning direction or “bottom up” planning”, which means that increasingly more decisions regarding local development have to be taken at the lowest possible planning level – at the level of the village, including local communities. A significant problem has been identified in Latvia: rapid internal migration from rural territories to capital-city regions and external emigration to other countries. There are also problems of a social nature, as the unbalanced economic development of the regions leads to decreased quality of life and public activity. To solve these problems, new and modern solutions have to be found for the development of local communities and their involvement in regional development. The goal of this research is to develop an integrated, sustainable and participatory planning model as a new development planning tool at the village level. The main objectives resulting from this research goal are: to research the theoretical and regulatory aspects, to research community involvement and local development planning methods and approaches, and to research the potential of local economy and social aspects. The area where research was conducted was the Baltic Sea region (Latvia, Estonia, Finland (the Aland Islands), Sweden). The results of the research will form a proposal for a sustainable development planning model at the community level and proposals for further opportunities to introduce the village planning level in regional development planning.
Vilku Bog is a small (about 95 ha) area of peatland formed in a glacial meltwater lake depression in the north-western part of the Lubāns Plain. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of paleoenvironmental changes on the sedimentation of Vilku Bog. To achieve this aim, fieldwork was carried out – eight soundings were taken and three boreholes were drilled diagonally across the Vilku Bog. Multidisciplinary studies were carried out on deposit samples collected during fieldwork. The deposits were subjected to analyses of Loss on Ignition, plant macroremains, analyses of peat botanical composition and peat decomposition degree, spore-pollen analyses, and radiocarbon AMS 14C dating. The area where Vilku Bog is located was originally filled with lake clay and silt, but during the Middle Holocene, at the climatic optimum of 6160 cal BP, the lake began to accumulate gyttja and peaty gyttja as the number of aquatic plants increased. This contributed to the lake becoming completely overgrown and the start of peatland formation before 5810 cal BP in the second part of the Middle Holocene. The development of Vilku Bog started with the accumulation of peat deposits over the lake gyttja (fen-type Hypnum, grass and sedge peat, transition-bog-type grass peat and Sphagnum- cotton grass peat), followed by raised-bog-type peat (Sphagnum peat). The conditions (peat decomposition) of deposit accumulation were variable during the development of the bog. Peat botanical composition, which is affected by water-level fluctuations, indicate that Vilku Bog underwent the complete cycle of bog development, from fen to transitional bog and finally to raised bog. It has only been developing as a raised bog for the past 380 years.
Since the restoration of the independence of Latvia (and even before that) the demographic situation and the elaboration of demographic policy, despite varying intensity and different focuses on problems, have always been on the political agenda. So far, the focus has been set on promoting the birth rate and improving family wellbeing, with the belief that this support will improve Latvia’s demographic situation. Recently, a common understanding has been reached between the state institutions and researchers on viewing demographic policy as a cross-sectoral policy implemented in multiple policy areas, for example, in education, employment, health, the environment, etc. It is necessary to strengthen both demography as an interdisciplinary science and scientifically based development of policies; therefore the author has set the goal of studying the topicality and importance of demographic issues between 1990 and 2024 in order to identify changes in approaches to demographic policy. The task has been set to analyse government declarations since 1990, as well as supplementary documents related to their implementation, in addition to materials available from the Council of Demographic Affairs. To reach the goal and fulfil the tasks set for this study, the author has analysed various historical documents and theoretical findings from recent decades. The author concludes that policymakers should first identify the most important demographic indicators (for example, predictable mortality reduction, fertility improvement, healthy life expectancy etc.) that would be impacted by purposeful policies. Then demographic projections should be conducted to enhance demographic processes using scientifically based predictions. Equally important is the smart management of population renewal and a shared understanding that the implementation of cross-sectoral demographic policy has long-term significance.
Raksta mērķis ir novērtēt, kāda reģionālā kontekstā ir kapitāla tirgus attīstība Latvijā kopš neatkarības atjaunošanas. Rakstā aplūkots gan akciju, gan obligāciju tirgus, akcentējot visu akciju emitentu ģeogrāfisko novietojumu, to sadalījumu statistiskajos reģionos un emitentu ģeogrāfiskā īpatsvara korelāciju ar atbilstošo reģionu īpatsvaru kopējā tautsaimniecībā. Ar nelieliem izņēmumiem biržā kotēto uzņēmumu īpatsvars labi korelē ar atbilstošā reģiona īpatsvaru no kopējā Latvijas iekšzemes kopprodukta (IKP). Atsevišķi apskatīta korporatīvo obligāciju tirgus attīstība, īpaši pēdējos gados, īpašu uzmanību pievēršot reģionālo spēlētāju klātesamībai. Ieskicēta arī akciju un obligāciju tirgus jaunāko emisiju investoru ģeogrāfiskā bāze, kas parāda, ka vairumā gadījumu vēlme ieguldīt Latvijas tirgū ir tikai Baltijas valstu investoriem. Aplūkojot pēdējās Latvijas kapitāla tirgus attīstības tendences, var secināt, ka vairāk ir aktivizējies korporatīvo obligāciju tirgus, savukārt uzņēmumu novietojums neietekmē vai maz ietekmē kapitāla tirgus pieejamību.
International students in Europe contribute to the local economy through fees, living costs, and taxes. Moreover, they also significantly impact the economy, society and culture of the countries they study. The research concerning the employability of international students in their host countries suggests that international students represents a vital source of income for higher education institutions and local economies. The aim of the study is to comparatively describe the numbers of international students in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania specifically looking at the employed proportion of international students. Analysis is performed in a comparative manner by analysing the available statistical data for three different academic years. The analysis reveals that international students in these countries have experienced varying levels of success in finding employment. While Estonia consistently demonstrates the highest employment rates for international students among the three countries, Latvia and Lithuania show promising trends. The study highlights the factors influencing employment outcomes, such as students’ country of origin, field of study, and language proficiency.
This study examines the experiences of Erasmus+ students at the University of Latvia. It analyses trends in student mobility, the factors influencing their choices, and perceptions of the university’s academic environment. The study found that the number of Erasmus+ students at the University of Latvia has fluctuated, with a significant increase in recent years. Most exchange students come from Central and Southern European countries, with Business Administration, English Studies, and Political Science being the most popular study programmes. An analysis of student surveys reveals that while students appreciate the university’s academic choices and support services, they often struggle with language barriers and networking with locals. The study highlights the importance of creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for international students to enhance their overall experience and academic performance.
