Search Results (306)

Based on a comprehensive review of the current research status of ecological compensation both domestically and internationally, combined with field survey data, this study delves into the issue of multi-stakeholder participation in the ecological compensation mechanisms of the Xin’an River Basin. This research reveals that the joint participation of multiple stakeholders is crucial to achieving the goals of ecological compensation in river basins. The government plays a significant role in macro-guidance, financial support, policy guarantees, supervision, and management. It promotes the comprehensive implementation of ecological environmental protection by formulating relevant laws and regulations, guiding the public to participate in ecological conservation, and supervising and punishing pollution behaviors. The public, serving as the main force, forms strong awareness and behavioral habits of ecological protection through active participation in environmental protection, monitoring, and feedback. As participants, enterprises contribute to industrial transformation and green development by improving resource utilization efficiency, reducing pollution emissions, promoting green industries, and participating in ecological restoration projects. Scientific research institutions, as technology enablers, have effectively enhanced governance efficiency through technological research and innovation, ecosystem value accounting to provide decision-making support, and public education. Social organizations, as facilitators, have injected vitality and innovation into watershed governance by extensively mobilizing social forces and building multi-party collaboration platforms. Communities, as supporters, have transformed ecological value into economic benefits by developing characteristic industries such as eco-agriculture and eco-tourism. Based on the above findings, further recommendations are proposed to mobilize the enthusiasm of upstream communities and encourage their participation in ecological compensation, promote the market-oriented operation of ecological compensation mechanisms, strengthen cross-regional cooperation to establish joint mechanisms, enhance supervision and evaluation, and establish a sound benefit-sharing mechanism. These recommendations provide theoretical support and practical references for ecological compensation worldwide. Full article

This paper explores the complex power dynamics of UK social work higher education through an autoethnographic account of a Black woman course leader’s experiences over a period of two years, focusing on issues related to race, internalized oppression, and class. Drawing on Critical Race Theory (CRT), narrative analysis, and lived experience, it examines how systemic inequities manifest through three interlinked themes: (a) academic contrapower harassment (ACPH), (b) internalized oppression and toxic team dynamics, and (c) the interplay of harassment, institutional failure, managerial inaction, and the marginalization of social work as a discipline. This study illustrates how the intersectionality of multiple identities—namely, race, gender, and professional identity—impacts career progression, well-being, and institutional inclusion. This study examines the tensions between social work’s ethical foundations and performance-driven academic environments, advocating for systemic and policy interventions to stimulate institutional reform and cultivate a more equitable culture that enhances educational outcomes and, ultimately, improves social work practice. Full article

This study examines the impact of financial inclusion (FI) on reducing poverty and income inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), using panel data from 15 countries for the period 2004–2021. System GMM with robust errors was used to address endogeneity issues, and FI was assessed in terms of access to and use of the financial system. The results indicate that increased FI contributes to reducing poverty and income inequality in LAC. While access to financial services plays a crucial role in poverty reduction, the utilization of financial services has a more profound impact on combating income inequality. These results underscore the importance of policies designed to improve financial access and promote the use of financial products and services. It is recommended to expand the banking infrastructure, facilitate the provision of low-cost accounts, and strengthen financial education programs. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education requires frameworks that are not only technically robust but also ethically and pedagogically grounded. This paper proposes the Generalist Education Artificial Intelligence (GEAI) framework—a conceptual blueprint designed to enable privacy-preserving, personalized, and multimodal AI-supported learning in educational contexts. GEAI features a Trusted Domain architecture that supports secure, voluntary multimodal data collection via multimedia registration devices (MM Devices), edge-based AI inference, and institutional data sovereignty. Drawing on principles from constructivist pedagogy and regulatory standards such as GDPR and FERPA, GEAI supports adaptive feedback, engagement monitoring, and learner-centered interaction while addressing key challenges in ethical data governance, transparency, and accountability. To bridge theory and application, we outline a staged validation roadmap informed by technical feasibility assessments and stakeholder input. This roadmap lays the foundation for future prototyping and responsible deployment in real-world educational settings, positioning GEAI as a forward-looking contribution to both AI system design and education policy alignment. Full article

In this work, we examine the correlation between financial inclusion and the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors of sustainable development with the assistance of an exhaustive panel dataset of 103 emerging and developing economies spanning 2011 to 2022. The “Account Age” variable, standing for financial inclusion, is the share of adults owning accounts with formal financial institutions or with the providers of mobile money services, inclusive of both conventional and digital entry points. Methodologically, the article follows an econometric approach with panel data regressions, supplemented by Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) with instrumental variables in order to control endogeneity biases. ESG-specific instruments like climate resilience indicators and digital penetration measures are utilized for the purpose of robustness. As a companion approach, the paper follows machine learning techniques, applying a set of algorithms either for regression or for clustering for the purpose of detecting non-linearities and discerning ESG-inclusion typologies for the sample of countries. Results reflect that financial inclusion is, in the Environmental pillar, significantly associated with contemporary sustainability activity such as consumption of green energy, extent of protected area, and value added by agriculture, while reliance on traditional agriculture, measured by land use and value added by agriculture, decreases inclusion. For the Social pillar, expenditure on education, internet, sanitation, and gender equity are prominent inclusion facilitators, while engagement with the informal labor market exhibits a suppressing function. For the Governance pillar, anti-corruption activity and patent filing activity are inclusive, while diminishing regulatory quality, possibly by way of digital governance gaps, has a negative correlation. Policy implications are substantial: the research suggests that development dividends from a multi-dimensional approach can be had through enhancing financial inclusion. Policies that intersect financial access with upgrading the environment, social expenditure, and institutional reconstitution can simultaneously support sustainability targets. These are the most applicable lessons for the policy-makers and development professionals concerned with the attainment of the SDGs, specifically over the regions of the Global South, where the trinity of climate resilience, social fairness, and institutional renovation most significantly manifests. Full article

The increasingly severe ecological and environmental problems in rural areas pose a serious threat to agricultural sustainability and human well-being. Protecting the ecological environment of cultivated land is fundamental to ensuring food security and achieving sustainable development goals. The effective integration of digital technology into farmers’ production and daily life is a key driver for transforming farming practices and advancing the ecological protection of cultivated land. This study draws on data from the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS) to systematically examine the impact of farmers’ digital participation on the ecological protection of cultivated land. The main findings are as follows: (1) Digital participation significantly promotes ecological conservation of cultivated land, with each unit increase associated with a 7.8% reduction in fertilizer use intensity; (2) the results are robust across various empirical strategies, including instrumental variable estimation, the ERM approach, residual analysis, and alternative indicator specifications; (3) mechanism analysis indicates that digital participation reduces fertilizer use through three main channels: expansion of social networks (accounting for 7.10%), enhancement of subjective cognition (29.66%), and adoption of agricultural technologies (10.18%); and (4) heterogeneity analysis shows that the protective effects on cultivated land are more pronounced among households with off-farm employment experience, in villages where leaders have higher educational attainment, and in regions with more advanced digital environments. Based on these findings, the following policy recommendations are proposed: enhancing digital infrastructure in rural areas, strengthening the training of agricultural practitioners, and developing localized digital environments tailored to local conditions. Full article

Assessing the seismic performance of buildings from various epochs is essential for guiding retrofitting policies and educating occupants about their homes’ conditions. However, limited resources pose challenges. Some approaches focus on detailed analyses of a limited number of buildings, while others favor broader coverage with less precision. This paper presents a seismic risk assessment method that balances and integrates the strengths of both, using a comprehensive building survey. We propose a low-cost indicator for evaluating the structural resilience of individual buildings, designed to inform both authorities and property owners, support building rankings, and raise awareness. This indicator classifies buildings by their taxonomy and uses analytical capacity curves (2D or 3D studies) obtained from consulting hundreds of studies to determine the ultimate acceleration (agu) that each building type can withstand before collapse. It also considers irregularities found during the survey (to the exterior and interior) through structural modifiers Δ, and adjusts the peak ground acceleration the building can withstand, agu, based on macroseismic data from past events and based on potential retrofitting, Δ+. Although this method may not achieve high accuracy, it provides a significant approximation for detailed analysis with limited resources and is easy to replicate for similar constructions. The final agu value, considered as resistance, is then compared to the seismic demand at the foundation of the building (accounting for hazard and soil conditions at the building location), resulting in a final R-value. This paper provides specificities to the methodology and applies it to selected areas of the City of Lisbon, clearly supporting the advancement of a more sustainable society. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted higher education worldwide, imposing strict isolation measures, transitioning learning online, and exacerbating existing social and economic inequalities. This literature review examines the pandemic’s impact on the mental health of college students, with a focus on those belonging to minority groups, including racial, ethnic, migrant, gender, sexuality-based, and low-income populations. While elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness were observed across all students, findings indicate that LGBTQ+ and low-income students faced the highest levels of psychological distress, due to compounded stressors such as family rejection, unsafe home environments, and financial insecurity. Racial and ethnic minority students reported increased experiences of discrimination and reduced access to culturally competent mental healthcare. International and migrant students were disproportionately affected by travel restrictions, legal uncertainties, and social disconnection. These disparities underscore the need for higher education institutions to implement targeted, inclusive mental health policies that account for the unique needs of at-risk student populations during health crises. Full article

Shadow education refers to supplementary educational activities outside of the formal school system, typically provided by private institutions to enhance students’ academic performance. This phenomenon has become increasingly prominent worldwide, drawing significant attention from both scholars and the public. While shadow education is often associated with improved academic outcomes, its potential mental health implications for adolescents remain underexplored. Based on four large-scale surveys conducted in China from 2016 to 2022, this study examines the association between the duration of shadow education and adolescent depressive symptoms, with particular attention being paid to differences across family backgrounds and policy environments. Utilizing multilevel regression models that incorporate individual, family, and community factors, as well as inverse probability weighting regression adjustment and sensitivity analyses, this study yields three main findings. First, the relationship between shadow education duration and adolescent depressive symptoms demonstrates a U-shaped pattern: moderate engagement is associated with lower depressive symptoms, while both limited and excessive participation are linked to higher symptom levels. Second, adolescents from higher-income families are more likely to maintain shadow education participation within an optimal range and report fewer depressive symptoms. Third, following the implementation of regulatory policies on shadow education in China after 2021, the duration of shadow education among adolescents has generally shifted toward a more balanced level, accompanied by a decrease in depressive symptoms. These results underscore the need to consider the nonlinear mental health effects of shadow education in both research and policymaking. In particular, contextual factors, such as socioeconomic background and policy interventions, should be taken into account when formulating and regulating supplementary educational activities. By addressing these dimensions, policymakers can better balance the academic benefits of shadow education with its potential risks for adolescent mental health. Full article

Large language models (LLMs) are transforming the capabilities of medical chatbots by enabling more context-aware, human-like interactions. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of their applications, technical foundations, benefits, challenges, and future directions in healthcare. LLMs are increasingly used in patient-facing roles, such as symptom checking, health information delivery, and mental health support, as well as in clinician-facing applications, including documentation, decision support, and education. However, as a study from 2024 warns, there is a need to manage “extreme AI risks amid rapid progress”. We examine transformer-based architectures, fine-tuning strategies, and evaluation benchmarks specific to medical domains to identify their potential to transfer and mitigate AI risks when using LLMs in medical chatbots. While LLMs offer advantages in scalability, personalization, and 24/7 accessibility, their deployment in healthcare also raises critical concerns. These include hallucinations (the generation of factually incorrect or misleading content by an AI model), algorithmic biases, privacy risks, and a lack of regulatory clarity. Ethical and legal challenges, such as accountability, explainability, and liability, remain unresolved. Importantly, this review integrates broader insights on AI safety, drawing attention to the systemic risks associated with rapid LLM deployment. As highlighted in recent policy research, including work on managing extreme AI risks, there is an urgent need for governance frameworks that extend beyond technical reliability to include societal oversight and long-term alignment. We advocate for responsible innovation and sustained collaboration among clinicians, developers, ethicists, and regulators to ensure that LLM-powered medical chatbots are deployed safely, equitably, and transparently within healthcare systems. Full article

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has transformed traditional teaching methodologies, particularly within Outcome-Based Education (OBE), in higher education. Based on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model and the OBE system, this present study investigates how teachers perceive AI applications, specifically ChatGPT, in enhancing instructional design and student performance. The research develops a new AI-based instructional planning model, incorporating AI ChatGPT capabilities, teacher competencies, and their direct and indirect effects on student outcomes. This study employs quantitative research design using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to validate the proposed model. Data were collected from 320 university teachers in Pakistan using a structured survey distributed through WhatsApp and email. Findings from the direct path analysis indicate that AI ChatGPT capabilities significantly enhance instructional planning (β = 0.33, p < 0.001) and directly impact student performance (β = 0.20, p < 0.001). Teacher competencies also play an important role in instructional planning (β = 0.37, p < 0.001) and student performance (β = 0.16, p = 0.020). The indirect path analysis reveals that instructional planning mediates the relationship between AI ChatGPT capabilities and student performance (β = 0.160, p < 0.001), as well as between teacher competencies and student performance (β = 0.180, p < 0.001). The R-square values indicate that instructional planning explains 41% of its variance, while student performance accounts for 56%. These findings provide theoretical contributions by extending AI adoption models in education and offer practical implications for integrating AI tools in teaching. This study emphasizes the need for professional development programs to enhance educators’ AI proficiency and suggests policy recommendations for AI-driven curriculum development. Full article

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of kinship-based control, which serves as a mechanism of labour exploitation among Bangladeshi migrant workers in manufacturing and labour-intensive sectors in the Northern Emirates. The current study explores different case studies regarding participants dominated by familial control mechanisms that lead to Bangladeshi migrant workers finding themselves in vulnerable situations. This study incorporated an ethnographic research method. Data was gathered through participant observation, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews. The study includes different participant cases, including accounts from Bangladeshi migrant workers and their family members. In-depth interviews were conducted with a total of twelve participants to understand the experiences of Bangladeshi migrant workers and analyzed using a thematic approach. The findings of this study reveal six major themes: moral blackmail, isolation within the family, moral obligation and silence, familial control structures, abuse framed as duty, and informal hierarchies. This study shows that the existing labour mechanism is challenging for Bangladeshi workers, requiring strict attention from the host country to address challenges related to cultural obligations, the minimum wage, restricted movement, and harsh working conditions. It is implied that Bangladesh must make policy changes to create protective migration policies, establish worker independence, and provide pre-departure welfare programmes. Educational programmes developed by NGOs and public officials must include widespread awareness initiatives to heighten the focus on migrants and their family members and break unsustainable cultural standards. The novel aspect of this study lies in the fact that it explores family-based labour exploitation, which is rarely studied in migration research. Full article

Background: Health and safety are critical pillars of functional higher education systems. In South African universities, recurring incidents have highlighted vulnerabilities, particularly concerning gender-based violence (GBV), student housing conditions, infrastructure safety, and campus crime. Methods: This study employed a document-based qualitative approach, analysing public records, police reports, campus press statements, and national media coverage of incidents reported at South African universities (2015 to 2024). The study is guided by public health and victimology frameworks to examine systemic risk factors and institutional responses. Results: The findings indicate increased reports of GBV, multiple student deaths related to substandard residence conditions, infrastructure-related fatalities, and a lack of consistent institutional safety policies. A pattern of poor infrastructure management, weak inter-institutional communication, and failure to implement recommendations following major incidents emerged across the dataset. Conclusions: South African universities remain exposed to preventable student risks. Targeted interventions, mandatory safety audits, emergency response units, and accountability structures are urgently needed to address systemic failings and protect student welfare. The study supports Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 4 by linking campus safety to student well-being and equitable access to higher education. Full article

Accountability in education is an important legal, professional and ethical consideration for all teachers in their practice, as it leads to deep reflections about educational outcomes for their students. However, in respect of inclusive education, a constellation of implementation barriers has led to difficulties with understanding and ensuring accountability of outcomes for students with special educational needs (SENs). Additionally, there is very little discussion or research about accountability in special and inclusive education (SIE) in many educational systems around the world. Drawing on extant literature, this paper explores the diverse disciplinary (e.g., policy making, organisational management) understandings of accountability to illuminate the field of educational accountability. It then proposes a model for inclusive education accountability—informed by human rights—that outlines the roles, obligations of policy makers, principals, teachers, and allied professionals to enable accountable practices and outcomes for students with SENs. The proposed model suggests accountability types and obligations at different levels that can be implemented in diverse practice contexts. Full article

Background: Health inequality is seen as a challenge for implementing the Healthy China Strategy. This study analyzes the income-related health inequality among urban–rural resident basic medical insurance (URRBMI) participants. Methods: This study utilized data from the 2019 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), and the concentration index (CI) was employed to estimate the effects of income-related health inequality on participants. Results: Our findings provide clear evidence that health inequality among participants has fluctuated—narrowing, widening, and then narrowing again—in the areas of the contribution, medical treatment, and reimbursement of URRBMI, respectively. Overall, the analysis indicates a widening of health inequality post-reimbursement, with results remaining consistent. A heterogeneity analysis shows that health inequality is most pronounced among women and those with less than a middle school education. Finally, our study reveals a pro-rich trend in the actual utilization of medical services among participants, with persistent disparities in outpatient and inpatient service usage even after standardization, further exacerbating income-related health inequality. Conclusions: We recommend that the URRBMI design take participants’ income levels into account, with policies favoring disadvantaged individuals to enhance their medical security, improve access to healthcare services, and ultimately reduce health inequality. Full article