The maize commodity is of strategic significance to the South African economy as it is a stable commodity and therefore a key factor for food security. In recent times climate change has impacted on the productivity of this commodity and this has impacted trade negatively. This paper explores the intricate relationship between climatic factors and trade performance for the South African maize. Secondary annual time series data spanning 2001 to 2023, was sourced from an abstract from Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and World Bank’s Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration technique was used as an empirical model to assess the long-term and short-term relationships between explanatory variables and the dependent variable. Results of the ARDL model show that, average annual rainfall (β = 2.184, p = 0.056), fertilizer consumption (β = 1.919, p = 0.036), gross value of production (β = 1.279 , p = 0.006) and average annual surface temperature (β = −0.650, p = 0.991) and change in temperature for previous years, (β = −0.650, p = 0.991) and the effects towards coefficient change for export volumes, (β = 0.669, p = 0.0007). In overall, as a recommendation, South African policymakers should consider these findings when developing strategies to mitigate the impacts of some of these climatic factors and implementing adaptive strategies for maize producers.

COVID-19 has presented considerable challenges to fiscal budget allocations in developing countries, significantly affecting decisions regarding number of investments in the transport sector where precise resource allocation is required. Elucidating the long-term relationship between public transport investment and economic growth might enable policymaker to effectively make a decision in regard to those budget allocation. Our paper then utilizes Thailand as a case study to analyze the effects on economic growth in a developing country context. The study employs Cointegration and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) techniques to account for long-term correlations among explanatory variables during 1991–2019. The statistical findings reveal a significantly positive correlation between transport investment and economic growth by indicating an increase of 0.937 in economic growth for every one-percent increment in transport investment (S.D. = 0.024, p < 0.05). This emphasizes the potential of expanding the transport investment to recover Thailand’s economy. Furthermore, in terms of short-term adjustments, our results indicate that transport investment can significantly mitigate the negative impact of external shocks by 0.98 percent (p < 0.05). These findings assist policymakers in better managing national budget allocations in the post-Covid-19 period, allowing them to estimate the duration of crowding-out effects induced by shocks more effectively.

The subject of traditional institutions cannot be undermined in the project of sustainable leadership and good governance in Nigeria given the locus and crucial role of the institution in the past and modern Nigeria. It is incontrovertible that traditional and aboriginal values are held highly with reverence and respect in virtually all parts of Nigeria. To discountenance their relevance will be too costly in any leadership-cum-governance discourse. Towns, villages and cities were duly recognized and protected as the harbingers of culture, mores, norms and values. The contemporary government structure in Nigeria duly recognizes the importance of traditional institutions by having a Commission for Local Government (LG) and Chieftaincy Affairs at all State levels. Moreover, 5% of allocations to LGs go statutorily to the tradition institution in the State. Hitherto, the recklessness and abuse of the native authority system of local government administration in the 1950s–60s had led to the moderation and reforms of the system, which has continued to affect traditional institutions to date. To this end, the paper argues that traditional institutions hold so much values and cohesive practices as well as socially integrative potentials for nation-building so much that the State can leverage on them for sustainable leadership and overall good governance. The methodology adopted for collecting data for this study is descriptive research method, which relies on primary direct observation (eye-witness) account and relevant secondary materials such as texts, journal articles, official documents and internet materials. The data collected were analyzed and presented using thematic analysis and tables. National and international data already analyzed were found essential to drive home the argument of this study. The outcome of the paper provides useful information on how traditional institutions serve as a veritable platform for sustainable leadership and good governance in Nigeria. The paper concluded that traditional institutions, with its rich culture, values and practices, possess sufficient merits to propel the country towards sustainable leadership that would concomitantly induce economic, technological and political growth in Nigeria.

This paper tries to understand economic, social and legal implications of the introduction and usage of MediSearch (AI search engine) in the Indian healthcare context. Discussing the economic ramifications, the paper highlights the potential for cost savings, the influence on healthcare accessibility, and the shifts in traditional medical paradigms. On the social side, the study explains ability of AI based platforms to bridge healthcare disparities, with a potential for enhancing general health literacy among the general population. From a legal standpoint, study highlights the concerns related to data privacy, regulatory issues, and possible malpractice implications. With the integration of these perspectives, the study also explains opportunities, challenges and future of MediSearch from the Indian health perspective.

E-learning has become an integral part of higher education, significantly influencing the teaching and learning landscape. This study investigates the impact of student characteristics such as gender, grade, and major on E-learning satisfaction. Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and collecting data through 527 valid questionnaires from Nanjing Normal University students, this research reveals the nuanced relationships between these variables and E-learning satisfaction. The findings indicate that gender, grade, and major significantly and positively impact student satisfaction with E-learning, highlighting the need for tailored E-learning resources to meet diverse student needs. The study underscores the importance of continuous improvement in E-learning resources and platforms to enhance student satisfaction. This research contributes to the understanding of effective E-learning strategies in higher education institutions.

This study explores the application of the co-design approach in participatory planning for the development of Kambo Tourism Village, located at the intersection of urban and rural areas in Indonesia. By combining the Delphi Consensus Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the study successfully identified and prioritized key aspects in the planning process, with a primary focus on local community participation. The results indicate that the co-design approach is effective in creating a masterplan that not only aligns with the needs and aspirations of the community but also supports the sustainability and inclusiveness of tourism village development. AHP results reveal that local community participation was assigned the highest priority with a weight of 0.35, followed by stakeholder collaboration with a weight of 0.27. Community participation not only contributed to the creation of a well-structured tourism village masterplan but also enhanced human resource quality and strengthened stakeholder collaboration. The impact of this participatory planning process includes increased national recognition for Kambo Village, the village’s success in receiving awards, and local economic growth. Moreover, the study identified a gap between the calculated and expected weights in the AHP process, highlighting the complexity of aligning diverse stakeholder perspectives. These findings offer both practical and theoretical contributions and open opportunities for further research to address the challenges of participatory planning in the context of tourism villages.