National governments and academic higher education institutions continue to realign human resource development (HRD) strategies to address the gaps in HRD mandate. This study will investigate new and recalibrated skills that higher institutions (HEIs) professionals and the labor force produce to reconfigure curriculum development in tertiary education. The study extracts narrative from 6 curriculum developers, 3 HRD heads and h3 manpower organizations on the labor landscapes from different local and multinational industries from entry-level to mid-career ranges through case scenario-based interviews and focus group discussions to determine the skills around motivation, innovativeness, and adaptability and subsequently integrate strategic initiatives to reconfigure the compatibility of these skills from higher education institutions to post-pandemic industries. The findings reveal skills that can be managed at the individual level, e.g., self-motivation and adaptability as well as the need to emerge from the technological pressures by adapting to organizational and clientele demands. These human resource traits become the mantra of surviving and progressing in a landscape shaped by the pre- and post-pandemic setting and become the basis of HEI programs to match the needs of the labor force and the industries.

Developing countries have witnessed a rise in infrastructure spending over the past decades; however, infrastructure spending in most developed countries, particularly the US, continues to decline. As a result, in 2021, the US Congress passed a Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which invests $1 trillion in the country’s infrastructure every year. Using the principal component analysis and VAR estimation, we analyzed the impact of infrastructure (transportation and water, railway networks, aviation, energy, and fixed telephone lines) on economic growth in the US. Our findings show that infrastructure spending positively and significantly impacted economic growth. Additionally, the impulse response analysis shows that shocks to infrastructure spending had positive and persistent effects on economic growth. Our results suggest that infrastructure investment spurs economic growth. Based on our findings, sustained public spending on transport and water, railway networks, aviation, energy, and fixed telephone lines infrastructure by the US government will positively impact economic growth in the country. The study also suggests that policies that promote infrastructure spending, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) passed by the US Congress, should be enhanced to boost economic growth in the US. 

There are several factors that generate postharvest losses of Citrus sinensis, but none have been focused on the central jungle of the Junín region of Peru. The objective of this research was to evaluate postharvest losses of Citrus sinensis in the province of Satipo, Junín region of Peru, considering the stages of the production chain. The methodology was applied to descriptive and cross-sectional design. A sample of 10 orange trees, 3 transport intermediaries and 5 traders selected for compliance with minimum volume and quality requirements were used. The °Brix, pH and acidity characteristics of the fruit were determined. Subsequently, absolute and percentage losses were quantified through direct observation, surveys and interviews. The main postharvest losses of Citrus sinensis were 1.50% in harvesting and detaching, 1.75% in transport to the collection center, 2.23% in storage and transport by intermediaries, and 2.90% in storage and sale by retailers. The overall loss was 8.12% throughout the production chain and US$5.75 per MT of C. sinensis harvested. The main damages found were mechanical and biological, caused by poor harvesting and packaging techniques, precarious storage and careless transport of the merchandise.

This study critically examines the implications of international transport corridor projects for Central Asian countries, focusing on the Western-backed Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), the Chinese initiative “One Belt—One Road”, and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) supported by the Russian Federation, India, and Iran. The analysis underscores the risks associated with Western projects, highlighting a need for a more explicit commitment to substantial infrastructure investments and persistent contradictions among key investors and beneficiaries. While the Chinese initiative presents significant benefits such as transit participation, infrastructure development, and economic investments, it also carries risks, notably an increased debt burden and potential monopolization by Chinese corporations. The study emphasizes that Central Asian countries, though indirect beneficiaries of INSTC, may not be directly involved due to geographical constraints. Study findings advocate for Central Asian nations to balance foreign investments, promote economic integration, and safeguard political and economic sovereignty. The study underscores the region’s wealth of natural and human resources, emphasizing the potential for increased demand for goods and services with improved living standards, strategically positioning these countries in the evolving global economic landscape.

In regard to national development (ND), this review article (which is basically a perspective approach) presents retroactive and forward-looking perspectives on university education in Nigeria. In the past, particularly during the 1970s, the Nigerian university (NU) sector was among the most outstanding in Africa as well as globally. The best institutions drew students from around Africa, who flocked to Nigeria to study. The NU structure evidently contained four essential components for an international and effective university system, viz., world-class instructors, world-class students, a conducive learning environment, and global competitiveness. The NU structure, nevertheless, has undergone some neglect over the past thirty years and lost its distinctive identity, which raises questions about its function and applicability at the current stage of ND. Hence, some retrospective and forward-looking observations on university education in Nigeria in connection to ND are conveyed in this perspective article uses basically published articles and other relevant literature, as well as other sources and data from available literature. Hitherto, there is an urgent need for reinforcement of the university system in order to give it the desired and comparable international quality and functionality needed to meet the demands of current issues and the near future. However, this article conveys an intense belief and conviction that the NU system is still important for both the political and socioeconomic development (growth) of the nation. The article concludes by recommending the way forward in this regard.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) in a sample of Moroccan students. Method: A total of 208 Moroccan students participated in this study. The dimensionality of the DASS-21 scale was assessed using exploratory factor analysis. Construct validity was assessed using the Stress Perception (PSS-10), State Anxiety (SAI), and Depression (CESD-10) scales. Results: Correlation analyses between Depression, Anxiety, and Stress subscales showed significant results. The exploratory factor analysis results confirmed the DASS’s three-dimensional structure. Furthermore, correlation analyses revealed positive correlations between the DASS-18 sub-dimensions and the three scales for Stress (PSS-10), Anxiety (SAI), and Depression (CESD-10). Conclusion: In line with previous work, the results of this study suggest that the DASS-18 reflect adequate psychometric properties, making it an appropriate tool for use in the university context.