This study investigates the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on the construction sector in Southeast Asia, focusing on Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Qualitative research approach is used to analyze the implications of Chinese investments in these countries, exploring both the opportunities and challenges faced by Chinese investors. Key research questions address the resilience of the construction sector, the obstacles encountered by investors, and the influence of policy on the construction business. Through interviews with CEOs and senior managers of major construction companies and a review of relevant documents, the study uncovers the economic and geopolitical motivations behind China’s BRI strategy. The findings reveal significant insights into the benefits and drawbacks of BRI financing, providing recommendations for overcoming challenges and leveraging future opportunities in Southeast Asian construction sectors.

Social media has become one of the primary sources of communication, information, entertainment, and learning for users. Children gain several benefits as social media helps them acquire formal and informal learning opportunities. This research also examined the effect of social media on formal and informal learning among school-level children in Ajman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), moderated by social integrative and personal integrative needs. Data was gathered by using structured questionnaires, which were distributed among a sample of 364 children. Results revealed that social media significantly affects Informal and formal learning among children, indicating its usefulness in child education and development. The results also indicated a significant moderation of social integrative needs on social media’s direct effect on informal learning, indicating the relevant needs as an important motivating factor. However, the moderation of personal integrative needs on social media’s direct effect on formal learning remained insignificant. Overall, this research highlighted the role of social media in providing learning opportunities for children in the UAE. It is concluded that children actively seek gratifications from social media, shaping their learning within structured educational contexts in their daily lives. Through the lens of UGT, certain needs play a critical role in strengthening the gratification process, affecting how children derive learning advantages from their interactions on social media platforms. Finally, implications and limitations are discussed accordingly.

This paper investigates and studies the quality of life of primary school students, and the results show that the quality of life of primary school students in Chongchuan District of Nantong is generally at the upper middle level, and it shows a downward trend with age. There were significant differences between 8-year-old boys and girls in “teacher-student relationship”, “learning ability and attitude”, “self-concept relationship”, “peer relationship” and “homework attitude”, and girls were better than boys. There were significant differences between 10-year-old boys and girls in the scores of “teacher-student relationship” and “self-satisfaction relationship”, and girls were better than boys; There were significant differences between 11-year-old boys and girls in the two factors of “activity opportunity” and “athletic ability”, and boys were better than girls. There was no difference in the remaining ages by factor. Improving the quality of life of primary school students requires the active cooperation of schools, teachers and parents, as well as special attention to the differences between boys and girls aged 8, 10 and 11.

In the current context of China’s vigorous development of its high-speed rail (HSR) network to accelerate the realization of connectivity, which is the aim of the “Belt and Road” initiative, it is crucial to study how the specific opening of HSR enhances enterprise human capital investment efficiency. Using a multiple-time-point difference-in-differences (DID) regression model, we empirically study data from listed Chinese companies. An HSR opening can promote the efficiency of an enterprise’s human capital investment. We further explore the relationship between HSR and a company’s human capital investment, by considering the moderating effects of firm property rights and foreign shareholding. Our findings indicate that these factors can enhance the impact of HSR on the efficiency of firms’ investments in human capital. Finally, to ensure the reliability of our experimental findings, we employed a combination of propensity score matching and the DID methodology. The findings of this study offer empirical evidence that can inform enterprise management strategies and provide valuable insights for policymakers seeking to promote economic growth.

The global significance of the energy crisis and the need for a sustainable European electricity system have intensified interest in renewable energy sources. This study aims to explore the attitudes toward solar energy systems among the population of the North Transdanubian region, which is crucial for companies in the region specializing in solar system installation. The research sheds light on trends in energy prices, potential strategies for addressing the energy crisis, and the regulatory environment for solar systems in Hungary and Austria, focusing on the Burgenland region. The study is divided into two main sections: secondary and primary research. The secondary research presents various applications of renewable energy sources, especially solar energy, and examines energy pricing trends in the two countries, with particular emphasis on the payback period and the impact of changes in energy prices. The primary research is also divided into two parts: the first examines the satisfaction of customers who already use solar systems, and the second focuses on the attitudes of potential customers toward solar investments. The findings provide a comprehensive view of both current users’ and prospective investors’ perspectives on solar energy systems. The practical significance of this research lies in identifying development opportunities for companies, advancing energy efficiency goals, and supporting sustainability efforts.