While the notion of the smart city has grown in popularity, the backlash against smart urban infrastructure in the context of changing state-public relations has seldom been examined. This article draws on the case of Hong Kong’s smart lampposts to analyse the emergence of networked dissent against smart urban infrastructure during a period of unrest. Deriving insights from critical data studies, dissentworks theory, and relevant work on networked activism, the article illustrates how a smart urban infrastructure was turned into both a source and a target of popular dissent through digital mediation and politicisation. Drawing on an interpretive analysis of qualitative data collected from multiple digital platforms, the analysis explicates the citizen curation of socio-technic counter-imaginaries that constituted a consent of dissent in the digital realm, and the creation and diffusion of networked action repertoires in response to a changing political opportunity structure. In addition to explicating the words and deeds employed in this networked dissent, this article also discusses the technopolitical repercussions of this dissent for the city’s later attempts at data-based urban governance, which have unfolded at the intersections of urban techno-politics and local contentious politics. Moving beyond the common focus on neoliberal governmentality and its limits, this article reveals the underexplored pitfalls of smart urban infrastructure vis-à-vis the shifting socio-political landscape of Hong Kong, particularly in the digital age.

Sustainability has become a generalized concern for society, specifically businesses, governments, and academia. In the specific case of universities, sustainability has been approached from different perspectives, some viewing it from environmental practices, management initiatives, operational criteria, green buildings, and even education for sustainable development. This research focuses on sustainability as a managerial practice and investigates how it affects the performance of five private universities in Medellin, Colombia. For this purpose, a literature review using a mixed sequential approach, including bibliometric and content analysis, was initially conducted. In the s second phase, more than 5000 responses from students, professors, and employees of the five mentioned private universities were collected. A previously validated instrument for both sustainability and performance was applied in the quantitative phase, and a novel dimensionality of the constructs was proposed by conducting an exploratory factor analysis using the SPSS software. Results were then processed through a structural equation analysis with the Smart PLS software. The impact of sustainability on university performance is verified, making some managerial recommendations.

 Beach protection is vital to reduce the damage to shorelines and coastal areas; one of the artificial protections that can be utilized is the tetrapod. However, much damage occurred when using a traditional tetrapod due to the lack of stability coefficient (K_D). Therefore, this research aims to increase the stability coefficient by providing minor modifications to the cape of the tetrapod, such as round-caped or cube-caped. The modification seeks to hold the drag force from the wave and offer a good interlocking in between the tetrapod. This research applied physical model test research using a breakwater model made from the proposed innovative tetrapod with numerous variations in dimensions and layers simulated with several scenarios. The analysis was carried out by graphing the relationship between the parameters of the measurement results and the relationship between dimensionless parameters, such as wave steepness H/gT2, and other essential parameters, such as the K_D stability number and the level of damage in %. The result shows that the modified and innovative tetrapod has a more excellent K_D value than the conventional tetrapod. In addition, the innovative tetrapod with the cube-shaped has a recommended K_D value greater than the round shape. This means that for the modified tetrapod structure and the same level of security, the required weight of the tetrapod with the cube cap will be lighter than the tetrapod with the round cap. These findings have significant practical implications for coastal protection and engineering, potentially leading to more efficient and cost-effective solutions.

This study aimed to explore the influence of entrepreneurial skills development on entrepreneurial confidence in university students. Using an empirical approach, a structured questionnaire was administered to 322 students at a university in Lima, Peru, to assess participants’ perceptions of self-awareness and self-assessment, problem solving, communication and presentation of ideas, as well as their entrepreneurial confidence. The data collected were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM), which allowed for the identification of significant relationships between the variables. The results revealed that self-awareness, problem solving and effective communication have a positive and determinant influence on the development of entrepreneurial skills, which in turn significantly strengthen students’ entrepreneurial confidence. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating the promotion of entrepreneurial skills in university education, as this can increase students’ readiness and willingness to successfully start and manage their own entrepreneurial projects.

The question of whether legal gun ownership is a positive security factor in the Czech Republic is subject to expert debate and depends on several factors, including available crime data, public attitudes, and the legal framework. Some argue that legal gun ownership can dissuade criminals because they know victims may be armed. Many advocates argue that the right to own guns is a fundamental right that should be protected. Sometimes, it is difficult to clearly demonstrate that legal gun ownership directly contributes to crime reduction. Statistical data can be interpreted in different ways. In contrast, the presence of guns can in some situations escalate conflicts that could otherwise be resolved nonviolently. In the Czech Republic, legal gun ownership is relatively strictly regulated. Citizens must meet the conditions established by law, including criminal integrity and passing a theoretical-practical examination of professional competence. This regulation aims to ensure that only responsible and qualified individuals own guns. Therefore, the presented article discusses legal gun ownership as an internal factor of state security. Using statistical data, it analyses the amount of violent crime committed with firearms in relation to the possibility of holding and carrying a gun in the conditions of the Czech Republic and in selected EU countries. Furthermore, with the help of a questionnaire survey, it identifies that legal gun ownership can be considered a positive safety factor in certain situations, if it is associated with strict regulation and a responsible attitude of gun owners. The resulting effect on security depends on a combination of legal frameworks, gun culture, and effective law enforcement.