COVID-19 has amplified existing imbalances, institutional and financing constraints associated with a development strategy that did not take sufficient account of challenges with emissions, environmental damage and health risks associated with climate change in a number of countries, including China. The recovery from the pandemic can be combined with appropriately designed investments that take into account human, social, natural and physical capital, as well as distributional objectives, that can also address commitments under the Paris agreement. An important criterion for sustainable development is that the tax regimes at the national and sub-national levels should reflect the same criteria as the investment strategy. Own-source revenues, are essential to be able to access private financing, including local government bonds and PPPs in a sustainable manner. Governance criteria are also important including information on the buildup of liabilities at all levels of government, to ensure transparent governance.
Despite differences in political systems, the Chinese experiences are relevant in a wide range of emerging market countries as the measures utilize institutions and policies reflecting international best practices, including modern tax administrations for the VAT, and income taxes, and benefit-linked property taxes, as well as utilization of balance sheets information consistent with the IMF’s Government Financial Statistics Manual, 2014. The options have significant implications for policy advice and development cooperation for meeting global climate change goals while ensuring sustainable employment generation with transparency and accountability.

Investment growth in many emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) has slowed sharply since 2010. Investment growth performance has varied significantly across different regions, however. This paper examines the evolution of investment growth in six EMDE regions, documents remaining investment needs, especially for infrastructure, and presents a set of region-specific policy responses to address these needs. It reports three main findings. First, investment growth has been particularly weak in EMDE regions hosting a large number of commodity exporters. In regions with a substantial number of commodity-importing economies, investment growth has been somewhat resilient but has also declined steadily since 2010. Second, sizable investment needs remain in most EMDE regions to make room for expanding economic activity and rapid urbanization. A large portion of these investment needs is in infrastructure and human capital. Finally, while specific policy priorities vary across regions, several policy options to address remaining investment needs apply universally. These include more, and more efficient, public investment and measures to improve overall growth prospects and the business climate. Improved project selection and monitoring, as well as better governance, may enhance the efficiency and benefits from public investment.

With the deep integration of artificial intelligence technology in education, the development of AI integration capabilities among pre-service teachers—as the core of future educational human resources—has become crucial for enhancing educational quality and driving digital transformation in education. Based on the AI-TPACK (Artificial Intelligence-Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) theoretical framework, this study employs questionnaire surveys and structural equation modeling to explore the structural characteristics, influencing factors, and formation mechanisms of AI-TPACK competencies among pre-service teachers in Chinese universities. Findings indicate that while pre-service teachers demonstrate moderately high overall AI-TPACK levels, their technical knowledge (AI-TK) and technological integration competencies (e.g., AI-TPK, AI-TCK) remain relatively weak. School technical support, technological attitudes, and technological competence significantly influence their AI-TPACK capabilities, with institutional level and teaching experience serving as important external moderating factors. Building on these findings, this paper proposes a systematic framework for developing pre-service teachers' AI integration capabilities from a human resource development perspective. This framework encompasses four dimensions: curriculum optimization, practice enhancement, resource support, and policy guidance. It aims to provide theoretical foundations and practical pathways for pre-service teacher training and teacher human resource development in higher education institutions.

This study examines the viability and user acceptance of a Cultural Healing Virtual Museum as a novel method for enhancing employee well-being and psychological health in organizational environments. The research shows how combining art and design can create engaging cultural experiences, looking at how visual appeal, space layout, and interactive technology can help reduce stress, build emotional strength, and teach employees about culture. The study focuses on middle-aged working individuals, especially those facing stress and sub-health issues, utilizing a mixed-methods approach with 381 participants. Notably, 87.14% of participants reported awareness of the concept of cultural healing, and over 78% indicated a willingness to engage with immersive cultural wellness tools. Research indicates a pronounced inclination toward culturally relevant virtual settings that integrate traditional healing practices—such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), calligraphy, and meditation themes—with modern digital aesthetics. The findings demonstrate that art-based immersive components markedly improve emotional well-being, cultivate trust in organizational health programs, and elevate the propensity to participate in preventative self-care activities. Principal elements influencing engagement comprised visual coherence, symbolic significance, and emotional impact. Even though most feedback was positive, some participants expressed concerns about how comfortable they were with technology and using virtual reality, pointing out the need for easy training and designs that include everyone. These findings suggest that immersive wellness strategies rooted in art and heritage can contribute directly to human capital development by boosting proactive health behavior and reducing psychological strain. This research highlights the possibility of incorporating art, cultural heritage, and immersive technology into workplace wellness initiatives to bolster employee well-being, improve psychological health, and facilitate human capital development.

This study investigates the integration of Yao ethnic cultural history into sustainable jewelry design and its implications for human resource planning, organizational management, and employee engagement techniques within creative sectors. The research emphasizes new approaches to improving employee well-being, work happiness, and organizational commitment by integrating cultural authenticity with circular economy concepts. The study specifically aims to (1) use Yao cultural elements to strengthen the organization’s identity and boost employee pride, (2) evaluate how consumers respond to circular economy ideas and how these ideas impact employee motivation and performance, and (3) explore how sustainability efforts based on culture affect consumer behavior and the morale of the workforce. We used a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interviews with fifteen experts in design, sustainability, and cultural heritage with a quantitative survey of 240 participants. Research indicates that using Yao motifs—such as traditional needlework and nature-inspired designs—enhances market attractiveness and promotes more employee alignment with business ideals, hence improving satisfaction and performance. The increasing customer acceptance of recycled and upcycled items enhances employees’ sense of purpose and engagement. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating sustainable HR practices, including culturally oriented training and open ethical principles, to enhance labor relations and foster equity. Utilizing cultural heritage in design innovation serves as a strategic instrument to enhance human capital and promote long-term organizational sustainability.

This study compares Human Resource Development (HRD) in Vietnam and Malaysia, looking at their methods, problems, and institutional frameworks in the context of ASEAN economic integration and Industry 4.0. Based on Cho and McLean’s (2004) integrated HRD model, this paper looks at recent research (from 2018 to 2023) to look at important topics such globalization, demographic changes, vocational training alignment, and technology disruption. Vietnam has a vast workforce, but it still has problems with low productivity, skill mismatches, and not being ready for the global market. On the other hand, Malaysia’s institutional HRD structures are making more progress, even though its workforce is getting older and not everyone is adapting to digital transformation at the same rate. The study shows that we need HRD policies that are tailored to each industry, training that is delivered in a decentralized way, and stronger relationships between the public and commercial sectors. It also stresses how important it is for national HRD policies to include global competences and initiatives that help everyone learn new skills. The study adds a unique framework for comparing HRD and gives policymakers, educators, and practitioners useful information, even though it is constrained by its use of secondary data. Future study should use mixed-methods to confirm results and look into interventions that work in specific situations. The study shows that Vietnam and Malaysia need personalized, inclusive, and forward thinking HRD systems to produce strong and competitive workforces in the post-pandemic, digital driven global economy.