This is a review of empirical studies with the objective of analyzing the theoretical-practical discussions that have been raised internationally to deepen the understanding of the access of rural youth to higher education as an object of study. For this purpose, a narrative review was designed, considering scientific articles published in three different languages and concerning studies conducted in 21 different countries in all regions of the world. The results reveal three discussions: a) the strong interest that higher education has regained in the life expectations of rural young people and their families, especially as a means of social advancement; b) the inequalities that most affect the access of rural youth to higher education are the lack of academic offerings in rural areas and the discontinuities that occur around rural socio-cultural capital; c) since the inequalities experienced by rural youth are diverse, actions to promote greater democratization cannot be limited to implementing systems of grants and scholarships. It is concluded that the major project consists of creating a differentiated higher education model that, in terms of location, academic offerings, recognition of knowledge, and articulation with the environment, allows rural youth to experience their professional training not as an inevitable process of acculturation, but as a continuation of their socio-cultural capital and their territorial yearnings.

This paper explores the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Software-Defined Resources (SDR) as innovative tools for enhancing cloud computing education in university curricula. The study emphasizes the importance of practical knowledge in cloud technologies such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), DevOps, and cloud-native environments. It introduces Lean principles to optimize the teaching framework, promoting efficiency and effectiveness in learning. By examining a comprehensive educational reform project, the research demonstrates that incorporating SDR and LLMs can significantly enhance student engagement and learning outcomes, while also providing essential hands-on skills required in today’s dynamic cloud computing landscape. A key innovation of this study is the development and application of the Entropy-Based Diversity Efficiency Analysis (EDEA) framework, a novel method to measure and optimize the diversity and efficiency of educational content. The EDEA analysis yielded surprising results, showing that applying SDR (i.e., using cloud technologies) and LLMs can each improve a course’s Diversity Efficiency Index (DEI) by approximately one-fifth. The integrated approach presented in this paper provides a structured tool for continuous improvement in education and demonstrates the potential for modernizing educational strategies to better align with the evolving needs of the cloud computing industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse impact on the mental health of frontline workers including firefighters. To better understand this occurrence, this cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among 105 operational team and elite team firefighters in Kota Bharu, Kelantan State, Malaysia before and after the pandemic. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), a validated self-reporting survey tool, was used to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among the survey respondents. Findings revealed that firefighters had an increased level of anxiety and depression during the post-pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period. However, there was a decrease in the stress levels (20%) reported by study participants. Respondents belonging to the operational team had a higher reported level of depression, anxiety, and stress than those from the elite team. This may be attributed the operational team being more exposed to the risk of COVID-19 infection on account of their routine and more voluminous workload. The findings of this study suggest that firefighters, in general, are at an increased risk of mental health problems as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowing this, it is important to consider these findings when addressing the prevention and management of mental health among firefighters. This includes providing additional support and devoting more resources to those who are most at risk for experiencing symptoms of mental health such as firefighters performing functions aligned with that of an operational team.

This study explores the attributes of service quality for overseas residents provided by island county governments, using the example of the Kinmen County Government’s service center in central Taiwan. This research aims to identify key service elements that can enhance the satisfaction of Kinmen overseas residents. Drawing upon the SERVQUAL scale and a comprehensive literature review, service quality is divided into five dimensions: “administrative service,” “life counseling,” “information provision,” among others, comprising 24 service quality elements. A total of 311 valid questionnaires were collected through a survey, and Kano’s two-dimensional quality and IPA analysis were used to classify service factors. The Kano two-dimensional quality analysis revealed that “employment counseling,” “entrepreneurship counseling,” and “setting up service counters at airports and terminals during festivals” belong to attractive quality. Nine elements were classified as “one-dimensional quality” and “must-be quality,” including “one-stop service,” “exclusive consultation hotline,” and “exclusive website reveals information.” Through Quality Function Deployment (QFD), service elements that align with Kano’s two-dimensional quality and IPA priority improvement were selected for detailed study, including “financial assistance in emergencies,” “subsidy for transportation expenses back home,” “subsidies for education allowances,” and “various subsidy application information.” Following expert discussions and questionnaire surveys, eight strategies for improving key service quality elements were identified. This research not only provides actionable insights for the Kinmen County Government but also offers valuable strategies that can be applied to similar contexts globally, where remote and rural populations require specialized governmental support.

The UN agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015–2030 is a holistic approach. Universities play an important role in dissemination of quality knowledge, developing the skills and attitudes of a large number of youth across the world. Though the emphasis on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) started as early as 1992, yet Universities adopted the concept of Green Campus integrating the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability quite recently. In developing countries including Pakistan, the Green Campus Initiatives (GCI) have not been implemented in the majority of the Universities. Northern Pakistan comprising Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) faces multiple challenges including Climate Impacts at the top. The fragile ecosystem of the region requires more sustainable initiatives at the University and community levels. In this research, the readiness of the seven universities located in Northern Pakistan have been assessed for GCI on the basis scanning of the websites and questionnaire survey of the relevant stakeholders. The results have shown that there is little commitment of resources for sustainability from senior management, lack of awareness in faculty & staff and less research focus on the related themes of green campus. The co-curricular activities in universities are not linked with sustainability and there are no incentives for faculty, staff and students to this end. It has been recommended that Green Campus Framework may be developed for Pakistani Mountain Universities, with commitment from leaders of the universities and allocation of sufficient resources for development of sustainable campuses. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) needs to allocate special funds for promoting GCI across universities in Pakistan.

The proliferation of digital literary discourse has led to a competitive, and often times antagonistic, relationship between this new form and its traditional paper-based counterpart. The success of this new critical literary media has come as a result of major global changes to social consciousness and societal pressures to utilize communication systems that can keep pace with the speed of social action. Discussions on the legitimacy of digital literary discourse are often limited by the use of conciliatory debates that merely present moderate viewpoints. This research addresses the issue using a socio-discursive lens, focusing on a critical exploration of the underlying reasoning for the technological wariness of paper-based literary practitioners. Contrary to the views of many traditionalists, digital literature does not derive its discursive identity, nor its legitimacy, from a combative relationship with paper-based criticism. Instead, this analysis indicates that the use of digital media marks a significant turning point in the institution of literary discourse, formed as a response to shifting individual and collective needs of an accelerating pace of life. Therefore, digital literary discourse is not simply a form or idea that can be accepted or rejected. Rather, it is a forced formation of a new and constantly evolving expressive and inferential space, created by the combination of existing and innovative media, producing new meanings that were impossible to generate under the dominance of old media.