The aim of the study is to identify the requirements for qualifying administrative leaders and the challenges they face at King Khalid University, in light of the general framework of the Human Capacities Development Program, which includes four dimensions (values and behaviours-basic skills-future skills-knowledge). A descriptive approach was used, and the study population consisted of academic leaders at King Khalid University, totalling (107). A questionnaire was used as a research tool, comprising three axes and (53) statements to collect data after ensuring their validity and reliability. The results showed the agreement of the study population on the axis of requirements for qualifying administrative leaders at King Khalid University to a very high degree, with an average score of (4.44), and their agreement on the challenges facing the qualification of administrative leaders at King Khalid University to a very high degree, with an average score of (4.11), and their agreement on the mechanisms for qualifying administrative leaders at King Khalid University to a very high degree, with an average score of (4.29). The results also showed no statistically significant differences at the significance level (0.05) between the means of responses of the study population on the requirements, challenges, and mechanisms for qualifying administrative leaders according to variables (gender-academic qualification—experience in the current job). In light of the study results, a proposed strategy was developed, and recommendations were made, including adopting the proposed strategy and governing the programs for qualifying administrative leaders at King Khalid University to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability at all stages from nomination, preparation, and evaluation, in addition to considering the university’s strategic plan when designing programs for qualifying administrative leaders to adopt the values embraced by the administration and build leaders who contribute to achieving its vision and mission in the long term.

This study investigates the link between debt and political alignment in international relations between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and African nations. Using recorded roll-call votes on United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions, we explore whether PRC investment in sovereign debt influences the voting behaviour of loan recipient countries. We compile voting data for African countries from 2000 to 2020 to calculate an annual voting affinity score as a proxy for political alignment. Concurrently, data on Chinese public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) loans to African governments are collected. A Two-Stage Least-Squares analysis is employed, using the ratio of Chinese PPG debt to GDP as an instrument to address endogeneity. Results reveal a negative impact of Chinese lending on African political support, while trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), and Chinese GDP positively influence political alignment. In high debt-risk African countries, interest rates have a negative impact, whereas loan maturity shows a positive effect. These findings suggest that Chinese loans, particularly under commercial terms, may have strained bilateral relations due to debt sustainability concerns. Nevertheless, the positive impacts of trade and FDI may enhance international relations, highlighting the limitations of China’s loan diplomacy in fostering long-term strategic alignment in Africa.

In the present and future of education, fostering complex thinking, especially in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is critical to lifelong learning. This study aimed to analyze learning scenarios within the framework of a model that promotes complex thinking and integrated design analysis, to identify the contributions of linking design models to the SDGs. The research question was: How does the open educational model of complex thinking link to the SDGs and scenario design? The analysis examined a pedagogical approach that introduced 33 participants to the instructional design of real-life or simulated situations to develop complex thinking skills. The categories of analysis were the model components, the SDGs, and scenario designs. The findings considered (a) innovative design capacity linked to SDG challenges, (b) linking theory and practice to foster complex thinking, and (c) the critical supporting tools for scenario design. The study intends to be of value to academic, social, and business communities interested in mobilizing complex thinking to support lifelong learning.

Poverty, as a phenomenon, remains an obstacle to global sustainable development. Although a universal malaise, it is more prevalent in underdeveloped countries, including Nigeria. However, because of its devastating impacts on the Nigerian economy, such as increasing death rates, high crime rates, insecurity difficulties, threats to national cohesion, and so on, successive administrations have implemented poverty alleviation programs to mitigate the consequences of this disease. Worryingly, despite a multiplicity of projects and massive human and natural resources invested to match global standards, Nigeria remains impoverished. The curiosity at how these programs fail, either because of implementation hiccups or because elites’ wealth and power influence these programs spurred the paper to assess poverty alleviation policies and elitist approaches in Nigeria. The study employed the desk study approach, as it examined secondary sources such as books, journals, articles, and magazines. Its theoretical underpinning was the elite theory. The paper discovered that several factors such as corruption, the elitist nature of the policies which in disguise reflect public interests, lack of continuity, lack of coordination and monitoring system, misappropriation of public resources, and others, led to the poor performances of government in alleviating poverty in Nigeria. The paper concludes that, while the rate of poverty index in Nigeria rises year after year, poverty alleviation efforts in Nigeria have had little or no influence on the Nigerian economy, since most of these projects are purely reflective of the elites’ interests rather than the masses. Therefore, the paper recommends that for there to be a reduction in poverty incidence in Nigeria, a holistic developmental approach should be adopted, the policies formulated and implemented should sync with the needs of the citizens, and quality and viable programs should be sustained and financed irrespective of change in government; public accountability should be instilled; proper coordination and monitoring system should be domesticated, etc.

Pakistan is grappling with significant economic and political challenges stemming from various factors. Positioned at the heart of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, Pakistan has been presented with a diverse array of opportunities encompassing trade, investment, energy resource development, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the expansion of the Gwadar port, integration of its economy with neighboring nations via various connectivity projects, and the generation of employment prospects. Given the contemporary interdependence of economic performance and political stability, the potential for economic stability and the creation of opportunities through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is seen as crucial. The project helped Pakistan to attract a huge amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), created hundreds of thousands of jobs, significantly improved infrastructure, established nine SEZs, developed Gwadar port, increased its trade volume with China and controlled energy crisis to a significant level. Political development, stability and peace have also been positively influenced by economic development. This study aims to evaluate the impact of CPEC from both economic and political perspectives, especially as it approaches its 10th anniversary, and assess how it has shaped Pakistan’s economic and political landscapes. The forthcoming second phase of CPEC is poised to further bolster Pakistan’s economic growth, fortify industrialization through SEZs, and enhance its international trade. Additionally, the project is set to transform Pakistan into a pivotal regional trade corridor through its advanced connectivity initiatives and the development of the Gwadar port.

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.