This paper highlights the opportunities as well as challenges posed for Bangladesh by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China. BRI is being considered as the most expensive project ever initiated connecting more than half of the world population from Asia, Europe and Africa. For writing this paper, the authors utilized published sources such as journal articles, newspaper articles and web-based information published from 2013 to 2024. The article proposes that although the involvement of Bangladesh in the BRI is not absolutely free of challenges, it can serve the ultimate national interest through greater connectivity with other countries, increased volume of trade and economic activities and socio-cultural exchange. Although, as the originator and major contributor of the BRI, China will be the principal benefiter, other partner countries can also attain considerable benefits out of this historical mega scheme through the application of appropriate vision and strategic implementation. This paper has highlighted those benefits/opportunities and challenges for Bangladesh that can be beneficial for upcoming research projects particularity aimed at development studies, political economy and international relations. On the other hand, based on the arguments made on this paper, policymakers and businessmen can formulate their best policies as well as trading strategies with mutual benefits for all the stakeholders involved.

The Sipongi System is essential in dealing with forest and land fires because this system provides real-time data that empowers stakeholders and communities to proactively overcome fire dangers. Its advantages are seen in its ability to provide detailed information regarding weather conditions, wind patterns, water levels in peatlands, air quality, and responsible work units. This data facilitates efficient decision-making and resource allocation for fire prevention and control. As an embodiment of Collaborative Governance, the Sipongi System actively involves various stakeholders, including government institutions, local communities, environmental organizations and the private sector. This cooperative approach fosters collective responsibility and accountability, improving fire management efforts. The Sipongi approach is critical in reducing forest and land fires in Indonesia by providing real-time data and a collaborative governance model. This results in faster response times, more effective fire prevention and better resource allocation. Although initially designed for Indonesia, the adaptable nature of the system makes it a blueprint for addressing similar challenges in other countries and regions, tailored to specific needs and environmental conditions. Qualitative research methods underlie this study, including interviews with key stakeholders and analysis of credible sources. Government officials, community leaders, environmental experts and organizational representatives were interviewed to comprehensively examine the mechanisms of the Sipongi System and its impact on forest and land fire management in Indonesia. Future research should explore the application of Sipongi Systems and collaborative governance in various contexts by conducting comparative studies across countries and ecosystems. Additionally, assessing the long-term impact and sustainability of the Sipongi System is critical to evaluating its effectiveness over time.

This study delves into the evolving landscape of smart city development in Kazakhstan, a domain gaining increasing relevance in the context of urban modernization and digital transformation. The research is anchored in the quest to understand how specific technological factors influence the formation of smart cities within the region. To this end, the study adopts a Spatial Autoregressive Model (SAR) as its core analytical tool, leveraging data on server density, cloud service usage, and electronic invoicing practices across various Kazakhstani cities. The crux of the research revolves around assessing the impact of these selected technological variables on the smart city development process. The SAR model’s application facilitates a nuanced understanding of the spatial dynamics at play, offering insights into how these factors vary in influence across different urban areas. A key finding of this investigation is the significant positive correlation between the adoption of electronic invoicing and smart city development, a result that stands in contrast to the relatively insignificant impact of server density and cloud service usage. The conclusion drawn from these findings underscores the pivotal role of digital administrative processes, particularly electronic invoicing, in driving the smart city agenda in Kazakhstan. This insight not only contributes to the academic discourse on smart cities but also holds practical implications for policymakers and urban planners. It suggests a strategic shift towards prioritizing digital administrative innovations over mere infrastructural or technological upgrades. The study’s outcomes are poised to guide future smart city initiatives in Kazakhstan and offer a reference point for similar emerging economies embarking on their smart city journeys.

The main objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between increases in freight costs and inflation in the markets due to the increases reflected in the prices of the products in some economies in destination ports such as the United States, Europe, Japan, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and South Korea. We use fractionally integrated methods and Granger causality test to calculate the correlation between these indicators. The results indicate that, after a significant drop in inflation in 2020, probably due to the confinement caused by the pandemic, the increases observed in inflation and freight costs are expected to be transitory given their stationary behavior. We also find a close correlation between both indicators in Europe, the United States and South Africa.

In recent years, with the wide application of English picture books as children's English enlightenment reading material, it has become an effective auxiliary teaching material for primary students to learn a second foreign language. This paper mainly introduces the concept and characteristics of English picture books so that readers can clearly understand the research object. Secondly, it gives an explanation of the current situation of the application of English picture books in reading education in our country, and demonstrates the importance of English picture books in the field of education. Finally, based on the reading teaching model of PWP and combined with relevant theories of education, specific strategies are proposed for teaching English picture books. I hope this paper will be helpful to the teaching of picture books.

Climate change plays a vital role in shaping the knowledge construction of farmers for managing their agricultural land. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the coffee farmers’ knowledge construction process regarding climate change. This research utilizes qualitative methods. This research approach uses the grounded theory, which can help researchers uncover the relationship between the coffee farmers’ knowledge construction and climate change. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using constant comparative methods. The transcription of the field notes was analyzed using NVivo version 12, a program for analyzing qualitative data. There were 33 informants in the study. This study found that the conditions and situations of wind speed and uncertain whether strongly influence the farmers’ construction of climate knowledge. Coffee farmers are looking for new ways to respond to climate change, such as increasing the intensity of the care they give to their coffee plants, gradually harvesting according to the ripeness of the coffee fruits, finding alternative ways to dry the coffee beans, and reducing the use of fertilizer. However, coffee farmers are also starting to adapt old knowledge from their parents to the latest perceived climate phenomena, so that they can look for alternative sources of livelihood outside their farms. This knowledge construction process serves as a form of adaptation by the coffee farmers to climate change, and reflects the dynamic between traditional knowledge and current experience. Understanding this knowledge construction helps coffee farmers to cope with climate change and to design appropriate policy strategies to support the sustainability of coffee farming in an era of climate change. Further research is needed at the regional level.