The increasing demand for electricity and the need to reduce carbon emissions have made optimizing energy usage and promoting sustainability critical in the modern economy. This research paper explores the design and implementation of an Intelligent-Electricity Consumption and Billing Information System (IEBCIS), focusing on its role in addressing electricity sustainability challenges. Using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, the system's architecture collects, analyses, and visualizes electricity usage data, providing users with valuable insights into their consumption patterns. The research involved developing and validating the IEBCIS prototype, with results demonstrating enhanced real-time monitoring, load shedding schedules, and billing information. These results were validated through user testing and feedback, contributing to the scientific knowledge of intelligent energy management systems. The contributions of this research include the development of a framework for intelligent energy management and the integration of data-driven insights to optimize electricity consumption, reduce costs, and promote sustainable energy use. This research was conducted over a time scope of two years (24 months) and entails design, development, pilot test implementation and validation phases.

This research delves into sustainable educational management practices within Indonesian Islamic universities, aiming to shed light on the current trends, influential authors, co-authorship patterns, prevalent keywords, primary dissemination venues, gaps, and future research directions in this domain. Employing a bibliometric analysis methodology, data was collected using Lens.org software, encompassing publications from various academic databases to ensure a comprehensive exploration. The study reveals a growing interest in sustainability within Indonesian Islamic universities, emphasizing the need for concerted efforts to promote sustainable development. Key findings include identifying influential authors, prevalent keywords, and primary dissemination venues, offering valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in the field. Moreover, gaps and future research directions are highlighted, paving the way for further exploration and enhancement of sustainable educational management practices in Indonesian Islamic universities.

State support for agriculture is a crucial tool for adjusting the competitive advantages of agricultural producers to a volatile market environment. In countries with diverse natural conditions for agriculture, however, the allocation of subsidies often focuses on bridging spatial development gaps rather than maximizing the return on inputs. To improve the efficiency of resource use in agriculture, it is essential to tailor subsidy criteria to regional disparities in agricultural potential. Using the example of Russia’s 81 administrative regions, the authors have tested a five-stage methodology for determining the support-generated parameters of output, efficiency, impact, revenue, and profitability. This methodology takes into account both natural and economic factors that contribute to the competitive advantages of each region. The study aims to identify the parts of the performance indicators, such as gross agricultural output and revenue, that are influenced by the amount of subsidies in five different types of territories, which are categorized by the cadastral value of their farmland. It has been found that the allocation of subsidies is not entirely based on the return on the funds allocated. There is a discrepancy between the competitive advantages of these territories in agricultural production and the amount of funds they receive through government support programs. The efficiency of government support differs significantly depending on the type of agricultural product produced in each territory. The approach developed by the authors provides a tool that policy makers can use when tuning the allocation of subsidies based on the differences in the agricultural potential of each territory.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted global crises and enforced strict measures like the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia, significantly impacting societal norms, particularly affecting secondary school students. The current study employs a qualitative methodology to determine how COVID-19 affects the life stress experienced by secondary school students. Secondary school students were recruited in Sabah, Malaysia, from April to August 2022, after Malaysia entered the endemic phase on 1 April 2022. As part of a larger survey, students were asked to respond to an open-ended question about life stressors they face as a result of the pandemic COVID-19 or during home-based teaching and learning (PdPR). A total of 1069 secondary school students from various backgrounds were included in the study. However, only 714 students responded to the open-ended question. The pattern of meaning across the texts was determined using Birks and Mills’s method of multilevel coding. The students’ perspectives on life stressors were classified into five broad categories: restriction stress, emotional stress, online study stress, family-related stress, and others-related stress. Restriction stress, which refers to being confined at home, restricted movement, hampered family, friendship, and outdoor activities, and no freedom were rated as the most significant life stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic by students. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and parents, emphasizing the profound effect of pandemic-induced restrictions on student life and the essential role of targeted interventions in fostering resilience among students.

This study investigates the multifaceted challenges and barriers to implementing public auditor recommendations in Ghana’s public sector over an eighteen months period, aiming to enhance governance and accountability. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, the study involved semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including officials from the Ghana Audit Service, government ministries, and civil society organizations. The findings reveal a complex interplay of organizational, political, and attitudinal factors that impede effective implementation. Key challenges identified include the lack of clear implementation plans, insufficient resources, weak political commitment, and a pervasive culture of mistrust towards audit recommendations. The research underscores the necessity for a comprehensive and holistic approach to address these barriers, advocating for strengthened political leadership, enhanced accountability mechanisms, and improved stakeholder coordination. Additionally, fostering a sense of ownership and buy-in among implementation stakeholders is crucial for successful reform. The study contributes valuable insights into the systemic issues affecting public sector governance in Ghana and offers practical recommendations for overcoming the identified challenges, ultimately aiming to empower citizens and enhance governmental accountability. By addressing these barriers, the research highlights the potential for transformative change in the governance landscape of Ghana’s public sector.

This study investigates the influence of government expenditure on the economic growth of the ASEAN-5 countries from 2000 to 2021. The study employs the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) ARDL model and robust least squares method. The importance of the current study lies in its analysis of the short and long-run impact of government expenditure on economic growth in ASEAN-5. The empirical findings demonstrate a positive relationship between government expenditure and economic growth in the long run. These results align with the Keynesian perspective, asserting that government expenditure stimulates economic growth. The study also confirms one-way causality from government expenditure to economic growth, supporting the Keynesian hypothesis. These insights hold significance for policymakers in the ASEAN-5, highlighting the necessity for policies promoting the effective allocation of productive government expenditure. Moreover, it is important to enhance systems that promote economic growth and efficiently allocated economic resources toward productive expenditures while also maintaining effective governance over such expenditures.