The article presents a study of the connectivity and integration of sovereign bond and stock markets in 10 BRICS+ countries in the context of crisis instabilities in 2019−2024. Financial markets are becoming more integrated, and an increasing share of public investments are carried out across borders, which increases not only the opportunities for participants, but also the risks of a new crisis. The work used data on central bank rates of the considered countries, yield indices of 10-year government bonds, gold and Brent oil prices. The methods include the analysis of exchange rate dynamics, connectivity estimates based on the multivariate concordance coefficient and two-factor Friedman rank variance analysis, VAR models, Granger predictability and cointegration. The objective of this study is to analyze the interrelationship and cointegration between the sovereign bond and equity markets of selected BRICS+ countries during crisis periods. Our findings indicate that market interrelationship intensifies during crises, which in turn amplifies volatility. Additionally, we observed that none of the economies within the BRICS+ group can be classified as fully integrated or entirely isolated markets. The disruption of the interrelationship in the sovereign bond markets of the group is primarily reflected in the inconsistency of dynamic changes between Russia, China, and India. During the global shock of 2019–2020, the crisis spread from China, followed by Indonesia, and later to the other countries of the group. The financial and debt markets of the sampled countries were able to quickly cope with the severe shocks of the COVID-2019 period. The 2022–2024 crisis, which lasted significantly longer, began in Russia before spreading to countries across Asia and Africa. By 2024, Russia’s sovereign bond yields showed a marked decline. The increased market volatility following 2022 disrupted the integration and interrelationship of the stock and debt markets within the BRICS+ countries.

Increasing number of smart cities, the rise of technology and urban population engagement in urban management, and the scarcity of open data for evaluating sustainable urban development determines the necessity of developing new sustainability assessment approaches. This study uses passive crowdsourcing together with the adapted SULPiTER (Sustainable Urban Logistics Planning to Enhance Regional freight transport) methodology to assess the sustainable development of smart cities. The proposed methodology considers economic, environmental, social, transport, communication factors and residents’ satisfaction with the urban environment. The SULPiTER relies on experts in selection of relevant factors and determining their contribution to the value of a sustainability indicator. We propose an alternative approach based on automated data gathering and processing. To implement it, we build an information service around a formal knowledge base that accumulates alternative workflows for estimation of indicators and allows for automatic comparison of alternatives and aggregation of their results. A system architecture was proposed and implemented with the Astana Opinion Mining service as its part that can be adjusted to collect opinions in various impact areas. The findings hold value for early identification of problems, and increasing planning and policies efficiency in sustainable urban development.

Most countries have adopted a more liberal policy to socialize public relations under the influence of neoliberalism and lobbying by economic elites to strengthen the role of market mechanisms and citizens’ entrepreneurial activity. The nature, scale, sequence, and strategy of economic and social reforms in each country have their specifics. Today multi-vector and large-scale changes are taking place in social and labor policy, and they do not always have an internal logic. The study assesses prospects for the development of the labor market in the context of global transformations. Within the framework of this study, the collected information was processed gradually. Data processing was modified during the study phase. At the first stage, data processing results were used to determine total and non-farm self-employment for two groups of countries with developing economies and estimate the scale of vulnerable employment. At the second stage, indicators were identified that characterize various categories of economically active population that belong to the precariat. At the third stage, the authors analyzed data on non-standard forms of employment. The authors assumed that these forms have a right to exist and will be implemented more often. There is an imbalance between standard and non-standard forms of employment. Further research should consider the transformation of labor from material and intangible dominants to creativity.

This study aims to examine the impact of an innovative self-directed professional development (SDPD) model on fostering teachers’ professional development and improving their ability to manage this development independently. A quantitative research method was adopted, involving 60 participants from Almaty State Humanitarian and Pedagogical College No. 2, Almaty, Kazakhstan. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to assess the SDPD model’s effectiveness, specifically in promoting teacher engagement, adoption of new pedagogical techniques, and improvement in reflective practices. The study findings reveal that teachers, particularly in developing regions, often face challenges in accessing formal professional development programs. The implementation of the SDPD model addresses these barriers by providing teachers with the tools and strategies required for self-improvement, regardless of geographic or economic constraints. The study participants in the pilot phase showed increased engagement with new pedagogical methods, improved reflective practices, and greater adaptability to emerging educational technologies. The algorithmic aspect of the model streamlined the professional development process, while the activity-based approach ensured that learning remained practical and relevant to teachers’ everyday needs. By offering a clear framework for continuous improvement, the model addresses the gaps in formal training access and cultivates a culture of lifelong learning. These findings suggest that the SDPD model can contribute to elevating teaching standards globally, particularly in regions with limited professional development resources.

Financial markets have adopted measures aiming at strengthening insurance industry and digital financial assets. Efforts have also been made to strengthen the financial sector and expand lending opportunities in times of economic turmoil. The role of the central banks as a mega-regulator have played a crucial role in implementing coordinated policies and improving the stability of the financial sector. This review paper analyses 100 papers and proposes recommendations for policy makers. The results confirm the financial sector has shown positive performance indicators, and the capital market has become increasingly important along with non-credit financial institutions. However, the growing number of first-time investors in the capital market requires a renewed focus on consumer protection and financial literacy. In addition, the development of digital technologies has changed the landscape of financial services, forcing financial institutions to fight for continued customer loyalty.

Modern agricultural production technologies based on the widespread use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers have largely solved the problem of providing the population with food, and at the same time have generated multiple ecological, medical and environmental problems, problems of environmentally friendly and biologically valuable food products, land rehabilitation, restoration of their fertility, etc. Therefore, the emergence of new classes of pesticides with different mechanisms of action, high selectivity and low toxicity for warm-blooded animals is very modern. Currently, the development and application of new plant protection products that are not toxic to humans and animals is of global importance. Priority is given to research aimed at creating plant protection products based on microorganisms and their metabolites, as well as the search for plant substances with potential pesticide activity. In this regard, the question arose of finding new safe fertilizers that can also be economically profitable for production on an industrial scale. One of the current trends in this industry is the use of green microalgae. In this regard, the purpose of our research is the possibility of cultivating green microalgae on phosphorus production waste. During the work, traditional and modern research methods in biology were used. As a result of the work, several problems can be solved, such as the disposal of industrial waste and the production of safe biological fertilizer.