The present study is designed to analyse how the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is helping to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for women. It draws an inference from ‘Marudhara Rangsaaz’, a producer company operating in the textile sector in Rajasthan, India. It explains how this woman-based organisation operates in a PPP model to create economic value for women. It also tries to understand the specific role of the Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (RAJEEVIKA), The Rajasthan Government partner and ‘Rang Sutra’, the private partner, and the women members of ‘Marudhara Rangsaaz’ in the PPP model. The paper adopted a case study research design. The data was collected using in-depth interviews with all stakeholders and analysis of the documents. The findings indicate that in the said PPP model, Government took the role of mobilizer, financer, mentor, and private player, took the responsibility of building up capacity and arranging market links, and the women members worked together to help themselves sustain the project.
E-cigarettes pose a significant public health concern, particularly for youth and young adults. Policymaking in this area is complicated by changing consumption patterns, diverse user demographics, and dynamic online and offline communities. This study uses social network analytics to examine the social dynamics and communication patterns related to e-cigarette use. We analyzed data from various social media platforms, forums, and online communities, which included both advocacy for e-cigarettes as a safer smoking alternative and opposition due to health risks. Our findings inform targeted healthcare policy interventions, such as educational campaigns tailored to specific network clusters, regulations based on user interaction and influence patterns, and collaborations with key influencers to spread accurate health information.
The quality of indoor classroom conditions influences the well-being of its occupants, students and teachers. Especially the temperature, outside acceptable limits, can increase the risk of discomfort, illness, stress behaviors and cognitive processes. Assuming the importance of this, in this quantitative observational study, we investigated the relationship between two environmental variables, temperature and humidity, and students’ basic emotions. Data were collected over four weeks in a secondary school in Spain, with environmental variables recorded every 10 minutes using a monitoring kit installed in the classroom, and students’ emotions categorized using Emotion Recognition Technology (ERT). The results suggest that high recorded temperatures and humidity levels are associated with emotional responses among students. While linear regression models indicate that temperature and humidity may influence students’ emotional experiences in the classroom, the explanatory power of these models may be limited, suggesting that other factors could contribute to the observed variability in emotions. The implications and limitations of these findings for classroom conditions and student emotional well-being are discussed. Recognizing the influence of environmental conditions and monitoring them is a step toward establishing smart classrooms.
While infrastructure provides necessary public services and is vital for the socio-economic development of a nation, public funds alone cannot finance all infrastructure needs in society, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, where many countries are facing budget deficits. Although private financing schemes, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs) and land value capture, have been considered intensively, they have yet to produce adequate private capital flows to infrastructure projects due to a lack of incentives for private investors. Against the background, this paper proposes a new financing mechanism in which governments might divert some of the increased tax revenue from the spillover effects of newly constructed infrastructures to fund the private sector through grants or subsidies. The empirical work in Vietnam shows a significant increase in tax revenues after completing two expressways, supporting our idea about spillover effects, which includes small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development. This study’s results suggest that spillover effects can bring new opportunities for governments and multilateral development banks (MDBs) to implement infrastructure projects with greater private sector involvement in the region. It also proposes some financial schemes, such as land capture and financing for business startups, including SMEs, to enhance the spillover effects of infrastructure.
This research presents an innovative perspective on vocational education by merging the Instructional System Design (ISD) model with Innovation in Thailand Vocational Education and Training (InnoTVET) principles. Targeted at nursing students, the course aims to cultivate entrepreneurial skills while connecting vocational training with healthcare policy development. It aligns with global movements in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), addressing the increasing demand for nurse entrepreneurs who can devise creative healthcare solutions within established policy frameworks. By employing mastery learning techniques alongside design thinking, the course effectively bridges theoretical concepts with practical applications. The mixed-methods study underlines relevant contribution in students’ entrepreneurial mindsets. Results from t-tests reveal the students’ ability to identify opportunities, engage in innovative thinking, and work within policy frameworks. Findings are supported by qualitative data, which demonstrate enhanced confidence, improved problem-solving capacities, and a deeper understanding of healthcare market dynamics. Although expert evaluation of student projects is scheduled for future iterations, the initial outcomes reinforce the course’s success. The course is structured into seven modules spanning 45 hours, featuring active learning components, five business-oriented assignments, and a final innovation project that integrates the curriculum’s core elements. This design ensures students develop both practical expertise and interdisciplinary insights critical to healthcare innovation. The integration of InnoTVET and ISD principles in nursing education sets a precedent for vocational education reform. This example of a successful nursepreneurship initiative provides a scalable model for enhancing vocational programs in diverse fields, fostering innovation and sustainability.
The utilization of digital tools in agricultural extension has facilitated information delivery through non-face-to-face interactions. Therefore, this study aimed to map the variation in digital tools used by agricultural extension workers to access and deliver information and analyse the outcomes of farmers’ adoption. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with agricultural extension workers at 11 Agricultural Extension Centers. The data were processed using the N-Vivo qualitative data analysis software. The results showed that extension workers combined various digital tools as sources of extension materials and channels for delivering information to farmers. Although social interaction between agricultural extension workers and farmers occurred non-face-to-face, messages could be adopted by farmers and yield tangible outcomes. This was reflected in the asynchronous communication, allowing extension workers sufficient time to improve the quality of the delivered messages. Farmers also had sufficient time to review the received information content in this context repeatedly. These results implied that although extension content is delivered through non-face-to-face interaction, it can still drive adoption with significant outcomes.
Copyright © by EnPress Publisher. All rights reserved.