Based on Landsat–7ETM + images of 2007 and 2012 and Landsat–8 images of 2018, this study took Fuyang City, Anhui Province (Yingzhou District, Yingdong District, Yingquan District) as the research object, and made a quantitative analysis of land use/cover change in Fuyang City from 2007 to 2018 with the Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) software. According to the data of land use types in three phases, the article analyzes the development trend of various land use types and the main reasons for the changes of land use, which provides a certain basis for the urban planning and environmental construction of Fuyang City. The results show that with the rapid economic development and continuous improvement of the urbanization level in Fuyang City during 11 years, the area of various land types in the study area has changed greatly. The area of construction land area changed by 448.27 km², with an increase of 543.57%; the area of arable land changed by 597.52 km², with a decrease of 34.74%; the area of bare land changed by 26.00 km², with a decrease of 80.68%. The changes were closely related to the rapid economic and social development in the study area. Under the influence of environmental protection policies and environmental awareness, the area of forest land changed by 85.00 km², with an increase of 97.58%; the water area changed by 84.35 km², with an increase of 201.39%.

The article analyzes the process of formation of research universities as one of the elements of a strong innovation economy. The formation of a new university model is a global trend, successfully implemented in English-speaking countries. In Russia, the educational system is not yet ready to ensure the country’s effective competition in the innovation market. The Strategic Academic Leadership Program “Priority-2030” is designed to carry out the functional transformation of the entire infrastructure of human capital reproduction in a short period of time in Russia. The article presents an analysis of the main conditions for the development of a university with a research strategy, as well as an assessment of the implementation of this strategy by Moscow Polytechnic University. The methodological basis of the study was formed by qualitative methods: included observation and benchmarking of universities’ activities, which allowed to generalize the current global trends and best practices in the field of education. For the analysis we used the data of monitoring the activities of higher education organizations, data of official statistics, as well as data from reports and presentation materials of universities and online publications participating in the “5-100” and “Priority-2030” programs. The results of the study may be useful for researchers and practitioners engaged in the transformation of the Russian higher education system.

The operational performance of container ports is crucial for efficient logistics and trade. However, there is limited understanding of how external integration through Customer and Supplier Integration (SCI-CI and SCI-SI) impacts port operational performance (POP), particularly in emerging markets like Oman. This study addresses this gap by examining the relationship between SCI-CI, SCI-SI, and POP, and explores the mediating role of supply chain management (SCM) practices in this context. Using the Resource-Based View (RBV) as the theoretical framework, the study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey method. A total of 377 questionnaires were distributed to managers at Sohar and Salalah ports, with 331 usable responses obtained, representing an 88 percent response rate. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that SCI-CI and SCI-SI have significant direct and indirect positive effects on POP, and they directly influence SCM practices. SCM practices, in turn, significantly enhance POP. Notably, SCM practices partially mediate the relationship between SCI-CI and SCI-SI with POP. These findings underscore the strategic importance of external integration and SCM practices as internal resources for improving port performance. This research provides valuable insights for decision-makers and policymakers in optimizing port operations.

Agriculture is a determining factor regarding the development of the Romanian economy, noting its importance for population consumption and as a supplier of raw materials for the relaunch of other industries. Agricultural financing consists of credits granted to natural or legal persons for developing agricultural activities, expanding agricultural holdings, and commercializing agricultural production. The objective of this research is the statistical analysis of the determining factors in granting loans to Romanian farms. The study is based on the content analysis of the accounting reports of the 45 Romanian farms included in the research sample, based on which the profile of the farmer from the selected counties (Alba, Cluj, Mures, Sibiu, Dambovita and Prahova) is outlined. The obtained results highlight the fact that factors such as the requested amount (SUSO) are directly influenced by the worked area (TELU), by the turnover (CIAF), R = 0.6228, but also by the total value of the assets (TOTAL) R = 0.454. At the opposite pole, there is a weak correlation between SUSO and current liquidity (LICU), R = 0.2754, and the value of recorded expenses (CHEL), R = 0.3102. Implementing a credit policy that facilitates access to financing sources would support farms in modernization and development, increasing their competitiveness and general viability.

Financial inclusion and social protection have been recognised as the primary essential stimuli from the potential they carry as avenues for economic development, especially with respect to reduction in poverty and inequalities, the creation of employment and the enhancement overall welfare and livelihood. However, inclusive access to financial resources and equitable access to social protection interventions have remained a significant concern in Nigeria. In addition, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the weakness of Nigeria in all sectors of the economy such as energy, health, education and food systems and low-level inclusive access to financial resources and social protection coverage. On the other hand, this study argues that financial inclusion and social protection has the potential to mitigation shocks orchestrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study empirically examines how social protection interventions and access to financial resources responded to COVID-19 pandemic. The study made use of data sourced from the World Bank’s COVID-19 national longitudinal phone survey 2020 and applied the logit regression. The findings show that social protection and access to financial resources significantly associated with the likelihood of shock mitigation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that social protection intervention reduces the probability of being severely affected by shocks by 0.431. Given this result, the study recommends that the government should put more effort into proper social protection intervention to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article explores the possibilities of developing Oman’s tourism sector under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Tourism is a cornerstone of Oman’s economy, with the government prioritizing substantial efforts toward its development to foster economic diversification. This paper examines the broader efforts of Oman to strengthen its relations with China, which will indirectly benefit the tourism industry. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the historical exchanges and future cooperation between China and Oman under BRI, specifically focusing on developing infrastructure and technology in Oman to support the tourism sector. It has been argued that BRI has the potential to significantly contribute to the growth and development of Oman’s tourism sector through increased investment and cooperation with Chinese counterparts.