Sweet cherry is a type of fruit that is high on demand in exports for table consumption. Turkey is a gene centre for sweet cherry fruit. Fruits are produced over an extended period because of the ecological richness and large cultivation area, which allows Turkey to remain as the leader of sweet cherry production in the world. The variety, ‘0900 Ziraat’, also known as the Turkish sweet cherry fruit, has the highest production volume. Mazzard and Mahaleb are the commonly used rootstocks for sweet cherry cultivation; and Mazzard is used more frequently than Mahaleb. Clonal rootstocks are used to maintain cultivation in new orchards. The present study provides a detailed information on the current status of sweet cherry fruit cultivation in Turkey as well as its cultivation practices and exports. It is targeted that modern irrigation techniques, good agricultural practices, and increased cultivation areas are established to maintain Turkey’s position as the leader in global sweet cherry production and exports. 

The biomass of three dominant mangrove species (Sonneratia apetala, Avicennia alba and Excoecaria agallocha) in the Indian Sundarbans, the designated World Heritage Site was evaluated to understand whether the biomass vary with spatial locations (western region vs. central region) and with seasons (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon). The reasons for selecting these two regions and seasons are the contrasting variation in salinity. Among the three studied species, Sonneratia apetala showed the maximum biomass followed by Avicennia alba and Excoecaria agallocha. We also observed that the biomass varied significantly with spatial locations (p<0.05), but not with seasons. The variation may be attributed to different environmental conditions to which these forest patches are exposed to.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to enhance connectivity and collaboration among 60 countries and beyond in Asia, Africa and Europe. Information and communications technology (ICT) is an indispensable component of the initiative, critical in providing fundamental communication channels for global financial transactions, trade exchanges and transport and energy connectivity, and socio cultural collaboration and scientific exchanges between people, organizations and countries along the BRI corridors. Previously constrained by infrastructure deficits in ICT, the Asia-Pacific region is accelerating its efforts to provide reliable and affordable broadband networks throughout the region, to contribute to successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Within the BRI corridors, this study which has been undertaken as part of the research programme of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on promoting regional economic cooperation and integration, focuses on the China-Central Asia Corridor (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), giving attention to the sub-region’s specific challenges, namely limited international transit opportunities and an increase in bandwidth requirements that is expected to grow exponentially, as the fourth industrial evolution centered on automation and artificial intelligence gathers momentum. The sub-region is characterized as highly dependent on the ease and costs of connecting to neighboring countries for transit, as many countries in the sub-region are landlocked developing countries (LLDC). Because of the geographical features and other factors, the development potential of Central Asia and its integration into globalization, continues to be stymied by insufficient international bandwidth and high transit costs to access international links. Therefore, improved ICT connectivity in Central Asia through the BRI corridor could result in improved availability and affordability of broadband networks and services in the sub-region.

For the purpose of this study, a gap analysis is the methodology that underpins the proposed topology for the China-Central Asia Corridor. The analysis included examining the current state of the optic infrastructure, such as existing and planned fiber-optic networks, existing Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and international gateways. The study also identifies the key factors that determine the desired future state of infrastructure deployment for the BRI initiative. A topology that consists of connecting Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Urumqi (China), as core nodes, is proposed based on a partial mesh topology. Over and above this core finding, the study concludes that digital infrastructure connectivity has a tendency of lagging behind the rapid opportunities evolving, and the study therefore advocates for sub-regional and regional approaches, including the BRI and Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS) in further expanding regional broadband networks. A key recommendation of the study is co-deployment of broadband infrastructure along passive infrastructure, as an additional cost effective means of achieving fast and affordable broadband connectivity for all.

The paper lays out basic design options for infrastructure policy. It first sketches mechanisms to assess demand. Then it sets out a hierarchy of issues starting with choice of market structure followed by conduct regulation. Ownership options are largely a function of market structure choices. The implications for finance—the topic of much day-to-day discussion in infrastructure policy-making—follow from these various prior choices. The discussion naturally circumscribes the role for the so-called public-private partnerships, their uses and pitfalls.

This study compares Human Resource Development (HRD) in Vietnam and Malaysia, looking at their methods, problems, and institutional frameworks in the context of ASEAN economic integration and Industry 4.0. Based on Cho and McLean’s (2004) integrated HRD model, this paper looks at recent research (from 2018 to 2023) to look at important topics such globalization, demographic changes, vocational training alignment, and technology disruption. Vietnam has a vast workforce, but it still has problems with low productivity, skill mismatches, and not being ready for the global market. On the other hand, Malaysia’s institutional HRD structures are making more progress, even though its workforce is getting older and not everyone is adapting to digital transformation at the same rate. The study shows that we need HRD policies that are tailored to each industry, training that is delivered in a decentralized way, and stronger relationships between the public and commercial sectors. It also stresses how important it is for national HRD policies to include global competences and initiatives that help everyone learn new skills. The study adds a unique framework for comparing HRD and gives policymakers, educators, and practitioners useful information, even though it is constrained by its use of secondary data. Future study should use mixed-methods to confirm results and look into interventions that work in specific situations. The study shows that Vietnam and Malaysia need personalized, inclusive, and forward thinking HRD systems to produce strong and competitive workforces in the post-pandemic, digital driven global economy.

The human factor of production is a significant player in increased organizational productivity. Due to the contemporary competitive work environment, the millennial in front-line jobs is faced with demanding work activities, resulting in challenges to their psychological well-being. Therefore, exploring the connectedness between work-life balance, employee engagement and psychological well-being of the millennial becomes imperative. Research was conducted, using an ex-post facto research design, among 320 purposively selected front-line millennial employees, with a mean age of 32 years. The instrument administered in a Google Form survey contained a 44-item self-report questionnaire, comprising work-life balance, employee engagement with components as vigor, dedication and absorption, and employee well-being. Data analyzed revealed that work-life balance significantly predicted employee well-being, accounting for 25% variance. The dimensions of employee engagement (vigor, dedication and absorption) collectively accounted for 7% variance in employee well-being. The study establishes the fact that to enhance the psychological well-being of Millennials in front-line jobs, organizational management should design the work structures to allow for work-life balance, which will as well increase their work engagement. They can encourage employees to find meaning and purpose in their work (dedication), provide opportunities for skill development and autonomy (vigor), and create an environment that allows employees to fully immerse themselves in their tasks (absorption). These could be implemented through organizational development strategies and work design. However, future research should target additional variables, replicate the study in different contexts and among another population of employees, employ longitudinal data collection methods, and increase sample sizes. Furthermore, measures should be taken to minimize the impact of social desirability and enhance the generalizability of the research.