The growing interconnectedness of the world has led to a rise in cybersecurity risks. Although it is increasingly conventional to use technology to assist business transactions, exposure to these risks must be minimised to allow business owners to do transactions in a secure manner. While a wide range of studies have been undertaken regarding the effects of cyberattacks on several industries and sectors, However, very few studies have focused on the effects of cyberattacks on the educational sector, specifically higher educational institutions (HEIs) in West Africa. Consequently, this study developed a survey and distributed it to HEIs particularly universities in West Africa to examine the data architectures they employed, the cyberattacks they encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic period, and the role of data analysis in decision-making, as well as the countermeasures employed in identifying and preventing cyberattacks. A total of one thousand, one hundred and sixty-four (1164) responses were received from ninety-three (93) HEIs and analysed. According to the study’s findings, data-informed architecture was adopted by 71.8% of HEIs, data-driven architecture by 24.1%, and data-centric architecture by 4.1%, all of which were vulnerable to cyberattacks. In addition, there are further concerns around data analysis techniques, staff training gaps, and countermeasures for cyberattacks. The study’s conclusion includes suggestions for future research topics and recommendations for repelling cyberattacks in HEIs.

With the rapid development of society and the advent of the information age, counselors in higher vocational colleges and universities are facing the double test of burnout and network security. Burnout affects counselors’ work efficacy and psychological health, while cybersecurity poses certain hazards to counselors’ occupational safety. Based on the social ecology perspective, this paper explores the measurement of burnout and puts forward corresponding countermeasure suggestions, with a view to improving the work efficiency and occupational safety of counselors in higher vocational colleges and universities, and providing useful references for the construction and management of counselor teams in higher vocational colleges and universities. This paper takes the job burnout status and network security structure of vocational college counselors as the research object, and explores its causes. Corresponding countermeasures have been proposed. This article selects 100 counselors from a vocational college in X city as the research objects. The latest version of China’s job burnout scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), was used to study it. The experimental results showed that in the dimension of emotional exhaustion, 55% of the subjects were mild. 40% were moderate and 5% were severe. In terms of cynicism, 65% were mild. 30% were moderate and 5% were moderate. On the “low achievement” dimension, the participants were “slightly” rated at 10%. “Moderate” was 75% and “Severe” was 15%. Across the three dimensions, the results showed that job burnout was widespread among vocational college counselors.

Human settlement patterns in the South are clearly inequitable and dysfunctional, with tenure insecurity remaining a significant issue. Consequently, there has been a dramatic increase in housing demand driven by rising household sizes and accelerated urbanization. Local governments have a clear mandate to ensure socio-economic development and promote democracy, which necessitates ongoing consultations and renegotiations with citizens. This paper critically examines the de-densification of informal settlements as a pivotal strategy to enhance the quality of life for citizens, all while maintaining essential social networks. Governments must take decisive action against pandemics by transforming spaces into liveable settlements that improve livelihoods. A qualitative method was employed, analyzing data drawn from interviews to gain insights into individual views, attitudes, and behaviors regarding the improvement of livelihoods in informal settlements. The study utilized a simple random sampling technique, ensuring that every individual in the population selected had an equal opportunity for inclusion. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty community members in Cornubia, alongside discussions with three officials from eThekwini Municipality and KwaZulu Natal (KZN) Provincial Department of Human Settlements. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis, and the findings hold substantial benefits for the most disadvantaged citizens. Therefore, municipalities have an obligation to transform urban areas by reducing inequality, bolstered by national government policy, to achieve a resilient, safe, and accessible urban future. The evidence presented in this paper underscores that local governments, through municipalities, must prioritize de-densifying informal settlements in response to pandemics or hazards. It is vital to leverage community-driven initiatives and reinforce networks within these communities. The paper calls for the establishment of a socially centered government through the District Development Model (DDM), emphasizing socio-economic transformation as a pathway to enhance community quality of life.

Nowadays, finding a suitable solution to the problem of generational change in case of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) is becoming increasingly challenging. The aim of this research to investigate whether entering into the stock exchange could be a realistic alternative for Hungarian companies to eliminate this issue. This study reviews the process of Initial Public Offering (IPO) and summarises the advantages and the difficulties of going public. The paper focuses on the opportunities for value creation and saving offered to SMEs by listing on the stock exchange. As primary research on practical experiences, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the managers of 10 involved companies, and some financial indicators were examined. The research does not cover all relevant companies; however, it is still suitable for drawing a conclusion. The presence on the stock market proved to be useful for the companies and played a significant role in the preservation of the company’s value as well as in financing opportunities. The path demonstrated in this article is suitable for other businesses to follow the pioneers.

The country has vigorously promoted the work of school aesthetic education, which is a great opportunity and also a major challenge for the art major of Yili Normal University. At present, the quality of teaching in the art major is not very optimistic. How to ensure and improve the teaching quality of the art major is worth pondering. Based on the investigation of the current situation of teaching quality in the art college, this article identifies the factors that hinder the improvement of teaching quality, analyzes the reasons, and ultimately provides strategies to improve the teaching quality of the art major, providing effective reference suggestions to ensure the teaching quality of the major.