­Within a wider framework of institutional factors of economic growth and the relationship between population growth and GDP growth, this article focuses on the population growth and GDP growth per capita for 30 countries in Africa betwe­en 1960 and 2020. We provide a comparative analysis of approaches to methodology and results obtained in the impact of population growth on GDP/pc growth discourse. By performing the Bootstrapped Panel-Granger Causality test, the estimation results show that half of the countries showed no causality and other half of countries showed different levels of significant causality. The most seen causality is the unidirectional causality from GDP growth per capita to population growth. In addition, unidirectional causality is observed from population growth to GDP growth per capita and bidirectional causality. Overall, the results add more evidence into the research of endogenous population growth theory, which implies that there is country-specific environment which determines the causality between these two variables. Read more

­The conflict of law rules applicable to the insurance of mass risks have crucial importance for the insurance contracts with international element from the legal and economical point of view, because the legal regime has overwhelming effect on the successful contract implementation. The differentiation between large and mass risks was developed historically in the European private international law by the legal regulation contained in the life- and non-life insurance directives, which contained conflict of laws rules designed for insurance c­ontracts, which had to be implemented to the legal orders in the EU Member States. The relevance of the distinction between large and mass risks for the determination of applicable law is given also after entry into force of the Rome I Regulation, which had to codify in its art. 7 conflicts of laws rules of the insurance contracts for the purpose of elimination of the shortcomings, which were typical for the previous legal regulation, which was implemented from the EU life- and non-life directives also to the Czech legal order. Read more

As part of the credit risk management process of financial institutions, the non-performing loans (NPLs) ratio remains one of the essential components that distinguishes the well-managed assets of a bank. In this paper, we aim to empirically forecast the level of non-performing loans (NPL) including afflicted periods like the COVID-19 ­pandemic using a seasonal ARIMA model. Our analysis is based on the NPLs level observed in the Albanian banking system between December 2015 and December 2022. The results indicate that the seasonal ARIMA (0,1,1)x(2,2,2)12 is the appropriate model that can be applied to predict the monthly level of NPLs. The results also reveal that the expected average monthly ratio of NPLs remains stable, with a slight decrease until the end of 2023. Efforts to be proactive rather than reacting post-factum involve using mechanisms and forecasting models to define non-performing loan ratios and better manage them. This paper considers significant implications in credit risk management in terms of developing actions to manage the magnitude of non-performing loans throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.­ Read more

­Sustainable development goals are increasingly discussed today, so this paper investigates the interdependent relationships between economic, social and environmental factors within the European Union Member States. The study explores how GDP per capita, purchasing power, official support for development, poverty and social exclusion indicators, perceived health status, educational attainment, and environmental practices such as recycling rates, circular use of materials and net greenhouse gas emissions interact with each other. The results show overall positive trends between socio-economic development and environmental performance and show how stronger economies are largely conducive to improvements in social and environmental domains. However, the study also reveals important exceptions, highlighting the crucial role of effective national policies and resource management. By identifying and discussing these complex interrelationships, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how economic progress can be aligned with social progress and environmental responsibility, providing valuable insights for public policymaking in the European Union. ­ Read more

Public administration in the European Union is undergoing several reforms, as well as in Slovak Republic (SR), to make the public services more efficient. New Slovak building legislation introduced a new policy of state building authorities with retroactive transfer of building competences from self-government to the state. The aim of this paper is to evaluate two policies in the construction sector – the original and the new one and their efficiency. In the quantitative analysis current building authorities, exercising competences at municipalities, are compared with the simulated district building authorities, employing metafrontier approach based on Data Envelopment Analysis. Results of the analysis of the net effect of the two organizational forms on efficiency show that the potential district building authorities would be 56.5 percentage points less efficient than the current building authorities, in terms of Meta-Technology Ratio indicator. In the qualitative analysis, using guided interviews with mayors in two regions of the SR, we found out ambiguous opinion on the building competences transfer from municipalities to state authorities within the new state policy.
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Universities, as catalysts for social change, have significant influence over the societal, cultural, economic, and intellectual domains. They play a vital role in shaping the future and fostering beneficial social transformation. Aiming to explore the implementation and role of University Social Responsibility (USR) initiatives in achieving sustainable development in Malaysia, this research adopted Carroll’s Model as a framework. A qualitative content analysis through a directed approach was performed on the official website of the Top 15 Malaysian Universities in Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking 2023. THE Impact Ranking 2023 is a worldwide ranking that evaluates universities’ commitment to sustainability in four key areas: research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching. The research revealed the upsurge in USR initiatives in Malaysia by public and private universities within the framework of economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities. Equally important, the research discovered that Malaysian universities demonstrate high institutional and policy support to attain sustainable development in Malaysia. Most of the USR programs led by public and private universities are aligned with addressing specific global challenges outlined in the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. As a theoretical contribution, the research adds to the literature on the Carroll Model Approach in the context of Malaysian universities. As a practical contribution, the research guides universities, policymakers, and stakeholders on the strategies that foster sustainability practices through USR initiatives.
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