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The aim of the International Society for Technology, Education, and Science (iHSES) conference is to offer opportunities to share ideas, discuss theoretical and practical issues, and connect with the leaders in the fields of "humanities," "education" and "social sciences." It is organized for: (1) faculty members in all disciplines of humanities, education and social sciences; (2) graduate students; (3) K-12 administrators; (4) teachers; (5) principals; and (6) all interested in education and social sciences. [Individual papers are indexed in ERIC.]

Optometry is becoming more and more interdisciplinary and gives new opportunities for collaborative research due to the accumulative complexity of knowledge and the rapid transformation of the technological capabilities in domains such as information technology, optics, applied engineering, health sciences, and entrepreneurship and management. Therefore, the paper presents a study case of a master organized at the University Politehnica of Bucharest related to the current challenges of optometrist education in Romania. The master program is carried out within the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics of the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, being organized by the Department of Mechatronics and Precision Mechanics and it falls within the Field of Mechanical Engineering specialization, according to Government decision no. 1609/30.09.2004, published in the Official Gazette of 18.10.2004. Conceived as a continuation of the bachelor's studies, the Advanced Optometry master program ensures the deepening in the field of the Optometry license program. It is an attractive option for the graduates of the Optometry program, accredited for the first time in 2007 and reaccredited in 2011. It ensures the development of scientific research capacities and is a mandatory preparatory basis for doctoral studies. [For the full proceedings, see ED652228.]

Nurses are a vital resource of health care systems, a resource that must be valued, bearing in mind that their work has a role in social indicators of health, and also determines topics such as equality and equity, fairness and justice, which support the kind of societies we all want to live in. In the training process, they learn, in the middle of a team, to plan, to put into practice and evaluate general medical care based on acquired knowledge and skills. Future nurses must not only be prepared to meet the needs of the individual, the family, the community, but also to have confidence in their own intellectual and clinical abilities so that they can work responsibly and autonomously, facing at the same time with increasingly complex requirements of healthcare. The refinement of medical training is subsequently achieved by developing the ability to solve problems, to make decisions, to practice leadership in medical care. The acquisition of leadership skills has been identified as a need in training nurses, both from the researches of internal and international professional bodies and from those of clinical units. By harmonizing this need with public educational policies, the unit of learning outcomes "Leadership and professional communication" was implemented in the professional training standard. This paper aims to gain insight into the relationship between the values of leadership and the development of a good educational policy in training nurses, with a fundamental impact on the provision of health care in an efficient, integrated and safe manner for the patient. [For the full proceedings, see ED654100.]

In many countries, opportunities for higher education are reduced for some under-represented groups in society. One such group are young women from rural and underdeveloped areas who due to traditional, patriarchal lifestyles have much less chance to go to college and get education that their peers from urban areas have much more access to. Online education opens doors for these women, but they still need support and guidance. WINnovators, a 3-year EU Erasmus+ project started in late 2021, has made steps towards providing such support and guidance. It focuses on providing online learning content in different areas of STEM/STEAM and aims at encouraging young women from rural areas to go through such content, develop their entrepreneurial skills, and possibly come up with ideas of how to start their own businesses. Of course, this vision largely contradicts traditional lifestyles. Still, it creates some chance for at least partial leveling with other groups in society. To provide guidance to these women, university students guide them in using the online learning content and taking the learning challenges that eventually lead to raising their awareness of how to break on through to the other side. The paper explains this process and illustrates it by a case study. [For the complete proceedings, see ED655360.]

This paper aims to analyse the implications of „Law no. 140/2022 on some protection measures for people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities and the amendment and completion of some legal acts" in Romania, by reviewing the aspects pointed out by the CCR in its unconstitutionality dec. no. 601/2020. This paper will also analyse legislative regulations on the protection of the adult in different legal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction sector plays a key role in the economic development of a country, providing not only essential infrastructure, but also many jobs. In this context, the Romanian government has implemented in 2019 a series of fiscal measures aimed at stimulating growth and ensuring the financial sustainability of this crucial segment. The objective of this paper is to establish whether wage tax reductions for construction employees have contributed to economic growth, whether these tax incentives have provided the necessary support for the pursuit of the construction sector business during the Covid-19 pandemic and to what extent the managers of companies in this sector have been able to protect and even develop their business under these conditions. Macroeconomic analysis of the construction sector in Romania based on data provided by the National Institute of Statistics shows that these tax incentives have had a positive impact on the activity of construction companies. Annual increases in turnover, average number of employees and number of companies in the construction sector have occurred in each year of application of the tax facilities, although the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the pace of growth in 2020 and 2021. Even though many firms closed down or became insolvent due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the construction sector in Romania generated the highest share of Gross Value Added (GVA) compared to the rest of the EU in 2022. The analysis carried out in the second part of this paper focused on the financial performance of five companies in the specialised construction sector (NACE code 4399) and showed significant increases in profitability and labour productivity in the period 2019-2022. The managers of these companies took full advantage of the tax facilities and managed to develop their business during this period, securing a stable position in the Romanian construction market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century is witnessing a growing movement of people from one corner of the world to another, either for business or personal reasons, like never before. These people will be bringing with them their own differences, values, beliefs, and communication styles. Cultures will clash at the workplace, at a party, in the supermarket, in the subway, when dealing with the authorities, and the list can go on. That is why, this paper aims at providing students (i.e. future employees or managers, who will undoubtedly come into contact with different cultures in their future careers) with notions related to intercultural communication, mainly non-verbal communication. The paper also posits that one way of acquiring the intercultural communication competence in the classroom is by providing real-life examples of what such communication means, i.e. through accounts and stories told by expats, who are people who travel and decide to relocate to another country (embracing or not the new culture) mainly for business-related reasons. [For "NORDSCI International Conference Proceedings (Online, October 12-14, 2020). Book 1. Volume 3," see ED616185.]

PhD students are a valuable asset for universities as they are able to perform a varied number of activities. Moving on from their basic role of students, their main focus becomes researching on their theses' topics, however a PhD student life does not happen only between the walls of a library. Sometimes, PhD students perform in a benevolent or mandatory way teaching activities within their universities, which upgrades their status to collaborators of the university. However, this sort of activities bring along serious responsibilities which might require the diminishing of time dedicated for the thesis' writing. This paper's aim is to investigate which are the factors that contribute to the engagement PhD students feel for their work as teachers. According to the found driving elements, we intend to define the levels of engagement teachers-PhD students show and to layer them down in a structured way. As the research work is a complex enough work by itself, adding an activity such as the teaching one in the life of a PhD student might affect the well-run of the PhD program. Hence, a second objective of this paper is to determine if the teaching experience helps the students to cope better with the PhD requirements. Overall, the contributions of this paper can be of important value firstly for the PhD students that want to seek academic career opportunities during their PhD degree. Secondly, the paper can as well as benefit the universities that would like to manage better their PhD students and learn how to integrate them in their organizational teaching charts. Learning about their engagement drivers can lead to designing fitted win-win partnerships between the university and the PhD students that could bring added value for both sides. [For "NORDSCI International Conference Proceedings: Education and Language Edition (Athens, Greece, August 19, 2019). Book 1. Volume 2," see ED603411.]

The university admission test comes after the high school graduation exam - the baccalaureate. The baccalaureate results of each candidate must be known by the university admissions committee. They provide information on the degree of intelligence, the skills acquired up to this date, but also the presence of inclinations and skills indispensable to the fulfillment of professional aspirations. The university entrance exam should not be focused only on quantity and quality of knowledge. Besides that, one of the objectives of this exam must be to test the interest in completing the studies through the university level for which he opts, but also the candidate's skills that "offer" him the productive and satisfying course of the entire cycle of higher education, even the perspective of future achievements. To realize that three psychological investigation tools of candidates (tests) can be used, necessary to highlight: (1) personality profile of the candidate; (2) interest profile, motivational; and (3) aptitude profile. The paper proposes a new admission methodology: the data collected through the proposed tests and correlated with the high school graduation data can accept the candidates, as admitted to the profile they opted for, or can redirect them to choose the right path. [For the full proceedings, see ED630948.]

The performance of any economy is based on scientific knowledge and technological innovation. Consequently, a highly motivated workforce with skills in science and engineering is key to any prosperous economy. Science education has a critical role in providing scientific literacy to students, as well as in training young people to choose careers linked to STEM education. Understanding the science concepts and their application is nowadays challenging for students, due to lack of interest and motivation. "Science is not for me" is, unfortunately, a frequent phrase heard when discussing with young people. It is clear that the way science is taught must be adapted to the student's profile and needs. In this respect, in Romania, the CONNECT project comes to meet this gap by designing and implementing four structured scenarios, embracing the format of Science actions. In order to evaluate the impact of each Science action in terms of students' perceptions and attitudes concerning science, an instrument based on a 5-point Likert scale was developed in the frame of the project partnership. The feedback of 83 students who participated in the Rewilding Science action was collected, being emphasized that students are feeling more confident to solve problems in science and consider that learning science is enjoyable, even learning science is not easy. Although the majority of the respondents would like to do projects with others using science to improve the world, they -- in the same ratio -- would not like to be seen as experts in science. [For the full proceedings, see ED629086.]

Science actions represent specific initiatives and demarches that involve investigation, experimentation, and even research, for raising the interest of the young generation in science, through particular approaches of STEM education. Important topics are promoted to students in various approaches, addressing nowadays problems, answering scientific questions, or trying to make them aware of sensible issues. In this respect, the topic of plastics biodegradability embraced the clothes of a Science action, a format based on the Care-Know-Do model, proposed in the frame of the CONNECT project. Having the view to evaluating the students' interest in science after the implementation of the project-designed science actions, the partnership proposed a 5-point Likert scale instrument. In Romania, 373 students who participated in the Biodegradable Plastics action expressed their feedback, underlining--in an important proportion--their strong confidence in science, being ready to participate in collaborative science projects or benefit from their family support who consider that understanding and knowing science is useful for the entire life. Moreover, the students offered positive feedback related to teachers' ability to emphasize the importance of science for their life and future, but also in society, in general. [For the full proceedings, see ED629086.]

The construction sector has been marked in the recent years by unforeseen events that have changed the plans of many companies in this sector. This paper examines the evolution of this sector before, during and after the SARS-COV2 pandemic. The aim of this paper is to highlight how construction companies have managed their business with the threat of the pandemic crisis. The method used is a comparative analysis from 2015 to 2022 inclusively, so that we can observe the stage of development of firms operating in the construction sector precursor to the pandemic, and the effects it has had. For the period 2019-2022, we have also analyzed the impact of the increase in the minimum wage and of the tax facilities for construction employees on the development of the construction industry. Among the indicators analyzed are the gross value added of the construction sector, the volume of construction work by structural elements, net investment, and construction cost growth. The study highlights the extent to which the construction sector has been affected by the pandemic crisis, but also the factors that could lead to the development of this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years local development has undeniably become one of the dominant elements for productivity growth strategy employment, human welfare, entrepreneurship promotion, obtaining human capital and income increase. Assuring sustainable development for a specific region is a complex process in the measure in which this process is subjected to some factors which cannot be controlled by a local, regional, or national administration. The entire post-revolution and post-accession experience, cumulate with good policy making transferred by Romania to European Union, proves that private public partnership is a viable solution for successfully solving some communitarian problems, public interests starting with social services and complex social-economic development projects including infrastructure projects. The present paper focuses on sustainable development and the specific objectives that Romania intends to achieve in order to reach a new model of development that is capable of generating high value added, is interested in knowledge and innovation, and aims to improve the quality of life in harmony with the natural environment. The paper also analyses the process of local development that Romania started in 2000 with the financial support of United Nations Development Programme - “Romania within the framework of Local Agenda 21” and continued within Regional Operational Programme 2007-2013 and now,2020-2030 Sustainable development strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for urgent actions regarding the worsening climate crisis has been stressed over and over again through campaigns, reports, international conferences and treaties regarding climate, there are various discussions regarding the best ways to mitigate the crisis and strategic actions are taken at various levels, from local to national and international. But unfortunately, there is still not a clear and cohesive effort to address the climate crisis at a global level, and therefore the many local and national initiatives have little impact in terms of decreasing or reversing the effects of climate change. Thus, one can note that the different approaches to the climate issue by various states are shaped by their particular economic and infrastructural development. In this respect, we can understand the climate action not as a sort of a reductionist policy in relation to the classic coal and petroleum-based economy, but as a strategy of ecological modernization. From this perspective we are asking what are the challenges of ecological modernization for a particular category of states - the postcommunist periphery of the European Union, such is the case of Romania, which is, alongside Bulgaria, one of the least developed countries amongst the post-communist camp. We will try to explore the way in which Romania is trying to shape its 21st century strategy for eco-modernization and how, at the same time, it's trying to fall in line with the European requirements that the EU assumed as a part of the Paris Agreement and through the European Green Deal. Therefore, in our paper we are trying to answer the following questions: how is Romania dealing with its post-communist industrial past in terms of eliminating sources of pollution, switching to sustainable energy and designing public policies aimed to engender a greener economy? What is the role the Eu should play in relation to its less developed members? We are planning to address the above mentioned questions by using Joseph Huber's theoretical framing of the concept of ecological modernization, and also Martin Jänicke's approach to the concept to provide a better understanding of the challenges faced by Romania in its struggle to tackle the climate crisis, and of the ways in which these can be successfully mitigated by the Romanian authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light of the new Education Act dedicated to preuniversity education that came into force in Romania in 2023, prospective teachers are to be offered two alternative pathways to enter their profession: a twelvemonth or eighteen-month master's degree. Timewise, those determined to embrace the teaching career will have to comply with these provisions starting with the 2027-2028 school year. Considering these specific regulations belonging to the recent legal framework governing education in Romania, our paper aims at investigating the advantages and disadvantages of the options given to future teachers, so as to tentatively predict whether past obstacles might be overcome. By briefly outlining both the tendencies and realities of initial teacher education at international and European levels and by presenting the evolution of initial teacher education in Romania in the post-communist era, we lay the basis for our small-scale investigation. The responses of our interviewees (school inspectors, school principals, experienced teachers, academics) point not only to the imminent threats and inherent weaknesses, but also to the long-term prospects of this educational reform, as professionalising the teaching industry advances the profession as a whole and goes a long way to create better opportunities for student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptocurrencies have emerged as a significant innovation in the financial landscape, with their adoption varying across different regions. This paper investigates the adoption trends of cryptocurrencies in three European countries: Germany, France, and Romania. By examining regulatory frameworks, public sentiment, and market dynamics, we aim to provide insights into the factors influencing cryptocurrency adoption in these nations. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between digital banks and cryptocurrencies, analysing the potential synergies and challenges associated with their integration. Finally, we offer future projections and suggest areas for further research to better understand the evolving landscape of cryptocurrencies in Europe. The motivation for studying cryptocurrency adoption in Europe stems from the region's diverse regulatory frameworks, cultural attitudes, and economic landscapes. Understanding the dynamics of cryptocurrency adoption in specific European countries can provide valuable insights into the broader trends shaping the future of finance. Moreover, as digital banking continues to gain prominence, exploring the intersection between digital banks and cryptocurrencies becomes imperative. The regulatory frameworks surrounding cryptocurrencies in Germany, France, and Romania exemplify the diverse approaches adopted by European countries in response to the emergence of digital assets. While Germany and France have made significant strides in implementing comprehensive regulatory frameworks, Romania's regulatory landscape remains in the early stages of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geographical indications are part of the intellectual property system, and their importance was proven over time both from consumer protection point of view, but also from business point of view. Since almost the end of 2023 we have a new EU Regulation which regulates the GIs for craft and industrial products at EU level and this paper is proposing to present the final legal framework and the provisions implemented regarding the products that will be object of the protection, the registration, opposition and cancellation procedures, the actions against which the registered GIs are protected, the new role of the EUIPO and other novelty aspects in comparison with (1) the legal provisions under the proposal of the EU Regulation, (2) the existing GIs for other types of products and with (3) the new proposal for GIs for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freedom of the press does not exclude the obligation of journalists to cover the damages created by their materials, especially by exceeding the freedom of speech. Nevertheless, holding someone liable for exercising a fundamental right is not always as simple as mere tort liability. Under Romanian regulations, the journalist will have to cover the damages only if his work can be qualified as an illicit act, or an illegal content. Alongside an introduction, the paper will consist of three parts: 1. general provisions for the liability of the journalist under national provision, 2. special provisions regarding liability according to Romanian law, by reference to International law, namely, the European Convention on Human Rights and 3. Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act - DSA). This article aims to identify the particularities of journalist liability or of another person who makes a public communication, in order to remedy the deficiencies of the current regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the challenges encountered by Eastern European students within a sixth form college in the United Kingdom. This paper aims to consider the difficulties encountered by this particular ethnic group examining the impact the challenges may have on their performance, success and achievement. This paper will also highlight equality and diversity implications and examine the social mobility of this particular group. [For the complete Volume 13, Number 1 proceedings, see ED568595.]

This paper aims at analyzing and comparing the approach of Task-based language teaching (TBLT) to bachelor students taking classes of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at two universities in Bulgaria and Romania. The outcomes of the research show that both Bulgarian and Romanian students express their favorable preferences towards using this approach. This is a case study implemented on a local level in two neighboring countries in the region of Southeastern Europe. [For the complete Volume 17 proceedings, see ED596826.]

The paper aims at providing a survey of the latest trends that exist nowadays in higher education systems, with direct reference to Romania's experience. It seeks to study the results obtain in terms of higher education and the impact that these results have in respect to Romania's development, in the general framework of global crisis. In order to analyze the development of higher education at an international and national level, a systematic literature review of journal articles mainly based on higher education processes is conducted. Furthermore, our interest mainly concerns the issues regarding process management in universities, seen as a recent perspective in the context of quality management oriented towards excellence. Standardization of process management in higher education, as well as quality management oriented towards excellence trends are shown to contribute to the society's future development, in this case in Romania. By finding key trends in terms of higher education process a general framework is created. Moreover, due to the belief that education, in general, is the key issue in any developed society in order to show its robust figures in terms of economical and social strengths, the paper seeks to provide clear solution for future development. Clarity and transparency in terms of rules and regulations in the higher education in Romania is needed, as well as quality assurance in this respect. In terms of research limitations and research implications, due to the fact that we performed a case study on only one university, as with every case study, the process of generalization of our findings is limited. At a practical implication level, the case study can be useful to other academics and researchers' interested in topics such as education, in general, higher education, economical and social issues. Clear indications and useful solutions of how to achieve a qualitative and competitive higher education system are given. The paper provides a clear definition of what process management in higher education, as well as quality management oriented towards excellence in higher education are and which its implications are in nowadays society, with a general overview on the Romanian experience. [For complete volume, see ED567118.]

Nowadays, any modern company or organization is focusing on the strategic management of human resources, many of them through dedicated applications, enabling the attraction and the retention of the best employees and a better management of human resources in general. Studies have been conducted showing that training represents a source of motivation for the human resources and a large number of the employees in general are feeling motivated by non-material benefits, one of the most important of those being the possibility of developing new skills, through training. The training methods are pursuing at the present moment two main trends: first, a part of the companies will get in touch with external companies, whose specialization is based on training and team building, and second, the other part of the companies will hire people that have the task of providing that specific training. Given the advantages known about the modern learning platforms, like diminishing the costs by eliminating transportation costs, the possibility to make modifications on the information provided, the collaboration between learners, the fact that it can be done anywhere at any time, this article aims to find out what is the degree of e-learning platforms implementation within companies in Romania. At the same time, this paper will present the employers' perception on e-learning, identifying and measuring it by means of a questionnaire, analyzing the human commitment degree due to the training, showing the benefits of developing new skills and how this is influencing their evolution. [For the complete proceedings, see ED590269.]

This study aims to analyse, through a transitional justice approach, the reparations granted by the Romanian state to the victims of the communist regime. The paper will examine the role of reparations in transitional justice programs, the main sources of international law and legal doctrine regarding reparations, as well as the evolution of the Romanian legislation on compensations for the abuses caused by the communist dictatorship. Eventually, we will try to assess the significance of reparations for the legal order of Romania. The present paper intends to present a series of moral dilemmas that can be lived throughout the period in which PhD students are elaborating their PhD thesis. To this end, the first part of the paper, which is based on documentation, will present a series of nuances that are subtended by the concept of moral dilemma, offering a series of examples such as Plato's dilemma, the student's dilemma, as presented by Sartre or Sophie's dilemma. In the second part, the differences that exist between the evaluation grids proposed by ethical theories and the manner in which they can generate various types of moral dilemmas in the lived life of individuals will be mentioned. In the last part, examples of moral dilemmas that can be lived through by PhD students throughout their doctoral programme will be presented following direct observation and self-observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology is now guiding our everyday life. Things that were created years ago and not used or used in a small manner gain popularity now. This is the case of blockchain technology which in the latest years becomes very popular. This technology started from the blockchain created for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin which also determined the creation of other cryptocurrencies. At the end of 2021, the cryptocurrency market worth over $ 2.2 trillion, many people investing in it. Cryptocurrencies are considered as „an example of digital innovation” I Cryptocurrencies are crypto assets that work on blockchain technology. However, they are not the only existing crypto assets, others gaining popularity in the last two years as we will see in this paper. In addition, blockchain technology is now reinvented to be used in many fields, other than the financial one and we will see some examples in this paper. The purpose of this paper is to present the relation of blockchain technology with crypto assets, how they interact and finally how do they fit in the current legal frame of intellectual property law, more precisely if they can be protected by intellectual property rights and what are the legal challenges they face. The analysis will take into consideration also the Romanian legal frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper intends to be a foray into the aspects related to digital diplomacy. It presents the main working definitions and key legislative aspects as well as the Romanian case study, what have we done and what needs to be done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides insights in the development of a skill matching test which addresses soft skills integrated videos as media to provide information about situations to be rated. The design of the skill testing and matching tool is situated in the educational ERASMUS+ project SMART which is presented as well. With a specific view on team work and the necessary skills, traits and interests this article provides insights into the representation of these aspects in the test and offers impression of the video and media design. These topics are combined with a presentation of the results of a qualitative study concerning this testing tool, which was conducted by expert interviews and analysed by using content analysis. These results highlight the advantages and challenges in the use of the testing tool. [For the complete proceedings, see ED579395.]

Our research study focuses on the problems of education and lifelong learning in the Romanian society of the year 2020. Starting from the idea that lifelong learning represents the continuous building of skills and knowledge through the life of an individual, we believe that the process of continuous education is the key element that each and every society should be based on. For us, as professors and researchers, the idea of pursuing knowledge out of either personal or professional reasons, has always been a main trigger of our activity. The paper starts with an introduction on the subject of education and lifelong learning in which we have motivated our decision in choosing this particular theme and also which are the main objectives of our study; continues with a literature review part in which we present the studies that have already been made in terms of education and lifelong learning, focusing on the most relevant ideas of academics and researchers in our opinion; presents in the body of the paper the importance, the role and the stages of lifelong learning and the impact upon the education process; focuses mainly on a case study that we have made on Romania and the results of our research in this matter; ends with a part of conclusions and limitations that our paper has. For the case study on Romania, in terms of methodology, we have used questioners and interviews that we gave to a number of 200 adult individuals during the time period 2010 and 2011 on the topic of education. [For complete volume, see ED567040.]

As a nation strives to meet the challenges posed by globalization, which is an issue of the information economy, its strength relies heavily on its citizens' intellectual prowess and critical thinking skills. Thus, institutions of teacher education play a key role in producing teachers who will be able to meet the needs of the time, with empathy, while promoting critical thinking, creative ability and the value system as a priority. Educating teachers to incorporate soft skills is critical for the profession's success. The term 'soft skills' refers to a wide range of personal and interpersonal attributes that are aimed at transforming the individual as well as society as a whole (Apple, 1996). The purpose of this research is to highlight the degree of preparation of future teachers in four large primary education universities in respective European countries. To achieve this, a mixed-mode technique was used by the researcher (questionnaires and semi-structured interviews) to gather information. The target group came from the teaching staff at the faculties of education in four European countries (Spain, Romania, France and Greece). Ten academics from each nation were handpicked to participate in face-to-face interviews. At the same time, the teaching staff of the teacher training departments participated in a focus group, in groups of 5 people each. The most crucial soft skills in their teaching profession were identified to be social skills. [For the complete Volume 20 proceedings, see ED622631.]

COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic had led to the confrontation of higher education system with enormous challenges. That necessitated the urgent transition from face-to-face teaching to online-teaching. The change was an innovation in higher education. A comparative study of digital education based on the survey in 2020-2021 in seven different countries was conducted at Shanghai University. The study was based on grey comprehensive evaluation model. In general, developed countries had high comprehensive evaluation value, while Finland, United States of America, South-Korea and Latvia had relatively low grey correlation coefficient in several certain indicators, leading to a sharp drop in the overall score. Romania ranked last while China ranked second as a developing country as well. The study launched a conclusion that research and development personnel, infrastructure funds and university financial investment in digital education had relatively more obvious effects on improving the innovations and quality of higher education system including the leadership system of universities. [For the full proceedings, see ED639633.]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between several demographic characteristic of domestic travelers, on one hand, and, respectively, some important dimensions of their travel preferences, on the other hand. After analyzing data from an online questionnaire based study conducted among a sample of 346 young Romanian Facebook users (between 19 and 35 years old), the results showed that, from a hospitality industry practical point of view, it can be stated that as people grow older and gain a higher income level they prefer longer tourism trip/staying durations, smaller travelling groups, higher accommodation comfort levels, and, respectively, a more complete accommodation board system. Moreover, men prefer slightly higher accommodation comfort levels than women. Also, larger travelling groups are more frequently preferred by persons with a lower education level, while smaller travelling groups are more frequently preferred by those with a higher education level. Last, but not least, transportation by car or plane is more preferred by older and higher income travelers, while transportation by plane is more preferred by more educated travelers. Due to the fact that the matching consumers' needs and desires is essential in marketing any company involved in the hospitality industry, and that in order to attract new customers and retain existing ones tourism services and packages must be offered in different configurations so that to satisfy each market segment's needs and desires, the findings of this paper can be very useful and relevant from a practical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the evolution of Romanian radio, as well as some of the inherent problems of journalism education in Romania in the post-revolutionary era. The paper discusses the legacy of repression during the Ceausescu dictatorship, which limited radio services throughout the country and left only one journalism school, a school that primarily focused on learning political propagandizing. The paper then discusses the role of radio in the 1989 revolution, and notes that building a new broadcasting system after the revolution has proved difficult. The paper next discusses existing and new broadcast journalism programs after the revolution, noting that these programs lack qualified teachers who can facilitate student growth. The paper concludes with a discussion of the possibilities for democratic media development in Romania and what Western journalism education colleagues can contribute to the development of democratic systems in Eastern Europe. Contains 42 references and 24 notes. (RS)

Short videos, also known as micro-videos, have emerged as a platform for sharing ideas, experiences, and life events on online social networks. This paper shares preliminary results of a study involving students from two universities who created six-second videos using the Vine mobile app to explain or illustrate technology concepts. An analysis of their videos shows that the six-second constraint often inspires creativity and critical thinking, as students need to carefully consider the message they wish to convey, and how they can do so effectively in a compelling micro-video. The creation of such videos provides a way to demonstrate student learning. [For full proceedings, see ED571430.]

This paper aims to present the motivations of a group of international students enrolled in the English division of the Faculty of General Medicine, at Ovidius University of Constanta, who intend to pursue medical training in Romania, to return to the country of origin after obtaining the medical degree or to go elsewhere for the medical specialty or to practice medicine. The main objective is to study the motivational process of this student population in the context of long-term academic international migration and temporary migration to Romania in order to determine the role it plays in the 21st century University, which represents one of the actors in the knowledge economy. To do this, we use oral data collected through semi-structured interviews which will be subjected to qualitative and quantitative content analysis. The conclusions of this article will highlight the importance of the presence of international students in Romanian universities and the knowledge of their motivations in the context in which among their challenges are an increased attractiveness and visibility at an international level. This study can be important for other researchers interested in sociolinguistics, in international student migration for studies and in the study of language pathways and motivational factors and can offer a useful tool for all actors involved in the reception and the training of this category of students. The originality of the study lies in the fact that this category of international students, future doctors, as well as the context remain little discussed in national and international scientific literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Commission’s new rules presented in its Digital Finance Package at September 24, 2020, introduce much-needed improvements for the online retail financial services market which will strengthen consumer protection. However, additional new rules are needed in some key areas. On May 11, 2022, the EU Commission published a directive proposal amending Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights (the „Consumer Rights Directive″ – CRD) and repealing Directive 2002/65/EC concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services. The European Commission’s legislative proposals are a very welcome step in the right direction to better protect consumers in the increasingly digital financial services market. While digitalisation brings opportunities for suppliers and consumers alike, it also brings a number of risks, making a proper regulation of the market necessary not only by updating it but strengthening consumers ’rights, by filling existing regulatory gaps in the online financial services market. Financial services are very different from other consumer goods and services covered by the CRD and therefore creating a specific chapter and rules for financial services is crucial. At the European level, there are numerous regulations across this area. The regulatory failure results first and foremost from the lack of adequate consumer protection standards and enforcement failings at Member State level. While the Commission's proposal brings key improvements, some much-needed measures are missing and their absence represents real challenges for effective consumer protection. This paper aims to show what are the aspects that need to be improved in the Commission's proposal and how to proceed in order to create a high level of protection and a fair financial services market, and each matter will be illustrated with examples from various Member States, including Romania how the gaps in current legislative framework have detrimental effects for consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic has led to the confrontation of higher education system with enormous challenges. This necessitated the urgent transition from face-to-face teaching to online teaching. A comparative study of digital education in seven different countries was conducted. This study established grey comprehensive evaluation model based on entropy weight method, which was successfully validated by reliability test. In general, developed countries tend to have high comprehensive evaluation value while Finland, South-Korea and Latvia have relatively low grey correlation coefficient in several certain indicators, leading to a sharp drop in the overall score. Romania ranked last while China ranked second as a developing country as well. This is followed by model optimization though input-output analysis method based on the upgrading of higher education system due to the pandemic's influence. The study launched a conclusion that research and development personnel, infrastructure funds and university financial investment in digital education have relatively more obvious effects on improving the quality of higher education system. [For the full proceedings, see ED621892.]

Edmodo has a significant role and place in the language teaching and learning contexts. However, there is no conclusive evidence on how Edmodo affects the language learning process. This study aims to present a review of the studies to make recommendations for teachers and researchers for further research. The study concludes that learners and teachers mainly have positive perceptions of and attitudes towards the use of Edmodo in the language learning process. It is also concluded that the use of Edmodo is efficient for fostering basic language skills, overall language proficiency, and communication skills. On the other hand, there are several drawbacks encountered during the utilization of Edmodo in language classes.

Subnational government inequalities are always a challenge for the countries all over the world, in particular large ones, even are unitary states or federations. Romania has a unitary system, but decentralization process and different level of economic development of individual territorial units determine specific problems resulting in fiscal gaps, both horizontal and vertical. The paper focuses in the first part on the review of the literature regarding the measurement of the vertical and horizontal fiscal imbalances, and the second part will measure fiscal imbalances in Romania counties based on methodologies identified in the first part. Despite being a unitary country, Romania presents an increasing of horizontal fiscal imbalance and high vertical fiscal imbalances for 28 counties of 42. The paper can be considered a useful viewpoint in understanding the state of fiscal imbalances in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present article we aim to present the general framework related to the laws and practice of mentorship in Romania, as well as the results of a related investigation of the POSDRU project concerning the training of professional insertion mentors, "From start to success--national program for the professional insertion mentorship of teachers". The paper aims to measure the degree of efficiency of the project's e-learning platform. In this sense we are using an evaluation model for e-learning activities called Kirkpatrick's progressive evaluation model on 4 levels: Reaction, Learning, Behaviour, Results. To obtain a maximum congruence with these 4 progressive levels we use the following research methods: document analysis and survey-based research. The sample was comprised of 342 teachers from the lower secondary system, participants in the project in order to obtain an extra mentor qualification. The data processing was done in the IBM SPSS software package, the obtained results indicating a maximum level of efficiency of the project's e-learning platform both in assuring a high level of learning as well as implementing information on a behavioural level and the impact on the organizational context through the effects it can produce. [For full proceedings, see ED557189.]

The paper presents the results of a study based on a training program for in-service mathematics teachers, targeting to improve their skills of problem posing and qualitative appreciation of problems. During this training program, we found an improvement in participating teachers' availability to discuss and analyse math problems, but also resistance to adapt posed tasks to the students' thinking. [For the complete proceedings, see ED597799.]

This volume includes four sections of the 2020 NORDSCI international conference proceedings: (1) Education and Educational Research; (2) Language and Linguistics; (3) Philosophy; and (4) Sociology and Healthcare. Education and Educational Research includes 15 papers covering the full spectrum of education, including history, sociology and economy of education, educational policy, strategy and technologies. This section also covers pedagogy and special education. Language and Linguistics includes 6 papers covering topics related to theoretical, literary and historical linguistics, as well as stylistics and philology. The Philosophy section includes 2 papers and covers the full spectrum of philosophy history, methods, foundation, society studies and the interpretation of philosophy. The Sociology and Healthcare section has 9 papers covering topics related to human society, social structures, and social change, healthcare systems and healthcare services. [Individual papers from the Education and Educational Research section of these proceedings are indexed in ERIC.]

Corpora are valuable technology-supported learning resources to be used by autonomous language learners or during teacher-guided lessons. This study explores the potential of corpus consultation approaches for the improvement of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students' academic writing skills. We investigated the effects of three types of Data-Driven Learning (DDL) activities in a sample group of 29 first-year and second-year students majoring in Geography for Tourism at a Romanian university, consisting of writing tasks supported by: a Learner Corpus (LC), a Native-Speaker Corpus (NSC), and a Web-based Corpus (WBC). The research methodology involves the combination of quantitative and qualitative data, extracted from pre- and post-intervention corpus analyses, with the results of a learner-satisfaction questionnaire. The findings indicate a significant differentiation in the complexity of the lexico-grammatical features used by learners in consequent intervention stages and a better integration of L2-related academic writing strategies into their written productions. The study yields first conclusions on the integration of computer-processed language databases in DDL strategies for ESP learners in the Romanian university context. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]

Over the years women have won many fights during their road to emancipation. One of the main victories took place in the last decade when politics have become a won battle to the feminist representants. After more and more women began to occupy key positions in politics, administration, or the private environment, researchers were interested in the ways women lead. Scholars like Judy Rosener, Alice Eagly and colleagues, Catalyst or Carli have tried to find differences in leadership between women and men, but also the dominant characteristics of women leaders. Common views were that women are more concerned with the welfare of other people (helpful, sympathetic, nurturant etc), women lead in a more democratic and participative style than men and use relational skills to influence others, encourage participation, share power and information. The present research presents chronological references of women emancipation during the history, brings into discussion, according to the reviewed literature, gender differences in leadership, looks over women in leading position worldwide and makes some consideration about public leadership. This paper also highlights, through the focus-group qualitative research method, the main characteristics of women leaders in Romania, also trying to briefly describe how women politicians are perceived by the public. This paper is part of a wider research work that approaches the online communication of women political leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the author discusses the main weaknesses of the incrimination provided by article 63 of Romanian Law no.211/2011, regarding the waste regime, in its actual state, as a result of legislation changes that occurred repeatedly. The paper is structured in three parts. The first part indicates the most relevant legislation changes for article 63 of Romanian Law no.211/2011 since its entry into force. The second part identifies the inconsistencies of the actual version of the law, focusing mainly on the constitutive content of the crime, while the third part points out the main solutions to the deficiencies previously mentioned, alongside de lege ferenda proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simulation is a lie born out of the will of the parties to evade showing successors or third parties the truth. The Romanian legislation has a tolerant approach towards simulation, and permits it, in general. The New Civil Code does not sanction the mechanism of simulation with nullity, but offering the rather milder sanction of inopposability. This short paper will strive to give a short analysis on the effects of this simulation upon the third parties - the objective successors and the creditors of the parties. The New Civil Code has numerous stipulations in order to regulate these complex effects as to avoid harming the interests of these third parties who usually act in good faith and gain rights from the parties of the simulation. These parties should and are protected by law, exactly because they acted in good faith. The objective successor of the apparent acquisitor will be protected against the true will of the parties, as, in general this true will harms his interests. Also, this paper will analyze the special situation of the creditors of the apparent seller and of the apparent aquisitor, as their situation can vary according to the person they come into conflict with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the author analyses the main practical issues that can be discussed when enacting the provisions of article 44 of Romanian Law no.111/1996 regarding the safe deployment regulation, authorization and control of nuclear activities. The paper is structured in two parts. The first aims at pointing out the particularities of the incrimination discussed, by reference to its constitutive content, and the second part adapts the mechanism of the Romanian Constitutional Court Decision no.405/2016 to the provision analyzed, in order to comply with the regulation of art.73, paragraph 3, letter h of the Romanian Constitution. The author concludes that the only effective way to prevent the deficiencies previously discussed is the intervention of the legislator, reason for which a de lege ferenda proposal has been made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the issue of freedom of thought, opinion, and religious beliefs in the case of persons deprived of their liberty. The study has a first part which consists in a presentation of the international standards (United Nations, Council of Europe, European Union), followed by a presentation of the national standards (the freedom of thought, opinion, and religious beliefs being a fundamental freedom, prescribed by the Romanian Constitution). An analysis is made based on the European Convention of Human Rights and of the European Prison Rules, in relation with national legal framework, touching the essential aspects of the freedom of thought, opinion, and religious beliefs in the case of persons deprived of their liberty: the exercise of the freedom of conscience and opinions, as well as of the freedom of religious beliefs; organization of religious service in prisons; proportionality of the measures ordered by the penitentiary administration; the limits of exercising the freedom of conscience and opinions, as well as the freedom of religious beliefs. Further, the paper focuses on the main ECtHR judgements dealing with possible infringements of art. 9 from the European Convention, dealing with freedom of thought, opinion, and religious beliefs and then focuses on the national case law in this field. Concluding, the study attempts to asess the national legislation and case law pleading on taking into consideration the solutions rendered by the ECtHR in its judgments, which can and should be applied at national level, in order to ensure the uniformity of judicial practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the EU statements, Romania is engaged to endorse in the near future the IAEA relevant publications on geological repository (CNCANa), to update the Medium and Long Term National Strategy for Safe Management of Radioactive Waste and to approve the Road Map for Geological Repository Development. Currently, for example, spent fuel is wet stored for 6 years and after this period it is transported to dry storage in MACSTOR-200 (a concrete monolithic module) where it is intended to remain at least 50 years. The present situation for radioactive waste management in Romania is reviewed in the present paper. Focus will be done on existent disposal facilities but, also, on future facilities planned for storage/disposal of radioactive wastes. Considering specific data for Romanian radioactive waste inventory, authors are reviewing the advance in the radioactive waste management in Romania considering its particularities. The team tries to highlight the expected limitations and unknown data related with cementitious engineered barriers that has to be faced in the near future in case of interim storage or for the upcoming long periods of disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present paper is to provide an overview of the challenges posed by the multiple possibilities of promoting Romania's image and identity, both internally and externally; at the same time, the present paper answers some questions about building Romania as a brand, revealing to readers various factors that influence the way in which the country's image and identity are perceived. Also, this article provides information regarding the factors that have negatively influenced the process of nation branding until now, and about the opportunities that Romania could exploit in order to build a strong, unique and attractive nation brand. This topic was chosen because, in the present context, the country suffers from an image deficit and the current process of nation branding -particularly the way in which is communicated within-requires a real incentive in order to achieve its objectives. In order to write this paper, the authors reviewed the literature in the field, their contributions consisting in identifying and exposing the importance of combined usage of methods and influence techniques utilized for promoting the country's image and identity in a world of diversity, considering the imperative of promoting Romania as a particular, unique and different brand that promises and generates loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research examines how advertising creativity influences consumer's processing and response. We develop a conceptual framework that proposes two antecedents of advertising creativity -originality and relevance and four effects - attention, attitude towards advertising, attitude towards brand and medium credibility. Although these aspects have been the focus of previous research, this paper brings some new insights in the field by testing the hypotheses in the context of the Romanian market. The paper also tries to identify the differences in consumers' response to an unconventional placement of the ad compared to a traditional medium. The hypothetical relations between constructs were tested through structural equation modelling (SEM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The report of AROMA project (AROMA project consortium, 2018) summarizes a detailed study performed within project partner countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta, Romania, Spain and Sweden) aimed at identifying the training needs connected with augmented reality technology (AR) and entrepreneurial skills and mapping an awareness about the AR technology. For the project, the research also serves as a first step to identify gaps that need to be addressed to offer a holistic syllabus integrating AR with selected skills and competencies. [For the full proceedings, see ED619611.]