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The 26th European Association of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL) conference was organised by the University of Jyväskylä (JYU) Language Campus and specifically the Language Centre, in Jyväskylä, Finland. The theme of this year's conference was "Future-proof CALL: language learning as exploration and encounters," which reflects an attempt to envision language teaching and learning futures in a changing world. What brought researchers together this year are shared concerns in relation to the sustainability of language learning and teaching in technology-rich contexts that are marked by ever-increasing complexity. 184 submissions were accepted to be presented as workshops, symposia, individual oral presentations, or posters. The oral presentations were categorised as research, research and development, reflective practice papers, along with presentations on European projects. The collection of short papers in this volume is a very thorough view into the conference proper exhibiting the complexity and novelty of the field of CALL. There are exciting new openings and a more profound exploration of theoretical underpinnings of the contemporary issues in teaching and learning, cross-cultural communication, mobile learning and the like. (Individual papers contain references.)

This volume gives readers insights on the use of technology in professional development programmes and content knowledge that can enrich teacher education. Every chapter of the book builds, through research, an analysis and discussion of CALL [Computer Assisted Language Learning] matters and professional development. The purpose of the EuroCALL Teacher Education Special Interest Group's (SIG) edited volume, supported by the Language Centre of the Cyprus University of Technology, is to respond to the needs of language educators, teacher trainers and training course designers through relevant research studies that provide technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge. The book concentrates on professional development in CALL, the use of technology in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, e-learning facilitators, the integration of personal learning environments, the use of MALL [Mobile Assisted Language Learning], the applications of virtual reality, materials design, the use of ICT [Information and Communications Technologies] in task-based language teaching, and the integration of social media networks in language education. "Professional Development in CALL: A Selection of Papers" is a collection of newly-commissioned chapters which unifies theoretical understanding and practical experience. The EuroCALL Teacher Education SIG hopes that the present contribution will be viewed as a valuable addition to the literature and a worthy scholarly achievement. [Support for this publication was provided by the EuroCALL Association and the Language Centre of the Cyprus University of Technology.]

A description of the term Cockfield White Paper is presented. It refers to a White Paper by the British Commissioner for the Internal Market, Lord Cockfield, which put forwards a remedial programme to ensure the progress of freeing trade in the Common Market. The paper identified some 300 necessary measures and set the end of 1992 as the target date for completing the Single Market.

Chapter XXX of the book "Havoc," by E. Philips Oppenheim is presented. It deals highlights the social and economic pressures of everyday lives of the main characters, when the countries of Europe were in a thicket of plots and alliances. It revolves around the creation of a secret alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria. It provides information on their adventures, personal and family relationship, and their passion.

The present volume collects papers from InnoConf18 [Innovative Language Teaching and Learning at University Conference], which took place at the University of Liverpool in June 2018. The theme of the conference was "New trends in language teaching and learning at university." The contributions collected here aim to reflect on best practice in the sector while at the same time capturing state-of-the-art language teaching and learning methodologies. The short papers in this peer-reviewed selection display examples of active learning and student empowerment across all levels of learning and demonstrate the benefits of maximising engagement through a creative and inspiring learning environment. We believe this volume will be of use to language teachers and practitioners in higher education and beyond. [The University of Liverpool's School of Histories, Languages, and Cultures (HLC) and the Centre for Teaching Excellence in Language Learning (CTELL) financially contributed to the publication of this volume. Additional sponsors include Sanako, Hueber, and European Schoolbooks.]

This volume includes a collection of short papers presented at the second International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC) hosted virtually at Newcastle University in September 2020. The contributions address the conference theme, towards digital equity in internationalisation, and offer fresh insights into the current state and future of online intercultural communication and collaborative learning. Providing examples of interdisciplinary, multinational, and multimodal research and pedagogy in virtual exchange from around the world, this book will appeal to educators, administrators, researchers, and internationalisation leads in higher education interested in supporting and implementing virtual exchange. [This content is provided in the format of an e-book. Individual papers are indexed in ERIC.]

These proceedings contain the papers of the 15th International Conference on e-Learning (EL 2021), which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS), July 20-22, 2021. This conference is part of the 15th Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (MCCSIS), July 20-23, 2021, which had a total of 456 submissions. Due to an exceptional situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year the conference was hosted virtually. The e-Learning (EL) 2021 conference aims to address the main issues of concern within e-Learning. This conference covers both technical as well as the non-technical aspects of e-Learning. The conference accepted submissions in the following seven main areas: (1) Organisational Strategy and Management Issues; (2) Technological Issues; (3) e-Learning Curriculum Development Issues; (4) Instructional Design Issues; (5) e-Learning Delivery Issues; (6) e-Learning Research Methods and Approaches; and (7) e-Skills and Information Literacy for Learning. [Individual papers are indexed in ERIC.]

In a context of considerable interest in apprenticeship in recent years, Cedefop and the OECD decided to explore its future from the perspective of a number of megatrends, including sociodemographic changes, the accelerated adoption of emerging technologies and new forms of work organisation. They also considered how these trends have affected, and will continue to affect, the design and delivery of apprenticeship in European and OECD countries. The combination of the emerging economic crisis as an aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with long-term structural trends affecting global economies, will entail a profound transformation of the world of work and require effective policy responses in the years to come. This publication provides insights from 16 papers by researchers from Europe, Australia and the United States; nine were presented and discussed among policy-makers, practitioners and researchers during the joint Cedefop-OECD symposium on the future of apprenticeship held in October 2019 in Paris. Evidence and analysis in these papers will help inform political decisions shaping the future of apprenticeship.

This volume examines many of the complex issues regarding the language skills and professional competencies acquired by students studying Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) at universities in the United Kingdom and across Europe. It also outlines the innovative pedagogical strategies, methods, and resources employed by language academics to help graduates transition from university into the world of work through their MFL studies. These issues were discussed at the Professional Competencies in Language Learning and Teaching conference that took place on 12th-13th July 2018 at the University of Nottingham. The conference that was organised as a collaboration between the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures and the Confucius Institute of the University of Nottingham brought together researchers, practitioners, employers, and experts working on 21st century professional competencies and language education.

The empirical evidence of Kondratieff cycles is highly controversial. In this paper, the question is analysed how far World War I and II are responsible for this situation. It is shown that after estimating the effects of the Wars and other exogenous shocks the long-term economic development is characterized not by Kondratieff - but rather by Kuznets cycles. The long-term growth rate for the US economy seems constant, for the European economies there are significant changes in speed of the growth process. These growth phases seem to be in significant inverse correlation with the innovation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This book contains 10 papers on critical issues facing colleges and universities seeking to "internationalize" the curriculum and design good programs and services for foreign students in the United States and for American students abroad. An overview by Richard D. Lyman introduces the following papers: (1) "Foreign Student Flows and the Internationalization of Higher Education" (Richard D. Lambert); (2) "Trends in Higher Education and Its Finance in Western Europe" (Gareth Williams) (3) "Globalization of Knowledge" (Steven Muller); (4) "Technological Change and the University: Impacts and Opportunities from Global Change" (Lewis Branscomb); (5) "Technology and the Role of the Universities in a Global Information Economy" (Gerhard Friedrich); (6) "Planning for Internationalization: Experience at the University of Pennsylvania" (Michael Aiken); (7) "'Internationalizing' the Liberal Arts College" (Stephen R. Lewis, Jr.); (8) "Responding to International Challenges at MIT" (Charles Vest); (9) "Next Steps to Meeting the Challenge" (Colin Campbell); and (10) "International Opportunities and Challenges for American Higher Education in Africa, Asia, and Latin America" (Fred M. Hayward). Includes an index. Most papers contain references. (JB)

Information about e-policies in an information society setting in Europe, from a section of the book "Convergence and Fragmentation" is presented. It addresses the need for a human-centered approach towards the development of an information society. It discusses the National Information Infrastructure Agenda for Action program established by the U.S. government considering the vital role of the information and communication infrastructure.

The article discusses the evolution of printing and imaging technology, which led to the exploration of new design strategies for the development of publication content. It says that the industrial revolution in the latter parts of the 1700s brought about positive changes in printing, which include an improvement in the standard of living. According to the author, the digital revolution made the printed publication more necessary and relevant for people. The democratizing effect of print and the early signs of printing in Europe are also discussed.

Europe has to face new problems. Since the WWII catastrophe, it has renounced to internal wars. And, under the American umbrella, it can provide for such an ambition. It stands for the voice of Kant's vision of international relations. However, as it is protected by USA, the European position as regard to risks of war arising may seem ambiguous. If it wants to be credible, it has to give good example at its borders. But, two cases, in Caucasia and in Africa, show that it is not so. This paper aims at recalling how the ‘geographic-induced’ war pressures, during the European history, above all since 1800 (the Napoleonic wars) and even more since 1914 (the first world war) were. This first enables to look at the way the situation has essentially evolved, and secondly how that very situation can modify the verdict of the Modelski-Goldstein's theory about risks of war in the world for the coming fifty years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the importance of innovation as a key component of business strategy in tourism, as well as determinants of innovation processes in the small and medium sized hotel industry in alpine tourism destinations of Europe. Initially, the paper delivers a literature overview on innovations as prerequisites for competitive advantages. Furthermore, the authors shed more light on the measurement of innovation in the tourism industry. The empirical study has been carried out in alpine tourism destinations focusing on the assessment of innovation activities in small and medium sized (SMEs) hotels. Diverse functional areas of hotels have been analysed and the results show rather low degrees of innovation in all areas of the hotel value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe the Neutrec ® process, a flue gas cleaning technique, consisting in the addition of dry Sodium Bicarbonate and active carbon in the gas flow to be treated. As this technique complies with the most stringent requirements in the new European Waste Legislation (2000/76/EC) with low cost, its development has been very high in the last ten years. Attached is a table showing the evolution of the emission limit values from 1989 up to the new Directive 2000/76/EC. With the aim to show the simplicity of this technology, reference is made to the chemical and physical principies and reactions which allow acids to be neutralized and dioxins and heavy metals present in the flow to be adsorbed. A typical Neutrec ® installation is then described and its main advantages are also explained. Finally, mention is made of techniques for recycling and purification for Sodium Salts obtained from the fume treatment. As an example the SOLVAL facility in Italy is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas multi-stage flue gas cleaning concepts were first primarily applied after the implementation of strict emission thresholds in the 17. BImSchV in Germany and in similar regulations in the Netherlands and Austria at the beginning of the nineties, which contained several selective separating stages for the individual pollutants, a trend has now been noticed, in Germany as well, towards less expensive, integrated flue gas cleaning plants processes applied to Municipal Waste Combustors (MWCs) and other waste incineration technologies. Simplification of process chains normally means doing without the recycling of treated products into the economic circuit. There are a kind of mixed products generated instead which serve as packing material in old mines or, after adequate chemico-physical treatment, are used for landfill without any impact on the environment. Not only the plant components required for proper flue gas cleaning are reduced as a result thereof, but also the number of plant components for residue treatment, part of which are often rather sophisticated and expensive. The very low and stringent emission limits are met with the use of improved or new additives and control technologies. The introduction of an EC regulation comparable to the German BImSchV for the incineration of municipal solid waste, and also the increased requirements on pollutant control measures in some Asian countries, have meant that development of cost-effective flue gas cleaning solutions is mandatory. In some countries, the importance of high thermal or electrical efficiency of a waste-to-energy facility will lead to enhanced heat recovery processes in the flue gas cleaning plant as well. In this paper suitable flue gas cleaning concepts shall be presented, depending on site-specific cost limits and emission thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the increasingly important role of women as global leaders in the new economy. Women today hold less than 3 percent of the most senior management positions in major firms in the United States and less than 2 percent of all senior management positions in Europe. However, research reveals a rapidly increasing number of countries and corporations moving away from the historic men-only pattern of senior leadership. This paper examines the challenges of focusing on women in global leadership and addresses three questions: Do women lead in similar ways to men? Do men or women lead more effectively? Finally, is diversity an advantage or a disadvantage to the organization? Alternative attitudes toward difference, as expressed in people's responses to the three questions, leads to four different approaches to increasing the number of women in leadership positions: (1) identifying with men's leadership styles; (2) denying differences; (3) identifying with women's leadership styles; and (4) creating synergy--leveraging women's and men's leadership styles. The authors explore the evolution of organizational culture and conclude that the evolution toward more synergistic approaches, by both organizations and individuals, will be enhanced and accelerated by a more open discussion of the nature of diversity embedded in our leadership processes.

This volume contains papers submitted to the 12th Annual International Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES), held in Sofia and Nessebar, Bulgaria, in June 2014, and papers submitted to the 2nd International Partner Conference, organized by the International Research Centre 'Scientific Cooperation,' Rostov-on-Don, Russia. The volume also includes papers submitted to the International Symposium on Comparative Sciences, organized by the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society in Sofia, in October 2013. The 12th BCES Conference theme is "Education's Role in Preparing Globally Competent Citizens." The 2nd Partner Conference theme is "Contemporary Science and Education: New Challenges -- New Decisions." The book consists of 103 papers, written by 167 authors and co-authors, and grouped into 7 parts. Parts 1-4 comprise papers submitted to the 12th BCES Conference, and Parts 5-7 comprise papers submitted to the 2nd Partner Conference. The 103 papers are divided into the following parts: (1) Comparative Education & History of Education; (2) Pre-service and In-service Teacher Training & Learning and Teaching Styles; (3) Education Policy, Reforms and School Leadership; (4) Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Social Inclusion; (5) Educational Development Strategies in Different Countries and Regions of the World: National, Regional and Global Levels; (6) Key Directions and Characteristics of Research Organization in Contemporary World; and (7) International Scientific and Educational Cooperation for the Solution of Contemporary Global Issues: From Global Competition to World Integration.

The article presents a discussion of modern social policy and its postmodernisation and then attempts to apply these ideas to analysing the development of the notion of Social Europe, focusing in particular on the Green and White Papers on social policy published by the European Commission in 1993 and 1994 respectively. Modern social policy is driven by the mission of combining capitalist economic efficiency with social and national cohesion. It recognises the primacy of social class divisions within the social structure and its corporatist political basis is the solidarity between the social partners, the representative organisations of capital and labour. The analysis of the texts of the Green Paper and the White Paper on social policy hopefully demonstrates that postmodernisation processes are seeping through into the thinking of the Commission and that the idea of Social Europe is moving in more realistic directions. With the realisation that a supra-national, federal EU welfare state will never happen, attempts have been made by political scientists to theorise the nature of EU social policy now and in the future. Social policy in Europe is being driven hard by economic policy, notably the Maastricht convergence criteria, which arguably reflect more of a neo-liberal agenda and the narrow economic interests of capital. Great concern is expressed about social cohesion, but it is not sufficient to be translated into effective policies.

Chapter XXXV of the book "Havoc," by E. Philips Oppenheim is presented. It deals highlights the social and economic pressures of everyday lives of the main characters, when the countries of Europe were in a thicket of plots and alliances. It revolves around the creation of a secret alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria. It details their adventures and journeys in life.

This paper offers a broad overview of the papers contained in Part II of "The Blackwell Handbook of Entrepreneurship," in the section titled "Government Impacts on Entrepreneurship." The papers included are "SME Policy in Europe," "Entrepreneurship in Germany," "Regulatory Policies and Their Impact on SMEs in Europe: the Case of Administrative Burdens," "The Climate for Entrepreneurship in European Countries in Transition," and "Six Steps to Heaven: Evaluating the Impact of Public Policies to Support Small Businesses in Developed Economies.".

This paper offers a broad overview of the papers contained in Part III of "The Blackwell Handbook of Entrepreneurship," in the section titled "Financing Growth." The papers included are "Financing Growth: Recent Developments in the European Scene," "Informal Venture Capital and the Financing of Emergent Growth Businesses," "Venture Capital and Growth," and "Venture Capital Financing of Entrepreneurship: Theory, Empirical Evidence and a Research Agenda." Overall, these paper address the research on financing growth in Europe and the importance of informal and formal venture capital as a source of debt and equity for financing growth.

This collection of 12 essays is drawn from a May 1990 panel meeting in Paris, France in conjunction with a joint United Nations University/United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization project on "The Changing Role of the Universities." Papers are grouped into those on: the general role of the university, regional conceptions of the university, the economics of higher education, and strategies of learning. Essays include: (1) "The Idea of the University: Changing Roles, Current Crisis and Future Challenges" (Torsten Husen); (2) "Evolution of Universities" (Yash Pal); (3) "Universities in the Post-Industrial Society" (Edward W. Ploman); (4) "The Role of the University in Asia in the 21st Century" (Ungku A. Aziz); (5) "Higher Education in Africa" (T. L. Maliyamkono); (6)"Education for All in Latin America in the 21st Century and the Challenges of External Indebtedness" (Fernando Reimers); (7) "The State Socialist Model of Higher Education: An Assessment" (Pal Tamas); (8) "Higher Education in Western Europe" (Wolfgang Mitter); (9) "Economics of Higher Education" (Mark Blaug); (10) "Global Learning" (Edward W. Ploman); (11) "Distance Education" (Jean-Marc Pottiez); and (12) "Using the Media" (Naomi E. Sargant). A discussion by Edward W. Ploman on provides concluding observations about the Paris meeting. (Some papers contain references.) (MSE)

Virtual exchange is gaining popularity in formal and non-formal education, partly as a means to internationalise the curriculum, and also to offer more sustainable and inclusive international and intercultural experiences to young people around the world. This volume brings together 19 case studies (17 in higher education and two in youth work) of virtual exchange projects in Europe and the South Mediterranean region. They span across a range of disciplines, from STEM to business, tourism, and languages, and are presented as real-life pedagogical practices that can be of interest to educators looking for ideas and inspiration. [This content is provided in the format of an e-book. Individual papers are indexed in ERIC.]

The papers which make up this volume were for the most part presented at a program of seminars given in Oxford, England, in the autumn of 1990. The seminars represented the first activity of the new Centre for Comparative Studies in Education installed at the Department of Educational Studies of the University of Oxford in January 1990. The Centre's principal objective is to collect and analyze data on education in other countries in order to make comparisons with the United Kingdom that might inform policy discussions. The present collection seeks to make a contribution to two important questions in the study of comparative education: What lessons can be learned from cross-national studies of issues in education? and What problems of comparative method do such studies have to address? The nine papers in the collection include: "Introduction" (David Phillips); "An International Comparison of Access to Higher Education" (A. H. Halsey); "Schools of Education and Teacher Education" (Harry Judge); "Education Training and Economic Performance in Comparative Perspective" (David Finegold); "French Lessons: Comparative Perspectives on What It Means to be a Teacher" (Patricia Broadfoot; Marilyn Osborn); "Apprentice Training in Germany: The Experiences of the 1980s" (Bernard Casey); "Alternative Funding of Education Systems: Some Lessons from Third World Experiments" (Keith Watson); "Unlearnt European Lessons: Why Austria Abandoned the Comprehensive School Experiments and Restored the 'Gymnasium'" (Karl Heinz Gruber); and "Japan--Pupil Turned Teacher?" (Roger Goodman). (DB)

Lump sum payments in compensation for the transfer to the Government of pension liabilities are one of the main categories of one-off budgetary measures that have developed in Europe over the recent years. These operations have been the most frequent in France, because of the various special employer schemes existing in the public sector. As pension systems and accounting standards are being reformed and former public companies are being privatized, adjustments seemed necessary. The paper studies the treatment of such measures in national accounts and reviews the different transactions implemented in France since 1997 and the various impacts on public finances. It assesses the risk of budgetary losses for the French government due to unexpected developments in the different parameters used for the calculation of the lump sums. Stress tests show that these risks are very limited, especially with the perspective of an increase in the contribution period that will apply to all pension schemes. Moreover, these operations were a prerequisite for a reform of the French public sector, enabling the deregulation of markets and increasing potential output in the medium term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter 7 of the book "Everyday Life: Middle Ages" is presented. It describes recreational activities during the Middle Ages in Europe, including tournaments, melees, jousts and tilting. It discusses the popularity of falcory among nobles, men and women, alike. A description of medieval fairs is presented.

Chapter 4 of the book "Everyday Life: Middle Ages" is presented. It discusses the procedure of knighthood in Europe during the Middle Ages, including the duties and responsibilities of pages and squires. It describes the ceremony of knighthood and states the vows that a knight makes during the ceremony. A discussion on the knight's clothing, armor, weapons and code of chivalry is presented.

Discusses the emergence of information society in Europe. Information policies of the European Union in the 1990s; Liberalization of telecommunications; Convergence between telecommunications and broadcasting.

Chapter Two of the book "Civil Society in Southeast Europe: Ethical and Philosophical Perspectives," edited by David C. Durst and Dane R. Gordon is presented. It explores the ethical implications of use and misuse of Southeast European environment. It argues that the term civil society is inappropriate unless the societal members can assume people's right to secure and healthy physical conditions where they live.

Chapter seven of the book "Essays on the Great Depression" is presented. It compares the U.S. during the Great Depression in the 1930s with Europe in the 1980s. It considers whether the American experience of the Great Depression of the 1930s can teach anything about the issues regarding the European unemployment problem. It examines the manufacturing sector, asserting both parallels and differences between the two episodes.

This article introduces the studies included in the book, AIDS in Europe: New Challenges for the Social Sciences. The contributions in this book represent some of the most important attempts by European social scientists to engage with recent changes in the epidemic. All the papers in this book were initially presented at the 2nd European Conference on the Methods and Results of Social and Behavioural Research on AIDS (New Challenges for Social and Behavioural Science) organised in January 1998. While much earlier HIV and AIDS-related social and behavioural research focused on issues related to prevention and collective and individual behaviour change, recent developments have made studies of the impact of new treatments on HIV care, and of the experience of people living with HIV, a priority. Innovative studies linked to the themes of Living with HIV and therapeutic advances are therefore presented in the first part of the book. Another part of the book is devoted to the issue of drug use: user and policy perspectives. It is a well-established fact that HIV-infected injecting drug users tend to have poorer access to medical care, and especially to antiretroviral treatment, than other groups, even in European countries where free or low-cost public sector care is available. It is also clear that drug users are especially vulnerable to the cumulative effects of various sources of inequality. This vulnerability is of course exacerbated by the illegal character of drug use in all European countries which exposes active drug users to a high risk of imprisonment.

This paper reviews the literature concerning the impact that venture capital investments have on economic growth, mainly focusing on the firm level. The authors consider new insights gained in the 1990s as well as North American and European practices. The authors provide an overview of recent explanations for the existence of venture capital and explore the impact of formal venture capitalists on growth and thus exclude informal or private investors. The authors summarize trends in venture capital in the United States and Europe, stressing the impact of government initiatives on macroeconomic growth. The authors conclude with theoretical progress made in venture capital research and offer suggestions for paths to take in the future.

This paper examines recent developments in the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Europe. The authors explore theoretical developments and methodological approaches for studying growth funding and then discuss the current thinking on the role of three stakeholders in the financing of SME growth. The authors explore the role of owners and management, the role of the banking sector, and the role of government. The authors then focus on two themes related to European SME financing: (1) research that is performed at the initiative of the European Commission and (2) challenges for central and eastern Europe SME financing. Lastly, the author presents a new model for structuring future research on the financing of an SME.

This paper explores the impact that regulatory policies have on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Europe. The authors' intent is to provide insight about the costs and burdens imposed by regulatory policies on the functioning and operations of businesses, particularly in the European market. The authors attempt to show the administrative burdens that have mainly indirect financial effects or compliance costs. Based on rough calculations and limited research findings, the authors found that the administrative costs for European SMEs were estimated to be between 180 and 230 billion ECU in 1995, or between 3 and 4 percent of Europe's GDP. The authors explore the issue of administrative burdens on SMEs operating in the European market as a result of both European Union (EU) and national legislation. They feel the most suitable way to perform regulatory policies is through EU institutions.

This paper explores what small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) policy is about, how it is pursued in Europe, and the differences between the European countries. According to the author, the overall objectives of SME policy are to create employment, foster economic growth, improve competitiveness, and regional/structural development. The SME-related policy pursued in most European countries involves a collection of various objectives and fields of economic policy rather than a conceptual framework. The author discusses the various approaches of SME policy that take place in the following European countries: Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, and Belgium. The author also discusses the variation of instruments used in the following fields of SME policy: start-ups, finance, exports and internationalization, information, research and development, labor, and red tape.

This paper explores both similarities and differences in entrepreneurship research across nations and suggests some forces that might narrow the international differences. The author explores four similarities in entrepreneurship research, pointing out the parallels between North America and Europe: (1) Research on entrepreneurship and organizations has developed in partial isolation from one another in both regions, resulting in the duplication of many of the same disputes that occurred earlier in organization theory; (2) A strong normative and prescriptive orientation has guided entrepreneurship research in both regions; (3) Entrepreneurship research in both regions has been more descriptive than theory-driven, although forces of diffusion and borrowing are now raising the salience of causal model building in the field; and (4) In both regions, researchers have focused mainly on established organizations, rather than the actual founding process among start-ups. The author also addresses three differences across nations: (1) North American scholars have traditionally assumed that their research models are universal, whereas European scholars tend to assume that theirs are nation-specific; (2) European researchers have relied more on qualitative fieldwork methods as opposed to the survey research designs favored by North Americans; and (3) European governments have funded substantially more research initiatives than North American governments.

Drawing on recent European research (a thirty-two-case project inquiring into the decision processes surrounding permits for major private European development projects--Czech Republic two, England eleven, France five, Germany two, Hungary two, Italy five, Netherlands five) this article confronts the values, choices, and conduct seen as being involved in land and resource development. Viewing progressive changes in government, business, and social mores as unwillingly encouraging an operating environment of unexpected and justified license, it prompts real estate professionals to consider how the emerging imperative of sustainability will affect ethical standards and, through them, development practices. Conceiving development processes as driven by accountancy economics, (an economics primarily concerned with profit and loss and balance sheet calculation rather than wider capital considerations), it argues that these are prone to overlook many other forms of capital. Often marked by the common pursuit of cash profits, jobs, and monetary wealth. these include social, welfare, community, cultural, and various forms of resource, capital. By definition, planning is concerned with futures. By default it appears lo have become little more than a cipher for short-term political goals. Regulatory regimes, designed to protect rights and freedoms, are regularly being overridden and (national) open local government replaced by covert, elitist decision-making practices. Placing democracy and due process under threat, a form of municipal entrepreneurialism may be emerging. This shows Yiftachel's (1996) dark side of development control lo facilitate not just social engineering but private profiteering. With no one to speak for the environment. Agenda 21 sustainability and subsidiarity (the principle adopted by the European Union that decision all should be taken at the lowest possible level) seen only of interest to cities if they serve the same ends. In the face of this, it is argued, real estate professionals have a moral obligation to protect land and resources for the benefit of countless future generations. To ignore this duty may prejudice the existence of both. Thus, with current ethics in the property industry seen as a sham, a means to replace or renew them is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an update on the implementation of the European ESPRIT project EUROPORT2 which aimed to increase awareness and confidence in parallel high performance computing for commercial and industrial applications. Description of EUROPORT2; Details on computers used in the project; Activities on the dissemination of the results of the project.

The article focuses on energy and industrialization in the European experience. Understanding the past is essential for meeting current energy challenges. The paper emphasizes, an array of fixed ideas about energy patterns, which has long clouded accurate assessments of the industrializing process. First of all, since the 19th century, coal and steam have been extolled as catalysts of the Industrial Revolution. By 1780's, according to most accounts, fossil fuels had edged out wood fuel, muscle and waterpower in England. Secondly, the Industrial Revolution has been accepted as synonymous with progress.

The banks were the first to start the idea of paper money, and the very invention of banks has been the fruit of successive circumstances and observations. The ruin of the two most famous deposit banks in Europe shows at what price, in modern times, that power of credit was bought and how many pitfalls are connected even with its most moderate use. The banks issued to the trade their notes as perfectly equal in value to specie, because in effect they could be converted to specie at the will of each depositor. The banks drew interest, not on the specie they really paid out, but on the specie every note holder believed to command at any moment.

This section presents the preface of the book Survival of the European Welfare State, edited Stein Kuhnle. Contributions to this book are mainly based on papers especially prepared for the roundtable in Bergen in September 1997. Chapters 8 and 12 are revised versions of papers first presented at a panel on Rethinking the Welfare State that the editor convened during the World Congress of the International Political Science Association in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in August 1997. Chapter 7 was later commissioned to achieve a more balanced coverage of empirical developments in all the four major types of (West) European welfare states during the 1990s. The contributions in this book embody a range of views and interpretations of recent and current developments of national welfare states in Europe, but analyses of crises, challenges, successful reforms and unsuccessful reform efforts all relate to the survival-thesis. The aim of the book is to provide a more informed empirical basis for interpretations of welfare state development in a historical and comparative perspective, and thus also a better basis for theorising about the European welfare states. The book would not have been possible without support of various kinds.

Chapter XXXI of the book "Havoc," by E. Philips Oppenheim is presented. It deals highlights the social and economic pressures of everyday lives of the main characters, when the countries of Europe were in a thicket of plots and alliances. It revolves around the creation of a secret alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria. It focuses on the changes and development in the characters' lives.

Chapter XXXVII of the book "Havoc," by E. Philips Oppenheim is presented. It deals highlights the social and economic pressures of everyday lives of the main characters, when the countries of Europe were in a thicket of plots and alliances. It revolves around the creation of a secret alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria. It focuses on how the characters handled every challenges lives has to offer. It focuses on the changes and development in the characters' lives.

Chapter XXXVI of the book "Havoc," by E. Philips Oppenheim is presented. It deals highlights the social and economic pressures of everyday lives of the main characters, when the countries of Europe were in a thicket of plots and alliances. It revolves around the creation of a secret alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria. It details their struggles in life.

Chapter XXI of the book "Havoc," by E. Philips Oppenheim is presented. It deals highlights the social and economic pressures of everyday lives of the main characters, when the countries of Europe were in a thicket of plots and alliances. It revolves around the creation of a secret alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria. It details their adventures and travels.