Founder Editor in Chief: Octavian-Dragomir Jora ISSN (print) 2537 - 2610
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A Community in Search of Unity, a Union in Search of Communion

A Community in Search of Unity, a Union in Search of Communion

The Faculty of International Business and Economics, from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, hosted on 16th-17th November 2017 the 8th edition of The Future of Europe International Conference, with the participation of distinguished speakers and generous auditorium from Academia, public administration, and business environment. More


The Youth Atlantic Treaty Association and Its Role in Promoting Euro-Atlantic Values

The Youth Atlantic Treaty Association and Its Role in Promoting Euro-Atlantic Values

The Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA) is a network of young professionals and academics who are interested in international security policies. YATA consists of 36 member organizations or so-called National Chapters, all of which are the youth wings of established NGOs in their respective countries. These NGOs act as the national chapters of YATA’s parent organization, the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA). YATA’s vision is to be the leading youth network to foster the values of democracy, rule of law, liberty, peace and security, and reinforce the transatlantic link. More


Building Civil Society Resilience in the Baltics

Building Civil Society Resilience in the Baltics

The Estonian Atlantic Treaty Association (EATA) is part of the Atlantic Treaty Association family of organizations. Being established in 2001, the main purpose was to prepare Estonian society to join NATO by introducing NATO as an organization and its values to the people. After joining NATO in 2004, EATA’s activities have been very closely related to NATOs public diplomacy and promoting NATO among the Estonian people. More


The Astana Process - Problems and Prospects

The Astana Process - Problems and Prospects

In late 2016, the heads of Russia and Turkey proposed to hold talks in Astana. The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, during the telephone talks with Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported this initiative and expressed readiness to provide a platform for such talks. More


The Fight against Extremism in Central Asia and the Role of the SCO and the CSTO

The Fight against Extremism in Central Asia and the Role of the SCO and the CSTO

This article is devoted to the problem of building regional security in the Central Asian States within the structures of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Only coalitional efforts of all interested States can provide effective resistance to the transborder terrorism in the region. Therefore, the importance of international cooperation in the field of security is increasing. Of the central Asian states, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are members of CSTO. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan are members of the SCO. Therefore, the organizational-institutional framework of the CSTO and the Shanghai Pact allows these States to combat these threats. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan remains a neutral state, non-aligned to the blocs being formed or joined by its neighbors.  More


Youth Empowerment Seen from the Gulf Countries

Youth Empowerment Seen from the Gulf Countries

Lack of communication, the failure of governments to design policies, inertia in changing mindsets and reluctance were the problems seen as obstacles in promoting the youth in today’s world during the 6th edition of the International Government Communication Forum that took place last week in the emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, a forum that gathered over 2,500 governmental experts, academics, researchers and business people, former Presidents of countries and Prime Ministers. More


Worrying about Wetware

Worrying about Wetware

There is a silent revolution taking place in robotics, and automation in general. It is related not just the capabilities, but also the accessibility and affordability of the new means of production. Greater productivity is one of the results and the one most robo-evangelists cling to. The other is uncertainty. Our entire social and economic systems are predicated on working for income. This affects not just the life rhythms which human redundancy purports to improve, but also social status, consumption capacity and self-esteem. We will have to see if the revolution actually delivers on its promises, but even a partial result could lead to a hair-raising social upheaval, regardless of whether the final result is a net positive or not. In discussing past industrial revolutions, we often gloss over decades of labor unrest, migrations, community destruction and uncertainty in a few lines, with an intellectual carelessness more appropriate to Communist rationalizing of the piles of dead than humanist interest in the general welfare. More


Robots and Empire(s)

Robots and Empire(s)

Few concepts have ever been as tightly related to the notion of technological advancement and the future in general as that of artificial intelligence. The idea of highly intelligent, even sentient robots permeating various facets of human activity and society has been a staple of science fiction since the past century. Though the term “robot” itself was introduced to the English language and the world by Czech playwright Karel Capek in 1920 (“robot” meaning “work” in Czech), robots and artificial intelligence were developed most prominently through the works of such authors as Isaac Asimov (one of whose novels lent its title to this article), Arthur C. Clarke and Philip K. Dick, while Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has also been viewed as another example of artificial beings appearing in fiction. The concept has been heavily featured in several blockbuster science fiction films and TV series as well, either as the main theme or as part of the technologically advanced future. Prominent examples include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Aliens, Star Wars, Terminator, The Matrix and more recently, Interstellar and Ex Machina. More


On taxing the robots

On taxing the robots

Bill Gates, a pioneer in computer innovation, recently opened the gates to a debate that will become mainstream in the coming decades. He suggested that taxing robots would be a perfectly acceptable policy to defray the losses stemming from automation.His assumption is based on the correct fear that the advancements of high-tech industry threatens a large number of low to medium skilled jobs, of mostly equivalent income. This would lead to a high rate of unemployment in areas where automation may replace human labour. One wonders which sector is safe from the replacement of its labour force and the substitution of human capabilities. This is accompanied by reassurances of increased labour demand in the “caring sector” or other interpersonal service jobs. There is a growing need for caregivers for older people, people with special needs, helping children in education. It is logical to focus on areas that manifest increases in needs to reorient employment and then rely on innovation and automation to create wealth and increase productivity wherever possible, but there are some underlying assumptions which are left unchallenged, with regards to ease of reemployment, quality of remuneration and so on. More


Protectionism: “Fairness” Is the New “Freedom”

Protectionism: “Fairness” Is the New “Freedom”

Lately, the media and the Parliament have triggered debates on adopting protectionist measures: granting subsidies, “51% Romanian goods” quotas in supermarkets, restricting the selling of land to foreigners, closing large shops during the weekend, etc. The arguments rely on the need to support domestic capital, to secure food and/or energy, bailing out even loss making companies and avoiding unemployment. More


Growth-at-All-Costs vs. Democracy – What Kind of Globalization?

Growth-at-All-Costs vs. Democracy – What Kind of Globalization?

A few centuries ago, Teilhard de Chardin had spoken about the two sides of all matter: a “within” and a “without”. It has been proven many times that it is vital for the outer world and the inner world to move together at the highest level of harmony in order to achieve balance. One can say that a globalized society reaches to an overdeveloped “without” but, unfortunately, to an underdeveloped “within”. For others who speak about the crisis of meaning, it has become necessary to take into consideration that the world of matter, materiality, science, and technology, even though all of them are good in themselves, do not possess meaning in and of themselves, or none that can satisfy “man’s search for meaning”. They are tools, not ends in themselves. The year 2017 is one in which both scientists and decision makers must understand the difference between challenges and opportunities and to find optimal solutions to the first and the best use of the latter. As was proved during the debates in the framework of the World Economic Forum, the key words for every debate in the landscape of ideas and the actions are: uncertainty, opportunity, resilience, prosperity, democracy, populism.  More


“The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be”

“The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be”

Among other memorable utterances, American baseball legend Yogi Berra once said “it is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future”. I would counter this and say that there is nothing easier, since most predictions will be long forgotten by the time they should be checked to see if they have stood the test of time. It is for the best, since many experts would be anything but expert, should we make it a point to check their forecasts for accuracy.  More


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