Rubrics » Bridging News
Some Thoughts on the “Global Competitiveness”
Despite the argument by Krugman that “economists, in general, do not use the word competitiveness”, a cursory survey of the literature reveals a wide range of definitions of competitiveness and frequent usage of the concept. Moreover, although research on competitiveness has been popular for forty years, in recent time it appears to be flourishing as many economic phenomena are assessed according to whether they are competitive or non-competitive. This probably explains why the last several years have witnessed a growing academic and political debate over better ways to conceptualize and measure competitiveness. More
A Short Behavioural Analysis of the Changes to the Social Security Tax in Romania
Starting with January 1st 2018, the payment obligation which is automatically withheld regarding the social security contributions (for state pensions, health, and unemployment insurance) will be moved from the employer to the employee. In order to preserve the nominal net wage, the nominal gross wage was increased by an adequate rate. In fact, a combination of nominal gross wage increases and contribution rate decreases was used to this end. I would like to broach some predictable effects of the mentioned normative measure: a) the monetary illusion effect; b) the nominal income effect; c) the consumption and savings effects; d) the effect of social solidarity erosion; e) the efficient wage effect. More
Together We Can See Much Further
In 2018, Romania celebrates one of the most important landmarks in its history which has consecrated our country’s openness and attachment to the principles of understanding, friendship, and mutual respect within nations – the Centenary of the Great Union of all Romanians. Since fulfilling the age-old aspiration of the Romanian people, our country has made significant efforts to mitigate and eliminate conflicted and vengeful mentalities by promoting an example of cooperation, inclusiveness, tolerance, and respect, values that we constantly stand by today in our foreign policy. More
A Turkish Scenario for the Romanian Economy?
Since the Social Democratic Party’s (PSD) ascent to power in 2012, which was sealed by the 2016 Romanian parliamentary and local elections, some commentators and opposition leaders have compared the actions of Social Democratic leaders – such as former PM Victor Ponta or party chairman and Chamber of Deputies President Liviu Dragnea – not only with those of their peers in Hungary and Poland, but also to those of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. More
From the Intelligent State to the Responsible One
The state is not a manager only with regard to the society as a whole. If it was to be like that, a performant computer could have better accomplished whatsoever administrative tasks. The social contract on the basis of which the state is supposed to be generated implies both much more and much less than that. Let me provide some analytical explanations: More
How the Evolution of ITC Shaped the Field of Diplomacy
When looking at the historical evolution of diplomacy and foreign policy, for centuries they have ended up relying on the traditional establishment of delegations or ambassadors, formalizing bilateral and multilateral agreements regarding various issues.Today's diplomatic scenario appears solidly anchored to its legal ecosystem within the confines of the international community. The evolution of technology seems to have had a significant impact both on the way diplomacy is conducted and on the emergence of new, less traditional actors. More
BTS – The Freedom of Musical Expression Remains Unlimited
In the past, there was The Beatles. In the second half of the 20th century, The Beatles became the most popular band in the entire world. Time passed and the 21st century brought new legends to the music industry. Most likely the biggest boy band in the world, BTS scored, in only 7 years since their debut, numerous records worldwide and they will not stop here. More
Accelerating University 4.0 by Technology Shifts and Pandemic Drifts
The intersection between the technological and the pandemic shock became a real paradox to be managed by the higher education institutions. It all started in March 2020 with the decision to suspend face-to-face teaching activities and the following week thousands of students were learning online until the end of the semester. The main challenges regarding the business model of higher education institutions remain unresolved – as there is a general feeling of uncertainty and anxiety regarding the end of the pandemic and the resumption of normality. More
Culture Makes Us Neighbours
Few things are known, on both sides, about the relations between Romania and Luxembourg. And maybe many Romanians wonder why Romania’s presence is needed in one of the smallest (geographically speaking) European countries. The reasons are many, and so are the opportunities which have led to a very dynamic relationship, with substance and significant potential. I will address all of these aspects: the context of our relationship with Luxembourg, the arguments in support of this relationship, the results achieved so far and, finally, the opportunities that are still open to us in the future. Of course, such a close relationship could not have been built without the existence of shared common values and ideas that animate both countries: European values. More
Populism, Bank Tax Edition
The Romanian government has approved, almost overnight, through an Emergency Government Ordinance, a new bank tax. The idea of imposing a special tax on banks is an old one and tends to resurface during times of financial crises. Thus, the bank tax was floated around by the Left and radical Left in the West, when the 2007/2008 Crisis began, from where it was most eagerly adopted and put into practice mainly by Eastern Europe’s Right-wing populists. The Crisis which began in 2007/2008 is now over and even the governments that have instituted a special bank levy, like the Hungarian and Polish governments, have now reduced it or plan to eliminate it. This is a first indication of how ill-thought and ill-advised this late decision of the Romanian Government to institute its own special bank tax really is. More
A Social Space in Facebook Times
The Facebook personal profile, even if it is accessible to a small number of people, is a public space, not a private one. Social networks have become a central part of everyday life. Facebook is the most used social network, likely the second site that people visit when starting or opening their laptop after google. Being a social network based in principle on the exchange of personal information, it is not surprising that many users reveal a great deal about themselves in their online profiles. With over 500 million users, Facebook decisions about privacy settings are able to influence many people. While its changes in this area have led to many media and society group criticisms, Facebook has apparently continued to attract more users to its service. This article examines some disadvantages of using the Facebook social network, but also the mistakes users make when choosing their privacy settings. We believe that although they are not universal, changes to privacy settings have led to a decrease in criticisms against Facebook. We also find that both the frequency and type of Facebook usage, as well as the Internet qualification, are correlated with the change in privacy settings. More
The World of Romania
The Market for Ideas and the students from the class of 2018 of the “International Economic Diplomacy” Master’s Program, from the Faculty of International Business and Economics, of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania, prepared, in a special dossier, an anthology of what may be noted as cultural-diplomatic, civilization-contextualized answers to a question: “How did Romanian critical thinkers and gifted creators contribute to the thrive of humankind?” More
