Football-ism – The Ultimate Global Ideology

Football-ism – The Ultimate Global Ideology

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

People(s) worshiping different deities and subject to different kinds of democracies, people(s) coming from older cultures or younger countries, all feel at home in the stands of stadiums or in the TV-oriented armchairs during football World Cups. Savian was yards away from Russian playgrounds and Vlad was inches away from HD screens. They play a friendly match in TMFI.  More

“Search Neutrality” Is Not Possible

“Search Neutrality” Is Not Possible

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Search neutrality – the idea that any search engine should reveal all and each of the Internet’s entries without favor, i.e. unbiasedly – is on its rise. But then again, what is an unbiased search engine? Is it the one that gives most results or the one that gives best results? Google’s secret in the early 2000s was to rank the results. Is that the best approach?  More

Excess Democracy?

Excess Democracy? Citizen… ship & citizen… wreck

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Liberal democracy is under fire. Crucially, and most dangerously, it is under fire from both sides of the political divide. The lead-up to the election of Trump and Britain’s vote to leave the EU captured one side of this, whilst the aftermath captured the other. It is difficult to add much to the discussion around the rise of populism. The literature on populist opposition to liberal democracy is extensive. The narrative generally goes that working-class disillusionment with the status quo created fertile ground for the Trumps and Farages of the world. Globalisation and inequality polarised society, and those who felt without a voice seized the opportunity to make themselves heard. Though this over-simplifies the issue by treating the “white working class” as one homogenous group and drawing a few too many parallels between the US election and the UK’s referendum, it generally holds that those who felt marginalised by the status quo sought alternatives.  More

From the Queen to the Tsar: on Trump’s Travels to Europe

From the Queen to the Tsar: on Trump’s Travels to Europe

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

An eventful week passed from July 12 to 17 as US President Donald Trump made two high-profile visits to Europe: one to the United Kingdom where he met with the British monarchy and government officials, and one to Helsinki where he met with Russian President, Vladimir Putin. These events occurred in a complicated geopolitical context: on the one hand, it appears we are witnessing a paradigm shift in US-EU relations, with increasingly divergent viewpoints on a number of key issues, most notably security in Europe’s Eastern flank and the Middle East; on the other hand, the suspicions of Russian involvement in the US elections in order to skew the votes in Trump’s favour are still alive in the eyes of certain US officials and part of the American electorate.  More

Freedom Under Assail

Freedom Under Assail

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

For millennia, papers and books have been written about the essence and significance of human freedom. In these contributions, competing conceptions of freedom aimed to define the contest between liberty and power. Philosophers Plato and Hobbes, for example, thought that extensive or absolutist rule over society was compatible with their definition of freedom because, in their view, it would prevent society from plunging into violence or even chaos, which they perceived as more detrimental to freedom than a powerful state. Others, such as the 6th-century BCE Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu and the 16th-century Spanish scholastics, expressed and developed ideas consistent with the view of the father of modern political philosophy, John Locke, that freedom implies that an individual not “be subject to the arbitrary Will of another, but freely follow his own” More

Operational Research of the Libyan Civil War and the EU Neighborhood Policies

Operational Research of the Libyan Civil War and the EU Neighborhood Policies

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

The European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) concerns the European Union's (EU) relations with 16 of the Eastern and Southern Neighbors. It is a key element of the EU's foreign policy. The political and economic point of view, segueing into security, focuses on stabilizing the region. Essentially, it is an EU external relations body, aiming at developing and stabilizing these countries. The EU offers financial support to ENP countries if they meet conditions for positive change in countries (political and economic reforms, etc.). The actions of the ENP are fourfold: The Eastern Partnership, the Southern Neighborhood, the Cooperation with Countries along the EU's external borders, and cooperation with neighboring countries. More

Lithuania during the Centennial Celebration of Independence

Lithuania during the Centennial Celebration of Independence

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

As Romania’s representative to Lithuania, I have the privilege to have firsthand experience in how this Baltic nation is celebrating the hundredth anniversary of its independence. In fact, to be as precise as possible, Lithuania celebrates a century since the restoration of its state, since its first documentary mention was done by a Christian monk, Saint Bruno, on 9 March 1009. His canonization came as a result of his martyrdom in Lithuania, while spreading the Christian faith.  More

Our National Consciousness Is Strongly Connected with Rome

Our National Consciousness Is Strongly Connected with Rome

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Romania and Italy are linked by 145 years of diplomatic relations, but the special bilateral relation is based on historical, cultural and linguistic links which have played an important role in affirming the Romanian nation in a universal context such as the one offered by Rome, the world’s centre of reference for many centuries. The classic symbol par excellence of this special and, I would say, natural link, is Trajan’s Column, which represents the “birth certificate of the Romanian people”. Over time, the links have also been emphasized throughout the formation and assertion of the modern Romanian state; allow me to mention, for example, the epistolary exchanges between Benito Cavour and Vasile Alecsandri or the presence of soldiers from Galați in Garibaldi’s army. The main representatives of the Transylvanian School have studied in Rome, a city which saw the birth of the enthusiasm and the national consciousness that led, on December 1st 1918, to Romania’s Union with Transylvania, through the expression of the free and conscious will of the Romanians from Transylvania and Banat. In Rome, the Greek-Catholic Bishop Inochentie Micu Klein wrote his memoirs, a true handbook for patriotism which I recommend as an antidote to the ostentatious patriotism that sometimes occupies the public sphere. Going through the memoirs of Bishop Inochentie produces a vibration in the soul which counters the alienation engendered by consumerism, indifference and sterile discussions. Turning back to the basic idea, I would like to emphasize that the formation of our national consciousness is strongly connected with Rome.  More

People-to-People – The Fundament

People-to-People – The Fundament Romania and China

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Chinese pencils, Chinese pen cases for school, Chinese erasers, Chinese sneakers, Chinese toys - these are some of the symbols associated with China which are still present in the collective memory of the Romanian people. It is a real fact that, on the grounds of the great diplomatic relations that our country has built with China, we have all received with great joy these things, as children. On the other side, Romanian Music, Dance, Dacia, Roman, furniture as a symbol of luxury… But the relations among our countries have gone beyond diplomacy, trade, and mutual support in times of need. And these are perhaps the richest we ever build in the last 70 years, somehow different than any others. Because they are built on a strong, unique foundation: emotional connection between our peoples and sympathy.  More

Romania and Denmark – Beyond a Century of Diplomatic Relations

Romania and Denmark – Beyond a Century of Diplomatic Relations

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Romania and Denmark can look back on a long and successful cooperation. Since the decision of the Ion I. C. Brătianu Government to establish a Romanian diplomatic office in Copenhagen more than 100 years ago, bilateral relations have reached a level of excellence characterised by a constantly growing political dialogue, increasing economic exchanges, fruitful cooperation in various fields such as culture and science, and people-to-people contacts. It is both challenging and exciting to contribute, in my capacity, to building ever closer relations on this solid foundation, beyond the traditional areas of collaboration, and to diversify our cooperation. More

A Century of U.S.-Romania Relations

A Century of U.S.-Romania Relations Thank You America for Supporting the Great Union of the Romanians!

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Romania’s Strategic Partnership with the United States is a cornerstone of our foreign and security policy. The Partnership’s multiple dimensions, ranging from political to military, from economic to cultural, provide invaluable support for Romania’s development and the fulfillment of its strategic potential. A permanent, open and beneficial dialogue lies at the heart of this relationship. More

The Romanian Community in Brussels, the Capital of the European Union, is the Second Largest One

The Romanian Community in Brussels, the Capital of the European Union, is the Second Largest One

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the “The World of Romania” project, occasioned by what you define as the “(Inter)National Maturing Centennial of the Romanian Society and Statehood”.2018 is an important year for Romania, with a symbolic weight for the entire Romanian society, including the Romanian community here in Brussels. 2018 marks 100 years since the Great Union, and also 140 years since the proclamation of our country's independence. The Centennial, one of the most significant anniversaries in our history, represents a time for reflection, paying a tribute to the past and honouring it, but also an opportunity to look into the future with confidence. More

Together We Can See Much Further

Together We Can See Much Further 112 years of Romanian-Egyptian relations

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

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

Culture Makes Us Neighbours

Culture Makes Us Neighbours Romania and Luxembourg

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

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

Japan and the European Union, Pushing Forward Free Trade

Japan and the European Union, Pushing Forward Free Trade

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

After concluding negotiations in December 2017, European and Japanese officials announced the world’s largest free trade agreement (FTA), which would remove almost 99% of the tariffs between the European Union (EU) and Japan. On July 17th, 2018, at the EU-Japan summit in Tokyo, the two parties signed the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), bringing it closer to implementation. The EPA has been praised by the EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom as “the biggest trade agreement we have ever negotiated for the European Union”. More

How to Use Ancient War Strategies in Modern Business

How to Use Ancient War Strategies in Modern Business

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

“Marketplace is a battlefield” – a commonly used Chinese proverb, applicable today more than ever. As cross-cultural business consultants, we believe in strategy and clarity above all else, and who else to learn from if not Sun Tzu himself – the Chinese military tactician influencing strategic decision-making today despite having lived long before the formation of the PRC or the emergence of capitalism. Yet he claimed that the best battles are won without drawing swords. More

What Does Brexit Reveal About Government Responsibility?

What Does Brexit Reveal About Government Responsibility?

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

In the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, Andrei Sandu relayed his observations on the emotional rift between the ‘remain’ and ‘leave’ voters. He noted how many citizens defined ‘leave vs. remain’ as ‘change vs. an unhappy status quo’. The government tried to push for unity, but it was clear that the UK had by then become a “fractured country”.  More

The Market Economy – Between Self-Testability and State Intervention

The Market Economy – Between Self-Testability and State Intervention Economy Near Us (V)

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

In principle, a market economy is understood as that institutional structure of a society which allows the self-regulation of the economic system. It should be noted that the freedom of the market is not sufficient to either ensure or guarantee such a self-regulation. Despite the fundamentalism of the libertarians, there are many cases (not accidentally, but necessarily) when the free market fails to self-regulate. I want to insist on the idea that such a structural incapacity should not be interpreted from a moral point of view, but objectively (in such a perspective, the so-called market failures are well known). I do not discuss here the issue of the free market failures, but a larger issue: could we really speak about an area of social (or economic) activity where the state is “allowed” to normatively intervene and, correlatively, about a “sacred” area of the social (or economic) activity where the state is “not allowed” to normatively intervene?  More

The Three Kinds of Money

The Three Kinds of Money Economy Near Us (VI)

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Recent polemics linked to the fate of the so-called “2nd pension pillar” in Romania (the obligatory privately-run pension, as opposed to the optional private one) has brought to mind an older issue regarding the nature – public or private – of money. Since one of the questions raised by the mentioned discussion is just the nature of the money collected by the state and transferred automatically to the preferred obligatory private pension fund, I will underline some considerations in this article. More

Politics and Policy

Politics and Policy Economy Near Us (VIII)

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

In the vernacular language (even, in some cases, the specialized one) some confusions or, at least, some un-intentioned substitutions occur between two terms (and, consequently, between two concepts which belong to them), namely politics and policy. Of course, etymologically the two terms (and concepts) are cognate, based on the Greek term πόλης, polis (castle, home, town, country) but, in the modern and contemporary language and habits of usage, they hold different meanings, and so address different referentials (denotations). Below I would try to identify both the similarities and differences between politics and policy and, consequently, to suggest some precautions in using them in different situations, either cognitive or pragmatic.  More

An International Auction for Romanian Wild Brown Bears

An International Auction for Romanian Wild Brown Bears

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

In late August 2017, the Romanian Government, through the Ministry for the Environment, decided to allow the shooting of 140 brown bears in the Carpathian Mountains as an administrative measure to curb the bear population in the country, which in some areas is threatening peasant livestock and even the safety of town dwellers. Although the Government backpedalled on its decision in the face of strong pressure from the public and conservationist groups – who accused it of giving in to the hunting industry’s lobby and spurious bear population statistics –, ultimately reaffirming its ban on the trophy hunting of bears and other protected species in the country, it is worth reflecting on how economics can balance public and private interests in the management and conservation of wildlife. More

Corruption as Bad Governance

Corruption as Bad Governance Review of Alina Mungiu-Pipidi’s book – The Quest for Good Governance: How Societies Develop Control of Corruption

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

The issue that has polarized, more than any other, Romanian politics and Romanian society for the last decade and a half is the subject of Alina Mungiu-Pipidi’s book, “The Quest for Good Governance: How Societies Develop Control of Corruption”, Cambridge University Press, 2015 (translated in Romanian by Ioana Aneci as “În căutarea bunei guvernări: cum au scăpat alte țări de corupție”, Polirom, 2017).  More

The Emerging Frontier of the Bucharest Stock Market

The Emerging Frontier of the Bucharest Stock Market

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Since 2016, The Bucharest Stock Exchange (Bursa de Valori București - BVB) is actively seeking official recognition of emerging market status from the world’s leading providers of stock market services. In fall last year, for instance, BVB entered FTSE Russel’s “Watchlist”, the London Stock Exchange’s research and rating agency shortlist of potential emerging markets, while also being under the consideration of S&P, MSCI and Stoxx. More

The Euro’s Italian Job

The Euro’s Italian Job

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Although part of the euro sovereign debt crisis that triggered a double-dip Eurozone recession in 2012 and turned control of public spending – or austerity – into a reverse-keynesian precept for calming the market’s animal spirits, Italy’s conundrum is quite different from that of Greece, Spain, Ireland or Portugal with which the country is often grouped together by financial analysts. More

China’s Approaches to Central Asia States

China’s Approaches to Central Asia States

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

The article deals with China's interests in Central Asia states. It is said that Central Asia has traditionally (since the early 1990s) been interested in Beijing in terms of economic development and security of the neighboring Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Also, China is interested in Central Asia as an additional source for the import of energy resources. For China, Central Asia has an important geopolitical significance as a transit route between mainland China, Europe and the Persian Gulf countries, an alternative to sea routes.  More

Recent Developments in the Economic Governance of the European Union

Recent Developments in the Economic Governance of the European Union Economy Near Us (VII)

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

The existence of Economic and Monetary Union creates a rather eccentric approach of the monetary and fiscal policy. While the European Central Bank’s monetary policy targets price stability union-wide, the fiscal policies have a national character and may have pro-cyclical effects. The large imbalance between the monetary and fiscal policies is a source of vulnerability towards achieving the European Union’s objectives.  More

Ukraine 2030. A Doctrine for Sustainable Development

Ukraine 2030. A Doctrine for Sustainable Development The consolidation of acts – The consolidation of ideas

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

An analysis of the declared strategies and the current economic model of Ukraine indicates that the outdated socio-economic and political paradigm is a key issue that prevents the country from reaching the horizons of balanced development and is reducing Ukraine to the level of a raw material appendage to the developed countries. More

Russia’s Return to the Middle East

Russia’s Return to the Middle East

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

The American President, Donald Trump, recently announced his intentions to negotiate with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar to rethink their stated intentions of purchasing military equipment from the Russian Federation.David Schenker, a candidate for Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, was quoted by Reuters that he “would work with our allies to dissuade them, or encourage them, to avoid military purchases that would be potentially sanctionable”. More

Not Too Young to Perform

Not Too Young to Perform

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

If young people are not too young to get married, to serve in the military or to choose those who represent them in different government capacity, then they are “Not Too Young to Run”.Diversity is needed to create a great team and, if we do not bring women and youth aboard, then we are limiting the country’s competitiveness. To start with, what Nigeria needs at this point in time is inclusive growth. According to the National Bureau of Statistics’ 2016 data, youth represent 50.2% of the total labor force in Nigeria. Hence, by restricting them from the country’s policy formulation and implementation, the country is not likely to attain its economic potential. More

The Quality of Nigeria’s Capital Imports

The Quality of Nigeria’s Capital Imports

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

A saying has it that numbers do not lie, however the parameters behind the numbers might be somewhat misleading. The first quarter of 2018 saw a continuous growth in total capital importation into Nigeria, the fourth consecutive quarterly increase since Q2 2017. The total value of capital imported in the quarter stood at $6.3 billion, which is a year-on-year “YoY” increase of 594.03% and 17.11% growth quarter-on-quarter “QoQ”. This increase in capital inflow in Q1 2018 was mainly driven by portfolio investment, which grew from $3.5 billion in the previous quarter to $4.6 billion, accounting for 72.42% of the total capital importation during the quarter. More

International Business and Economics, in a Romanian Interpretation

International Business and Economics, in a Romanian Interpretation The Faculty issues its Treatise

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Bookfest 2018. Thursday, May 31, the ASE Publishing House launched the treatise entitled Relații Economice Internaționale. Teorii, strategii. politici, instrumente și studii de caz [International economic relations. Theories, strategies, policies, instruments and case studies] – Gheorghe Hurduzeu, Luminiţa Nicolescu (eds.) – in the presence of a numerous audience. The book, the first compendium on the topic in the Romanian economic literature, is the joint effort of scholars from two departments of the Faculty of International Business and Economics, in the Bucharest University of Economic Studies – the Department of International Business and Economics and the Department of Modern Languages and Business Communication. The volume is dedicated equally to students and to specialists, to theorists and to practitioners, though it can be useful as well to any educated individual interested in international issues due to its careful balance between the rigour of the content and the accessibility of the style. The Romanian edition of the treaty is scheduled to be followed by an annotated English version. More

Identity Building in Football

Identity Building in Football When brands need brains

No. 11-12, May.-Aug. 2018

Winning at all costs has often been associated with football, but is success the only aspect that matters to fans? A wooden saying has it that victories will only bring other victories. If so, why do some winning teams attract far less spectators to their games than other teams that actually do not perform that well on the pitch? More

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