Feedback from Students on Career Opportunities in Tourism: A Cognitive Research Approach

 In order to learn different techniques of tourism, students acquire different knowledge and skills, but also develop critical opinions, seek more and more information and knowledge from different perspectives. The demands of the labor market, together with the competences acquired during studies, foster students’ critical thinking. Through providing feedback, students’ opinions can serve as confirmation of the effectiveness of acquiring empirical and practical knowledge in higher education institutions. The aim of this study is to investigate opinions and expectations of students of Faculty of Hotel Management and Tourism about employment opportunities in the tourism industry, after completing their formal education. The authors conducted a quantitative study analyzing the responses of two groups of students (first-year students and fourth-year students) of the University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Hotel Management and Tourism in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia. The results indicate that students primarily value employment opportunities in tourism when they involve managerial or leadership positions. Furthermore, while some students express readiness to accept any tourism-related job after graduation, they also advise prospective students to carefully reconsider pursuing higher education in tourism. The results will be very useful for universities (deans, administrators, and other) and future creators of the educational policy of the subject research, but also of wider scope

Research Work in the Educational and Cognitive Activities of School Students

 The increasing complexity of the modern educational environment requires schools to develop students’ ability to independently identify problems, find solutions, and reflect on their own learning experiences. In this context, students’ research activities are considered as the most important component of educational and cognitive activities that contribute to personal and intellectual development. The purpose of this study is to substantiate the theoretical foundations and test the model of the organization of scientific research work of schoolchildren at different stages of general secondary education The study used a longitudinal pedagogical experiment conducted in a natural school environment, which involved students in grades 1-11 and teachers involved in the learning process. The research project combines qualitative and quantitative methods, including observations, surveys, diagnostic tests, and expert assessments. The experimental work was carried out in four stages: information-evaluation, fragmentary-technological, sequential-technological and creative-technological. The results show a positive trend in the development of students’ research activities at all levels of secondary education, manifested in increased motivation, independence and reflective skills. The presented model has proven its effectiveness in creating conditions for the gradual development of research competence and students’ readiness for independent cognitive activity. The results obtained confirm the educational potential of research activities as a means of improving the quality of education and supporting students’ self-development

Development of a Cloud-Based WebRTC VoIP Application Using the Docker Platform for an Educational Environment

 The development of real-time communication systems has become increasingly important for educational institutions seeking flexible, scalable, and cost-effective digital learning environments. This paper presents the design, implementation, and performance evaluation of a cloud-based WebRTC Voice over IP application deployed through Docker container technology and integrated into an educational e-learning system. The proposed solution enables secure browser-based audio and video communication between instructors and students, as well as among students, without requiring additional plugins or native software installation. The application architecture is based on multiple containerized microservices, including database, WebSocket, Apache, and Nginx components, hosted within the Microsoft Azure cloud environment. To assess the efficiency of the proposed model, performance testing was conducted across three deployment infrastructures: bare-metal server, virtual server, and Docker-based platform. The evaluation included application deployment time, startup time, system restart time, and response time under different numbers of concurrent sessions. The results indicate that the Docker-based implementation achieved the best overall performance, with substantially shorter deployment and startup times and lower response latency compared with both bare-metal and virtualized alternatives. These findings confirm that containerized WebRTC infrastructure can improve scalability, maintainability, and responsiveness in educational communication systems. The study contributes a practical implementation model for integrating real-time VoIP and video communication into e-learning platforms, particularly for institutions seeking open-source, cloud-ready, and resource-efficient communication solutions

Ethical, Legal and Security Aspects of the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education

 The application of artificial intelligence in education and scientific research offers significant opportunities for enhancing learning personalization, analytics, and the efficiency of research processes, while simultaneously raising complex ethical and legal issues. This paper examines the ethical and legal aspects of the use of artificial intelligence in teaching, assessment, and scientific research, with particular attention to the fairness of algorithmic decision-making, system transparency and explainability, data protection and privacy, academic integrity, and the preservation of human responsibility. The paper highlights the risks associated with automated assessment and the potential erosion of teachers’ professional autonomy, as well as methodological challenges related to the use of artificial intelligence in research, including bias, verifiability of results, authorship, and mandatory disclosure of AI use. It concludes that sustainable and ethically justified implementation of artificial intelligence requires a human-in-the-loop approach, clear institutional policies, transparent documentation, and continuous oversight, in order to align technological innovation with the fundamental values of education and science

Artificial Intelligence, Social Change, and Sociology Education: Toward Digital Sociology in The Age of Deglobalization

 This paper investigates the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and deglobalization processes on contemporary society, with a particular focus on redefining the discipline of sociology and educational paradigms. Through a critical analysis of opposing currents of digital integration and geopolitical fragmentation, and by synthesizing insights from the sociology of technology, education, and digital transformation theory, the study offers a conceptual framework for digital sociology as a new theoretical and methodological domain that examines how algorithms, platforms, and intelligent systems shape social relations. Three key aspects are analyzed: (1) the role of AI in reconfiguring social structures, (2) the consequences of deglobalization on the development of digital technologies, and (3) the necessity of reforming sociology education to prepare future researchers for a critical understanding of these processes. The study adopts an interdisciplinary approach, combining theoretical analysis with case studies. Its primary contribution lies in elaborating strategies for adapting sociological education to the conditions of digital transformation, fostering ethical reasoning, and promoting social responsibility

Signature as a Trace of Identity: A Theoretical - Research Approach to Criminal Profiling

 This paper examines the concept of the signature in criminal profiling as a key indicator that reveals the offender’s psychological structure and internal motivation. Unlike the modus operandi - which includes the technical and functional aspects of committing a crime - the signature reflects the offender’s emotional and psychological needs that extend beyond the purpose of the act itself. The signature is viewed as an expression of inner impulses and fantasies, manifested through stable behavioral patterns and rituals. The research emphasizes its applicability in contemporary profiling, particularly in the identification of serial offenders, where stable signature elements allow investigators to connect cases that initially appear unrelated. However, a signature is not always present - it may be absent due to situational factors, emotional fluctuations, or deliberate concealment of trace evidence. The examination of real investigative cases, along with examples from literature and film, shows that identifying the offender’s signature behavior helps investigators better understand the motives that drive the crime. Once the signature is recognized, it provides deeper insight into the offender’s internal impulses, making it easier to connect related crimes and contributing to their eventual resolution

Social and Technological Drivers of Sustainable Manufacturing Performance: A Cognitive-Organizational Perspective

 Sustainable manufacturing has become a strategic priority for organizations seeking to balance competitiveness with environmental and social responsibility. However, the successful implementation of sustainability initiatives depends not only on technological and economic factors but also on workforce competencies, organizational learning, and human-centered drivers. This study examines the cognitive and organizational determinants of sustainable manufacturing performance through the analysis of social, economic, environmental, and quality drivers in manufacturing organizations in the Republic of Serbia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 153 employees in productionrelated positions. The research model integrates human, technological, and managerial dimensions of sustainability and evaluates their influence on six performance outcomes: environmental, social, economic, process, innovation, and stakeholder performance. Multiple regression analyses were applied to test the proposed relationships. The findings indicate that environmental and economic drivers exert the strongest positive effects on performance outcomes, while social drivers - reflecting employee engagement, training, and organizational culture - demonstrate moderate but significant influence. Quality drivers show mixed effects across performance domains. The results highlight the critical role of workforce involvement, knowledge development, and sustainability-oriented competencies in supporting organizational transformation toward sustainable manufacturing. This study contributes to the emerging cognitive-organizational perspective on sustainability by integrating human and technological drivers within a single empirical framework and providing evidence from a transition economy context

Education in the Age of AI: Adaptive Systems, Assessment, and Responsible Governance

 This paper examines how Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) is reshaping teaching and learning, drawing on a systematic literature review alongside policy analysis to explore practical applications, the theories behind them, and their governance consequences. Adopting the EU AI Act’s risk-based lens, we investigate the ways in which regulatory demands—ranging from transparency and data stewardship to human oversight and provider accountability—influence how AIED tools are built and taken up in practice. We group current uses into four areas—adaptive learning, intelligent assessment, learner profiling, and emerging tools—and read them through the prism of well-known learning theories such as constructivism. The analysis underscores that while these technologies hold real promise, several prominent use cases—automated grading and learner profiling, for instance— fall squarely within the EU AI Act’s higher-obligation categories, which means equity, explainability, and genuine human control are not optional but essential for public trust. On the basis of these findings, we put forward concrete, compliance-oriented recommendations aimed at helping educators, institutions, and policymakers deploy AI responsibly across varied educational settings

Editorial

Editoria

Digital Communication Platforms for Institutional Branding: A Conceptual Review of Learning, Digital Literacy, and AI/Ml Integration

 This paper examines the role of digital communication platforms in institutional branding in higher education, with particular attention to learning processes, digital literacy, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Based on a structured review and theoretical synthesis of interdisciplinary literature, the study conceptualizes institutional branding as a dynamic and relational process shaped by digitally mediated interactions among multiple stakeholders.The analysis integrates three interrelated dimensions: digital communication platforms and institutional strategies, stakeholders’ digital literacy as a mediating factor in engagement and trust formation, and the role of AI/ML systems in personalizing content, shaping visibility, and quantifying engagement, including their ethical implications. The paper argues that digital platforms function as infrastructural spaces for the co-creation of institutional reputation, while digital literacy enables meaningful engagement and trust. At the same time, AI/ML systems enhance communicative efficiency but introduce reputational and ethical risks. The study proposes a conceptual framework to support future empirical research and the development of responsible communication strategies in higher education