The Digitalisation of the Economy and Higher Education

The purpose of this article is to analyse the digital economy in higher educational institutions of the EU, the USA and the Russian Federation. The study examines topical issues and directions of higher education transformation, in the context of creating a digital learning environment. A learning process model is designed for a higher educational institution. The model will help to obtain competencies that meet the requirements of a digital economy. There is a need to adapt the education system to changes in the labour market. The activities of educational institutions and public authorities should be coordinated to prepare the optimal number of specialists that will be in demand. Corporate and university education should be integrated. Higher educational institutions should focus on increasing digital and business literacy in students, continuous digital training and retraining of teachers. The research developments are universal in nature and might be applied both as part of managing IT-learning processes of individual educational institutions and in national (regional) practices

Management of the Energy Business in the Countries with Developing Economies in the Conditions of the Integration Processes

The present article describes the problems, which are connected with consequences of the ever-increasing influence of the world integration processes upon the national economies in the sphere of energy business. At the global level, this influence is evident as the dependency of governmental budgets of the oil and gas sector from commercial interests of the international corporations, which are owners of the production enterprises in the countries with developing economies. Moreover, it creates new vectors and trends of development both for entire industry and for power markets particularly. Goal of this article is to test this hypothesis on the basis of the corporate structured approach with the help of statistical and financial methods and instruments. Another goal of this article is to determine degree of influence of corporations upon national economies of developing countries in the power-generating sector. As the result, we have succeeded in improvement of the LRD (Limited Risk Distributor), which is the model of the corporate business management. This model is topical one and it is applicable for any energy companies within corporate entities (holdings and groups of companies) in the countries with developing economies. Keywords: energy business; emerging markets; corporations; LRD management business model. JEL Classifications: F23; F36; G34; O13 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.778

State Priorities in the Petrochemistry of Russia: Sustainable Development, “Green” Industry and Energy Efficiency

This research aims at diagnosing such priority areas for the development of petrochemicals in Russia as sustainable development and energy efficiency, at identifying trends and forecasting the development of the industry, taking into account the greening of the industry. Achieving the goal is based on the use of methods such as graphical, comparative, economic and mathematical (neural network modeling, correlation regression analysis), and prognostic. The article contains an assessment of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals focused on energy saving and environmental protection; forecasting the level of greenhouse gas emissions in Russia based on the construction of a neural network and a regression model; comparative analysis of the rates of transition to sustainable development of chemical production and production of coke and petroleum products in the Russian economy. The scientific results of the research are a neural network model trained on the indicators of sustainable and energy efficient development of the Russian economy, on the basis of which the relationship between the level of greenhouse gas emissions, the energy intensity of GDP and the share of electricity from renewable energy sources is formalized; a predictive model that made it possible to calculate future values of greenhouse gas emissions depending on the target values of predictive variables; features of the greening of petrochemical industries in Russia.Keywords: petrochemical industry, state priorities, sustainable development, green industry, energy efficiency, Russia.JEL Classifications: О14, D24, С41DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.11364</p

Flexible and Contextual Cloud Applications in Mobile Learning

The aim of the article is to study the modern mobile learning system, to understand its advantages and disadvantages, and to determine the relationship between the concepts of digital learning. The goal of the study is to conduct an experiment on the implementation of a flexible mobile application for studying the "macroeconomics" by students of economic specialties and to compare the results obtained with the selected control group. A total of 20 sophomores (10 each from two universities: Sechenov University, Department of Economics and Management; and Azerbaijan State Economic University, Department of Economic Theory) were offered to study the course in macroeconomics using a mobile application during the semester (from September to December 2019). Students were selected from two universities for the scientific objectivity and from the second year of the bachelor's degree, since "macroeconomics" is studied in the early courses, regardless of the further, specific economic direction of the student. Students did not attend lectures and practical classes with a teacher; all training was performed with the help of an application. A control group of the same specialty and year (also 20 people) was selected to confirm or contradict the effectiveness of such a mobile application. The control group students studied "macroeconomics" in the traditional way, namely attending lectures and practical classes with a teacher, during this semester. As a result of the experiment, the study group students liked training with the application. Meanwhile, 70% of the students would not like to have such training for all disciplines, permanently. But students supported studying using a special mobile app as a supplement to the main format of teaching. During the final examination, held by the traditional method (a written exam - answers to 4 open questions and 10 multiple choice questions), the following results were obtained. Students, who were using m-learning, on average, got higher results by 0.2 points, according to the overall assessment, a 5-grade scale, and separately according to the test results more by 2 correct answers than students with the traditional education. Thus, this can be explained since students using mobile app practiced material in a form of game or case, which helped them to immerse themselves more in the problem and to assimilate the material. The results were compared with the research of other scientists.</p

Energy War Strategies: The 21st Century Experience

The purpose of this study was to identify the potential initiators of energy wars and determine their boundaries of influence through the prism of energy dependency. The study also evaluated the impact of energy resources on the economic development of 48 countries. The development priorities of those countries were substantiated through establishing the linkage between energy intensity and indicators reflecting the impact of energy resources on economic development. The study offered an energy dependence matrix, which shows which market players can actively participate in energy wars. Using data from the matrix and integrative analysis of energy dependence indicators, the energy dependence forecast was made. The forecast presents optimistic, realistic, and pessimistic scenarios for the short-term (up to 2025) and long-term (up to 2030) impacts of energy wars. The study proposes a novel approach to assessing the impact of energy wars, which implies that the consequences of energy-induced conflict should be evaluated based on forecasted and threshold values. The major threat to the global energy market was found to be political instability in energy-rich countries. The proposed methodological approach is suitable for all groups of countries and allows preventing negative consequences of energy wars through minimizing the level of energy dependence

Supply Chain in Insurance of High-Tech Companies: Formation Characteristics

Abstract— This article was aimed at forming an idea of companies’ portfolios applying high technologies in the process of modern supply chain insurance business digitalization. For this aim, the analysis of Russian and Azerbaijan insurance markets and the dynamics of their gradual implementation of online technologies was carried out. To compile an objective picture of the current market situation, two insurance firms, namely, AlfaStrakhovanie and Mango Insurance Company, were selected for the research. As part of the analysis, the study examined the supply chain insurance structure of the AlfaStrakhovanie Company. Within the present research, the features of its regulation and diversification were highlighted. Moreover, the study outlined the work specifics of new insurance companies and InsurTech startups in domestic realities. Despite higher possibilities of supply chain disruptions, enterprises in APAC exhibit lesser investment in the supply chain industry because of their lack of knowledge on the same and their reluctance to pay high premiums. The obtained results were based on the Markowitz portfolio optimization model and allowed creating the optimal supply chain structure of the insurance company’s portfolio, taking into account the risks associated with the use of modern technologies

The Intelligent Platform of Autonomous Learning in Post-Secondary Education

The aim of the study was to develop and test the effectiveness of an autonomous learning intelligent platform in post-secondary education. It was conducted on the basis of the Institute of Dentistry named after E.V. Borovsky in I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Moscow, Russia) and Humanitarian and technical academy (Kokshetau, Kazakhstan). This research involved 59 teachers and 390 students, who comprised the total sample of 449 respondents. The experiment consisted of three stages – introductory, experimental, and final. The introductory stage included the distribution of enrolled students into the experimental and control groups. Besides, at the introductory stage, the development of questionnaires directed at identifying students’ and teachers’ readiness to implement autonomous learning was performed. Apart from this, the involved educators were required to fill the learning platform with predetermined training content. The considered intelligent learning platform was developed by programmers by prior agreement with educational institutions under study. The experimental stage was aimed at introducing the designed model of autonomous learning based on the created intelligent platform. The final stage implied surveying of all study participants according to the developed questionnaires. After the introduction of the created autonomous learning model, it was revealed that 51.5% of enrolled teachers were ready for self-directed education at a high level, 20.4% – at a satisfactory level, 18.4% – at a moderate level, and 9.7% – at a low level. Among the students of Sechenov University, 21% of respondents had a high level of readiness for autonomous learning based on intelligent platforms, 27% of students had a sufficient level, 35% – moderate, and 17% – low. Among the Humanitarian and technical academy students, 29% had a high readiness for autonomous learning, 30% were ready at a sufficient level, 25% at a moderate, and 16% at a low level. This study provided an opportunity to use the developed questionnaires and the model of autonomous learning in post-secondary education for further research on the implementation of self-directed training

The Intelligent Platform of Autonomous Learning in Post-Secondary Education

The aim of the study was to develop and test the effectiveness of an autonomous learning intelligent platform in post-secondary education. It was conducted on the basis of the Institute of Dentistry named after E.V. Borovsky in I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Moscow, Russia) and Humanitarian and technical academy (Kokshetau, Kazakhstan). This research involved 59 teachers and 390 students, who comprised the total sample of 449 respondents. The experiment consisted of three stages – introductory, experimental, and final. The introductory stage included the distribution of enrolled students into the experimental and control groups. Besides, at the introductory stage, the development of questionnaires directed at identifying students’ and teachers’ readiness to implement autonomous learning was performed. Apart from this, the involved educators were required to fill the learning platform with predetermined training content. The considered intelligent learning platform was developed by programmers by prior agreement with educational institutions under study. The experimental stage was aimed at introducing the designed model of autonomous learning based on the created intelligent platform. The final stage implied surveying of all study participants according to the developed questionnaires. After the introduction of the created autonomous learning model, it was revealed that 51.5% of enrolled teachers were ready for self-directed education at a high level, 20.4% – at a satisfactory level, 18.4% – at a moderate level, and 9.7% – at a low level. Among the students of Sechenov University, 21% of respondents had a high level of readiness for autonomous learning based on intelligent platforms, 27% of students had a sufficient level, 35% – moderate, and 17% – low. Among the Humanitarian and technical academy students, 29% had a high readiness for autonomous learning, 30% were ready at a sufficient level, 25% at a moderate, and 16% at a low level. This study provided an opportunity to use the developed questionnaires and the model of autonomous learning in post-secondary education for further research on the implementation of self-directed training

Impact of Non-Financial Factors on the Effectiveness of Audits in Energy Companies

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of non-financial factors in the structure of a financial audit on its quality in energy companies. To assess the impact of the audit on performance indicators of companies under study, it is proposed to use the authors&rsquo; method by determining the length of the integrated audit vector as well as analysis of variance. The study was carried out on the basis of materials from five large energy (oil and gas) companies from different countries. Santos&rsquo; conversion of oil well pumps to solar power has clear environmental benefits. Gazprom&rsquo;s social responsibility has, although stable, the lowest results. When conducting a financial audit, this component of performance does not have a significant impact. This explains the company&rsquo;s focus on financial performance. The most effective corporate social responsibility is characteristic of Pioneer Natural Resources (PNR). In Gazprom and E.ON, despite the annual increase in financial indicators according to the classical audit option, the integrated audit vector has lesser value. Changes in the conditions for the formation of efficient activities of energy companies in the context of not only the financial component, but also sustainable development and social responsibility require the transformation of a financial audit in the context of its integration

Digital literacy and digital didactics for the development of new learning models

The study aims to investigate digital literacy and digital didactics as the basis for the development of new learning models via comparative qualitative research methods. As a result, the principle of personalization implies the ability of a student to independently determine the purpose of training, choose a strategy for the educational process, the pace and level of development of the educational program. In conclusion, to determine digital literacy, an index was developed which shows how prepared the teacher is for learning online and through innovation.El estudio tiene como objetivo investigar la alfabetización digital y la didáctica digital como base para el desarrollo de nuevos modelos de aprendizaje a través de métodos comparativos de investigación cualitativa. Como resultado, el principio de personalización implica la capacidad de un estudiante para determinar de manera independiente el propósito de la capacitación, elegir una estrategia para el proceso educativo, el ritmo y el nivel de desarrollo del programa educativo. En conclusión, para determinar la alfabetización digital, se desarrolló un índice que muestra qué tan preparado está el maestro para aprender en línea y a través de la innovación