Proceedings of the Online Conference “Vaccines and Vaccination during and Post COVID Pandemics” (7–9 December 2022)

Funding Information: The online conference VAC&VAC 2022 gathered about 150 participants from Latvia, Sweden, Italy, the USA, South Korea, South Africa, Netherlands, China, India, Tanzania, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, and San Marino. Among the participants were academic researchers, public health specialists, and industry representatives, and one-fourth were medical students and PhD students. The conference was supported by the Latvian Council of Science grant 2021/1-0484, Riga Stradins University, the National Cancer Institute “Fondazione Pascale” (Naples, Italy), the International Society for Vaccines ( https://isv-online.org/ , accessed on 27 June 2023), and the MDPI Journal Vaccines. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.The COVID-19 pandemic put focus on various aspects of vaccine research and development. These include mass vaccination strategies, vaccination compliance and hesitancy, acceptance of novel vaccine approaches, preclinical and animal models used to assess vaccine safety and efficacy, and many other related issues. These issues were addressed by the international online conference “Vaccines and Vaccination During and Post COVID Pandemics” (VAC&VAC 2022) held on the platform of Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia. Conference was supported by the International Society for Vaccines, the National Cancer Institute “Fondazione Pascale” (Naples, Italy), and the scientific journal VACCINES (mdpi). VAC&VAC 2022 attracted nearly 150 participants from 14 countries. This report summarizes conference presentations and their discussion. Sessions covered the topics of (1) COVID-19 vaccine development, evaluation, and attitude towards these vaccines, (2) HPV and cancer vaccines, (3) progress and challenges of HIV vaccine development, (4) new and re-emerging infectious threats, and (5) novel vaccine vehicles, adjuvants, and carriers. Each session was introduced by a plenary lecture from renowned experts from leading research institutions worldwide. The conference also included sessions on research funding and grant writing and an early career researcher contest in which the winners received monetary awards and a chance to publish their results free of charge in the special issue of VACCINES covering the meeting.Peer reviewe

Education and Social Work handbook

2005 handbook for the faculty of Education and Social Wor

Education handbook

2002 handbook for the faculty of Educatio

Ahead of the Curve: Insights for the International NGO of the Future

International NGOs have a unique and important role to play in addressing today's complex global challenges. But few of them are living up to their full potential. With support from the Hewlett Foundation, FSG researched how the most innovative INGOs are adapting to the disruptions in the global development sector and embracing four approaches to create greater impact

Development of Student-centred Language Learning Environment

The purpose of this study was to develop a web-based language learning platform for Sendai National College of Technology. The application is aimed for the exchange students of the aforementioned school and is meant to facilitate students’ language learning and to endorse a self-driven way of learning. The operating logic and data handling of the application were implemented by using the AngularJS framework and the Firebase data storage platform. In addition to this, HTML5 techniques and JavaScript-based plugins were used to create visually different views and various transitions. Student-centred learning is considered one of the most significant pedagogical point of views. Active student participation and connecting learning processes to real world situations are one of the defining properties of the approach. A student-centred learning environment offers students the tools for content production and management with interactive and communal elements, altogether producing a personalized learning experience. Participatory and socially connected Web, or “Web 2.0” has brought elements of social media and open content into the field of learning, enabling the evolvement of student-centred web-based learning platforms. This trend is often referred as e-learning 2.0. Sendai colleges are renewing their pedagogical models by implementing student-centred methods to teaching and classroom activities. The need for renewal also gave rise to the subject for this thesis work. Development of the application started in November 2016. The application is still in development, but its current features fulfill the initial objects set to it in the design process, with good qualifications for further development. In its current form, the application provides a collaborative and student-centred environment, the features of which complement the pedagogical models that are appropriate to modern mobile services.Insinöörityön tarkoituksena oli kehittää kielen opiskeluun verkko-oppimisjärjestelmä, joka tulee Sendain teknisen korkeakoulun vaihto-opiskelijoiden käyttöön. Järjestelmän tarkoitus on helpottaa opiskelijoiden kielen opiskelua tarjoamalla verkko-oppimisympäristö, jossa opiskelijat ovat aktiivisia tiedon rakentajia ja jossa oppimisen lopputuloksiin pyritään yhteistoiminnan ja opiskelijoiden henkilökohtaisten käsitysten ja assosiaatioiden kautta. Järjestelmän toimintalogiikka ja tiedonhallinta toteutettiin verkkopohjaisia AngularJS- ja Firebase- ohjelmistokehyksiä ja -alustoja käyttäen. Tämän lisäksi eri näkymien visuaaliseen toteutukseen käytettiin HTML5-tekniikoita ja JavaScriptiin perustuvia lisäosia. Nykyään merkittävänä oppimisteoreettisena näkökulmana pidetään oppijakeskeisyyttä, jossa korostuu muun muassa oppijan aktiivinen toiminta oppimisprosessissa ja näiden prosessien liittäminen oikean elämän tilanteisiin. Oppijakeskeinen ympäristö tarjoaa työkaluja sisällön tuotantoon ja hallintaan sekä vuorovaikutusta ja yhteisöllisyyttä. Tietotekniikassa sosiaalinen media ja vapaat sisällöt ovat mahdollistaneet tämänkaltaisten verkko-oppimisalustojen kehityksen. Tätä kehityssuuntaa verkko-oppimisalustoissa kutsutaan e-learning 2.0:ksi. Sendain teknisessä korkeakoulussa on pyritty viime vuosina uudistamaan opetustyyliä rakentamalla sitä oppijakeskeisyyttä tukevan pedagogiikan ympärille. Koulun uudistumistarve opetuksessa myös nosti esille tämän opinnäytetyön aiheen. Järjestelmän kehitystyö aloitettiin marraskuussa 2016. Järjestelmän kehitys on vielä kesken, mutta se täyttää jo nykyisillä toiminnoillaan alussa asetettuja tavoitteita ja luo hyvän perustan jatkokehitykselle. Sillä on myös nykymuodossaan edellytyksiä tarjota vuorovaikutteinen ja oppijakeskeinen työympäristö, jonka toiminnollisuudet tukevat niitä pedagogisia malleja, jotka ovat nykyaikaisille verkko- ja mobiilisovelluksille ominaisia

THE PLACE OF HUMAN CONTESTABILITY IN POSITIVE MANAGEMENT

The present paper purports at analysing the place of human contestability in the field of positive management. The rationale for this paper is five-fold. First is to bestow a theoretical scaffolding of the phenomenon of ‘human contestability’ so that it can be meaningfully conceptualised and coherently understood. The scientific foundations of human contestability are explored wherein an innate human instinct ‘to compete and win’ encourages the expansion of human potential and its ultimate utilisation so that individuals, overtly or covertly, compete against each other in positive and constructive manner for gains and rewards in a highly competitive environment at work and in life. The second motivation is to emphasize that the many-sided human contestability approach is comprehensive in comparison to the traditional human-centred approaches such as human resource development, human capital, human development, capability approach, system of profound knowledge, knowledge management, and system of profound consciousness. The third motivation is to bequeath and construct the theoretical-analytical schema of multidimensionality of human contestability. The fourth motivation is to develop a conceptual model of multifarious relationships among different interconnected critical dimensions of human contestability namely bio-psycho-socioeconomic system, body capital, cognitive capital, emotional capital and resource capital. All these critical human contestability factors jointly and simultaneously contribute to the enhancement or curtailment of human contestability. The last motivation is to evaluate the place of human contestability approach in the science of positive management. The idea of human contestability is new in management science. The power of positive management, to a greater extent, is determined by the level of human contestability in an organisation. The growing rich management insights pinpoint that the applicability of human contestability principles at workplaces are good for positive management environment as well as for the satisfaction, optimism, wellbeing, engagement and happiness of employees and management. Putting an emphasis on human contestability in organisations is thus reinforcing the view that individuals are the ultimate source of value and value generation depends less on tangible resources, but rather on intangible ones, particularly body capital, cognitive intelligence, emotional wellbeing and resource capital. This paper explores the mechanisms for linking human contestability with positive management and hence creating physical attributes and abilities, creative minds, passionate hearts, and individual empowerment.

System Design and Architecture of an Online, Adaptive, and Personalized Learning Platform

The authors propose that personalized learning can be brought to traditional and nontraditional learners through a new type of asynchronous learning platform called Guided Learning Pathways (GLP). The GLP platform allows learners to intelligently traverse a vast field of learning resources, emphasizing content only of direct relevance to the learner and presenting it in a way that matches the learner’s pedagogical preference and contextual interests. GLP allows learners to advance towards individual learning goals at their own pace, with learning materials catered to each learner’s interests and motivations. Learning communities would support learners moving through similar topics. This report describes the software system design and architecture required to support Guided Learning Pathways. The authors provide detailed information on eight software applications within GLP, including specific learning benefits and features of each. These applications include content maps, learning nuggets, and nugget recommendation algorithms. A learner scenario helps readers visualize the functionality of the platform. To describe the platform’s software architecture, the authors provide conceptual data models, process flow models, and service group definitions. This report also provides a discussion on the potential social impact of GLP in two areas: higher education institutions and the broader economy