Exploring digital discourse with Chinese characteristics: contradictions and tensions

Capitalism in China is under transformations. This research aims to register and interpret China’s discourse on network technologies, reveal the underlying ideologies, and tie this discourse to the transformation of China’s capitalism of which it is a part. Digital discourse, as this thesis defines it, is about the contemporary discourse on network technology under Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics. China’s state-led capitalism has gone through all aspects of changes that are enabled by network technologies, ranging from production, consumption and the market, to the relations between international capital, the State, domestic capital, and individuals are experiencing changes. Along with the economic, political and technological changes are ideological transformations. Digital discourse is part of the social process that is related to other social changes. This thesis will focus on the particular forms of digital discourse as a channel to investigate both social and ideological transformations in China’s digital capitalism. In particular, this thesis looks at the digital discourse from three social and political actors. It analyses discourse from the current central government’s information society policies and President Xi Jinping’s speeches, from CEOs of the dominant Internet companies in China, and from young workers in China’s ‘Silicon Valley’ Shenzhen. Through the lens of ideology, this thesis provides a critique of how digital discourse from different actors legitimate social relations in the current capitalism in China. In particular, at the international level, the government and BAT have appropriated a nationalist discourse to legitimate the global expansion of China’s capital and enterprises. At the domestic level, these actors have produced different types of discourse to legitimate the concentration of the market and the commercialisation of Internet platforms. At the individual level, there is a tendency among all actors to construct a consumer identity to replace a more politically active citizen identity. Through analysing digital discourse from these three actors, this thesis also identifies several features of ideology and the mechanisms of how ideologies work in contemporary capitalism. While the study illustrates the discrepancy of ideological discourse between by the dominant groups and subaltern groups, it also identifies one crucial ideology that legitimates, internalises and naturalises the dominant socio-political arrangements surrounding the commercialised Internet – This is no alternative. This finding suggests a double-layer and multi-dimensional understandings of the ideologies about China’s digital capitalism

Museums as part of the network of digital culture: A comparative study between the Republic of Korea and the UK

This thesis explores the networks of digital culture surrounding six national museums in the Republic of Korea and the UK. Via qualitative research methods, it answers the following research questions: 1) How do the dynamics between the key actors in the museum sector affect the use of digital technology as a foundation of visitor experience? 2) How have museum practices evolved to accommodate digital technology? This study also draws comparisons and contrasts between the two countries’ different approaches to digital culture in museums. Based on Actor-Network theory (ANT) and activity theory (AT), this research identifies actors who have influenced the digital projects of the case museums, for example, government, the museum itself, museum practitioners, digital industry, the public, and so on. The ways they have interconnected with each other are analysed also, as is tracing the actors. The research also highlights the importance of communities of practice (CoP) for museum practitioners’ professional development because of the rapid evolution of technology and the nature of museum digital projects that are situated between the digital and museum sectors. A comparative analysis between the two countries’ national museums is also presented through different actors, their roles and their relationship with the museums. The research also identifies how communication and learning theories adopted in digital projects are dependent on the museums’ overall missions, working processes, and the actors involved in the development of the digital projects. Most digital projects seem to adopt one-way communication and focus on knowledge delivery. However, game-like digital exhibits, maker spaces and online crowdsourcing projects that further consider learner-centred and sociocultural learning approaches are also found, although the museums in the two countries have different approaches. Based on the research findings, this research provides a holistic context for understanding the digital phenomenon in museums and the degree to which the museums have shaped/been impacted by digital culture. I also suggest that museums develop digital projects through a collaborative process and harness digital technology to empower the public

The Development of eServices in an Enlarged EU: eLearning in Slovenia

In 2005, IPTS launched a project which aimed to assess the developments in eGoverment, eHealth and eLearning in the 10 New Member States at national, and at cross-country level. At that time, the 10 New Member States were Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. A report for each country was produced, describing its educational system and the role played by eLearning within both the formal education system and other aspects of lifelong learning. Each report then analyzes, on the basis of desk research and expert interviews, the major achievements, shortcomings, drivers and barriers in the development of eLearning in one of the countries in question. This analysis provides the basis for the identification and discussion of national policy options to address the major challenges and to suggest R&D issues relevant to the needs of each country - in this case, Slovenia.JRC.J.4-Information Societ

Information Literacy as a Factor of Developing Teaching Competency in Foreign Language Teachers in the People`s Republic of China

The problem of developing information literacy in modern society is urgent because the ability to use information resources is one of the ways to carry out effective professional activity. The aim of our study is to analyse the development of information literacy of foreign language teachers in the PRC. The following research methods have been used for this purpose: comparative pedagogical analysis and empirical data analysis. The obtained survey results were processed using qualimetric techniques. The results of the survey allowed determining a need to develop information literacy in Chinese foreign language teachers. For deeper analysis, observation of teachers was conducted during classes, which allowed determining areas of work with them on understanding the component of pedagogical competence as an individual professional element and the value attitude towards information resources. The main conclusions of the study provide for identification of the ways to develop information literacy in Chinese foreign language teachers. At the same time, possibilities of using modern interactive methods for information literacy in Chinese foreign language teachers were identified. Promising areas of further research may be the study of the use of interactive methods in combination with collaborative technologies to develop information literacy in Chinese foreign language teachers

Higher education policy in practice: Digitalization and the governance reform in an Italian university (1988-2021)

Academic research has extensively inspected the changing modes of governance in higher education systems through systemic and comparative research. This article aims to investigate these processes from a different perspective and vantage point. In particular, the translation of (trans)national instances into local micro-policy and practice is examined by historicising the social construction of digitalisation as a policy field in an Italian university over three decades (1988–2021). The emergence of knowledge and power arrangements across the complex entanglement of broader cultural history and local microhistory is thus examined. A hybrid configuration emerges in the observed university that features aspects from both its legacy bureaucratic mode of governance and the entrepreneurial paradigm. These institutional dynamics are consistent with wider systemic patterns in Italian higher education. The divergence between planned policy change and experienced realities is thus confirmed

The Development of eServices in an Enlarged EU: eGovernment and eHealth in the Czech Republic

In 2005, IPTS launched a project which aimed to assess the developments in eGoverment, eHealth and eLearning in the 10 New Member States at national, and at cross-country level. At that time, the 10 New Member States were Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, and Slovakia. A report for each country was produced, describing its government and health systems and the role played by eGovernment and eHealth within these systems. Each report then analyzes, on the basis of desk research and expert interviews, the major achievements, shortcomings, drivers and barriers in the development of eGovernment and eHealth in one of the countries in question. This analysis provides the basis for the identification and discussion of national policy options to address the major challenges and to suggest R&D issues relevant to the needs of each country ¿ in this case, the Czech Republic. In addition to national monographs, the project has delivered a synthesis report, which offers an integrated view of the developments of each application domain in the New Member States. Furthermore, a prospective report looking across and beyond the development of the eGoverment, eHealth and eLearning areas has been developed to summarize policy challenges and options for the development of eServices and the Information Society towards the goals of Lisbon and i2010.JRC.J.4-Information Societ

Support of Education in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity depends heavily on education. The paper addresses the support of education as the smartest investment in cybersecurity. To define priorities, an early estimate of the state of cybersecurity in Moldova by an online survey has been completed. A wide range of aspects related to cybersecurity education are elucidated within three basic periods: initial (school), transit (university) and reinforcement (implementation and use at workplace). Referred to in these are: formation of an ‘informational’ culture, target professions, curricula content, competences, cooperation with companies, digital education, e-learning platforms, information services, risks associated with human resources, etc. Also, conceptual aspects regarding the creation of a cybersecurity polygon in support of training in the field are described: basic objectives, main functions, structural components, the technological platform and methodological issues of creating the system of cybersecurity models for application as needed

The Development of eServices in an Enlarged EU: eGovernment and eHealth in Slovakia

In 2005, IPTS launched a project which aimed to assess the developments in eGoverment, eHealth and eLearning in the 10 New Member States at national, and at cross-country level. At that time, the 10 New Member States were Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. A report for each country was produced, describing its government and health systems and the role played by eGovernment and eHealth within these systems. Each report then analyzes, on the basis of desk research and expert interviews, the major achievements, shortcomings, drivers and barriers in the development of eGovernment and eHealth in one of the countries in question. This analysis provides the basis for the identification and discussion of national policy options to address the major challenges and to suggest R&D issues relevant to the needs of each country ¿ in this case, Slovakia. In addition to national monographs, the project has delivered a synthesis report, which offers an integrated view of the developments of each application domain in the New Member States. Furthermore, a prospective report looking across and beyond the development of the eGoverment, eHealth and eLearning areas has been developed to summarize policy challenges and options for the development of eServices and the Information Society towards the goals of Lisbon and i2010.JRC.J.4-Information Societ