Higher Education Reform In Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan, a former soviet republic in Central Asia, is currently going through a process of higher education reform to strengthen its system, many of the problems of which are a legacy of its soviet history. Reforms include the establishment of a national testing system for graduates of secondary education, the development of an ethics code to counter the buying of grades, the development of new programs and courses, the institution of higher education consortia, and others

Exploring the Roles of Adult Education and Human Resource Development before and after Retirement of Faculty and Practitioners in the Fields

Given the large numbers of baby boomers who are at an age where retirement is an active consideration, it is critical for HRD and AE scholars and practitioners to consider seriously their roles in preparing such professionals for making appropriate decisions; making their retirement healthy, productive, and rewarding; and assisting such professionals in achieving their visions once that decision is made. There is a void in the literature addressing these roles. In this symposium, we will explore with attendees what these roles might be, expanding our understanding about what retirement means, and how to expand the research in these areas

General vs. Specific-referent Instruments to Measure Training Transfer in a Transportation Organization in Canada

In this study, we analyzed transfer, as measured by different instruments, and its relation to some of the factors that have been related to transfer in a Canadian transportation organization. Transfer was measured cross-sectionally through the application of three scales to short-distance truck drivers. Transfer was perceived as higher when a general rather than a specific transfer instrument was applied, implying that the choice of instrument could influence the results. This highlights the relevance of instrument selection in the design of studies. Additionally, while correlations between satisfaction with the training, content relevance and motivation to transfer and transfer differed with different instruments, the correlation between accountability and transfer did not. Contrary to the trend of using a single measure of transfer, this study provides empirical evidence of the transfer construct as measured through different instruments. This evidence can be useful in research methods on training transfer to understand better the construct and its operationalization. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.En aquest estudi hem analitzat la transferència de formació, mesurada per diferents instruments, i la seva relació amb alguns dels factors de transferència en una organització de transport canadenca. La transferència es va mesurar transversalment mitjançant l'aplicació de tres escales a conductors de camions de curta distància. La transferència va ser més alta quan es va aplicar un instrument de referència general en lloc d'un instrument de referència específic, fet que implica que l'elecció de l'instrument podria influir en els resultats. Això posa de manifest la rellevància de la selecció d'instruments en el disseny d'estudis. A més, si bé les correlacions entre la satisfacció amb la formació, la rellevància del contingut, la motivació per a la transferència i la transferència diferien amb els diferents instruments, la correlació entre la rendició de comptes i la transferència no. Contràriament a la tendència d'utilitzar una única mesura de transferència, aquest estudi proporciona evidència empírica de la construcció de la transferència mesurada mitjançant diferents instruments. Aquesta evidència pot ser útil en mètodes d'investigació sobre la transferència de formació per entendre millor el constructe i la seva operativització. Es discuteixen implicacions per a la teoria i la pràctica.Se analiza la transferencia de formación y su relación con algunos de los factores de transferencia a través de diferentes instrumentos en una organización de transporte canadiense. A través de un diseño transversal se aplicaron tres escalas a conductores de camión tras una formación en cabina. La transferencia percibida fue mayor cuando se aplicó un instrumento de referencia general en lugar de un instrumento de referencia específica, lo que implica que la elección del instrumento pudo influenciar en los resultados y resalta la relevancia de la elección de la escala en el diseño de los estudios. Mientras que las correlaciones entre la satisfacción con la formación, la relevancia del contenido y la motivación con la transferencia y la transferencia fueron diferentes al utilizar un instrumento general y uno específico, la correlación entre el interés del supervisor y la transferencia no difirió. Este estudio aporta evidencia empírica sobre la medición de la transferencia a través de diferentes instrumentos. Esta evidencia puede ser útil en diseños de investigación de estudios de transferencia para mejorar la operativización del constructo. Se discuten implicaciones para la teoría y la práctica

The influence of socioeconomic deprivation on multimorbidity at different ages: a cross-sectional study

<b>Background</b> Multimorbidity occurs at a younger age in individuals in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation but little is known about the 'typology' of multimorbidity in different age groups and its association with socioeconomic status.<p></p> <b>Aim</b> To characterise multimorbidity type and most common conditions in a large nationally representative primary care dataset in terms of age and deprivation.<p></p> <b>Design and setting</b> Cross-sectional analysis of 1 272 685 adults in Scotland.<p></p> <b>Method</b> Multimorbidity type of participants (physical-only, mental-only, mixed physical, and mental) and most common conditions were analysed according to age and deprivation.<p></p> <b>Results</b> Multimorbidity increased with age, ranging from 8.1% in those aged 25–34 to 76.1% for those aged ≥75 years. Physical-only (56% of all multimorbidity) was the most common type of multimorbidity in those aged ≥55 years, and did not vary substantially with deprivation. Mental-only was uncommon (4% of all multimorbidity), whereas mixed physical and mental (40% of all multimorbidity) was the most common type of multimorbidity in those aged <55 years and was two- to threefold more common in the most deprived compared with the least deprived in most age groups. Ten conditions (seven physical and three mental) accounted for the top five most common conditions in people with multimorbidity in all age groups. Depression and pain featured in the top five conditions across all age groups. Deprivation was associated with a higher prevalence of depression, drugs misuse, anxiety, dyspepsia, pain, coronary heart disease, and diabetes in multimorbid patients at different ages.<p></p> <b>Conclusion</b> Mixed physical and mental multimorbidity is common across the life-span and is exacerbated by deprivation from early adulthood onwards

Predictors of university students’ intention to participate voluntarily in an urban agriculture program

Urban agriculture has generated significant interest in developing countries to address concerns over food security. While attracting the participation of young people in agriculture has become a major challenge for many countries, few quantitative studies have been carried out on students’ participation in urban agriculture programs. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior, we surveyed 438 undergraduate students from a public university in Malaysia about their intention to join a new urban agriculture program. Hierarchical regression findings indicated that attitude, subjective norms, perceived barriers, and moral norms accounted for 39 percent of the variability in students’ intention to participate in the program beyond the contribution of, family involvement in agriculture, participation in on-campus activities, past volunteer experience, and gender. Attitude, subjective norms, and moral norms appear to be an important target to inspire students volunteering for the program

Sustainability Strategies in Spanish International Organizations

Se presenta el estado de la estrategias de sostenibilidad de tres empresas españolas internacionalesSe presentan ejemplos de estrategias de sostenibilidad de tres empresas internacionales españolas, y se ponen en relación con los cinco compromisos adquiridos por las empresas en la Agenda 2030.2020-2

How Developmental Relationships Can Be Used by Organizations and Governments as Tools for National HRD Initiatives: India and Spain

The increased role of political and socio-cultural systems and their relationships with National Human Resource Development (NHRD) capability and capacity building may require scholars to investigate the role of contextual factors on formal and informal strategy planning and implementation for developmental relationships at both organizational and national levels. In this chapter, we explore existing practices for promoting developmental relationships from organizational and national perspectives, bringing together examples of formal and informal interventions in the context of an Asian and a European nation (India and Spain). Adopting ethnographic and hermeneutic methodologies, the chapter explores the meaning of existing practices for promoting developmental relationships from an NHRD perspective, identifying examples of interventions in the context of India and Spain. We conclude that developmental relationships contribute to NHRD by nurturing and developing capacity and capability building. Cross-cultural evidence justifies the presence of formal and informal policies and practices at organizational and national levels. Formal interventions in organizations of both countries have enabled capacity and capability development. Informally, customs, traditions, and rituals have nurtured and created a developmental culture that enables capacity and capability building. Last, developmental relationships at the national level have been promoted through various policies, schemes, and regulations in both countries. We discuss implications for international theory and practice based on the cross-country perspective in the chapter.2021-2

Faculty Training Transfer in Karnataka, India

Faculty development programmes should guarantee the successful transfer of knowledge, skills, and attitudes from the training to educational practice to ensure sustainable development of teaching and learning practices. Based on the concepts of training transfer, the pPredicting tTransfer model, recent advances in faculty training transfer and , specifically, the measurement of transfer, we will analyze the effectiveness of faculty training by determining its transfer and explore alternative approaches to improve faculty training in the State of Karnataka (India). We will perform two studies. First, we will evaluate the transfer of training of the Assistant Professors orientation training. Data will be gathered after the training. The questionnaire of efficacy (CdE) , the multidimensional scale of transfer and personal transfer scale will be administered. Second, we will undertake a transfer evaluation study that will create and assess a predicting transfer model for faculty in Karnataka. This model will include factors that influence transfer. To test the instrument, we will evaluate a one-year training program that will be offered to Assistant Professors. In addition to previously mentioned questionnaires, the factors predicting transfer questionnaire will be applied. Implications for HRD and adult education will be extracted, providing evidence for theory building on transfer in the context of India. The findings could be used, from the lens of a National2021-2

Validation of predicting transfer instruments in Spain

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to validate two scales, the factors predicting transfer (FPT) and the effectiveness questionnaire (CdE), in the Spanish Public Administration (SPA). Design/methodology/approach: The FPT was administered at the end of the training, and the CdE four months after training. Participants had attended one of the 62 trainings offered by the SPA. With 1,457 participants, exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 728) and confirmatory factory analysis (CFA) (n = 729), randomly assigned, were performed on the FPT, and CFA (n = 726) was applied to the CdE. Findings: A 30-item and four-factor solution emerged for the FPT through the EFA, which was confirmed by a good model fit through the CFA. A seven-item single-factor solution was confirmed for the CdE. Measurement invariance for the mode of instruction and gender was accepted for both instruments. Research limitations/implications: Further research should be done in a more heterogenous sample that includes private organizations, different sectors and sizes. In the human resource development (HRD) field, these results suggest, in line with previous research, the existence of underlying constructs of factors of transfer that migrate across cultures. Practical implications: The potential use of the FPT is the diagnosis of factors of transfer, and for the CdE, evaluation of the transfer of interventions at the behavioral level. The instruments are suitable for research and practice that compares online and in-class training. Originality/value: The study performs the first rigorous analysis of measurement instruments to evaluate factors that predict transfer in Spain.2019-2

Multimorbidity in bipolar disorder and under-treatment of cardiovascular disease: a cross sectional study

Background: Individuals with serious mental disorders experience poor physical health, especially increased rates of cardiometabolic morbidity and premature morbidity. Recent evidence suggests that individuals with schizophrenia have numerous comorbid physical conditions which may be under-recorded and under-treated but to date very few studies have explored this issue for bipolar disorder. Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a dataset of 1,751,841 registered patients within 314 primary-care practices in Scotland, U.K. Bipolar disorder was identified using Read Codes recorded within electronic medical records. Data on 32 common chronic physical conditions were also assessed. Potential prescribing inequalities were evaluated by analyzing prescribing data for coronary heart disease (CHD) and hypertension. Results: Compared to controls, individuals with bipolar disorder were significantly less likely to have no recorded physical conditions (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.54-0.63) and significantly more likely to have one physical condition (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.16-1.39), two physical conditions (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.30-1.62) and three or more physical conditions (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.30-1.64). People with bipolar disorder also had higher rates of thyroid disorders, chronic kidney disease, chronic pain, chronic obstructive airways disease and diabetes but, surprisingly, lower recorded rates of hypertension and atrial fibrillation. People with bipolar disorder and comorbid CHD or hypertension were significantly more likely to be prescribed no antihypertensive or cholesterol-lowering medications compared to controls, and bipolar individuals with CHD or hypertension were significantly less likely to be on 2 or more antihypertensive agents. Conclusions: Individuals with bipolar disorder are similar to individuals with schizophrenia in having a wide range of comorbid and multiple physical health conditions. They are also less likely than controls to have a primary-care record of cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension and atrial fibrillation. Those with a recorded diagnosis of CHD or hypertension were less likely to be treated with cardiovascular medications and were treated less intensively. This study highlights the high physical healthcare needs of people with bipolar disorder, and provides evidence for a systematic under-recognition and under-treatment of cardiovascular disease in this group