Financial Dollarisation: Effects on Economic Growth in Ghana

This study sought to examine the effects of financial dollarisation on economic growth in Ghana. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration was applied on quarterly data from the World Bank and Bank of Ghana (BOG) for the period of 1999 to 2018. It was revealed that financial dollarisation exhibited a negative and statistically significant effect on economic growth both in the short-run and long-run. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the Bank of Ghana should develop the financial market by continuing the implementation of the financial sector reforms to foster a growing financial sector to promote economic growth in the economy.Keywords: Autoregressive distributed Lags, Financial dollarisation, Economic growth, Foreign currency deposit, Ghana. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/11-19-03 Publication date:June 30th 202

Perceptions of Students on Introductory University Mathematics: Perspective Study on First Year Undergraduate Students

This paper mainly sought to find out how students’ perceptions influence students in their introductory university mathematics: The perspective of first-year undergraduate students of the University of Cape Coast. Specifically, the study sought to find out first-year students’ perceptions about SHS mathematics and also to find out the perception students have about introductory university mathematics. The population size of the study was 600 students. The research design used was the descriptive survey and the stratified random sampling technique was used to select the sample. A questionnaire was designed and used to collect the data. From our findings, it was established that students have a positive perception about SHS mathematics and the introductory university mathematics course. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that teachers are encouraged to use learner centered approach of teaching mathematics with little regard to the teacher centered approach since the former ensures active participation of students in the teaching-learning process and facilitates understanding while the latter makes students mere passive listeners Keywords: Perception, introductory, students, undergraduate and first-year DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-25-01 Publication date:September 30th 202

STUDENTS' OCCUPATIONAL ASPIRATION AS MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING MODEL IN GHANA

Students' Occupational Aspiration as Manpower Development Planning Model in Ghana. The first section of the study was precisely a cross-sectional descriptive survey, that attempted to find out what kinds of occupations students wanted to undertake, what areas of the economy they wanted to work in, how their occupational aspirational can be linked to the critical manpower needs of Ghana, and what variables influenced those choices. Investigations were also conducted on the student's intent and desire to continue their education, as well as the kind and level of education they hope to obtain. The second section also looked at the effects of entrepreneurship education on students' occupational aspiration with educational choice, the perception students hold about IT, and the perception students hold about the labor market as the mediators and Gender and age also serve as the moderator. Participants consisted of 445 randomly selected from five (5) senior high schools in Ghana. One set of hand-delivered questionnaires was answered by respondents. To analyze the data, the main statistical tools employed were percentages, chi-square, and structural equation models (AMOS). According to the findings of the study, SHS students generally intend to and have a strong desire to continue their education after completing the SHS program. It appears that students' demographic traits have a direct bearing on their educational choice and occupational aspirations. This has effects on the nation's requirement for labor as well as the development of its human resources. Also, the majority of SHS 3 students are drawn to the public sector, even though different demographic factors influence both the sort of work that students want to pursue and the economic sector in which they want to work. Furthermore, SHS students are not drawn to some of Ghana's most pressing labor demands. Another significant finding was that entrepreneurship education has positive effects on students' occupational aspirations. This can be achieved by directing SHS 3 students' educational choices, expanding their understanding of how to use information technology, and directing students' perceptions of the working world as differences in gender. Implications for the development of human resources are examined in light of these findings

Green Finance and Sustainability: A Systematic Review

This research aims to explore and analyze the recent focus on green finance and sustainability from 2022 to 2023. It employs a systematic review approach to understand the predominant areas of study during this two-year period. The data search revealed that research focusing on the impact of green finance on decarbonization has gained significant popularity in the past two years. Additionally, other studies have delved into various variables such as Environmental (Management, Economics, Performance, and sustainability), Technology (AI, Blockchain, Smart, and adoption), and Renewable Energy & its Output. This research primarily concentrates on topics that have emerged as trends in the last two years. However, it's noteworthy that among these studies, there are 14 research topics that have been explored less frequently. These include Green Financing, Insurance, Non-Performing Loan Ratio, Ecological Footprints, Climate Mitigation Finance, Solvency, Biofuel, Fuel Cell, Geothermal, Solar, and Wind. Keywords: Green Finance; Sustainability; Systematic Review; Economics; EnvironmentalPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kajian dan fokus penelitian dengan tema green finance dan keberlanjutan dalam 2 tahun terakhir 2022-2023. Studi ini menggunakan tinjauan sistematis dari tahun 2022-2023 tentang keuangan hijau dan Keberlanjutan. Dari hasil penelusuran data diketahui bahwa fokus kajian penelitian mengenai pengaruh Green Finance terhadap Dekarbonisasi cukup populer dalam 2 tahun terakhir. Selain itu penelitian lain dilakukan dengan variable Environmental (Management, Ekonomics, Performance & Sustainability), Technology (AI, Blockchain, Smart, & Adoption), and Renewable Energy & its Output. Penelitian ini berfokus pada topik-topik yang menjadi tren dalam dua tahun terakhir, namun dari hasil penelitian terdapat 14 penelitian dengan topik-topik yang jarang dilakukan, antara lain Green Financing, Green Insurance, Non-Performing Loan Ratio, Ecological Footprints, Climate Mitigation Finance, Solvabilitas, Biofuel, Fuel Cell, Geothermal, Solar, dan Wind. Kata Kunci: Keuangan Hijau; Keberlanjutan; Tinjauan Sistematik; Ekonomi; Lingkunga

The Effect of Entrepreneurship Education on Social Entrepreneurship Intentions, Mediating the Need for Achievement, On Mosque Youth in the City of Bandung

The purpose of this paper is to examine students' entrepreneurial intentions in the Muslim community in the city of Bandung from the aspect of Islamic values mediated by entrepreneurial attitudes. The Grand Theory used was Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior. A total of 220 students from the Muslim community in Bandung City collected data using a questionnaire, a five-point numerical scale. Meanwhile, data analysis using Regression Analysis results identified that Islamic values had a positive and significant effect on social entrepreneurship intentions, while entrepreneurial attitudes mediated the influence of these two variables. The limitations of this study lie in the number of samples and students from the Muslim community in the city of Bandung only. It is suggested to predict the social entrepreneurship intention of Islamic boarding school students in the larger community in the city of Bandung and examine variables other than Islamic values and other SDG components. This study strongly suggests the need to include aspects of creativity in learning in Islamic boarding schools

The Correlates of Financial Dollarization in Ghana

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the dollarization of Ghana's finances. The objects of this study are real output, interest rate differentials, real exchange rates, inflation, and financial developments. The research subjects are based on quarterly data from the World Development Index (WDI) and the Bank of Ghana (BOG) for the years 1999-2022. The research method uses the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach for cointegration. This study finds that the driving factors for financial dollarization in Ghana are real output, interest rate differentials, real exchange rates, inflation, and financial developments. While the dollarization of Ghana's finances is constrained by factors such as inflation, exchange rates, and financial growth, the differential in interest rates and actual output increases the demand for foreign currency in Ghana. This study implies that much is expected from the monetary policy authorities, and there is a need for proper coordination of fiscal and monetary policies to curb the issue of dollarization of finance in Ghana. Keywords: Financial Dollarization; Foreign Currency; ARDL; Ghana; Exchange Rate   Abstrak Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menyelidiki korelasi dolarisasi keuangan Ghana. Objek penelitian ini yakni output riil, perbedaan suku bunga, nilai tukar riil, inflasi, dan perkembangan keuangan. Subjek penelitian didasarkan pada data triwulanan dari World Development Index (WDI) dan Bank of Ghana (BOG) untuk tahun 1999-2022. Metode penelitian menggunakan pendekatan Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) untuk kointegrasi. Studi ini menemukan bahwa faktor pendorong dolarisasi keuangan di Ghana adalah output riil, perbedaan suku bunga, nilai tukar riil, inflasi, dan perkembangan keuangan. Sementara dolarisasi keuangan Ghana dibatasi oleh faktor-faktor seperti inflasi, nilai tukar, dan pertumbuhan keuangan, perbedaan suku bunga dan output aktual meningkatkan permintaan mata uang asing di Ghana. Implikasi dari penelitian ini adalah banyak yang diharapkan dari otoritas kebijakan moneter, ada kebutuhan untuk koordinasi yang tepat dari kebijakan fiskal dan moneter untuk mengekang isu dolarisasi keuangan di Ghana. Kata Kunci: Dolarisasi Keuangan; Mata Uang Asing; ARDL; Ghana; Nilai Tuka

Research and Development for Improved Cassava Varieties in Ghana: Farmers’ Adoption and Effects on Livelihoods

The importance of Cassava in the food systems of Ghanaians cannot be underestimated. As a main staple crop, Cassava contributes about 22% and 30% to the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (AGDP) and daily calories intake respectively. Per capita consumption of 152 kg makes it the highest among all food crops. Due to Cassava’s importance, there have been lots of attention paid to it by the Government and Donor agencies towards its improvement. This has yielded substantial results in terms of the development of cassava varieties and good agronomic practices. This chapter reviewed cassava technologies development in Ghana, adoption of these technologies by smallholder farmers, and livelihood implications. Results generated showed that Research and Development since 1993 has developed, released, and disseminated 25 new cassava varieties to smallholder farmers. Average cassava yields have increased from about 14 t/ha in 2009 to 21 t/ha in 2018. Partial budget analysis showed that smallholder farmers’ profitability has increased over the years from GH₵644.32 (about US$111) in 2009 to GH₵5243.27 (about US$ 904) in 2018. Again, the crop is gradually gaining attention as an industrial crop for flour, starch, and alcohol production, a drive that would further improve on returns to farmers. It is a food security crop because it is robust, produces more per unit area, and versatile for multiple usages in household foods and derivatives. It is recommended that continuous policy consideration on cassava in national agricultural agenda setting is essential

Pharmacokinetic aspects of retinal drug delivery

Drug delivery to the posterior eye segment is an important challenge in ophthalmology, because many diseases affect the retina and choroid leading to impaired vision or blindness. Currently, intravitreal injections are the method of choice to administer drugs to the retina, but this approach is applicable only in selected cases (e.g. anti-VEGF antibodies and soluble receptors). There are two basic approaches that can be adopted to improve retinal drug delivery: prolonged and/or retina targeted delivery of intravitreal drugs and use of other routes of drug administration, such as periocular, suprachoroidal, sub-retinal, systemic, or topical. Properties of the administration route, drug and delivery system determine the efficacy and safety of these approaches. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors determine the required dosing rates and doses that are needed for drug action. In addition, tolerability factors limit the use of many materials in ocular drug delivery. This review article provides a critical discussion of retinal drug delivery, particularly from the pharmacokinetic point of view. This article does not include an extensive review of drug delivery technologies, because they have already been reviewed several times recently. Instead, we aim to provide a systematic and quantitative view on the pharmacokinetic factors in drug delivery to the posterior eye segment. This review is based on the literature and unpublished data from the authors' laboratory.Peer reviewe

Postoperative outcomes in oesophagectomy with trainee involvement

BACKGROUND: The complexity of oesophageal surgery and the significant risk of morbidity necessitates that oesophagectomy is predominantly performed by a consultant surgeon, or a senior trainee under their supervision. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of trainee involvement in oesophagectomy on postoperative outcomes in an international multicentre setting. METHODS: Data from the multicentre Oesophago-Gastric Anastomosis Study Group (OGAA) cohort study were analysed, which comprised prospectively collected data from patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer between April 2018 and December 2018. Procedures were grouped by the level of trainee involvement, and univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to compare patient outcomes across groups. RESULTS: Of 2232 oesophagectomies from 137 centres in 41 countries, trainees were involved in 29.1 per cent of them (n = 650), performing only the abdominal phase in 230, only the chest and/or neck phases in 130, and all phases in 315 procedures. For procedures with a chest anastomosis, those with trainee involvement had similar 90-day mortality, complication and reoperation rates to consultant-performed oesophagectomies (P = 0.451, P = 0.318, and P = 0.382, respectively), while anastomotic leak rates were significantly lower in the trainee groups (P = 0.030). Procedures with a neck anastomosis had equivalent complication, anastomotic leak, and reoperation rates (P = 0.150, P = 0.430, and P = 0.632, respectively) in trainee-involved versus consultant-performed oesophagectomies, with significantly lower 90-day mortality in the trainee groups (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Trainee involvement was not found to be associated with significantly inferior postoperative outcomes for selected patients undergoing oesophagectomy. The results support continued supervised trainee involvement in oesophageal cancer surgery

Senior high school students in Ghana and their labor market aspirational Gap

This study aimed to identify the variables affecting senior high school students (SHS 3) labor market aspirations in Ghana. This investigation was led by a quantitative paradigm. A simple random sampling approach of 445 SHS students was sampled for the study. In this study, a questionnaire was utilized.  To analyze the data, the main statistical tools employed were percentages, and contingency coefficients using IBM SPSS version 26.  From the finding of the study, it appears that students' demographic traits have a direct bearing on their labor market aspirations.  Moreover, the majority of SHS 3 students are drawn to the public sector, even though different demographic factors influence both the sort of work that students want to pursue and the economic sector in which they want to work. Furthermore, SHS students are not drawn to some of Ghana's most pressing labor demands. The implications of the findings and practical considerations are discussed in the study