Management of expenditure on the development of higher education – Poland as compared to EU countries

Purpose: The objective of the article is to identify, analyse and diagnose the current state of management of expenditure on the development of higher education in Poland as compared to other EU countries, and thus to indicate the necessary changes and recommendations. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research relied mainly on data on the number of students and universities, enrolment, and expenditure on higher education. Polish and foreign data sources were applied to determine diversity of the distribution of students in Poland among public and private universities as well as the dynamics of the changes. In comparison to other EU countries, the changes in the coefficients of the level of higher education were analysed and the enrolment indices were compared with the indices of human development. Expenditure on higher education was examined with various approaches. In the study, statistical methods were used to describe the current trends. Findings: During the study period, the structure of tertiary education, measured by the ratio of state-owned to private universities, changed from 95:5 to 34:66. However, in terms of the number of students, state-owned universities played a dominant role. In this case, the proportions hardly changed during the study period and were 77:23 at its end. Since 2007, a slowdown in the increase in the number of students has been observed in Poland, and since 2010 the same tendency was observed in the number of universities. Practical Implications: In the long-term Polish education will develop efficiently, strengthen Poland's integration in Europe and, as a result, translate into the qualitative development of higher education in Poland. Originality/value: Knowledge of trends and levels of development of higher education, defining the role of the state as compared to the other members of the EU are important for policymakers, helping them consciously to identify prospects for development, and thus effectively manage expenses by minimizing existing risks.peer-reviewe

Comprehensive Study on Ceramic Membranes for Low-Cost Microbial Fuel Cells

© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) made with different types of ceramic membranes were investigated to find a low-cost alternative to commercially available proton exchange membranes. The MFCs operated with fresh human urine as the fuel. Pyrophyllite and earthenware produced the best performance to reach power densities of 6.93 and 6.85 W m-3, respectively, whereas mullite and alumina achieved power densities of 4.98 and 2.60 Wm-3, respectively. The results indicate the dependence of bio-film growth and activity on the type of ceramic membrane applied. The most favourable conditions were created in earthenware MFCs. The performance of the ceramic membranes was related to their physical and chemical properties determined by environmental scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The cost of mullite, earthenware, pyrophyllite and alumina was estimated to be 13.61, 4.14, 387.96 and 177.03 GBP m-2, respectively. The results indicate that earthenware and mullite are good substitutes for commercially available proton exchange membranes, which makes the MFC technology accessible in developing countries

Review and analysis of fire and explosion accidents in maritime transportation

The globally expanding shipping industry has several hazards such as collision, capsizing, foundering, grounding, stranding, fire, and explosion. Accidents are often caused by more than one contributing factor through complex interaction. It is crucial to identify root causes and their interactions to prevent and understand such accidents. This study presents a detailed review and analysis of fire and explosion accidents that occurred in the maritimetransportation industry during 1990–2015. The underlying causes of fire and explosion accidents are identified and analysed. This study also reviewed potential preventative measures to prevent such accidents. Additionally, this study compares properties of alternative fuels and analyses their effectiveness in mitigating fire and explosionhazards. It is observed that Cryogenic Natural Gas (CrNG), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and methanol have properties more suitable than traditional fuels in mitigating fire risk and appropriate management of their hazards could make them a safer option to traditional fuels. However, for commercial use at this stage, there exist several uncertainties due to inadequate studies, and technological immaturity. This study provides an insight into fire and explosion accident causation and prevention, including the prospect of using alternative fuels for mitigating fire and explosion risks in maritime transportation

Development and education of employees in the light of the formation of their value systems

Purpose: The main aim of the study is to emphasize the role and influence of education on the shaping of human value systems. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was based on the methodology of logic, utility theory, statistics and methods of information transfer thanks to modern computer science. Findings: The methodological approach adopted by the authors to study the relationships between education and the development of human value systems allowed to formulate a conclusion: one can compare the structures of different education systems, compare their diversity (dissimilarity) in the dimension of their value systems, regardless of where they live, because modern media information are able to do so on a global scale. Practical Implications: Thanks to modern media, a person as an individual has a significant impact on the achievement and implementation of values common in the sense fundamental to people, and on the basis of human knowledge creating a relatively homogeneous system of human education. Originality/value: The originality of the content of the article is based on the combination and analysis of human value systems with the dimension of education systems through modern computer science.peer-reviewe