Working Group “Orange”. Danube youth – Danube Future

The proposed international project aims at developing a solid data body on environmental values of young people and their possible connection to the environmental history of their region. During the project, not only the methodology of measuring the environmental values will be adjusted and tested but also a policy material with research summary and recommendations on how to work with the results on the policy level will be developed. This material will be further communicated on the relevant policy level in the context of the involved countries (Czech Republic, Albania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia), located in the Danube river basin. We argue that the environmental values of young people can be worked upon when designing the educational, employment and environmental policies on both national and international level

Valorization of Wood Cultural Heritage (WCH) for Sustainable Future in Danube Region

Rural areas in the Danube Region face economic, societal, cultural and environmental challenges. They are rich in diverse cultural heritage which is often neglected and not taken into consideration as a potential resource for development. Wood resources form an integral part of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. As an environmentally friendly material, wood can play an important role in sustainable development. Valorization of wood traditions according to present needs may help to mitigate and overcome problems of rural areas. The general objective of the project is the sustainable rural development through valorization of wood cultural heritage. Wood cultural heritage may be seen as an asset to enhance economic development in rural areas. Transfer of knowledge on wood cultural heritage and its importance will improve the social relations in local communities and raise awareness on environmental issues

Active political engagement, political patronage, and local labour markets - the example of Shkoder

Purpose: This paper aims to contribute to understanding of the effects of active political engagement in port-of-entry jobs and employment pathways for graduate students. The data are derived from a structured survey of a small local labour market where political clientelism is pronounced due to the strong network ties. Controlling for both demand and supply factors we identify a profile for those who are more prone to engage politically in exchange for public sector jobs, which are in turn vulnerable to regime changes. Design/methodology/approach: We use data from a sample of 191 participants that records month-tomonth employment states for three consecutive years (2012-2014). The method attempts to replicate an experimental design with repeated measures before and after the June 2013 government elections. The data is analysed using sequence analysis with optimal matching and difference-in-difference methods. Note: This is the final submitted version of the manuscript accepted for publication by the International Journal of Manpower, on the 5th of February 2022. Findings: The analysis provides evidence of links between political engagement and selection onto different employment pathways. The pathways themselves are also shown to be differentially impacted by the 2013 election (positively or negatively). Together, these results are supportive of claims that jobs in Albania, particularly those in the public sector, are linked to the short-term presence of vote-buying and the political business cycle. This is shown to be the case even for this sample of educated members of the labour force (i.e. university graduates). The analysis also finds evidence of accumulative disadvantages over time, in relation to subjective perceptions of life satisfaction, migration intentions, employability and success in life, as a result of active political engagement. Originality: The study uses a unique data set and a novel methodology, sequence analysis. Occupational history calendars were used to capture quantitative information recording detailed work histories. To the best of our knowledge, this innovative method has not been used before to measure the temporal effects of political engagement on employment pathways.This is the final submitted version of the manuscript accepted for publication by the International Journal of Manpower, on the 5th of February 2022

Efficiency and Distributional Effects of the Two-Tracked Labor Market Institutions in Albania

This study examines the efficiency and distributional effects of selected labor market institutions in Albania, a rather underresearched country. An initial overview of the postcommunist developments articulates why Albania has the poorest labor market performance among other South East European countries. Using a set of mixed qualitative and descriptive quantitative methods we find evidence of inefficient segmental effects and a predatory structure of labor market institutions which noticeably diverge from the efficient institutions' point of reference. The institutional/welfare regime at the cross-national level points out at a relationship between the labor market institutional framework and labor market performance, as measured by unemployment. At the country level, a disproportional relationship between the "de jure" labor market regulation and unemployment is identified, which is also moderated by the interaction between labor market and economic institutions

Danube:Future. White Paper on Integrated Sustainable Development of the Danube River Basin

A research community-based White Paper on research and capacity building needs, challenges and opportunities for the development of the sustainability-oriented knowledge society of the Danube River Basi