COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH KNOWLEDGE – ASSESSMENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES BASED ON THE KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY (KAM) DEVELOPED BY THE WORLD BANK

The present study attempts to make a diagnosis of the progress of European Union member states in the transition towards the knowledge economy. We used the World Bank KAM Methodology developed in the programme Knowledge for Development and the database available on the web page of the World Bank. KAM Methodology was described and the European progress towards the knowledge economy was assessed according to this methodology, with the focus on the Romanian situation, from a comparative perspective.knowledge economy; competitiveness through knowledge

Consumption For The Fulfillment Of Human Life

The present moment is characterized by the syntagm of „hiperconsumption society”, as we assist to an unprecedented augmentation of our desires to consume, associated with a fundamental change of values. The study analyzes, based on the vast scientific literature, the causes and the effects of this hypertrophy of consumption, based on the assumption of Oswald „Economic performance is not intrinsically interesting... Economic things matter only in so far as they make people happier.” Also, as a new paradigm on economic development is being outlined in the economic science, using „health of the living” as a fundamental value, understood as an ensemble of parameters that create the frame for what must be a normal and desired evolution, we analyzed the means that are available and can be used for the transition towards a healthy model of consumption. From the perspective of consumers’ protection, we consider that education for a healthy consumption is an appropriate answer that can generate a durable change of the present pattern towards a more generous consumption from an intergenerational point of view that can also sustain a high quality of life for the generations that coexists and succeed themselves.healthy consumption, consumer⁳ education, the right to education, underconsumption and hyperconsumption, paradox of happiness, imperatives of human life

The profile of Romanian consumer and how the economic crisis impacts the consumer mentality

The paper deals with the Romanian consumer’s profile, analyzed in terms of household expenditure structure, by main destinations for food,      non-food, services and taxes components, and household’s consumption, in terms of size and structure of food consumption.Synthetic images of quantitative parameters were made using national and international statistical data, between 1991 and 2009. We took into account the total expenditure of households, total consumption expenditure, the structure of monetary consumption expenditure, the average consumption of main food products, in structure and dynamics.Diagnostic analyses were performed by multi-annual approach of these indicators, important warning signals in the evolution of the household consumption. The multi-country and multi-annual benchmarking contributes to the highlighting of the national consumer profile, compared to those of the other 30-40 countries. These issues underline the extent of the economic crisis seen by the national households like an influence in shaping the consumer’s mentality

Development of the green economy and increase of its impact on employment

The world economic recession caused the loss of jobs for 34 million people between the years 2008 and 2009, thus finding viable alternatives for job creation is a global priority. In this context, our work’s objective is to study the effects of green economy development on job creation at global level for the next decades. Based on a detailed documentary analysis, our paper will analyze the estimations regarding the number of jobs that will be created in one sector of the green economy, namely the renewable energy sector. Data prove that the renewable energy sector has a remarkable potential for job creation, the estimations showing that by carrying out smart policies for its support, massive investments would immediately follow and the number of jobs created in renewable energy sector could double in the next ten years and even triple in the next twenty years. 

Competitiveness through knowledge – assessment of the European Union member states based on the knowledge assessment methodology (KAM) developed by the World Bank

AbstractThe present study attempts to make a diagnosis of the progress of European Union member states in the transition towards the knowledge economy. We used the World Bank KAM Methodology developed in the programme Knowledge for Development and the database available on the web page of the World Bank. KAM Methodology was described and the European progress towards the knowledge economy was assessed according to this methodology, with the focus on the Romanian situation, from a comparative perspective. 

Blended Learning Model: A Feasible Option for Romanian Undergraduate Education System

The accelerating development of new technologies has created a new educational context to which all the education system, including the Romanian one, should try to adapt. Blended learning has become one of the key concepts in the new educational environment. Thus, this paper aims to provide a clearer image of what blended learning means and what are its models, besides what advantages and disadvantages it can bring to the education system. Moreover, this study will focus on whether each model of blended learning can be implemented for each of the stages of the education system. Finally, the study will attempt to establish if any of the blended learning model is suitable for the Romanian undergraduate education system and, moreover, to which stage it should be more appropriate. Overall, this paper contributes to the literature firstly by placing the concept of blended learning in the context of the undergraduate education system and secondly by analyzing the possibility to implement a blended learning system in the Romanian education

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PARAMETERS FOR TEXTILE MATERIALS USED FOR SENSORS

This paper presents aspects regarding the analysis of the independent parameters of the surface electrical resistance for a series of textile samples made by successive knife coating procedures with conductive paste-based metal microparticles, respectively ultrasound-assisted coating using dispersions based on metal microparticles (Cu, Ni, Al, Zn and Ag). The statistical analysis aims to determine the correlations between the vectors of the independent variables (mass, air permeability and thickness of the conductive textile material) and the dependent variable (surface electrical resistance). These samples are prepared for sensor electrodes and must have a low electrical surface resistance

Reducing the Sludge Quantity Produced from Used Water Purification – A Source of Profit

This paper has its origins in the analysis of a real situation met in the Water Purification Plant from Cluj-Napoca city. The produced dehydrated sludge is about 70 - 80 tonnes / 24 hours, with a density that allows for an equivalence of 1 tonne to 1 m³, 80,000 Kg or 80 m³, i.e. a huge amount and an impressive volume of material. This paper does not propose solutions to valorise or store the huge quantity of sludge, though the present solutions are quite inefficient. The stress is placed upon the sludge production sources, its transportation to the purification plants, the collection of the sludge in the purification plants and the dehydration methods that can be used. The analysis of these stages aims at identifying several measures that could lead to diminishing the amount of sludge produced after the purification of used and dehydrated water in the purification plants without affecting the quality of purified water. The measures identified are to be presented as measures that can be applied in the spirit of sustainable and efficient development. The business feature is given by the savings brought by the mitigation of the sludge amount to be stored and paid for in the ecological storage places in remote areas

Brief Feature of Poverty and Rural poverty and the Circle of Decline in Romanian Rural Area

In recent years, poverty has become quite important, affecting a large part of the population, which also means driving a sustained effort for specific forms of social assistance. More and more strong signals are being drawn to reduce poverty and social exclusion among vulnerable groups, especially in a rural areas, where the decline in poverty is much more pronounced. This means knowing and continuously analyzing these rural contingencies facing poverty, finding solutions to improve the social assistance system that intensifies the poverty reduction and support social inclusion and employment growth, actions that respond more pronounced in the current economic and social challenges, in line with the dynamics of the social dimensions. This dynamic has multiplied the tensions that social assistance systems have to deal with, thus multiplying the need for adequate, coherent, effective, and efficient social programs. The paper depicts a picture of poverty and the circle of decline in Romania, with particular reference to the rural area that is most affected by poverty. The indicators analyzed in the dynamics suggest that, despite efforts to reduce poverty, even if there have been declines since the beginning of the decade, values remain high, which intensifies the efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and poverty risks faced by a large part of the population, especially in a rural area