Japan's Climate Change Discourse: Toward Climate Securitisation?

This article situates Japan in the international climate security debate by analysing competing climate change discourses. In 2020, for the first time, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment included the term “climate crisis” (kikō kiki) in its annual white paper, and the Japanese parliament adopted a “climate emergency declaration” (kikō hijō jitai sengen). Does this mean that Japan’s climate discourse is turning toward the securitisation of climate change? Drawing on securitisation theory, this article investigates whether we are seeing the emergence of a climate change securitisation discourse that treats climate change as a security issue rather than a conventional political issue. The analysis focuses on different stakeholders in Japan’s climate policy: the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the parliament, the Cabinet, and sub- and non-state actors. Through a discourse analysis of ministry white papers and publications by other stakeholders, the article identifies a burgeoning securitisation discourse that challenges, albeit moderately, the status quo of incrementalism and inaction in Japan’s climate policy. This article further highlights Japan’s position in the rapidly evolving global debate on the urgency of climate action and provides explanations for apparent changes and continuities in Japan’s climate change discourse

Academic stress, mindfulness-related skills and mental health in international university students

Stress and PsychopathologyFSW - Self-regulation models for health behavior and psychopathology - oudHealth and self-regulatio

Stretchable electronic platform for soft and smart contact lens applications

A stretchable platform with spherical-shaped electronics based on thermo- plastic polyurethane (TPU) is introduced for soft smart contact lenses. The low glass transition temperature of TPU, its relatively low hardness, and its proven biocompatibility (i.e., protection of exterior body wounds) fulfill the essential requirements for eye wearable devices. These requirements include optical transparency, conformal fitting, and flexibility comparable with soft contact lenses (e.g., hydrogel-based). Moreover, the viscoelastic nature of TPU allows planar structures to be thermoformed into spherical caps with a well-defined curvature (i.e., eye’s curvature at the cornea: 9 mm). Numerical modeling and experimental validation enable fine-tuning of the thermo - forming parameters and the optimization of strain-release patterns. Such tight control is proven necessary to achieve oxygen permeable, thin, nonde- velopable, and wrinkle-free contact lenses with integrated electronics (silicon die, radio-frequency antenna, and stretchable thin-film interconnections). This work paves the way toward fully autonomous smart contact lenses potentially for vision correction or sensing applications, among others

Social factors of procrastination: group work can reduce procrastination among students

Research on procrastination covers a variety of individual factors (e.g., conscientiousness) and this focus is reflected in interventions against procrastination. Less emphasis is put on situational and social factors that may help students reduce procrastination, such as social interdependence. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between interdependence with academic procrastination and affective variables. Two vignette studies with student samples (N-1 = 320, N-2 = 193) were conducted and data was analyzed with regression analyses and analyses of covariance. Results of both studies show lower state procrastination in group work with interdependence compared to individual work, especially in participants with high trait procrastination. This difference is more pronounced when interdependence is accompanied by an active commitment to finish the task on time. Further, interdependent group work is related to increased positive affect and decreased negative affect. The results demonstrate the relevance of situational and social factors for academic procrastination, and point toward new approaches for intervention

Group work and student procrastination

Current research has paid little attention to contextual or social factors that may contribute to procrastination. One social factor, which may influence procrastination, is group work among students. Compared to individual work, group work can enhance individual effort and performance when the individual's contribution is indispensable for group success. In a field experiment, students with high levels of trait procrastination completed a typical academic assignment (i.e., compiling a bibliography), either in group work with an indispensable contribution or in individual work. Lower procrastination and higher performance were found in group work with an indispensable contribution as compared to individual work. Exploration of positive and negative taskrelated affect revealed no differences between conditions. Results add to the current theoretical understanding of procrastination and might inspire a new approach, which aims at preventing procrastination by changes in the learning environment

Evaluating Cross-disciplinary Study Programs in Higher Education - University of Cologne's Studium Integrale

Like many other institutions of higher education, the University of Cologne established a cross-disciplinary program to complement regular Bachelor programs. This overarching Studium Integrale (SI) allows undergraduate students to become acquainted with topics of other disciplines and to acquire competencies relevant for their studies and for future employment. For a formative evaluation, a logic model was created that allowed to identify quality criteria. By using survey data and exports from databases, these criteria were assessed empirically, resulting in areas of development regarding technical, organizational, strategic and content-related aspects. Commonly used instruments for quality assurance in higher education do not seem suitable for evaluating cross-disciplinary overarching programs. Using SI as an example, the article demonstrates and discusses opportunities and boundaries of the chosen approach for evaluation and quality assurance of such programs

The evolution of “phase-out” as a bridging concept for sustainability: From pollution to climate change

Many sustainability challenges, such as contamination of air, water, and soil or climate change, can be traced back to specific polluting substances (e.g., mercury), technologies (e.g., combustion engines), or practices (e.g., waste dumping). To confront these grave challenges, “phase-out” is garnering increasing attention as a policy approach. Although the literature on phase-out is burgeoning, it remains unclear how the concept has evolved across scientific disciplines and policy. In this review, we use a coding-based mapping approach to systematically unpack the scientific discourse on phase-out since 1970, focusing on the contribution of different scientific disciplines, targets and drivers of phase-outs, instruments, affected industries, and geographical context. We find that the focus of phase-out has shifted from toxic pollution to climate change, and that the scope of phase-out targets has broadened. Results further suggest that phase-out is emerging as a bridging concept to foster transdisciplinary dialogues and transformative actions toward greater sustainability