Drawing on empirical and theoretical methodologies, the Companion outlines the impact of technological innovation and its life cycles on education, the environment, governance, and supply chain management. Chapters evaluate real-world cases from countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea, analyzing the role and evolution of key technological industries, including semiconductors and electric cars. International contributors examine both micro and macro-level developments across multiple generations of innovation, culminating in insights on how artificial intelligence might shape the future of humanity.

Adopting a multidisciplinary and humanity-centered perspective, the Elgar Companion to Technology Life Cycles is an essential resource for scholars and students of development economics, economics of innovation, science and technology studies, and sustainable development. It is also highly relevant to policymakers and stakeholders across both private and public sectors seeking to understand, manage, and advance technological innovation.

At the intersection of economic and political history, this book explores the pivotal role of the Irish diaspora in the development of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It examines the strategies their respective authorities used to harness it. While post-partition efforts were limited, from the 1950s onward both Irelands successfully engaged diaspora business elites to attract investment and stimulate growth. Highlighting the discreet yet decisive influence of powerful Irish-American businessmen, the study analyses their complex interactions with Irish policymakers. Marked by mutual interests, strategic collaboration, and subtle power dynamics, these relationships played a crucial role at key moments in Ireland's economic history.

Drawing on a century of previously unpublished archival sources from Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States, including government records, parliamentary papers, and contemporary press, this book provides fresh comparative insights into the economic policies of the two Irelands and the enduring impact of the diaspora on Ireland-US relations. Offering a rigorous and engaging analysis, this book demonstrates how the entrepreneurial networks of the Irish diaspora have been instrumental in shaping modern Ireland. It is essential reading for scholars in economic and business history, Irish history, and diaspora studies.

This Open Access book offers a comprehensive oral history of Japan's development cooperation, based on nearly 300 interview narratives collected in Indonesia, Chile, Tanzania, Malaysia, Thailand, Costa Rica, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, Jordan, Brazil, Cambodia, and Japan. Unlike most books on development cooperation, which are written from the perspective of aid providers, this book gives voice to local actors - referred to as 'counterparts' - in aid recipient countries. In an era of geopolitical polarisation and parochialism, the book compellingly presents alternative ways of development cooperation founded on mutually respectful relationships between foreign experts and their partners. The case studies cover primary and manufacturing industries, infrastructure, education, health, migration, environmental sustainability, and peace. The book invites readers to rethink how development cooperation can be reimagined in our divided world.

In this era when development cooperation undergoes drastic transformation, it is crucial for us to learn from past experience to inform future strategies. Japan's approach has focused on teaching people how to fish rather than giving them fish, thereby fostering unbreakable bonds of trust with local people. This book vividly depicts how these trusting relationships enabled development projects to overcome unforeseen challenges and crises. By sharing narratives of those involved, the book also reveals their expectation, frustration, and a shared sense of accomplishment. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the future direction of global efforts in development cooperation.

Akihiko Tanaka, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the interconnected challenges facing the Asian continent in the era of climate change. Structured in three parts, the book addresses the critical pathways toward a sustainable future.

Part I delves into the core mitigation strategy of carbon pricing, examining the design and effects of carbon taxes in Taiwan, the impact of internal carbon pricing within Japanese corporations, and the potential for regional cooperation through joint carbon markets among ASEAN, Japan, China, and South Korea. Part II broadens the scope to energy policy and sustainable development, exploring diverse topics from the rise of climate litigation in China and the complexities of international environmental agreements, to new frameworks for energy security in Vietnam and the tensions between industrialization and renewable energy in ASEAN. Part III focuses on climate resilience and adaptation, presenting empirical case studies on the human and environmental impacts of natural disasters. It investigates the mental health consequences of volcanic eruptions, the gendered dimensions of flooding in Indonesia, the economic valuation of habitat conservation in Taiwan, and strategies for mitigating typhoon losses in Vietnam.

Aimed at scholars, policymakers, and professionals in environmental economics and policy, this volume serves as a comprehensive guide to the evolving dynamics of Asia's path toward a carbon-neutral and ecologically resilient future.

This book presents a China-specific analytical framework for assessing the impact of green trade barriers on the green transformation of the manufacturing sector. As the "greening" trend in trade policies gains momentum, research that addresses China's unique institutional context remains limited. From the unique perspectives of enterprise heterogeneity and differentiated green barriers, this study develops a comprehensive framework that integrates characteristic facts, theoretical mechanisms, impact evaluation, and policy recommendations. This framework enhances our understanding of how green trade barriers influence the green development of manufacturing sector in China. The research introduces a systematic empirical methodology for analyzing the microeconomic effects of these environmental trade shocks. Drawing on an integrated micro-level dataset combining China's Industrial Enterprise Database, Pollution Emission Database, and the WTO Environmental Database (EDB), this study employs a quasi-natural experimental approach by applying propensity score matching combined with difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) for causal identification. This methodological innovation facilitates a thorough investigation of the specific effects and mechanisms of green trade barriers on China's manufacturing green transition, including pollution reduction and green innovation. The findings provide valuable governance insights for aligning the green transformation of manufacturing enterprise with global trade environment regulations. While previous studies have predominantly focused on conventional non-technical trade barriers and pollution transfer via trade, there remains a lack of comprehensive exploration regarding the role of green trade barriers in driving corporate green transformation. By analyzing Chinese enterprises' responses to these barriers, this study offers targeted policy recommendations to effectively cope with external shocks through independent adjustment, while fostering new quality productive forces in the manufacturing sector.

This book offers a compelling analysis of Malaysia's path to sustained economic growth and social stability, illuminating how the country navigated the complex challenges of industrialization, ethnic diversity, and inequality. Spanning six decades of development from the 1960s to the 2020s, the book integrates rigorous economic analysis with nuanced political insights to present a comprehensive account of Malaysia's transformation.

Through detailed examination of industrial upgrading, productivity growth, and policy implementation, the book reveals how Malaysia balanced rural development with urbanization and economic expansion with ethnic harmony. Unlike many developing nations that prioritized industrialization at the expense of rural sectors, Malaysia pursued a dual-track strategy-supporting both agriculture and industry while managing labor transitions across sectors.

Central to this success was Malaysia's competitive authoritarian political system, which enabled decisive policy shifts at critical junctures. The book explores how this governance model facilitated the country's transition from a primary commodity exporter to a diversified industrial economy, while actively addressing ethnic economic disparities. Essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners in development economics, political economy, and Asian studies, this work provides unique insights into the policy choices and institutional dynamics that shaped Malaysia's development trajectory. It offers valuable lessons for other multi-ethnic middle-income countries seeking sustainable growth.

This book examines how generative artificial intelligence is transforming the field of TESOL and second language education. It introduces the core principles of generative AI and explores its potential to reshape language teaching, learning, and assessment. Early chapters trace the historical development of TESOL theories and methodologies, showing how AI connects with evolving pedagogical approaches. Subsequent sections analyse current applications of AI-driven tools such as virtual tutors, language learning platforms, and automated assessment systems. Drawing on case studies and research, the book highlights best practices for educators and institutions seeking to integrate AI effectively and responsibly. Amongst other issues, key themes include ethics, privacy, bias, equity, and the future of teacher roles in AI-enhanced classrooms. Accessible and evidence-based, this book offers essential insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers interested in language education, AI integration, and applied linguistics.

This book provides an in-depth introduction of the development and implementation of weather index insurance in China's agricultural production, offering comprehensive case studies. It systematically reports the unique challenges encountered and successes achieved in each province, providing valuable insights for China and other developing countries. Combining extensive field research with in-depth policy analyses, this book presents practical strategies for designing, implementing and promoting weather index insurance programs. The main objective of the book is to systematically summarize the experiences and institutional barriers faced in developing weather index insurance in China through multiple case studies. It bridges the gap between theory and practice and is an important reference for researchers, policy makers and practitioners in the fields of agricultural insurance, climate risk management and rural development.

With its empirical research and practical insights, this book is tailored for researchers, policymakers and professionals working in agricultural insurance and climate risk management. It is both a comprehensive guide and a valuable reference for advancing sustainable agricultural practices in the face of climate change.

The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.

A deeply researched investigation that shows how the long-held ideas protecting unlimited campaign spending as free speech that once served the needs of political candidates and voters are now shaped to serve the desires of interest groups, threatening the future of American democracy.

In the 2010 Citizens United decision, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy stated that the precedent they were overturning "interferes with the 'open marketplace' of ideas protected by the First Amendment." For the majority who ruled in this case, money was in some sense the equivalent of speech, meaning that spending should be allowed under the guise of a marketplace of ideas. But what does this actually mean? And what are the consequences?

Both critics and advocates of this marketplace of ideas often treat it as an abstract principle; one that focuses on competition among different voices that allows for the most popular, and therefore best, ideas to gain prominence. But the marketplace of ideas is not a single tool. There are multiple mechanisms at play, all of which influence the rules and regulations behind this competition. Therefore, the marketplace of ideas should be understood not as a single idea but as a collection of smaller norms that build a regulatory, market-like system.

Bankrupting Democracy traces the development of this system, which Nathan Katz calls the "money-speech paradigm." Through a historical analysis of campaign finance reform discourses that have occurred within the legislative record and the Supreme Court, Katz demonstrates how these ideologies have caused radical changes to political speech. He pairs these data with an analysis of the changing patterns of political advertisers-the PACs, Super PACs, interest groups, candidates, and parties that all spend a large portion, often the majority, of their money on television advertisements. By combining these components, Katz shows how changes to the money-speech paradigm have shifted from a focus on political candidates and their right to public exposure to a system that focuses on supporting interest groups' pursuit of social and economic dominance.

At each stage in the development of the current system, proponents of the reforms assumed the security of democratic institutions, leaving them unprotected against the consolidation of corporate power. Bankrupting Democracy illuminates this market system that threatens to unravel the very fabric of American society.

The current book is the first systematic exposition and analysis of the structure and meaning aspects of the Chinese topic-comment structure. While early analyses of the Chinese topic (and topicalization) phenomena abound, in terms of its theoretical depth and empirical breadth the current book is unparalleled.

The phenomenon of topics is a core concept in modern linguistics, and its research significance extends beyond the scope of Chinese linguistics, being a topic of common concern in the international linguistic community. Based on the theoretical background of Universal Grammar and linguistic typology, the patterns of Chinese topics have strong consequences for the general linguistic theory, inform linguistic typology and lay the foundation for subsequent research. It is thus long overdue to translate the current book into English so that the insights, empirical generalizations and findings can reach a wider, global audience.

The original Chinese title, co-authored by two leading Chinese linguists, provides an empirically all-rounded and theoretically ground-breaking analysis of the topic in Chinese grammar. The entire book consists of seven chapters, introducing and comparing different approaches to the topic phenomenon from competing schools of thoughts within the field of theoretical syntax in China and abroad. It proposes a dedicated structural position of topics, distinguishes between subjects and topics, provides a taxonomy of topic, focus, as well as topic-focus, and explores the distribution and functions of topic markers (topic morphemes) across Sinitic languages. Aside from structural characterizations, the book also delves into the semantic relationships of topics. In particular, it examines the referential properties of topics, analyzes their discourse functions and licensing contexts, and summarizes the relationship between the topic structure and word order types. It ends with an analysis of the grammaticalization of Chinese topics and the resulting structures, as well as a proposal of the implications Chinese topics carry for the subject-topic typology, advocating for broader analyses along similar frameworks on other topic-prominent languages.

This book traces the evolution of financial assistance in the European Union from the outbreak of the sovereign debt crisis in 2009 to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Each of these shocks generated wide-ranging economic and political repercussions that demanded rapid and often unprecedented EU financial assistance to support member states and partner countries.

The book examines how EU institutions and national governments shaped the development of emergency financial instruments across these three crises. It follows the establishment and governance of key borrowing mechanisms - from the European Stability Mechanism to the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Security Action for Europe, and the Ukraine Facility - to show how earlier experiences informed subsequent reforms. The analysis highlights an apparent shift in the governance of EU financial assistance, from a model centred on intergovernmental coordination to one increasingly marked by supranational delegation.

The book will appeal to all those interested in European studies, public policy, political economy and public administration.

This book examines public sector accounting, reporting, auditing, and control systems in Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe. Bringing together leading researchers and practitioners from across the region, it provides a comparative analysis of current practices, development paths and challenges of public sector financial management in twelve countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Tuerkiye. Each chapter focuses on a single country, assessing national specifics and international influences. Non-financial and sustainability reporting are also examined. The book is a valuable resource for academics and students, as well as policy makers, public-sector officials and practitioners.

Energy markets are critically important in influencing the global economy, the environment, and the financial system. This edited book provides a rich, nuanced examination of the ever-shifting confluence of finance and energy. The volume addresses the most pressing and topical issues in today's rapidly changing global energy markets, covering a wide range of important issues, from price volatility and geopolitics to renewable energy technologies and investment. Utilizing the latest information, examples, and strategic insights, it offers a complete analytical framework for understanding risk, investment, and regulation in both the conventional and renewable energy?sectors. Critical reading for energy professionals, financial analysts, policymakers, and students, this book provides an essential foundation for understanding both current changes and trends in the financial horizons of the energy world.

This book uses a new political economy theoretical framework (A-C theory) to explain why China has been able to create economic growth miracles in the past few decades and achieve prosperity from poverty in a relatively short period of time. The A-C theory is based on two core concepts: "economic accessibility" and "political cohesion", emphasizing that the combination of cohesive political governance and access to an open economic system is the institutional basis for driving a country's economy on the road to prosperity-from poverty to wealth. Among them, cohesive political governance is usually political governance that creates a peaceful and stable social order, effectively builds a consensus, and promotes collective action, as opposed to conflictual political governance. An open-access economic system is one that guarantees people the opportunity to participate voluntarily in economic activities, as opposed to a restricted-access economic system. It is the shift from conflict-based political governance to cohesive political governance, from access to a restricted economy to access to an open economy, and the formation of a benign interaction between single-peak unbiased political governance and access to an open economy, which has resulted in more than 40 years of rapid growth. Under this framework, this book examines the development facts of China since the Xinhai Revolution, analyzes typical countries and panel data from 209 countries and regions to further test the historical and international applicability of the theory.

This volume (Parts A and B) contains 16 new studies that shed light on key aspects of immigration: the drivers of immigration, the factors fostering or hindering immigrant integration in the host country, and the impact of immigration in the host countries. The studies span a wide range of countries in Europe, North and South America and use novel administrative, regional and survey data to offer insights into historical and contemporary episodes of migration. Together, they enrich our understanding of the determinants and consequences of migration and provide an evidence base for policy discussions.

The volume covers three broad themes. In both Part A and B are eight papers on the integration of immigrants in the host society, focusing on the acquisition of human capital, labor supply, family formation, and returns to skills. Part B also studies the impact of immigration on outcomes that often dominate the public debate, namely employment, education, and crime. Published twice per year in conjunction with the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) Research in Labor Economics contains new cutting edge peer reviewed research applying economic theory and econometrics to policy related topics pertinent to worker well-being often with an international focus.

Contributing authors demonstrate how meaningful income diversification requires a fundamental rewiring of the GCC's economic, institutional and social fabric. They address the entrenched structural challenges arising from the economic dominance of oil and gas, as well as the dominant role of the state and the nature of its sovereign wealth funds. The book emphasizes the importance of developing a dynamic private sector, cultivating human capital and redefining the social contract between the state and people. It also outlines key macroeconomic and institutional frameworks, providing specific sectoral strategies and innovative policy approaches focused on both economic diversification and sustainability.

Economic Challenges in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries is an essential resource for scholars and students interested in the global transition following climate change. It will be of particular interest to those in the fields of Middle East studies and development and energy economics.

This book fosters a global scholarly dialogue on teaching and researching Vietnamese as a second language, with particular attention to pedagogy, identity, and research innovation. It positions Vietnamese within the framework of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs), highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of teaching and learning in multilingual and multicultural contexts.

The first section examines Vietnamese learning in global settings: heritage language use in bilingual families, second language acquisition in different geographical regions, and the potential of virtual tandem exchange programs. The second presents diverse pedagogical strategies, including corpus-based vocabulary design, task-based learning, and gamification for heritage learners. The third analyzes acquisition processes, such as cross-linguistic influence from Sino-Japanese knowledge, challenges in motion constructions for Chinese and Korean learners, and the acquisition of wh-word order by Japanese learners. The last section turns to broader social and cultural dimensions, focusing on heritage vs. non-heritage dynamics, learner identity, and translanguaging as a tool for inclusive pedagogy. By integrating empirical classroom-based research and educators' voices from different regions, this volume offers practical insights alongside theoretical contributions. It serves as an essential resource for educators, researchers, and anyone interested in the dynamic field of Vietnamese language teaching and research on a global scale.

This book explores the transformative role of Uthman bin Fodio in the reformation of Nigerian society, tracing his da?wah (religious calling) from its earliest expressions to the establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate in the 19th century. While much has been written about his legacy, this study uniquely focuses on the initial motivations, methods, and communal strategies he employed, often overlooked in mainstream scholarship. Building upon the foundational theory of societal change (?umran) by Ibn Khaldun, the work examines the intellectual and spiritual interplay between the Maghribi thinker and the West African reformer. It argues that Ibn Khaldun's cyclical theory of social development deeply informed Uthman bin Fodio's vision, tactics, and success in transitioning society from a traditional to an Islamic governance model. Engaging both classical Islamic thought and historical sociology, this book fills a critical gap in understanding the ideological roots and methodological strategies behind one of the most significant Islamic reform movements in Sub-Saharan Africa. It will be a vital resource for students, historians, Islamic scholars, and anyone interested in the intersection of religion, society, and political change in Africa.

This short, engaging book challenges the widely held belief that 'classical liberalism' is the original and authentic form of liberalism. The book argues that this narrative - often used to position libertarianism as the true liberal tradition and social democratic liberalism as a distortion - is built on historical misunderstandings of the terms 'liberal' and 'liberalism'.

Focusing on English and American contexts, the book uses primary sources to show that the free-market doctrines of Adam Smith, later interpreted by thinkers like Hayek and Friedman as libertarian principles, should not be conflated with liberalism. Instead, liberalism first emerged in nineteenth-century England as a political philosophy rooted in constitutionalism and republicanism. The book also examines how Franklin D. Roosevelt reshaped American political language by associating "liberals" with New Deal supporters and "conservatives" with its opponents. By exploring these two pivotal moments and the broader political and economic history that connects them, de Marneffe redefines classical liberalism and critiques rigid interpretations of liberal thought. This book will appeal to scholars of politics, philosophy, economics, and the history of ideas.

This volume adds to the increasingly important debate on religion and modernity and their complex interplay in Muslim-majority societies. Taking up the case of Bangladesh, the discussions are highly topical given the recent upsurges in the country. The volume offers a comprehensive perspective on the changing dynamics of Islamization and secularization processes in Bangladeshi society and deconstructs the binary opposition between religion and secular modernity as inapplicable not just to Bangladesh but also to Muslim societies elsewhere.

The contributors mostly apply anthropological approaches to cover four broad themes: transformation of identity beyond Islamization and secularization; Islamic movements in democratic arena; Islamic culture in public sphere; and beyond polarization of women's liberation and Islamization. They cast light on religion and modernity, identity politics, development, globalization, the digital space, Islamic movements, and gender identity and patriarchal structure in Bangladesh. The incisive analyses of the cases and themes presented here will help readers understand how Islamization intersects with secularization/modernity in Bangladesh, within the broader South Asian sociopolitical context. The volume is of interest to scholars of Bangladesh studies, and historians, anthropologists, feminists, political scientists, and researchers of South Asia. Policy makers and development and non-governmental professionals will also benefit from the issues, cases, and myriad examples incorporated in this volume.