Suchergebnisse

The environment of a modern company requires constant learning, adjusting and innovating, independence, responsibility, personal development and readiness to take risks. Therefore, people make the company successful instead of the technology and structure. Optimal use of human resources within an organization provides an advantage on the market, namely, a competitive advantage. Numerous companies apply continuous learning, but a company has to apply certain mechanisms and the culture which promotes such activities in order to be successful. Certain efforts and activities are also required for improving the competences of the unemployed. The general demographic trend is pointing to the ageing workforce, which urges human resources to improve their competences throughout Europe but also in Serbia. Such demographic dynamics can cause the majority of key competences to disappear, which can later on have a negative effect on company competitiveness, productivity and efficiency. Moreover, some companies greatly suffer from the inability of the formal educational system to respond to the present companies' needs. Therefore, nowadays a lot of companies deal with the process of developing competences themselves. A competence is considered as a combination of skills, knowledge, tendencies, attitudes and readiness for additional learning. Key competences represent a mobile, multifunctional packet of knowledge, skills and attitudes, required by each individual for personal growth, accomplishment and employment. Also, education and career change represent active measures on the labor market, aiming at increasing employability and productivity of the unemployed, though matching CVs with companies' needs. The objective of this paper is to determine which qualities/competencies of the employees are desirable and how to reduce the unemployment, according to the SMEs in the City of Nis. ; Ambijent savremene kompanije traži stalno učenje, prilagođavanje i inoviranje, samostalnost, odgovornost, samostalni razvoj i spremnost na preuzimanje rizika. Zato ljudi, a ne tehnologija i struktura, čine kompaniju uspešnom. Optimalna upotreba kadrovskog potencijala u organizaciji omogućava ostvarenje prednosti na tržištu, odnosno konkurentske prednosti. Mnoge kompanije primenjuju kontinuirano učenje, a da bi kompanija bila uspešna u ovom poduhvatu neophodno je da ima određene mehanizme i kulturu koja podstiče ovakve aktivnosti. Neophodni su i određeni napori i aktivnosti koje mogu da unaprede kompetencije (ne)zaposlenih. Opštu potrebu za razvojem kompetencija ljudskih resursa u Evropi, ali i kod nas, podstiče i opšti demografski trend koji se odnosi na ubrzano starenje radne populacije. Ovakva demografska kretanja mogu dovesti do gubitka značajnog dela ključnih kompetencija, što može kasnije negativno da utiče na konkurentnost, produktivnost i efikasnost kompanija. Štaviše, neke kompanije su značajno pogođene nemogućnošću formalnog obrazovnog sistema da udovolji trenutnim potrebama preduzeća. Zbog toga se mnoge kompanije danas same bave procesom razvoja kompetencija. Kompetencija se smatra kombinacijom veština, znanja, sklonosti i stavova i uključuje spremnost ka dodatnom učenju. Ključne kompetencije predstavljaju prenosivi, multifunkcionalni paket znanja, veština i stavova koji su potrebni svakom pojedincu za lični razvoj i ostvarenost i zaposlenje. Takođe, obuka i prekvalifikacija je tip aktivne politike tržišta rada čiji je osnovni cilj da poveća zapošljivost i produktivnost nezaposlenih lica, kroz prilagođavanje ponude rada zahtevima poslodavaca. Cilj rada je da se utvrdi izraženost pojedinih kvaliteta/kompetencija ljudskih resursa i smanjenja nezaposlenosti u Gradu Nišu prema mišljenju poslodavaca.

Цель работы. Цель данного исследования состоит в том, чтобы дать анализ пожилого возраста и его культурного содержания. Возраст является важной характеристикой человека. Достойная старость во многом зависит от усилий человека по саморазвитию на протяжении всей жизни и достигнутого им культурного уровня. Каждый следующий шаг человечество делает, используя все ранее накопленное культурой, поэтому культурное содержание пожилого возраста непосредственно влияет на качество сохранения и передачи базовых ценностей другим поколениям. Важность темы исследования диктуется необходимостью выработки новой культурной парадигмы развития в условиях демографического кризиса. Старение общества выдвигает новые требования к пожилому человеку, предписывающие быть активным творцом постиндустриальной цивилизации. В качестве гипотезы выдвигается идея о привлечении духовной энергия «третьего возраста» для конструирования и совершенствования новых элементов культурного кода.Методы и методология проведения работы. Характер исследования проблемы старости в системе культуры обусловил необходимость междисциплинарного подхода, позволяющего исследовать ее в комплексе. Для решения поставленной исследовательской задачи используется сочетание нескольких методологических подходов: культурологического, исторического и системного.Результаты. Для полноценного развития люди должны иметь контакты со всеми носителями культуры, т.е. живущими ныне поколениями. Это уникальный для каждого человека «режим жизни», который детерминирован как внешней средой, так и внутренней логикой саморазвития. Благоприятные социально-экономические, политические и социокультурные условия позволяют пожилому человеку формировать стратегию активной старости, оставаться полноценным членом общества и реализовывать личный социокультурный потенциал. Чем больше поколений вовлечены в культуротворчество, тем надежнее функционируют системы морали и нравственности, явственнее просматриваются национальные цели и качественнее решаются текущие задачи. Настоящее требует устойчивого развития, что предполагает динамичное соотношение традиционности, поддерживающей стабильность, и инноваций, благодаря которым общество продвигается вперед. Стабилизирующую роль в этих процессах играют люди старшего поколения, и она будет только возрастать. Современные «отцы и дети» при совместной генерации новаций могут с удвоенной силой осуществить радикальные преобразования общества.Область применения результатов. Полученные результаты могут применяться в философских и культурологических исследованиях, служить теоретической базой для организации социально-политического проектирования элементов общественного развития. ; Purpose. Age is an important characteristic of a person. The worthy old age depends largely man's efforts to self-development throughout his life and the cultural level he has reached. Every next step, humanity makes using all previously accumulated culture, so the cultural content of the elderly directly affects the quality of preserving and transmitting the core values to other generations. The importance of the research topic is dictated by the need for a new cultural paradigm of development under conditions of demographic crisis. The ageing of society poses new challenges to the elderly person prescribing to be an active creator of post-industrial civilization. As a hypothesis, the idea of bringing the spiritual energy of the "third age" for the construction and improvement of new elements of the cultural code is put forward. On this basis the aim of this work was to analyze the cultural content of the elderly and its ability to transform the modern world.Methodology. The nature of the study of the problem of old age in the culture system necessitated an interdisciplinary approach that allows to explore it in the complex. To solve the problem of the research, a combination of the principle of historicism with cultural methodological approach is used, that allows for a fresh look at the noted issues.Results. For full development people must have contacts with all bearers of culture, i.e. the present generations. It is unique "mode of life" for each person, which is determined by both the external environment and the internal logic of self-development. Favorable socio-economic, political and socio-cultural conditions allow an elderly person to form the active aging strategy to be a productive member of society and to realize personal socio-cultural potential. The more generations are involved in cultural creativity, the more secure the system of morality and ethics are functioning, national objectives become distinctly visible and current problems are solved better quality. This requires a sustainable development, which implies a dynamic ratio of tradition, maintaining stability and innovation, thanks to which the society moves forward. A stabilizing role in these processes is played by people of the older generation, and it will only grow. Modern "fathers and sons" in co-generation of innovations can bring about radical transformation of society with a vengeance.Practical implications. The obtained results can be used in philosophical and cultural studies and serve as the theoretical basis for the organization of socio-political design elements of social development.

Tutkimus käsittelee sitä, miten vanhat ihmiset puhuvat omasta vanhenemisestaan ja terveydestään sekä vanhuudesta ja terveydestä yleensä. Erityisenä kiinnostuksen kohteena oli, millaisena osallistujat näkivät vanhojen ihmisten sosiaalisen aseman yhteiskunnassa ja suhteessa nuorempiin ihmisiin. Toiseksi tutkimuksessa selvitettiin sitä, mitä ajatellaan yksilön vastuusta ja mahdollisuuksista vaikuttaa terveyteen omilla toimillaan ja valinnoillaan. Aineistona oli 90 vuotta täyttäneiden pirkanmaalaisten miesten ja naisten elämäkerrallisia haastatteluja ja 70 vuotta täyttäneiden tamperelaisten miesten ja naisten ryhmäkeskusteluja. Tutkimus osoitti, että vanhan ihmisen sosiaalinen asema näyttäytyi ongelmallisena. Monet kokivat, että vanhat ihmiset nähdään ulkopuolisina ja tarpeettomina yhteiskunnassa. Osa kritisoi tätä näkemystä ja toi esille erilaisia tapoja miten he itse toimivat omassa lähipiirissään ja yhteisössään ja omalta osaltaan auttavat muita ihmisiä. Yleinen kokemus oli myös se, että tietyn iän ylittäneet ihmiset nähdään ja heitä kohdellaan yhtenä vanhojen ryhmänä, ja sivuutetaan yksilölliset erot ihmisten välillä. Suhteessa nuorempiin ihmisiin monien kokemus oli se, että heitä kohdellaan holhoavasti lapsina , joiden puolesta tehdään päätöksiä. Toisaalta tutkittavat toivat esille, että pitkä elämä tuo väistämättä elämänkokemusta, jota nuoremmilla ei voi olla. Tällaiseen puheeseen liittyi yleensä laajaa perustelua ja argumentointia, mikä voi kertoa siitä, että vanhat ihmiset itse kokevat ettei näkemys vanhuudesta viisautena ole elettyä todellisuutta nykykulttuurissa. Tutkittavat tasapainoilivat kahden näkemyksen välillä: onko vanhuus lainomainen kohtalo, johon ei voi itse vaikuttaa muuten kuin sopeutumalla terveyden heikkenemiseen ja menetyksiin, vai onko niin, että omilla teoilla ja valinnoilla voi vaikuttaa omaan terveyteensä ja siihen millaista elämä vanhana on? Vanhuuden kokemukseen liitettiin terveysongelmat ja se ettei enää selviä omillaan ja tarvitsee muiden apua. Huononevan terveyden koettiin johtavan eristyneisyyteen muista ihmisistä, yksinäisyyteen ja jopa unohdetuksi tulemiseen. Vanhuus ei tule yksin - tyyppiset sanonnat kiteyttävät ajatuksen siitä, että vanhuus on kaikille yhteinen kohtalo, johon ei voi vaikuttaa. Toisaalta tuotiin esille, että omaan elämään ja terveyteen vanhana voi ja on syytä yrittää vaikuttaa omilla toimillaan. Keskeisinä keinoina vaikuttaa terveyteen nähtiin fyysinen ja sosiaalinen aktiivisuus sekä kaikenlainen aivovoimistelu . Lisäksi monet kertoivat terveellisistä elintavoistaan. Useat niistäkin, jotka kertoivat terveyden heikenneen, kertoivat pyrkivänsä huolehtimaan terveydestä ja olleensa aktiivisia ja omatoimisia aikaisemmin. Aktiivisuuden ideaali koskee näiden tulosten mukaan myös hyvin vanhoja ihmisiä. Tulokset viittaavat myös siihen, että julkisissa keskusteluissa usein käsitellyt terveysteemat ovat osa vanhojen ihmisten terveyttä koskevaa ajattelua. Yhteenvetona tuloksista voi todeta, että yhtäältä terveyden ja toimintakyvyn huononeminen vanhuudessa ja elämän rajallisuus koetaan pakkona, johon on sopeuduttava. Toisaalta koetaan että ihminen ei ole vain lastu laineilla , vaan voi itse jossakin määrin vaikuttaa omaan terveyteensä ja siihen millaista elämää vanhana elää. Tutkimus osoitti, että vanhuuden kokemus on monitasoinen ilmiö. Tutkittavat puhuivat paljon itsenäisyydestä ja omillaan pärjäämisestä ja siitä, että ainakin yritetään selvitä itse ja yksin. Toive olla hyväkuntoinen ja terve on varmaankin kaikille yhteinen iästä riippumatta, mutta miksi avuntarvetta ylipäätään pitää perustella? Nykyisissä yhteiskunnallisissa keskusteluissa korostetaan paljon yksilön mahdollisuuksia vaikuttaa terveyteen ja vastuullisuutta omasta elämästä. Tutkimustulosten pohjalta voi herättää keskustelua siitä, onko aktiivisuudesta ja terveydestä huolehtimisesta, sekä yksin ja itse pärjäämisestä tullut jo moraalinen vaade nyky-yhteiskunnassa? Tätä taustaa vasten ajatus vanhuudesta lainomaisena kohtalona, joka aiheuttaa terveyden heikkenemisen ja kohtaa kaikkia samalla tavoin, voikin auttaa yksilöä oikeuttamaan ja hyväksymään avuntarpeen, ja sen, ettei enää kykene huolehtimaan terveydestään. Mutta toisaalta on tärkeää tuoda esille myös se, että terveyteen vanhuudessa voidaan vaikuttaa ja vanhat ihmiset ovat myös aktiivisia ja omatoimisia. Tämä näkemys auttaa kyseenalaistamaan näkemyksen vanhuudesta vain ja ainoastaan raihnautena ja yhteiskunnasta irtaantumisena. ; In this research the aim was to find out how old age and health are discussed by people who themselves are seen and treated as old. Its focus was to study these people s talk about their experiences of old age and health. While I do not believe that other people s experiences are directly available for us to discover, it is still important to analyse what kinds of elements are included in people s talk about their experiences and in their self-identities. This information will help gain a deeper understanding of how being old and health are perceived by those people who may see themselves, and who are seen and treated by others, as ageing or old. The focus of the research was to identify the different perspectives raised by people in their talk and to find out how those perspectives were used in talk. The research questions were concerned with how people defined old age and being old as a social position, in relation to other people and in the context of one s own life entity, and with what meanings health received in this context. I was particularly interested to learn how people talked about their own and other people s chances to influence their health and ageing, and whether they felt that people were responsible for their own health. The theoretical framework for the research was underpinned by social constructionism and the discursive perspective, which entail the idea that talk is action. The datasets consisted of biographical interviews with people aged 90 or over and group discussions in which the participants were 70 years or over. The main tools of analysis came from discourse and rhetoric analysis. These ! methods made it possible to study how diff erent arguments were used in talk to explain, defend and legitimate one s own decisions and actions as well as other people s actions. The research findings showed that it is too simplistic to talk about the experience of old age in terms of denying age or resisting negative stereotypes of old age. Rather, older people have various ways of thinking about and defining old age and health. Being old is an ambivalent position. Mobilizing the category of old age in talk about oneself seemed to make the agentic position problematic. In their talk about old age and health, the people in this study balanced between different views and ways of talking. I called these different ways of talking the decline, activity and wisdom discourse. Discourses are cultural resources that people use to construct meanings of old age and health and their own identity as old. In the decline discourse, the participants in this study constructed old age as self-evidently a time of poor health and losses, which serve to explain and legitimate ill health,dependence on other people and need for help. The activity discourse was used to construct old age as something the individual can choose and have an influence on. It was used to construct oneself as active, healthy, a needed member of society and independent. Within the activity discourse, health was constructed as something that is malleable by means of one s own actions and as a matter of individual responsibility. On the other hand, the participants qualified the idea of responsibility by mentioning various factors that are beyond the individual s influence. Talk about old age as wisdom was the weakest discourse in this data, possibly indicating that that there is little real support for the idea that old age is seen in society as a time of wisdom and that older people represent that wisdom. The most important discovery, however, was that these different discourses were used by the same people to give meaning to and construct their identities. These discourses were also contrasted with one another, but talk about old age is best described in terms of negotiation and renegotiation about one s positions and the meaning of one s own actions and decisions. Both old age and health talk involved moral argumentation. People s talk revolved around chances to influence one s own health and life in old age, and on the other hand, around the question of how far old age is a fate that is beyond individual influence. I approached the interviews and group discussions as interaction situations in which both interviewer and interviewee are active participants. Individual interviews place more pressure on the individual interviewee. Health proved to be a particularly dilemmatic topic in this regard because of the heavy ideological and moral baggage it carries in contemporary western culture, and talk about one s own health can present a threat to one s face. A common concern in individual interviews was to explain and justify one s own health-related choices and actions. Various discursive and rhetorical devices were applied to construct one s own activity and good health. The research showed that the group discussions involved more negotiation between different views. Sensitive and conflicting views were also raised in group discussions. In other words this research did not support the view that group discussions are conducive to unitary views and discourage talk about sensitive issues. The social constructionist view on reality and social facts is that for analytical reasons, it is important to look at the meanings given to old age and health by older people themselves. This does not mean to say that social constructionist research ignores social facts , structures, bodily being or power relations. These, too, can be made a topic of analysis in order to see whether and how they become visible, are made a meaningful and important part of one s own ageing. Rhetorical studies provide a powerful tool for exploring the argumentative basis of age categories and identities. Rhetoric analysis, importantly, pays attention to how talk about old age and health is a presentation of identity and a way of constructing an accountable and worthy identity. The particular benefit of this enterprise is that it allows us to study the arguments applied in making some versions of reality look more plausible or better and to ignore or silence other versions. Discursive studies have demonstrated their strength in showing how one and the same person can use diff erent and even conflicting age categories and discourses, and how the meaning of the topic at hand is constructed in interaction, negotiated and accepted or refuted. Both discursive and rhetorical analysis provide tools for studying the ideological and moral meanings of old age and health an important topic in times when health seems to carry strong ideological and moral connotations, and when the growth of the elderly population is repeatedly brought up in public debate. I see that constructionist and discursive studies have a crucial role to play in ageing research in addressing the different ways in which old age is made reality physiological, political or experiential and in studying what is achieved with different versions of reality. What kind of identities, politics, services, demands of individual conduct do they make appear natural, inevitable and reasonable, or alternatively, unnatural, avoidable, impossible and irrational? How is age used to classify and categorize people into different sites of everyday life? How individual and groups themselves use different age categories and whether and how these are linked to social and political rights and valued or devalued social positions? How category of old age is used either to enable agency or what type of reasons and justifi cations are used to curtail people s potential? How do older people see their prospects of enacting agency? Some of the topics were approached in this study. All of these deserve further research.

Emphasizing the significant socio-demographic changes of the last decades (family transformation and ageing of modern societies), the capability of family to perform some of its essential functions (i.e., care for the elderly) and to maintain solidarity between generations is being questionned both in academic and social policy discourse. Statistical and socio-demographic research data show that the processes related with deinstitutionalisation of a family and a rapid increase in the number of elderly people are observed in Lithuania as well. This indicates a relevance of the questions raised by Western sociologists regarding the fragmentation of social and personal ties and modification of relationships between generations (both "within" and "outside" a family) to the national context. The article explores the peculiarities of intergenerational communication in Lithuanian families, aiming to reveal the frequency of contact between parents and children, patterns of their interaction and emotional closeness—the dimensions that are crusial to an understanding of the intergenerational solidarity, exchange and support in a family. Analysis is based on the data of questionnaire survey of the Lithuanian population representing four age cohorts (persons born in 1950-1955, 1960-1965, 1970-1975 and 1980-1985, N=2000), carried out in 2011-2012. The methodology of conducted quantitative research is discussed in the first chapter; the second chapter presents analysis of empirical data. Conducted research provides evidence of maintenance of regular communication between respondents and their children/parents living apart, and reveals a more active women's role in interaction. Personal relationships are viewed commonly through emotional prism and are given, in overall, high evalution, thus indicating the strong bonds between generations in Lithuanian families. ; Atkreipiant dėmesį į reikšmingus socialinius-demografinius pastarųjų dešimtmečių pokyčius (šeimos transformaciją ir modernių visuomenių senėjimą), akademiniame ir socialinės politikos diskurse vis dažniau keliomos abejonės dėl šeimos galimybių atlikti kai kurias jos esmines funkcijas (senyvo amžiaus asmenų globą ir priežiūrą) bei išlaikyti solidarumą tarp kartų. Straipsnyje nagrinėjami bendravimo tarp kartų ypatumai Lietuvos šeimose, siekiant atskleisti kontaktų tarp tėvų ir vaikų ypatumus (jų dažnį, bendravimo būdus) bei emocinius ryšius, t. y. tuos tarpusavio sąveikos aspektus, kurie leidžia įvertinti kai kurias svarbias tarpgeneracinio solidarumo dimensijas bei paramos teikimą šeimoje. Tyrimo objektas: 1950–1985 m. gimimo kartoms atstovaujantys gyventojai. Analizė grindžiama anketinės apklausos, atliktos 2011–2012 m., duomenimis. Jos metu buvo apklausta 2000 respondentų, atitinkamai po 500 keturiose amžiaus kohortose (1950–1955, 1960–1965, 1970–1975 ir 1980–1985 m. gimimo), kurie buvo atrinkti, remiantis kvotine atranka pagal amžių, lytį ir gyvenamąją vietovę. Tyrimo dizainas ir instrumentas (klausimynas) parengti bendradarbiaujat su užsienio (Šveicarijos ir Portugalijos) sociologais, apklausos anketą sudarė penki klausimų blokai, apimantys daugiau nei 100 klausimų. Apklausos būdas – struktūruoti interviu respondentų namuose. Atlikto kiekybinio tyrimo metodologija pateikta pirmajame straipsnio skyriuje, antrajame aptariami duomenys, atskleidžiantys įvairius skirtingų kartų šeimos narių tarpusavio bendravimo aspektus. Tyrimo rezultatų analizė rodo, kad absoliuti dauguma (per 90 proc.) respondentų nuolat bendrauja su atskirai gyvenančiais savo vaikais ir tėvais, išlaikydami glaudžius asmeninius ryšius. Lyginant bendravimo su vaikais ir tėvais modelius, galima pastebėti kai kuriuos skirtumus (tėvai dažniau aplankomi jų namuose, bendraujant su vaikais aktyviau naudojamos šiuolaikinės informacinės technologijos). Aptariant subjektyvų santykių su savo vaikais ir tėvais vertinimą, dažniausiai pateikiamos nuorodos į tradicines asmeninių ryšių išraiškos formas (pvz., gimtadienio sveikinimus) bei pritariama tvirtinimams, jog šie ryšiai teikia teigiamas emocijas. Ryšiai su vaikais yra vertinami kiek aukščiau, kas gali atspindėti ne tik tarpusavio santykių būklę, bet ir tam tikrus socialiai determinuotus tėvų lūkesčius vaikų atžvilgiu. Tyrimas atskleidė aktyvesnį moterų vaidmenį skirtingų kartų šeimos narių interakcijos procese ir parodė, kad su savo tėvais glaudžiau tarpusavyje bendrauja tos pačios lyties asmenys (dukros-motinos ir sūnūs-tėvai).

Abstract The efficiency of public service provision has been a subject of debate for several decades. Discussions that are centred around whether public or private service provision is more efficient are still active around the world and also concern water and sewage services. Additionally, waterworks are facing tightening quality and environmental requirements, while ageing infrastructure and rapidly growing repair debt must also be addressed. This study aims to identify the actions that are required to improve waterworks performance without compromising service quality. The objective is to find both internal and external factors that will improve efficiency. Despite the clear pressure for new solutions, there is only a limited amount of research on the topic, which provides further justification for this study. This dissertation has adopted a case study approach with multiple data sources in order to provide as diverse, detailed and profound information regarding the Finnish water and sewage sector. Data sources such as interviews, questionnaire and publicly available financial data were used as a basis for analysis. The results of this study indicate that the external factors that influence the performance of waterworks include legislation, environmental issues, population density and municipal topography. When benchmarking different waterworks, it is important to understand that some of these conditions are case-specific. Waterworks cannot change the external factors but they must analyse them in order for them to operate optimally. Internal factors that waterworks managers and municipal owners can influence include the selection of a suitable ownership and governance model, the roles of different decision makers, the competence of board members, asset management practices, proper maintenance of infrastructure, and operational and financial transparency. This study emphasises that municipal owners should concentrate on ownership policy and focus on their role as owners, not as operational managers. The selection of waterworks board members should prioritise management and engineering expertise. Legislators could help improve the efficiency of waterworks by promoting transparency and requiring uniform reporting practices. Making key information publicly available would enable benchmarking and planning of development activities. Waterworks managers should make long-term investment plans and systematically manage their assets. ; Tiivistelmä Julkisen palvelutuotannon tehokkuus on puhuttanut tutkijoita ympäri maailmaa jo vuosikymmenien ajan. Julkisen ja yksityisen palveluntuotannon eroista on keskusteltu monella sektorilla, niin myös vesi- ja jätevesihuoltopalveluissa. Vesihuollon kiristyvät laatu- ja ympäristövaatimukset, vanheneva infrastruktuuri ja nopeasti kasvava korjausvelka yhdessä tiukkenevien tehokkuusvaatimusten kanssa asettavat monet vesihuoltolaitokset ahtaalle. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on löytää toimenpide-ehdotuksia, joiden avulla vesihuollon suoristuskykyä voidaan parantaa kuitenkaan vaarantamatta palvelun laatua. Tavoitteena on löytää sekä sisäisiä että ulkoisia tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat vesihuollon suorituskykyyn ja joita muuttamalla vesihuollon tehokkuutta voidaan parantaa. Tämän väitöskirjan lähestymistapa on tapaustutkimus ja siinä hyödynnetään useita erilaisia tietolähteitä, jotta pystytään luomaan monipuolinen kuvaus tutkimuskohteesta. Analyysin perustana käytettiin erilaisia tietolähteitä kuten haastatteluja, kyselylomaketta sekä julkisesti saatavissa olevia taloudellisia tietoja. Tutkimustulosten mukaan vesihuoltolaitoksen suorituskykyyn vaikuttavia ulkoisia tekijöitä ovat muun muassa lainsäädäntö, ympäristölliset seikat, kunnan topografia sekä asukastiheys. Vesihuoltolaitokset eivät voi suoraan vaikuttaa ulkoisiin tekijöihin, mutta niiden tunnistaminen ja vaikutusten analysointi on tärkeää, jotta annetuissa puitteissa voidaan toimia optimaalisesti. Sisäiset tekijät, joihin vesihuoltolaitoksen johto ja kuntaomistaja voivat vaikuttaa, ovat sopivan omistus- ja hallintomallin valinta, eri toimijoiden väliset roolit, hallituksen jäsenten pätevyys, omaisuuden hallinta sekä operationaalinen ja taloudellinen läpinäkyvyys. Tutkimustulosten mukaan vesihuoltolaitoksen kuntaomistajan tulisi keskittyä omistajapolitiikkaan ja rooliinsa omistajana eikä operatiivisena johtajana. Vesihuoltolaitoksen johtokunnan ja hallituksen jäseniä valittaessa tulisi etusijalle asettaa liikkeenjohdollinen ja tekninen osaaminen. Avoimuuden edistäminen ja yhtenäisten raportointikäytäntöjen edellyttäminen ovat lainsäätäjän mahdollisia työkaluja vesihuoltolaitoksen tehokkuuden edistämiseen. Vesihuoltolaitoksen johdon tulisi tehdä pitkän aikavälin investointisuunnitelmia sekä systemaattisesti hallita vesihuoltolaitoksen omaisuutta.

Telomere length (TL) is a marker of ageing and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is an early marker of inflammation caused by oxidative stress. We determined TL and mtDNA content among active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients to assess if these cellular biomarkers differed between artisanal miners and non-miners, and to assess if they were predictive of treatment outcome. We conducted a prospective cohort study from August 2018 to May 2019 involving newly diagnosed PTB patients at three outpatient TB clinics in a rural Democratic Republic of Congo. We measured relative TL and mtDNA content in peripheral blood leukocytes (at inclusion) via qPCR and assessed their association with PTB treatment outcome. We included 129 patients (85 miners and 44 non-miners) with PTB (median age 40 years; range 5-71 years, 22% HIV-coinfected). For each increase in year and HIV-coinfection, TL shortened by − 0.85% (− 0.19 to − 0.52) (p ≤ 0.0001) and − 14% (− 28.22 to − 1.79) (p = 0.02) respectively. Independent of these covariates, patients with longer TL were more likely to have successful TB treatment [adjusted hazard ratio; 95% CI 1.27 for a doubling of leucocyte telomere length at baseline; 1.05-1.44] than patients with a shorter TL. Blood mtDNA content was not predictive for PTB outcome. For a given chronological age, PTB patients with longer telomeres at time of diagnosis were more likely to have successful PTB treatment outcome. Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) kills almost 2 million individuals every year and is thus a leading cause of death among adults worldwide. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infects more than 10 million people each year 1-3. Mtb potently induces cytokines and chemokines from polymorphonuclear cells and monocytes, thus resulting in intense local inflammation in the lungs 4. Alveolar macrophages are anti-inflammatory in nature, but their function can be impaired by pollutants, including mineral dusts, thereby diminishing the body's ability to clear infections 5-8. This is probably why mineworkers are more susceptible to develop PTB. Telomere length (TL) reflects the history of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, and is a marker for age-related disease susceptibility 9-12. In normal physiology, mitochondria are important in the cell as they generate most of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through the oxidative phosphorylation mechanism (OXPHOS), which is a critical energy supply for cellular processes and partially encoded with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The OXPHOS mechanism uses dietary intake to produce ATP, but it also produces ROS which can destroy mitochon-drial DNA, impairs respiratory chain function and cause nuclear DNA damage 12-14. Further, Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage can result in genomic instability, cellular senescence and altered intercellular communication. Hallmarks of aging genomic instability and deregulated nutrient sensing can contribute to reduced mitochondrial OPEN ; Funding P.D.M.C.K was fellow of the Fonds Marc Vervenne of the KU Leuven (Belgium) and he is supported by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH)-Fogarty Postdoctoral Fellowship: Grant no. 1D43TW010937-01A1. D.S.M is a FWO postdoc, with funding number: FWO Grant 12X9620N. Fieldwork has been supported by the KU Leuven Alumni Association and the University of Antwerp-USOS via the CEGEMI of the Catholic University of Bukavu. The costs of measuring Telomere length and mtDNA were covered by a grant of the European Research Council (ENVIRONAGE). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the report. The corresponding author had full access to all the study data and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication. Acknowledgements We thank Profs J. Balmes (UCSF), N. Lorent, E. André (KU Leuven), and C. Tonne (ISGlobal) for their critical appraisal of the manuscript. We are grateful to the study participants and their relatives, the TB clinics, and the DRC's National/Provincial TB and HIV programs for their collaboration.

International audience ; INTRODUCTION – Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), pain, discomfort or hampered locomotor system have been associated with biomechanical exposure at work, and represent a major challenge in occupational and public health. OBJECTIVE – Using the data from the CONSTANCES cohort, the aim of the study was to present the prevalence of these disorders in the general population based on demographic and socio-occupational features, including among workers with no or little access to occupational medicine, like temporary workers. METHODS – The CONSTANCES cohort is composed of a random sample of volunteers aged 18 to 69 years at base-line. In order to take into account sample weightings and non-participation, the sample was limited to 28,914 people invited in 2012 and 2013, and included until 31 January 2014, aged 30 to 69 years. The data are derived from self- administered questionnaires at baseline. Eight biomechanical factors and six articular l ocations were studied, and focused on persistent pain. The weighted prevalences of exposure and MSDs were estimated by stratifying on four sociodemographic variables (sex, age, occupation and social category, type of employment contract). RESULTS – Of the 28,914 volunteers included in our analyses, 8,998 men and 10,218 women were working at the time of the study. The prevalence of persistent pain varied between 14% (at elbows level) and 35% (at the back level) in women, 9% and 24% for men (respectively for the same locations). Prevalence of rachis pain in working-class women was 35%, against 22% for executives and 35% and 25% among male workers ( respectively). Prevalence also varied according to exposure to biomechanical factors, age and type of employment contract. CONCLUSION – These data confirm the weight of musculoskeletal disorders. Public health policies in the field of occupational health will be able, through CONSTANCES, to provide indicators on a large part of the French population, especially on vulnerable populations (ageing and precarious workers). ; INTRODUCTION – Les troubles musculo-squelettiques (TMS), douleurs, gênes ou limitations de l'appareil locomoteur potentiellement liées à une hyper-sollicitation d'origine professionnelle, sont considérés comme un enjeu majeur tant en santé au travail qu'en santé publique. OBJECTIF – L'objectif est de présenter, à partir des données de la cohorte Constances, la prévalence de ces troubles en population générale en fonction de caractéristiques démographiques et socioprofessionnelles générales, y compris chez des travailleurs n'ayant pas ou peu accès à la médecine du travail, comme les travailleurs intérimaires. METHODES – La cohorte Constances est constituée de volontaires tirés au sort et âgés de 18 à 69 ans à l 'inclusion. Pour prendre en compte les poids de sondage et la non-participation, l'échantillon a été restreint à 28 914 personnes invitées en 2012 et 2013 et incluses jusqu'au 31 janvier 2014, âgées de 30 à 69 ans. Les données utilisées sont issues des questionnaires complétés par les volontaires à l'inclusion. Huit facteurs biomécaniques et six localisations articulaires ont été étudiés en se restreignant aux douleurs persistantes. Les prévalences pondérées d'exposition et de TMS ont été estimées en stratifiant sur quatre variables sociodémo-graphiques (sexe, classes d'âge, profession et catégorie sociale à l'inclusion, type de contrat de travail). RESULTATS – Sur les 28 914 personnes incluses, 8 998 hommes et 10 218 femmes se déclaraient en activité. Les prévalences des douleurs persistantes variaient entre 14% (aux coudes) et 35% (au niveau du dos) chez les femmes, 9% et 24% chez les hommes respectivement, pour les mêmes localisations. La prévalence des douleurs du rachis chez les femmes ouvrières actives était de 35%, contre 22% chez les femmes cadres, et 35% et 25% chez les hommes, respectivement. Les prévalences variaient également selon l'exposition aux facteurs biomécaniques, l'âge et le type de contrat de travail. CONCLUSION – Ces données confirment le poids des TMS. Les politiques de santé publique dans le champ santé/travail vont pouvoir, grâce à Constances, disposer d'indicateurs sur une partie importante de la population française, et plus particulièrement sur des populations vulnérables (travailleurs vieillissants, travailleurs précaires).

International audience ; INTRODUCTION – Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), pain, discomfort or hampered locomotor system have been associated with biomechanical exposure at work, and represent a major challenge in occupational and public health. OBJECTIVE – Using the data from the CONSTANCES cohort, the aim of the study was to present the prevalence of these disorders in the general population based on demographic and socio-occupational features, including among workers with no or little access to occupational medicine, like temporary workers. METHODS – The CONSTANCES cohort is composed of a random sample of volunteers aged 18 to 69 years at base-line. In order to take into account sample weightings and non-participation, the sample was limited to 28,914 people invited in 2012 and 2013, and included until 31 January 2014, aged 30 to 69 years. The data are derived from self- administered questionnaires at baseline. Eight biomechanical factors and six articular l ocations were studied, and focused on persistent pain. The weighted prevalences of exposure and MSDs were estimated by stratifying on four sociodemographic variables (sex, age, occupation and social category, type of employment contract). RESULTS – Of the 28,914 volunteers included in our analyses, 8,998 men and 10,218 women were working at the time of the study. The prevalence of persistent pain varied between 14% (at elbows level) and 35% (at the back level) in women, 9% and 24% for men (respectively for the same locations). Prevalence of rachis pain in working-class women was 35%, against 22% for executives and 35% and 25% among male workers ( respectively). Prevalence also varied according to exposure to biomechanical factors, age and type of employment contract. CONCLUSION – These data confirm the weight of musculoskeletal disorders. Public health policies in the field of occupational health will be able, through CONSTANCES, to provide indicators on a large part of the French population, especially on vulnerable populations (ageing and precarious workers). ; INTRODUCTION – Les troubles musculo-squelettiques (TMS), douleurs, gênes ou limitations de l'appareil locomoteur potentiellement liées à une hyper-sollicitation d'origine professionnelle, sont considérés comme un enjeu majeur tant en santé au travail qu'en santé publique. OBJECTIF – L'objectif est de présenter, à partir des données de la cohorte Constances, la prévalence de ces troubles en population générale en fonction de caractéristiques démographiques et socioprofessionnelles générales, y compris chez des travailleurs n'ayant pas ou peu accès à la médecine du travail, comme les travailleurs intérimaires. METHODES – La cohorte Constances est constituée de volontaires tirés au sort et âgés de 18 à 69 ans à l 'inclusion. Pour prendre en compte les poids de sondage et la non-participation, l'échantillon a été restreint à 28 914 personnes invitées en 2012 et 2013 et incluses jusqu'au 31 janvier 2014, âgées de 30 à 69 ans. Les données utilisées sont issues des questionnaires complétés par les volontaires à l'inclusion. Huit facteurs biomécaniques et six localisations articulaires ont été étudiés en se restreignant aux douleurs persistantes. Les prévalences pondérées d'exposition et de TMS ont été estimées en stratifiant sur quatre variables sociodémo-graphiques (sexe, classes d'âge, profession et catégorie sociale à l'inclusion, type de contrat de travail). RESULTATS – Sur les 28 914 personnes incluses, 8 998 hommes et 10 218 femmes se déclaraient en activité. Les prévalences des douleurs persistantes variaient entre 14% (aux coudes) et 35% (au niveau du dos) chez les femmes, 9% et 24% chez les hommes respectivement, pour les mêmes localisations. La prévalence des douleurs du rachis chez les femmes ouvrières actives était de 35%, contre 22% chez les femmes cadres, et 35% et 25% chez les hommes, respectivement. Les prévalences variaient également selon l'exposition aux facteurs biomécaniques, l'âge et le type de contrat de travail. CONCLUSION – Ces données confirment le poids des TMS. Les politiques de santé publique dans le champ santé/travail vont pouvoir, grâce à Constances, disposer d'indicateurs sur une partie importante de la population française, et plus particulièrement sur des populations vulnérables (travailleurs vieillissants, travailleurs précaires).

International audience ; INTRODUCTION – Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), pain, discomfort or hampered locomotor system have been associated with biomechanical exposure at work, and represent a major challenge in occupational and public health. OBJECTIVE – Using the data from the CONSTANCES cohort, the aim of the study was to present the prevalence of these disorders in the general population based on demographic and socio-occupational features, including among workers with no or little access to occupational medicine, like temporary workers. METHODS – The CONSTANCES cohort is composed of a random sample of volunteers aged 18 to 69 years at base-line. In order to take into account sample weightings and non-participation, the sample was limited to 28,914 people invited in 2012 and 2013, and included until 31 January 2014, aged 30 to 69 years. The data are derived from self- administered questionnaires at baseline. Eight biomechanical factors and six articular l ocations were studied, and focused on persistent pain. The weighted prevalences of exposure and MSDs were estimated by stratifying on four sociodemographic variables (sex, age, occupation and social category, type of employment contract). RESULTS – Of the 28,914 volunteers included in our analyses, 8,998 men and 10,218 women were working at the time of the study. The prevalence of persistent pain varied between 14% (at elbows level) and 35% (at the back level) in women, 9% and 24% for men (respectively for the same locations). Prevalence of rachis pain in working-class women was 35%, against 22% for executives and 35% and 25% among male workers ( respectively). Prevalence also varied according to exposure to biomechanical factors, age and type of employment contract. CONCLUSION – These data confirm the weight of musculoskeletal disorders. Public health policies in the field of occupational health will be able, through CONSTANCES, to provide indicators on a large part of the French population, especially on vulnerable populations (ageing and precarious workers). ; INTRODUCTION – Les troubles musculo-squelettiques (TMS), douleurs, gênes ou limitations de l'appareil locomoteur potentiellement liées à une hyper-sollicitation d'origine professionnelle, sont considérés comme un enjeu majeur tant en santé au travail qu'en santé publique. OBJECTIF – L'objectif est de présenter, à partir des données de la cohorte Constances, la prévalence de ces troubles en population générale en fonction de caractéristiques démographiques et socioprofessionnelles générales, y compris chez des travailleurs n'ayant pas ou peu accès à la médecine du travail, comme les travailleurs intérimaires. METHODES – La cohorte Constances est constituée de volontaires tirés au sort et âgés de 18 à 69 ans à l 'inclusion. Pour prendre en compte les poids de sondage et la non-participation, l'échantillon a été restreint à 28 914 personnes invitées en 2012 et 2013 et incluses jusqu'au 31 janvier 2014, âgées de 30 à 69 ans. Les données utilisées sont issues des questionnaires complétés par les volontaires à l'inclusion. Huit facteurs biomécaniques et six localisations articulaires ont été étudiés en se restreignant aux douleurs persistantes. Les prévalences pondérées d'exposition et de TMS ont été estimées en stratifiant sur quatre variables sociodémo-graphiques (sexe, classes d'âge, profession et catégorie sociale à l'inclusion, type de contrat de travail). RESULTATS – Sur les 28 914 personnes incluses, 8 998 hommes et 10 218 femmes se déclaraient en activité. Les prévalences des douleurs persistantes variaient entre 14% (aux coudes) et 35% (au niveau du dos) chez les femmes, 9% et 24% chez les hommes respectivement, pour les mêmes localisations. La prévalence des douleurs du rachis chez les femmes ouvrières actives était de 35%, contre 22% chez les femmes cadres, et 35% et 25% chez les hommes, respectivement. Les prévalences variaient également selon l'exposition aux facteurs biomécaniques, l'âge et le type de contrat de travail. CONCLUSION – Ces données confirment le poids des TMS. Les politiques de santé publique dans le champ santé/travail vont pouvoir, grâce à Constances, disposer d'indicateurs sur une partie importante de la population française, et plus particulièrement sur des populations vulnérables (travailleurs vieillissants, travailleurs précaires).

В статье рассмотрены представления россиян пенсионного возраста о пенсионерах. Мы предполагаем, что даже для работающих пенсионеров имеет место размышление об идентичности: принимать или не принимать этот «ярлык», несущий чаще всего негативную оценку. Для тех же, кто оставляет работу по достижении пенсионного возраста, встает вопрос о реорганизации своего образа жизни, пересмотре своей идентичности. Идентичность представляется удобным концептом для анализа того, почему в близкой финансовой ситуации одни люди выходят на пенсию, а другие продолжают работать. Также понятие идентичности является ключом к исследованию стратегий адаптации к жизни на пенсии. ; This article describes a negotiation in identity of the newly retired Russian white-collar workers, caused by the status modification. Russian legislation defines every woman over 55 and every man over 60 as a pensioner, imposing on them this status, providing with a certain income and giving them an opportunity to continue working if they wish to. Thus some of those who reach the age of retirement cease working while others continue. This situation of ambiguity drives the newly retired to an identity negotiation, even those who proceed with their professional activity, because the new status is applied to them as well. The research adopts the perspective of the sociology of life course. A set of biographical interviews serves as the data for this research. The basic hypothesis is that the source of the decision to continue working or choosing the strategies of adaptation to life without work can be found in individual biographies. Personal resources, by which we mean all personal characteristics (such as educational level, age, state of health, etc.), activities or relationships that can facilitate the transition to a new life stage and the absence of which can, on the contrary, make it more difficult, is the key-concept of the analysis. In the first place this article considers the term "retiree" and the way it is interpreted in Russian society. In fact, this notion can be characterized as a "label" (H. Becker) or a "stigma" (E. Goffman): a negative vision that is imposed on senior citizens. This negative image of a typical pensioner implies ageing, poverty, inactiveness, uselessness and physical and intellectual degradation in general. That is why some of the retirees would try to deny this identity. Others would accept it attempting at the same time to eliminate the pessimistic aspect of it this notion. The way of treating the label of pensioner is directly involved into the process of taking a decision of whether to quit working or not. Those who share this negative vision of life after retirement tend to go on (continue) working. At the same time some working retirees may also take this new status as a positive change because of a supplementary income, free transport and a considerable reduction of electricity bills and other facility payments. Those who have already retired and found their own life-style as a pensioner mostly accept this title and in their interviews they are trying to prove that they are still happy, active and useful. The second part of the paper considers the strategies of adaptation to this situation of choice. The first kind of strategy consists in keeping on working with no intention to stop. On one hand, such people do not have enough personal resources to replace their work. On the other hand, they have enough time for working: they do not have any family or housekeeping obligations that would require much time or their permanent presence at home. The second kind of strategy is to continue working after the minimal retirement age and to end professional activity a bit later. In this case the future retirees have a hobby that would eventually replace their work as an interesting dominating activity. The third kind of strategy is a family-centered way of retirement. This way of adaptation is typical for the most of women and refers to the roles of wife, grand-mother and daughter as three major identity resources when professional life is over.

In a joint statement with the UK and the USA on 19 December 2003, Libya publicly renounced nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons and agreed to restrict itself to the possession of ballistic missiles with a range of no greater than 300 km. In 2004 details of an informal nuclear weapon suppliers' network emerged and a new basis was provided for evaluating the proliferation assessments that governments had made in the past. A number of possible factors have been cited to explain Libya's decision to renounce NBC weapons and medium- and long-range missiles. Bush Administration officials have portrayed it as a vindication of the administration's robust approach to combating the spread of NBC weapons. However, there has been disagreement over whether -- or to what extent -- the administration's counter-proliferation strategy should be credited for Libya's decision. Some observers have described it as part of the Qadhafi regime's long-term diplomatic efforts to overcome two decades of political and economic isolation. Until 2004 Libya had been subjected to one of the most stringent of all UN sanctions regimes linked to its involvement in a number of violent incidents during the 1980s, for which it subsequently admitted at least partial responsibility. Before 2003-2004, public information about Libya's biological weapon- and nuclear weapon-related activities did not reflect the actual situation, while information regarding the country's missile program and, to a lesser extent, its chemical weapon (CW) program was more accurate. Until recently, most authoritative or official information regarding suspected Libyan NBC weapon and missile programmes was contained in status-of-proliferation reports and statements issued by the USA and other states. Some information was also released as a consequence of criminal proceedings against individuals and companies which had violated the sanctions regime. Libya has a modest civil nuclear infrastructure, centred on the Tajura Nuclear Research Centre (TNRC) near Tripoli. The TNRC is the site of a 10-megawatt (MW) research reactor that was completed with Soviet assistance in 1981 and placed under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. Libya received considerable foreign assistance to procure sensitive nuclear materials, technologies and components. Much of this assistance was provided by a sophisticated clandestine network run by Abdul Qadeer Khan, characterized by some as the 'father' of Pakistan's nuclear weapon program. Beginning in 1997, the Khan network supplied Libya with centrifuges and related components for an undeclared uranium-enrichment program. It also gave Libya documentation related to nuclear weapon design. However, the relatively low technical absorption capacity of Libya's scientific-industrial base meant that these 'short cuts' did not bring Tripoli appreciably closer to achieving a nuclear weapon capability. During the trilateral process, no concrete evidence of an existing biological weapon program was uncovered. The UK and the USA reportedly hold the view that certain agricultural and pharmaceutical facilities 'were established with biological weapons also in mind'. Libya declared 3,563 empty CW air bombs, 23.62 tonnes of sulphur mustard and more than 3000 tonnes of CW precursors. Libya stated that it had never transferred CW and declared that it had an inactivated CW production facility at Rabta and two CW storage facilities. The bulk of Libya's ballistic missile inventory consisted of ageing FROG and Scud-B missiles that had been imported from the Soviet Union. Libya's missile development was hampered by the imposition of UN sanctions between 1992 and 1999, which restricted the flow of ballistic missile technology. The country reportedly had some success in circumventing sanctions and obtaining missile-related components and technology from companies in China, India and the former Yugoslavia. In the 1990s, Libya also maintained cooperation with Iran in developing missile technology and components. It does not appear that Libya had an active program under way to develop a missile delivery system for nuclear warheads. In September 2004 the USA announced that its verification of the dismantling of Libya's NBC weapon programs, including 'MTCR-class missiles', was 'essentially complete'. Adapted from the source document.

The COVID-19 crisis has elicited an immediate and forceful economic policy response. With the height of the crisis behind us, the Governor has set out priority economic measures for the post-lockdown phase. He calls for the urgent launch of an ambitious, comprehensive, permanent and assessable strategy of structural reforms and fiscal consolidation. In this second, gradual-recovery phase, laying the foundations for sustainable and balanced growth will involve the economic policy response combining two objectives: to support the recovery and to provide for structural adjustment. And, in this scenario, public finances sustainability must be ensured. Three elements are needed to boost the credibility and effectiveness of this initial response and of the entire reform strategy. First, the fiscal expansion in the short term should go hand-in-hand with a plan to restore health to public finances in the medium term, once the economy resumes a sound growth path. Second, structural reforms should be expedited so they positively affect spending, investment and hiring decisions in the very short term. And third, political consensus must ensure the durability of the strategy over several legislatures. In the short run, the policies supporting the recovery should be attuned to the health situation and economic circumstances. That will involve maintaining monetary and financial measures geared to preserving appropriate access to financing. It will further entail extending and recalibrating income support and furlough schemes. New measures will also be needed, namely: active labour market and training policies for the unemployed; enhanced business restructuring and insolvency procedures; and a fiscal impulse for the restructuring of the productive system through investment in technological capital, education and training. In the medium term, the Spanish economy's main challenges will determine the structural reform agenda needed to increase our potential growth over the coming years. The paper details the measures on this agenda in response to each of the challenges identified: i) to improve productivity dynamics (promotion of business dynamics and growth, increased sectoral competition, enhanced human capital and an increase in technological capital); ii) to reduce unemployment and job insecurity (with a lower temporary employment ratio and active labour market policies); iii) to address population ageing (pensions system reform); iv) to bolster inclusion policies (minimum living income and housing affordability); v) to smooth the transition to a more sustainable economy (via fiscal policy and the financial system); vi) to maintain a healthy financial sector; vii) to tackle new challenges (globalisation and digitalisation); viii) to drive forward European governance reform (an appropriate European recovery fund, headway in the fiscal union, Stability and Growth Pact reform, completion of the Banking Union and a genuine Capital Markets Union); and ix) to ensure the sustainability of public finances (an ambitious multi-year fiscal consolidation programme). ; Una vez superada la etapa más aguda de la crisis del Covid-19, que ha supuesto una respuesta inmediata y contundente de la política económica, el gobernador plantea las medidas económicas prioritarias en la fase siguiente a la hibernación y la puesta en marcha, de manera urgente, de una estrategia ambiciosa, integral, permanente y evaluable de reformas estructurales y de consolidación fiscal. En esta segunda fase de reactivación paulatina, la respuesta de la política económica, para sentar las bases de un crecimiento sostenible y equilibrado, tiene que combinar dos objetivos: apoyar la recuperación y facilitar el ajuste estructural. Y, en ese escenario, la sostenibilidad de las finanzas públicas debe estar garantizada. Para potenciar la credibilidad y efectividad de esta respuesta inicial y de toda la estrategia de reformas: i) la expansión fiscal en el corto plazo debe presentarse acompañada de un plan de saneamiento de las cuentas públicas en el medio plazo, que procederá cuando la economía recupere una senda de crecimiento sólido; ii) las reformas estructurales deben acelerarse, para generar efectos positivos a muy corto plazo sobre las decisiones de gasto, inversión y contratación; iii) el consenso político debe garantizar la permanencia de la estrategia durante varias legislaturas. En el corto plazo, las políticas de apoyo a la recuperación deberán acomodarse a la evolución de la situación sanitaria y la coyuntura económica. Ello supondrá mantener medidas monetarias y financieras orientadas a preservar el acceso adecuado a la financiación, extender y recalibrar el sostenimiento de rentas y expedientes de regulación temporal de empleo, nuevas medidas, como políticas activas de empleo y de formación de los desempleados y mejores procedimientos de reestructuración e insolvencia empresarial, y un impulso fiscal a la reestructuración del tejido productivo a través de la inversión en capital tecnológico, educación y formación. En el medio plazo, los principales desafíos de la economía española inspiran la agenda de reformas estructurales que debe aumentar nuestro crecimiento potencial en el escenario de los próximos años. En el texto se detallan las medidas contenidas en esta agenda en respuesta a cada uno de los retos identificados: i) mejorar la dinámica de la productividad (fomento de la dinámica y el crecimiento empresarial, aumento del grado de competencia sectorial; mejora del capital humano e incremento del capital tecnológico); ii) reducir el desempleo y la precariedad del empleo (con menor temporalidad y políticas activas de empleo); iii) afrontar el reto del envejecimiento poblacional (reformas del sistema de pensiones); iv) reforzar las políticas de inclusión (ingreso mínimo vital y acceso a la vivienda); v) favorecer la transición hacia una economía más sostenible (desde la política fiscal y el sistema financiero); vi) mantener un sector financiero saneado; vii) afrontar los nuevos retos (globalización y digitalización); viii) impulsar la reforma de la gobernanza europea (un fondo de recuperación europeo adecuado, avances en la unión fiscal, reforma del Pacto de Estabilidad y Crecimiento, culminación de la Unión Bancaria y una verdadera Unión de Mercados de Capitales); ix) garantizar la sostenibilidad de las cuentas públicas (un ambicioso programa de consolidación fiscal plurianual).

Una vez superada la etapa más aguda de la crisis del Covid-19, que ha supuesto una respuesta inmediata y contundente de la política económica, el gobernador plantea las medidas económicas prioritarias en la fase siguiente a la hibernación y la puesta en marcha, de manera urgente, de una estrategia ambiciosa, integral, permanente y evaluable de reformas estructurales y de consolidación fiscal. En esta segunda fase de reactivación paulatina, la respuesta de la política económica, para sentar las bases de un crecimiento sostenible y equilibrado, tiene que combinar dos objetivos: apoyar la recuperación y facilitar el ajuste estructural. Y, en ese escenario, la sostenibilidad de las finanzas públicas debe estar garantizada. Para potenciar la credibilidad y efectividad de esta respuesta inicial y de toda la estrategia de reformas: i) la expansión fiscal en el corto plazo debe presentarse acompañada de un plan de saneamiento de las cuentas públicas en el medio plazo, que procederá cuando la economía recupere una senda de crecimiento sólido; ii) las reformas estructurales deben acelerarse, para generar efectos positivos a muy corto plazo sobre las decisiones de gasto, inversión y contratación; iii) el consenso político debe garantizar la permanencia de la estrategia durante varias legislaturas. En el corto plazo, las políticas de apoyo a la recuperación deberán acomodarse a la evolución de la situación sanitaria y la coyuntura económica. Ello supondrá mantener medidas monetarias y financieras orientadas a preservar el acceso adecuado a la financiación, extender y recalibrar el sostenimiento de rentas y expedientes de regulación temporal de empleo, nuevas medidas, como políticas activas de empleo y de formación de los desempleados y mejores procedimientos de reestructuración e insolvencia empresarial, y un impulso fiscal a la reestructuración del tejido productivo a través de la inversión en capital tecnológico, educación y formación. En el medio plazo, los principales desafíos de la economía española inspiran la agenda de reformas estructurales que debe aumentar nuestro crecimiento potencial en el escenario de los próximos años. En el texto se detallan las medidas contenidas en esta agenda en respuesta a cada uno de los retos identificados: i) mejorar la dinámica de la productividad (fomento de la dinámica y el crecimiento empresarial, aumento del grado de competencia sectorial; mejora del capital humano e incremento del capital tecnológico); ii) reducir el desempleo y la precariedad del empleo (con menor temporalidad y políticas activas de empleo); iii) afrontar el reto del envejecimiento poblacional (reformas del sistema de pensiones); iv) reforzar las políticas de inclusión (ingreso mínimo vital y acceso a la vivienda); v) favorecer la transición hacia una economía más sostenible (desde la política fiscal y el sistema financiero); vi) mantener un sector financiero saneado; vii) afrontar los nuevos retos (globalización y digitalización); viii) impulsar la reforma de la gobernanza europea (un fondo de recuperación europeo adecuado, avances en la unión fiscal, reforma del Pacto de Estabilidad y Crecimiento, culminación de la Unión Bancaria y una verdadera Unión de Mercados de Capitales); ix) garantizar la sostenibilidad de las cuentas públicas (un ambicioso programa de consolidación fiscal plurianual). ; The COVID-19 crisis has elicited an immediate and forceful economic policy response. With the height of the crisis behind us, the Governor has set out priority economic measures for the post-lockdown phase. He calls for the urgent launch of an ambitious, comprehensive, permanent and assessable strategy of structural reforms and fiscal consolidation. In this second, gradual-recovery phase, laying the foundations for sustainable and balanced growth will involve the economic policy response combining two objectives: to support the recovery and to provide for structural adjustment. And, in this scenario, public finances sustainability must be ensured. Three elements are needed to boost the credibility and effectiveness of this initial response and of the entire reform strategy. First, the fiscal expansion in the short term should go hand-in-hand with a plan to restore health to public finances in the medium term, once the economy resumes a sound growth path. Second, structural reforms should be expedited so they positively affect spending, investment and hiring decisions in the very short term. And third, political consensus must ensure the durability of the strategy over several legislatures. In the short run, the policies supporting the recovery should be attuned to the health situation and economic circumstances. That will involve maintaining monetary and financial measures geared to preserving appropriate access to financing. It will further entail extending and recalibrating income support and furlough schemes. New measures will also be needed, namely: active labour market and training policies for the unemployed; enhanced business restructuring and insolvency procedures; and a fiscal impulse for the restructuring of the productive system through investment in technological capital, education and training. In the medium term, the Spanish economy's main challenges will determine the structural reform agenda needed to increase our potential growth over the coming years. The paper details the measures on this agenda in response to each of the challenges identified: i) to improve productivity dynamics (promotion of business dynamics and growth, increased sectoral competition, enhanced human capital and an increase in technological capital); ii) to reduce unemployment and job insecurity (with a lower temporary employment ratio and active labour market policies); iii) to address population ageing (pensions system reform); iv) to bolster inclusion policies (minimum living income and housing affordability); v) to smooth the transition to a more sustainable economy (via fiscal policy and the financial system); vi) to maintain a healthy financial sector; vii) to tackle new challenges (globalisation and digitalisation); viii) to drive forward European governance reform (an appropriate European recovery fund, headway in the fiscal union, Stability and Growth Pact reform, completion of the Banking Union and a genuine Capital Markets Union); and ix) to ensure the sustainability of public finances (an ambitious multi-year fiscal consolidation programme).

We are witnessing an emerging digital revolution. For the past 25–30 years, at an increasing pace, digital technologies—especially the internet, mobile phones and smartphones—have transformed the everyday lives of human beings. The pace of change will increase, and new digital technologies will become even more tightly entangled in human everyday lives. Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), 6G wireless solutions, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (XR), robots and various platforms for remote and hybrid communication will become embedded in our lives at home, work and school. Digitalisation has been identified as a megatrend, for example, by the OECD (2016; 2019). While digitalisation processes permeate all aspects of life, special attention has been paid to its impact on the ageing population, everyday communication practices, education and learning and working life. For example, it has been argued that digital solutions and technologies have the potential to improve quality of life, speed up processes and increase efficiency. At the same time, digitalisation is likely to bring with it unexpected trends and challenges. For example, AI and robots will doubtlessly speed up or take over many routine-based work tasks from humans, leading to the disappearance of certain occupations and the need for re-education. This, in turn, will lead to an increased demand for skills that are unique to humans and that technologies are not able to master. Thus, developing human competences in the emerging digital era will require not only the mastering of new technical skills, but also the advancement of interpersonal, emotional, literacy and problem-solving skills. It is important to identify and describe the digitalisation phenomena—pertaining to individuals and societies—and seek human-centric answers and solutions that advance the benefits of and mitigate the possible adverse effects of digitalisation (e.g. inequality, divisions, vulnerability and unemployment). This requires directing the focus on strengthening the human skills and competences that will be needed for a sustainable digital future. Digital technologies should be seen as possibilities, not as necessities. There is a need to call attention to the co-evolutionary processes between humans and emerging digital technologies—that is, the ways in which humans grow up with and live their lives alongside digital technologies. It is imperative to gain in-depth knowledge about the natural ways in which digital technologies are embedded in human everyday lives—for example, how people learn, interact and communicate in remote and hybrid settings or with artificial intelligence; how new digital technologies could be used to support continuous learning and understand learning processes better and how health and well-being can be promoted with the help of new digital solutions. Another significant consideration revolves around the co-creation of our digital futures. Important questions to be asked are as follows: Who are the ones to co-create digital solutions for the future? How can humans and human sciences better contribute to digitalisation and define how emerging technologies shape society and the future? Although academic and business actors have recently fostered inclusion and diversity in their co-creation processes, more must be done. The empowerment of ordinary people to start acting as active makers and shapers of our digital futures is required, as is giving voice to those who have traditionally been silenced or marginalised in the development of digital technology. In the emerging co-creation processes, emphasis should be placed on social sustainability and contextual sensitivity. Such processes are always value-laden and political and intimately intertwined with ethical issues. Constant and accelerating change characterises contemporary human systems, our everyday lives and the environment. Resilience thinking has become one of the major conceptual tools for understanding and dealing with change. It is a multi-scalar idea referring to the capacity of individuals and human systems to absorb disturbances and reorganise their functionality while undergoing a change. Based on the evolving new digital technologies, there is a pressing need to understand how these technologies could be utilised for human well-being, sustainable lifestyles and a better environment. This calls for analysing different scales and types of resilience in order to develop better technology-based solutions for human-centred development in the new digital era. This white paper is a collaborative effort by researchers from six faculties and groups working on questions related to digitalisation at the University of Oulu, Finland. We have identified questions and challenges related to the emerging digital era and suggest directions that will make possible a human-centric digital future and strengthen the competences of humans and humanity in this era.

Executive summary We are witnessing an emerging digital revolution. For the past 25–30 years, at an increasing pace, digital technologies—especially the internet, mobile phones and smartphones—have transformed the everyday lives of human beings. The pace of change will increase, and new digital technologies will become even more tightly entangled in human everyday lives. Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), 6G wireless solutions, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (XR), robots and various platforms for remote and hybrid communication will become embedded in our lives at home, work and school. Digitalisation has been identified as a megatrend, for example, by the OECD (2016; 2019). While digitalisation processes permeate all aspects of life, special attention has been paid to its impact on the ageing population, everyday communication practices, education and learning and working life. For example, it has been argued that digital solutions and technologies have the potential to improve quality of life, speed up processes and increase efficiency. At the same time, digitalisation is likely to bring with it unexpected trends and challenges. For example, AI and robots will doubtlessly speed up or take over many routine-based work tasks from humans, leading to the disappearance of certain occupations and the need for re-education. This, in turn, will lead to an increased demand for skills that are unique to humans and that technologies are not able to master. Thus, developing human competences in the emerging digital era will require not only the mastering of new technical skills, but also the advancement of interpersonal, emotional, literacy and problem-solving skills. It is important to identify and describe the digitalisation phenomena—pertaining to individuals and societies—and seek human-centric answers and solutions that advance the benefits of and mitigate the possible adverse effects of digitalisation (e.g. inequality, divisions, vulnerability and unemployment). This requires directing the focus on strengthening the human skills and competences that will be needed for a sustainable digital future. Digital technologies should be seen as possibilities, not as necessities. There is a need to call attention to the co-evolutionary processes between humans and emerging digital technologies—that is, the ways in which humans grow up with and live their lives alongside digital technologies. It is imperative to gain in-depth knowledge about the natural ways in which digital technologies are embedded in human everyday lives—for example, how people learn, interact and communicate in remote and hybrid settings or with artificial intelligence; how new digital technologies could be used to support continuous learning and understand learning processes better and how health and well-being can be promoted with the help of new digital solutions. Another significant consideration revolves around the co-creation of our digital futures. Important questions to be asked are as follows: Who are the ones to co-create digital solutions for the future? How can humans and human sciences better contribute to digitalisation and define how emerging technologies shape society and the future? Although academic and business actors have recently fostered inclusion and diversity in their co-creation processes, more must be done. The empowerment of ordinary people to start acting as active makers and shapers of our digital futures is required, as is giving voice to those who have traditionally been silenced or marginalised in the development of digital technology. In the emerging co-creation processes, emphasis should be placed on social sustainability and contextual sensitivity. Such processes are always value-laden and political and intimately intertwined with ethical issues. Constant and accelerating change characterises contemporary human systems, our everyday lives and the environment. Resilience thinking has become one of the major conceptual tools for understanding and dealing with change. It is a multi-scalar idea referring to the capacity of individuals and human systems to absorb disturbances and reorganise their functionality while undergoing a change. Based on the evolving new digital technologies, there is a pressing need to understand how these technologies could be utilised for human well-being, sustainable lifestyles and a better environment. This calls for analysing different scales and types of resilience in order to develop better technology-based solutions for human-centred development in the new digital era. This white paper is a collaborative effort by researchers from six faculties and groups working on questions related to digitalisation at the University of Oulu, Finland. We have identified questions and challenges related to the emerging digital era and suggest directions that will make possible a human-centric digital future and strengthen the competences of humans and humanity in this era.