Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2993

The nexus of polytechnic education expansion, economic growth, and unemployment: A two-decade perspective in Nigeria

by Chukwukammadu Onyedikachukwu Nkemjika, Charles Okechukwu Aronu, Nkiruka Dorathy Ugwu

Journal of Policy and Society, Vol.3, No.2, 2025;

This study explores the dynamic relationship between polytechnic expansion, economic growth, and unemployment in Nigeria from 1999 to 2023 using secondary data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the National Bureau of Statistics. Key macroeconomic variables analyzed include the Number of Polytechnics (NP), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), GDP Growth Rate (GDPGR), and Unemployment Rate (UNER). Descriptive analysis revealed significant growth in polytechnic institutions, alongside persistent unemployment and fluctuating economic performance. The study employed the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test to assess stationarity, followed by a cointegration test and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to examine both long- and short-run dynamics. The results confirmed a statistically significant long-run equilibrium relationship among the variables, with the ARDL bounds test yielding an F-statistic of 15.84, surpassing the critical upper bound. Notably, the Number of Polytechnics (log_NP) exhibited a strong positive long-term effect on GDP growth (p = 0.0014), reinforcing the role of technical education in economic development. The error correction term (−0.4819, p = 0.0457) was negative and significant, indicating that deviations from the long-run path adjust moderately at a speed of 48.2% annually. Granger causality analysis further showed that polytechnic expansion Granger causes GDP growth, though not GDP directly, implying indirect effects through skill development and labor market productivity. These findings underscore the importance of aligning technical education with industry needs and improving the employability of graduates. The study recommends policy strategies focused on curriculum reform, funding support, and institutional-industry collaboration to fully harness the growth potential of polytechnic education in Nigeria.

Open Access

Review

Article ID: 2499

Policy review of talent competition among Chinese cities: Impacts of hukou and declining fertility

by Qiren Zhang, Mei Wu, Xia Wang, Ximeng Wang

Journal of Policy and Society, Vol.3, No.2, 2025;

China’s cities are increasingly engaged in a “talent war”, driven by urban competitiveness and challenges posed by low fertility rates and the Household Registration System. Talent policies have become central to addressing labor shortages, fostering regional innovation, and supporting sustainable urban development. This study uses the method of meta-research to explore the intricate relationship between talent policies and urban competitiveness, analyzing 58 journal articles sourced from the CNKI database. The analysis identifies three main areas of focus: (1) The evolution and characteristics of talent policies in response to economic reforms and demographic shifts; (2) the effectiveness of these policies in enhancing urban technological innovation and industrial restructuring; and (3) the mechanisms by which talent policies influence population mobility, innovation performance, and urban economic transformation. Findings highlight that cities, leveraging their superior resources and autonomy, successfully attract high-skilled talent but contribute to regional disparities. In contrast, smaller cities face challenges such as limited diversity in policy tools and low market-oriented talent allocation. Additionally, the commodification of talent and the competitive nature of local government policies have introduced inefficiencies in regional innovation systems. To achieve sustainable urban development, the study underscores the need for coordinated talent policy frameworks, emphasizing innovation-driven development, regional collaboration, and tailored approaches to attract, retain, and utilize talent effectively. Addressing systemic issues in the Household Registration System and fostering equitable resource distribution will be critical to balancing regional development and ensuring long-term urban sustainability. This research provides actionable insights into the evolving dynamics of talent policies in China’s rapidly transforming socioeconomic landscape and provides readers with a clearer and three-dimensional understanding framework to understand China’s talent policy.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2919

Global Solutions & Outreach Programs: Humanity’s best chance to resolve global warming, Part 2: Global warming solutions

by Richard W. Hutchinson, Thomas E. Rehm

Journal of Policy and Society, Vol.3, No.2, 2025;

In “Global Solutions & Outreach Programs: Humanity’s best chance to resolve global warming, Part 1: Global warming challenges,” we discussed the challenges that are preventing humanity from resolving global warming. We are facing an existential threat. To mitigate these biases, the Global Solutions and Outreach Programs (GSOP) proposal calls for a truly global collaboration to evaluate and integrate climate solutions using the wicked- problem approach. This approach was demonstrated in the 1990s by a U.S. Army-funded project led by Dr. Richard (Dick) Hutchinson. The project involved two hundred and seventy (270) professionals from national laboratories and other U.S. government agencies to provide effective verification measures at the international chemical weapons convention then being negotiated in Geneva. GSOP evaluation and integration of climate solutions will be undertaken by multiple teams of engineers, economists, social experts, and political experts within each country. This work will be done outside of, yet informing, governments, the marketplace, and public opinion. Country Action Plans will be rolled up to regional and global levels. The GSOP work will be iterated until the global action plan provides a resolution of global warming at the scale of Earth. Part 2 describes our GSOP proposal.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2322

Charting public health horizons: Hybrid SMEs and the X.0 Wave Theory in post-COVID governance

by Hamid Mattiello, Diana Mattiello

Journal of Policy and Society, Vol.3, No.2, 2025;

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed significant weaknesses in global public health systems, highlighting the urgent need for innovative governance strategies. This study investigates the potential of the X.0 Wave Framework, also referred to as the Comprehensive Integration Theory, alongside the innovative model of Hybrid Enterprises (SME X.0, where X.0 = 5.0), to revolutionize public health governance in a post-pandemic era. It emphasizes the role of these transformative concepts in reshaping strategic approaches to health systems, ensuring resilience, adaptability, and proactive crisis management. It delves into the integration of advanced technologies and novel business models to improve public health responses, resilience, and preparedness for future crises. By merging forecasting models, proactive measures, and sustainable practices, this chapter presents a comprehensive framework for developing adaptable and robust public health strategies to meet evolving challenges. Healthcare, social systems, and welfare structures are transitioning from conventional practices to advanced, data-centric methodologies, giving rise to a groundbreaking concept termed the “Digital Health Ecosystem” (DHE) and a new paradigm known as the “Internet of Health” (IoH). This concept integrates Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into health and social welfare systems, revolutionizing how data is collected, analyzed, and utilized to enhance individual and community well-being. This proposal aims to develop a comprehensive framework guided by the X.0 Wave Theory to address the ethical, social, and digital dimensions of the IoH, ensuring that technological advancements benefit society equitably and responsibly.

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IoH for Enhancing Social, Ethical, AI Regulation, and Digital Engagement in Healthcare and Welfare through X.0 Wave Theory)

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2284

Energy research in a pluralistic system: Bibliometric analysis of SA publications

by Anastassios Pouris

Journal of Policy and Society, Vol.3, No.2, 2025;

This article presents the results of a bibliometric analysis of South African energy publications during the period 2011 to 2021. Bibliometric analyses have the potential to reveal policy issues that cannot be identified easily through other approaches (e.g., peer review). Several findings are important for policy. It is identified that a substantial number of the energy publications produced by South Africans are proceedings papers. Identification of the main funders leads to the assumption that the National Research Foundation funding for conferences has led to the overproduction of proceedings. The most prolific producers of energy research produce approximately the same number of publications. Energy research is distributed to a large number of universities in the country. It is suggested that this may create diseconomies of scale. Comparisons of the organizational outputs of the South African organizations with international entities identify that the country’s organizations are subcritical. Analysis of the international collaborative patterns of energy identifies that collaboration is very light in comparison to collaborative patterns of all disciplines. It is noted that researchers moved towards renewable technologies even though there is no relevant support from the government. The investigation identifies that bibliometrics is a powerful approach for monitoring and evaluating disciplines within systems of innovation.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2200

A decade retrospect of Chinese education in the Belt and Road Initiative: Achievements, experiences, and challenges

by Jinpeng Niu

Journal of Policy and Society, Vol.3, No.2, 2025;

Education plays a key role in the Belt and Road Initiative in the new era. Over the past decade, education has promoted the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, constructing a multilateral cooperation mechanism led by the government and dominated by universities, facilitating the training of talents in participating countries, fostering cultural exchanges among countries along the Belt and Road, and developing diversified educational assistance models. Meanwhile, certain experiences have been accumulated, such as implementing province-ministry cooperation and leveraging local advantages, maintaining the opening of education to the outside world and building a higher education community, optimizing the governance system and promoting the internationalization of vocational education, as well as emphasizing the integration of strengths and exploring new models of international educational assistance. However, there are also numerous challenges, such as the need to overcome institutional obstacles of higher education systems among countries along the Belt and Road, the need to deepen educational cooperation and exchange between the participating countries, the need to enhance the level of China’s opening of education to the outside world, and the need to further optimize the “going global” strategy of China’s vocational education. Going forward, countries along the Belt and Road should seek to identify the convergence point of common interest and the greatest common divisor in educational cooperation and exchange, thereby contributing to the steady and long-term progress of the Belt and Road Initiative.