TENCEL^(TM)forges key partnerships to better the future of the textile industry

Under Lenzing’s on-going commitment to drive the adoption of responsible practices and circularity,the TENCEL^(TM)brand continues to participate in various initiatives with like-minded groups and organizations.These strategic partnerships help toward achieving this goal,further amplifying the reach of this important message among the textile supply chain and fashion community.

Curriculum Reform of“Woven Fabric Structure Design and Application”in Higher Vocational College Based on Industry-College Partnerships

The curriculum“Woven Fabric Structure Design and Application”is the core curriculum of textile majors in higher vocational colleges,which plays a very important role in the cultivation of students’vocational ability and professional quality.The curriculum reform of“Woven Fabric Structure Design and Application”through the deep cooperation of industry-college partnerships,the comprehensive analysis of the major training objectives and graduation requirements,the redesign of the curriculum teaching content,the improvement of the teaching method and the examination method,has achieved good results.

Metropolitan Housing Development in Urban Fringe Areas-A Case Study of Three Metropolitan Cities of South Africa: Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane

Purpose:The metropolitan cities of Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane play an important role in the economy of the Gauteng province in South Africa.The region constitutes to 22.4 percent of the total population of South Africa and has a strong presence and contributes in areas of manufacturing sector,financial and business services,retail and wholesale trade,etc.The rapid urban population,increase in the informal settlements and socio-economic opportunities has resulted in considerable urban sprawl in and around the urban fringe areas of these metropolitan cities.The urban fringe areas of these metros often come under the influence of rapid urbanization process and pressures.Coupled with the economical and potential land dynamics and lack of priority of spatial development guidelines,these areas attract rapid and haphazard development from communities and developers.Research Design/Methodology:This research is based on a qualitative approach through a comprehensive literature review that included content analysis of key documents on housing sector such as IDPs(Integrated Development Plans),Municipal Annual Reports,Growth Development Strategies,and among other sectoral documents on housing sector.Some of the key priority issues considered in the housing sector included:eradication of housing backlogs,spatial restructuring of housing,provision of choice in terms of location,tenure and housing typology.Findings:The current paper discusses the approaches of metropolitan housing development processes in three metropolitan cities of South Africa from Gauteng region,namely:Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.The paper discusses the existing housing sectoral scenario along with the fringe areas in three cities with focus on:formal and informal settlements,housing segregation and the backlogs,current institutional arrangements,role of public private participation,and scope for alternate mechanisms.The paper concludes in discussion on sustainable development options for housing development in urban fringe areas.

The Effectiveness of Partnership in Talent Training Between Industry and Higher Vocational Colleges in China

This paper is based on the partnership between China’s higher vocational colleges and industry, and obtains a large number of data on industry-college partnerships through case analysis, interviews and questionnaires. This paper analyzes the main factors that affect industry-college partnerships and the current problems and challenges, then puts forward the solutions.

What Business Models Best Suit the Private Sector in Achieving the SDGs

Since the United Nations Sustainable development goals and the 2030 agenda were initiated in 2015,it has provided governments with a comprehensive blueprint to take action and meet the challenges of the world’s most pressing issues today.But the private sector also plays a large role in contributing to the problems highlighted in the SDGs and companies ranging from many different industries have increasingly become more involved in developing new and innovative solutions to solve the issues highlighted in the SDGs.Social and environmental accountability has been one of the areas that the private sector has been focusing its attention on.Companies in the corporate sector across all industries have adopted Environmental,Social,and Governance(ESG)regulations and targets,that aim to ensure ethical responsibility within private companies and promote transparency about their role in promoting social and environmental well-being across the world.This has allowed many companies to align their values and business models to emphasize the importance of the SDGs.Furthermore,innovative technologies are being utilized to ensure that public reports about the company’s practices are fully accountable and transparent to the public community and the overall private sector.For example,some private companies are using Natural Language Processing and Artificial Intelligence to analyze sustainable practices highlighted in the company’s ESG reports and see if they are genuine and free of greenwashing.This shows that technologies are playing a key role in promoting corporate accountability in terms of sustainability and encouraging private companies to adhere to the guidelines highlighted within the SDGs.Furthermore,private companies have adapted their business models to better promote innovations and collaboration with governments,other private companies as well as NGOs.Since the SDGs were designed to be interconnected and not siloed into their own different challenges,many companies who adopt the SDGs as a major sustainability framework will often develop partnerships and connections with other private sector groups so that they could develop new innovative solutions to meet the challenges posed by current global issues.This is especially prevalent in the clean energy sector,which aims to solve SDG 7 and SDG 13 both important in eradicating the issue of climate change.For example,the solar energy private sector has been currently collaborating with a wide range of universities and research institutions in order to develop solar panels that are more energy efficient and affordable for everyday consumers,while still allowing the private companies to generate significant returns in revenue.When private sector Industries adopt the measures highlighted in the SDGs,not only does it allow them to work with other industries to contribute to combating the world’s most pressing issues,but also maintains and improves their sources of revenue and profit.Overall,in order to meet the world’s most pressing challenges and issues,the private sector has increasingly adopted the SDGs in their business models,so that they would be able to better collaborate with others to develop innovative solutions and to bridge commitment to sustainable development throughout different industries.

Casual sex and concurrent sexual partnerships among young people from an Yi community with a high prevalence of HIV in China

Liangshan Prefecture in Sichuan province, China, has a high prevalence of HIV infection, which is reflective of a change in the mode of transmission from injection drug use （IDU） to heterosexual intercourse. However, few studies focus on HIV-related heterosexual risk behaviours among the majority Yi population. The objectives of this study were to explore the characteristics of an egocentric sexual network and estimate the prevalence of casual sexual behaviour. Yi villagers （n= 108）, aged 15-35 years, who reported having had sex within the previous year were interviewed as to their sexual behaviours and networks. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions provided supplementary information on sexual norms. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate unadjusted odds ratios （ORs） and 95% confidence intervals （CIs）. Most of the respondents reported having had casual sex at some time in their life, and 66.7% reported multiple sexual partnerships. Only 21.3% reported ever having used a condom. During the study year, a total of 137 partners were involved in 153 sexual partnerships. Among the reported sexual partnerships, 67.3% originated from a casual sexual relationship. For network members in components of size ≥3, 56,9% were involved in concurrent sexual partnerships. Having never been married （OR： 2.11; 95% CI： 1.03-4.33） and younger age （OR： 0.89; 95% CI： 0.83-0.95） were both associated with being in a component of size ≥3. Size （OR： 2.99; 95% Ch 1.17-7.66）, pair （OR： 0.54; 95% Ch 0.039-0.74）, the number of weak components of the egocentric sexual network （OR- 30.04; 95% Ch 6.47-139.46） and gender （OR. 0. 19; 95% Ch. 0.06-0.67） were all associated with being in concurrent sexual partnerships. HIV-related interventions for the Yi ethnic minority in Sichuan province must therefore address concurrent sexual partnerships and promote condom use.

A watershed-based adaptive knowledge system for developing ecosystem stakeholder partnerships

This study proposes a Watershed-based Adaptive Knowledge System(WAKES) to consistently coordinate multiple stakeholders in developing sustainable partnerships for ecosystem management.WAKES is extended from the institutional mechanism of Payments for Improving Ecosystem Services at the Watershed-scale(PIES-W).PIES-W is designed relating to the governance of ecosystem services flows focused on a lake as a resource stock connecting its inflowing and outflowing rivers within its watershed.It explicitly realizes the values of conservation services provided by private land managers and incorporates their activities into the public organizing framework for ecosystem management.It implicitly extends the "upstream-to-downstream" organizing perspective to a broader vision of viewing the ecosystems as comprised of both "watershed landscapes" and "marine landscapes".Extended from PIES-W,WAKES specifies two corresponding feedback:Framework I and II.Framework I is a relationship matrix comprised of three input-output structures of primary governance factors intersecting three subsystems of a watershed with regard to ecosystem services and human stakeholders.Framework II is the Stakeholder-and-Information structure channeling five types of information among four stakeholder groups in order to enable the feedbacks mechanism of Framework I.WAKES identifies the rationales behind three fundamental information transformations,illustrated with the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and the Strategic Action Program of the Bermejo River Binational Basin.These include(1) translating scientific knowledge into public information within the Function-and-Service structure corresponding to the ecological subsystem,(2) incorporating public perceptions into political will within the Serviceand-Value structure corresponding to the economic subsystem,and(3) integrating scientific knowledge,public perceptions and political will into management options within the Value-and-Stakeholder structure corresponding to the social subsystem.This study seeks to share a vision of social adaptation for a global sustainable future through developing a network to adopt contributions from and forming partnerships among all ecosystem stakeholders.

Comparative study of China and USA public private partnerships in public transportation

As an effective alternative approach to provide goods and services for public infrastructure, the Public Private Partnership （PPP） has been studied extensively over the past few decades. On a global scale, China and the United States have developed cooperation on PPP projects in various areas. To perform a comparative study, this paper analyzes how PPP projects work in both countries for public transportation. The basic features, types, and phases of PPPs in public transportation are introduced first, fol- lowed by a thorough discussion on their advantages and challenges. This paper adopts a case study method to analyze the achievements and problems of PPP projects in both countries and then proposes important findings and suggestions for future research.

Multiple partnerships and risk for HIV among the Garífuna minority population in Belize

Belize has the highest rates of HIV infection in Central America and is experiencing a generalized epidemic. The Garífuna, a minority ethnic population, is at risk for HIV. This study uses survey data from Garífuna men and women to examine the frequency of multiple partnerships as well as sociodemographic characteristics and behavioral constructs correlated with having multiple partners. A high proportion of respondents reported having multiple partners, but rates were significantly higher for men, and men had a higher mean number of partners than women. A high proportion of respondents reported having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the last year, with more men reporting a history of STIs than women. Regression results show the importance of improving men and women’s perceived susceptibility for HIV and encouraging them to know their HIV status. Reinforcing a social norm for partner reduction would also benefit men. Study findings support the need for HIV counseling and testing in Garífuna communities as well as STI prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This study demonstrates that reducing multiple partnerships among Garífuna men and women is critical for reducing the spread of HIV in Belize.

The power of the public purse: financing of global health partnerships and acienda setting for sustainability

Public-private partnerships(PPPs) have reshaped the institutional structure of global governance.They have advanced collaboration on core issues such as health, clean energy, the rights of women and children, and access to infrastructure, among others. But which actors create and finance public-private partnerships in global governance to advance such objectives? What are the implications of the agency behind such collaboration for influencing the global agenda on sustainable development? While some scholars and advocacy groups see the growing role of private actors as a powershift away from public institutions, others argue that such arrangements tend to be complementary to public mandates and indeed may provide a new means for international institutions to pursue such mandates. The article probes this debate by analyzing the type of actors that finance global health partnerships, an area in which the influence of hybrid initiatives is particularly prominent. It reveals that public financing remains a core and necessary condition for the emergence and functioning of PPPs. The growing share of private financing,nonetheless, has important implications for shaping partnerships agendas and steering global health and sustainability governance. Rather than a powershift or abdication of responsibilities by the state, there is rather a tendency of deliberate diffusion of power by donors toward hybrid structures.

Emerging Challenges in the Completion of Construction Projects through Public Private Partnerships: Empirical Literature Review

The process of engaging private sector in the provision of public infrastructure can improve economic value in service delivery and enable the government to utilize the capabilities and expertise held by private sector. This has a positive impact on the public in terms of improving their well-being. This literature review attempts to compare the challenges encountered in implementation of PPP projects across the world, with a view to determining cross cutting challenges and recommendations for developing countries. A literature review was conducted for empirical studies focusing on construction projects. The studies are reviewed by analyzing the methodology used and conclusions made to identify the geographical study area, Public Private Partnership project financing model, emerging challenges and recommendation for future project management. The literature search was based on four keywords: construction projects, completion of construction projects, public private partnership, challenges in construction projects. Thus, a total of 11 empirical studies were identified for review in Europe, Asia and Africa. The review revealed that most risk factors affecting project completion can be categorized as human and organizational factors and unknown geotechnical conditions that were not known beforehand. Specifically, project owners’ interference was also attributable to delays with the delays having significant implications for project execution. Risks have great impact on the performance of construction projects because they affect their quality, time and cost. The general remedy to such potential risk factors is adoption of reliable prediction mechanisms which would estimate those factors using a probabilistic model that does not rely on expert judgments as they tend to be unreliable.

Building partnerships in a complex academic research environment

Change in the information landscape has afforded librarians an opportunity to actively seek new skills,knowledge,and opportunities in order to effectively integrate expertise at the point of need; in particular,librarians have shifted from being information providers to embedded information creators,integrators,and innovators. Our ability to capitalize on the strengths of our specific institutional environments and respond to information needs is ever more important if we are to remain central to the work of our academic enterprise. This article describes how the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ＇ s Health Sciences Library(HSL） has sought opportunities and established successful partnerships that integrate library expertise aligning with the two core strategies of Carolina＇s new strategic framework Blueprint for Next： Of the Public,For the Public,and Innovation Made Fundamental.These efforts have resulted in initiatives that improve access to quality health care and health care information for North Carolinians,accelerate the campus＇ research enterprise,and demonstrate the importance of evidence-based care at UNC and globally. By understanding and identifying the needs of our various stakeholders,we have been able to progress with our understanding of what key problems need to be solved,what interventions need to be developed,and in what ways librarians can integrate expertise around information synthesis and critical thinking so that we are seen as valued partners in our complex academic environment.

Having a Partner and Having Children:Comparisons of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease and the General Population:A 15-Year Case-Control Study

Objectives:To examine whether patients with congenital heart disease(CHD)are less likely to have a partner or children than individuals from the general population.Methods:Longitudinal study with two assessments of the same patients(n=244)from a hospital population and controls(n=238)from the German Socio-Economic Panel(GSOEP)using parental education,patients age,and sex as matching criteria.The first patient study was conducted between 5/2003 and 6/2004,the second one between 5/2017 and 4/2019.Controls were drawn from GSOEP-surveys 2004 and 2018.CHD-severity was classified according to type of surgery:curative,reparative,or palliative.Living single was used as outcome measure,for offspring the outcome was having children or not.Results:Among women with CHD the rate of those living single was higher than among controls with the differences depending on disease complexity(curative:OR=5.5;reparative:OR=1.9;palliative:OR=2.7).No statistically significant differences between patients and controls emerged in the male study population.With respect to children a marked difference emerged between women with CHD and controls.Among patients the odds of having children were lower than among controls(curative:OR=0.3;reparative:OR=0.3;palliative:OR=0.2).The rate of patients with children with CHD(women:5.6%;men:4.9%)was higher than expected(1%)if compared with the general population.Conclusions:Using partnership and children as outcome criteria,patients with CHD are disadvantaged if compared to subjects from the general population.In female patients the social consequences of the disease turned out as more pervasive than in women.

Income Taxation of Foreign Invested Partnerships in China

Doing business in China, while lucrative, can be a minefield to the uninitiated. This regular column by Deloitte will provide specific information to give businesspeople the tools they need to facilitate this process.

Strengthening Educational Partnerships

Founded in October 1951, East China Normal University （ECNU） is a key university under the direct auspices of the Ministry of Education. With two campuses covering a total of over 220 hectares in the Minhang and Putuo districts of Shanghai, ECNU has long been known as a ＂Garden University＂ for its beautiful campus scenery. At present, the university consists of 19 full-time schools and six advanced research institutes, with 58 departments offering 70 undergraduate programs.

Reevaluating Africa’s Strategic Partnerships

Africa＇s strategic partnerships are aimed at mobilizing the necessary financial and technical support for the implementation of regional and continental programs, including the recently adopted Agenda 2063 and its First lO-Year Implementation Plan. However, although the strategic partnerships have proven relevant in the past, their objectives, scope and modus operandi need to be regularly reviewed in order to make them more balanced, productive and action-oriented.