Tiltai

2020 metai visam pasauliui įsimins kaip įtempta kova su negalia – žmoniją apėmusia neviltimi, siekiant įveikti pandemiją sukėlusį virusą. Iš pradžių tai buvo tikra negalia nepajėgiant įveikti baisios pasaulį užklupusios negandos. Ji buvo kolektyvinė, supranacionalinė, nors paveikė konkrečius žmones. Netrukus šalys suprato, kad bus neįmanoma įveikti pandemijos stengiantis tai daryti pavieniui, tad imta vienytis. Rodos, bendromis pastangomis ji jau įveikiama sutelkus dėmesį į išteklius, kompetenciją.

The Covid-19 pandemic that was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30 March 2020 has caused blockages in all economic sectors, but tourism is the most affected. It is difficult to estimate the real impact of the pandemic on international tourism. Travel restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the virus have had a devastating impact on the tourism industry around the world. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, tourism is a vital part of the infrastructure of the world economy, generating 10% of total gross domestic product (GDP), and accounting for one out of ten of all jobs. The tourism sector is very dynamic, requiring a rapid response to a changing environment and market; but it is also most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Modern tourism requires urgent research, and the analysis of internal and external resources. The perception of changes in the market is a key factor enabling companies to stay in business. Challenges are also posed by technological advances, driven by both the technological advances themselves and safety aspects during the pandemic. This article presents the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the tourism sector globally, which includes the cruise ship and airline industries, and also accommodation. The difficulties are successfully overcome by companies that proactively monitor and evaluate key performance indicators: if the indicators are unsatisfactory, they take all possible measures to improve performance. A smooth and timely restructuring process allows companies in temporary difficulty to reshape their operations by changing their strategy, abandoning unprofitable forms of activity, and focusing on the most efficient ones.

The article analyses the management of a virtual project team in international companies. It provides a theoretical overview of virtual project team management, and the results of the research are presented. A qualitative study was carried out in which a structured interview was used to interview managers working in international companies who lead virtual project teams. The study involved nine informants, working in Lithuania, the United Kingdom, the United States, Bangladesh, France, Malaysia and Poland. The results of the study revealed the influence of information and communication technologies in managing a virtual project team, how emotional and motivational processes are managed, the importance of trust to a virtual project team, and how team management is improving. To summarise the research, the results provide a virtual project team management model that benefits companies and virtual project team managers who strive for the productive management of these teams.

The article analyses the application of elements of a team-based learning strategy to a virtual environment by creating a prototype that uses Web 5.0 technologies. The team-based teaching / learning strategy was chosen due to its popularity and proven effectiveness in higher education. Web 5.0 web educational technologies have been chosen because of their undoubted future perspective. Both the aforementioned strategy and the Web 5.0 technologies are chosen because they guarantee the development of the competencies necessary in the future (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, etc.) A prototype was developed and evaluated during the study. The possibilities of Web 5.0 web technologies related to artificial intelligence in the development of the developed prototype are reviewed.

There are plenty of insights not only in democratisation but also in de-democratisation in today’s research into political regimes and democracy. The fate of new democracies is actual and relevant. The focus of this article is the evolution of Ukraine’s political regime. Formally, Ukraine is recognised as a country positioning the attributes of democracy. Despite this, the democracy there is facing existential challenges. On the basis of the research conducted into the state of democracy in Ukraine, the connection between processes of democratisation and de-democratisation is analysed in this country, one of the largest in Europe. Attention is paid to the perspective of the hybrid political regime, analysing not only the denial of each other in processes of democratisation and de-democratisation, but also their coexistence, analysing the historicity, contextuality and modern suitability of the hybrid political regime.

In the article, the activities of presidents in the creation of welfare states are analysed. The main factors behind successful effectiveness in the creation of the welfare state are: public opinion towards the president, his/her individual philosophy, clear communication, and relations with political parties. The case of Gitanas Nausėda, the President of the Republic of Lithuania, with his vision of the creation of the welfare state as the main aim of governance and social rights, is presented in the article. The role of President Nausėda is significant because of the proposals and changes he has inititated. The president not only supports the welfare state, but also suggests concrete proposals for changes to the tax environment in the country, improving social security conditions and conditions for the disabled, enforcing equal opportunities, etc.

The article analyses the independence of children with mental and behavioural disorders, and the importance of its development and background, which creates the preconditions for a better quality of life. Psychomotor development and building up the independence of children with disabilities basically predetermine better conditions for the child’s integration into the community, the reduction of stress and dependence on family members, and better harmony in the family. The child’s psychomotor development covers major areas of child development: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, cognition, perception of language, verbal expression, self-regulation, and social and emotional development. But in terms of mental and behavioural disorders, the formation of skills proceeds in a more complex way. This disorder often manifests itself together with sensory problems: too high/low response, high stress felt, anxiety, and detachment from specific activities/measures, which may result in the delayed formation of independence skills. The development of the independence of a child with a disability is very important when individually selecting a suitable environment and factors that increase the motivation to learn, seek and interiorise newly acquired skills. These skills predetermine the possibilities for a person with a disability to feel independent in their daily activities in the future. Engagement in social interaction is an inevitable and important element of a high-quality daily life. Children with a disability face increased difficulties in their daily routines. Children with poorer social skills undergo social exclusion, and experience more difficulties in perceiving the feelings of other people, recognising and expressing emotions, complying with regulations and norms, and respecting themselves and others.

The aim of the article is to review the features of the management of the vaccination process during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the importance of the health care systems in different countries. This is one of the most relevant research topics in recent years in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the number of scientific publications is increasing daily with geometric progression. The authors of the article analysed and summarised over 160 scientific publications. A detailed analysis of the development, clinical research, approval and registration procedures, reliability, safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine presented in the articles is presented. In this context, it was particularly important for the authors to present the doubts about the advantages of vaccination, and the reasons for refusing vaccination, evaluating the public information context. The role of the health care system is presented in the disclosure of the organisation of the vaccination process in the country, especially in the identification of priority groups of vaccinees, and in the monitoring of vaccinated people. The results of the research analysed in the articles suggest that all registered Covid-19 vaccines are sufficiently reliable, safe and effective, and timely public information is of great importance for vaccination coverage. The central role of the health care system in organising and managing the vaccination process has proven its worth. The vaccination process is managed and controlled in the country.

This article presents the current situation of senior citizens in Lithuania, and ways to involve them in the development of society. About a fifth of European Union (EU) citizens are considered to be senior citizens (65 years or older). The growing number of older people presupposes micro and macro problems in society. The micro problems are the loneliness of the elderly and the lack of social participation. The macro problems include social security issues: pensions, health care and social services. All EU countries are facing the challenge of an ageing society and demographic change. The results of the study ‘Community Senior Citizens Involved International presented in Stripes revealed:

The article presents the concept of the cross-border method that was developed in the framework of the Erasmus+ programme project. The aim of this method is to provide students on PhD/Mg programmes with theoretical knowledge and practical competencies on how to properly develop and conduct research on social and health issues of the elderly in care institutions and in the family environment by using the cross-border method through collaboration and the transfer of innovation. This method was constructed as an attempt to understand the challenges of an ageing society in the modern world, and to be able to assess them in research thereof from both intercultural and comparative perspectives. In order to adopt innovations and to transfer experience in the context of addressing the problems of an ageing society, there is a potential to contribute to the stability of social protection and the accessibility of social services for the elderly. The article presents the concept of the method as one of the results of the project, and as a part of the long-term scientific contributions to revealing the importance of international cooperation and innovation in meeting the challenges of an ageing society. A properly chosen method and well-conducted studies show the essence of the phenomenon of an ageing society and its patterns. The methods determine the quality and reliability of the knowledge of the research subject, and open up opportunities for developing political, learning and care strategies for the social protection of an ageing society in the context of demographic change.