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3079 results in Jagiellonian University Press

Page 54 of 154

China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016
  • The impressive spiral of global dependency created by China makes it necessary to observe and compare its successes from local perspectives in every region of the world. This publication is part of this trend of constructive comparative studies as it is an analysis of the similarities and relations between China and Central and Eastern Europe countries; an analysis that stems from of the expertise and various perspectives of researchers based in the aforementioned regions. The quality of this publication is accentuated by the fact that the academic papers were written by researchers representing various academic disciplines. These articles principally demonstrate the similarities in transformation processes of both regions, and they frequently address the challenges of socio-cultural and economic developments that have occurred in China and the Central and Eastern Europe countries.

  • Summary

  • Edited by Klaudia Stangel-Wójcikiewicz
  • Book:
    Regenerative Medicine for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    03 January 2018
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 79-80

  • Summary

    Stem cell therapy is no longer a futuristic dream. Reports from different research centres investigating this new therapeutic procedure have clearly indicated its effectiveness and safety. Multicentre clinical trials carried out in Canada and the USA are expected to provide objective information on the advantages and shortcomings of MDCs for the treatment of SUI, and data from follow-up after the first injection will show the long-term effects of this therapy.

    Because patients are injected with autologous cells the histocompatibility barrier does not exist and there is no risk of transplant rejection. This therapeutic procedure also eliminates the need for hospitalisation, which significantly reduces the cost of treatment and makes it more available to patients with UI. The use of autologous muscle-derived cells also eliminates potential ethical concerns about harvesting material from patients. Thus, are there any limitations of this treatment? Will this therapy used in men and children provide similar promising effects as in women? Is it possible to make a leap and regenerate the urethral sphincter and pelvic floor structures in vitro? Studies on in vitro vaginal tissue culture and its use in patients with vaginal agenesis are already in progress. Only scientists, with their minds and creativity, can decide what other challenges may be accepted in the field of regenerative medicine to treat human health problems.

  • Idealism and Relativism in Ethics: Comparing China and Central Eastern Europe (CEE)

  • from PART I - Society and Culture in Transition
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 13-34

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The CEE region

    Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) or Eastern and Central Europe are terms frequently used in science, politics and daily life alike. They are customarily used in connection with the part of Europe which differs in more significant respects – social, economic, cultural and political – from both Western and Eastern Europe. According to Halecki (1980), Europe is divided into four parts for historical reasons: Western Europe, West Central Europe, East Central Europe and Eastern Europe. CEE countries are situated geographically in the centre, one part lying within a bloc comprising Sweden, Germany and Italy, and the other between Russia and Turkey. Over the centuries, peoples of very diverse backgrounds have established their own independent states or even empires. In their relationships with Western and Eastern Europe they developed distinctive national cultures, and these have contributed greatly to the development of European civilization. The use of the term CEE as a definition in the political structure of the region strongly emphasizes that these states represent cultures different from those of Eastern Europe – more specifically, Russia (and, later, the Soviet Union) which ruled the whole territory after the Second World War. The anti-Soviet, anti-bolshevist argument can claim many serious protagonists, such as Bibó (1946) or Kundera (1984).

    A single European culture is an abstract ideal, but this does not mean that it has no influence on the mentality of people. The sources of European culture are Greek philosophy, Roman law and monotheistic religions – in particular, Christianity – which are integrated into the traditional culture of various peoples. Progress and modernization took root and flourished in these. The most significant steps on the long journey towards modernization were the Renaissance, Humanism, the Reformation and the Enlightenment. According to various authors, the Enlightenment in particular can be considered as the great intellectual movement and historical era that helped establish modernity (Himmelfarb 2005; Israel 2002). The impact of the (ongoing) debate on the nature of science, world-view and the characteristics and consequences of individualistic secular morality is more profound. The basic difference between the CEE region and Eastern Europe is that such movements have more influence in CEE then in the East.

  • Chapter 1 - Urinary incontinence in women - outline of the problem

  • Edited by Klaudia Stangel-Wójcikiewicz
  • Book:
    Regenerative Medicine for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    03 January 2018
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 11-20

  • Summary

    Definition of UI

    In 2002 the International Continence Society (ICS) revised the definition of urinary incontinence and termed it as the complaint of any involuntary loss of urine. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) was defined as the complaint of involuntary leakage on effort or exertion, or on sneezing or coughing; in such a situation the intravesical pressure is higher than the maximum urethral closure pressure.

    Epidemiology

    Urinary incontinence affects over 200 million women in the world. Because this complaint has a specific nature and is often embarrassing to patients, the global scale of the problem is difficult to estimate precisely. Symptoms of urinary incontinence may be very troublesome and cause a multitude of physical and psychological consequences. Depending on the study, the prevalence of UI in women is between 25 and 51%, when all episodes of urine leakage are reported per year, or 10% for weekly urine leakage [1–3]. Many studies indicate the increasing prevalence of urine leakage with age. According to Nygaard et al., this symptom was reported by about 7% of women between ages 20 and 39 years, about 17% of women between ages 40 and 59 years, and about 32% of women aged 80 or older. The type of UI also changes with age. Stress urinary incontinence is most common in women aged 30–40 years, then the prevalence decreases, to reach the lowest level at about 80 years. Older women are usually diagnosed with mixed or urgency UI [4].

    Risk factors for SUI

    SUI is an ailment that has many predisposing factors, both environmental and genetic.

    Environmental risk factors for SUI

    Environmental risk factors for SUI include: age, sex hormone levels,

    number of pregnancies, number of vaginal deliveries, body weight, metabolic diseases, history of surgical interventions within the lesser pelvis, and others (e.g. used medication and tobacco smoking).

    Age and sex hormone levels

    As shown in an American study of 1529 women, the incidence of UI in women in early peri-menopause is 1.34 times higher compared to those being in pre-menopause, while women being in menopause report this health problem twice as often. The reported data refer only to UI in general [5, 6].

  • 2 - Dynamic systems theory

  • Iwona Kowal
  • Book:
    The Dynamics of Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency in Second Language Development
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    06 March 2018
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 11-32

  • Summary

    When addressing the issue of dynamic systems we must not overlook the concept of motion. This notion includes a set space, a time set, an initial time and initial conditions. The set space is the set of all possible states that certain objects can possess. Motion refers to the change in a state over time. This concept goes back to Newton's Laws of Motion, and dynamic systems theory has in fact its roots in the former. Newtonian mechanics is even treated as “the archetype of deterministic dynamical theories” (Manneville, 2004, p. 25). The laws describe the behaviour of bodies under the influence of forces acting upon them. Motion occurs as a consequence of this action. Motion in classical Newtonian mechanics is considered within three main subfields. Although all of these deal with the same phenomenon each one focuses on a different aspect. Statics investigates the action of forces that leads to the equilibrium of a body. Kinematics describes the motion of bodies, but is not interested in the cause of the motion. Dynamics, in turn, considers the motion of bodies under the influence of forces (Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, 1997). Newton introduced a set of equations, called differential equations, which describe the motion of physical bodies and systems, such as, e.g., the Solar System. Newton's laws of motion have been used primarily to investigate the motion of large bodies. However, they have their limitations in the case of bodies that move at high speed or very small bodies. These kinds of objects are considered within the context of special relativity or quantum physics.

    According to Newton's First Law, when a force acts on a body the latter can move as long as that force is acting on it, after which it comes to a state of rest due to gravity or friction. The body can even continue to move at constant speed, which can be illustrated as a straight line. This kind of motion is called linear motion and is the basic form of motion.

  • 1 - Preface

  • Iwona Kowal
  • Book:
    The Dynamics of Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency in Second Language Development
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    06 March 2018
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 9-10

  • Summary

    Nowadays research in all disciplines is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary in character. Scholars utilise knowledge from other disciplines not only in order to better understand the phenomena they are investigating but also to obtain a different perspective, which always makes it possible to solve problems and find answers to questions in every sphere of life. This tendency is remarkable not only in the formal and natural sciences but also in the humanities. In the last few years a new approach, called Dynamic Systems Theory, has rapidly increased in popularity in Second Language Studies. This theory has in fact a long history, going back to Newton's Laws of Motion, and hitherto it has been used primarily in, among others, mathematics, biology and economics. As it investigates complex and changing systems DST can easily be adopted in Linguistics, especially in Second Language Development, where the focus is on complex and variable systems such as the second language learner, the (second) language, the learning environment etc.

    When these complex systems develop, they are constantly changing and reorganizing so that in fact we cannot predict when a learner will achieve a certain level in the second language. Dynamic system behaviour is also characterised by considerable variability and they continuously interact with one another. Even a small trigger in the initial phases of the learning period can have a substantial impact on future development, which is comparable to the widely known butterfly effect. Additionally, significant differences always exist between second language learners who themselves are constantly changing. There is also variability within every student. All these properties are basic pre-requisites for investigating second language development from the point of view of dynamic systems theory.

    In the present book we will look at the development of Swedish as a second language in young adults, beginning from the first months of their second language instruction and ending after three years of intensive language courses. During the course of this study we will focus on three proficiency dimensions: Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency and their interplay not only at group level, but also, and most importantly, in individual students. Chapter 2 provides an introduction to dynamic systems theory and its implementation for developmental and second language studies. Chapter 3 offers an overview of research conducted on the concepts of Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency in Second Language studies.

  • Transformation of the Dragon – China's Image in the Polish Media

  • from PART I - Society and Culture in Transition
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 121-140

  • Summary

    This paper was written as a part of a wider research project, conducted in 20141 and aimed to establish the image of migrants and foreign ethnic groups in the Polish media. One of interesting findings of this research was a surprisingly positive image of China and the Chinese in the Polish media (at least during the period included in the research time frame – the second half of 2013). Such a relatively positive image was contradictory to the stereotypical belief that China is still being depicted in the Polish media mainly as a Communist and totalitarian, undeveloped country. Moreover, the problem of China and Chinese image in media content has not been popular among the scholars engaged in the Polish academic discourse. Actually, during our research we found only three articles referring to this issue: one referring strictly to image of China and the Chinese in the Polish media (Bukowski 2014), and two of them focusing on the image of different ethnic groups in the Polish media (Mrozowski, 1997; Jóźwik, Konieczna-Sałamatin & Tudorowski, 2010) where China was a minor point of interest.

    Therefore, since our research interests include China's media image in the world, we decided to pay more attention to the outcome of the broader research and analyze the image of China in the Polish media in a more detailed way.

    However, the very notion of a country image had been so widely discussed by numerous scholars from various fields, that we decided to provide a short overview of some of the definitions that had been worked out by them. This notion is rooted, to some extent, in the Lippmann's stereotype, and had been used mostly in three contexts: tourism, marketing and international relations. It is a bit ironic, though, since one of the first “imagologists”, Kenneth Boulding, stated that “the national image is basically a lie, or at least a perspective distortion of the truth” (1959, p. 122), Quite frequently the term „national image” is substituted with „country image”, but the latter should be applied in the tourism and marketing contexts. According to Jenes (2012), the proliferation of image-related academic project dates back to the early 2000's, but first such works were conducted in the USA as early as in 1930's (Katz & Braly, 1933).

  • Facing the Challenges of Teaching Chinese through Confucius Classrooms in Slovenian Schools: Current Situation and Prospects

  • from PART THREE - Education in Transition
    • By Tina Ilgo, Department of Asian and African Studies and Department of Sociology of Culture, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 375-390

  • Summary

    With the growing demand for the Chinese language and culture in Slovenian schools and the establishment of Confucius Classrooms (CCs), Slovenian schools are facing many challenges. The present paper examines important issues in teaching Chinese through CCs in Slovenian kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools.

    The first Confucius Classroom in Slovenia was established in Maribor at the 2nd High School in Maribor in 2013. It was followed by Confucius Classroom Ljubljana at Trnovo Primary School in 2013, Confucius Classroom Kranj at the Krnaj High School in 2014 and Confucius Classroom Koper at the University of Primorska in 2014. The Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport has confirmed the curriculum for the Chinese language in Slovenian primary schools (2011) and high schools (2013). The “Chinese culture and language” pilot project was first introduced in two Slovenian primary schools: France Prešeren Primary School and Gorje Primary School. In the school year 2012/2013, the project started in the form of an enrichment of activities as extracurricular activities involving the Chinese culture and language in H. C. Andersen Kindergarten, Trnovo Primary School, Koseze Primary School and Tone Čufar Primary School in Ljubljana. In the school year 2013/2014, in cooperation with and under the sponsorship of the National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Trnovo Primary School, introduced the “Chinese culture and language” project to the Slovenian education system. Since 2012, presentations of Chinese culture and language are held on a regular basis every year in the form of creative workshops at Trnovo and Koseze primary schools.

    During the three years of teaching and learning Chinese in Slovenian primary schools and secondary schools, a survey on teaching the Chinese language through CCs was conducted among Slovenian sinologists and Chinese teachers. The results of the survey yield some important data and insights on how to improve teaching Chinese in Slovenia. The key research questions addressed in this paper are:

  • What do we need for a successful introduction of the Chinese language and culture classes to the Slovenian education system?

  • How to create a sequenced, articulated curriculum?

  • How to promote Chinese language learning in Slovenia?

  • How to face the shortage of qualified teachers?

  • Chapter 2 - Anatomy of the urogenital system

  • Edited by Klaudia Stangel-Wójcikiewicz
  • Book:
    Regenerative Medicine for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    03 January 2018
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 21-26

  • Summary

    Anatomy of the pelvic diaphragm

    The correct support of internal genital and urinary organs, including the urethra, is ensured by the muscles and fascia of the pelvic floor, ligaments, and other connective tissue components. The pelvic floor is closed by muscles forming the pelvic diaphragm, which is composed of the levator ani and coccygeus muscles. The muscles are partly united in the medial line, covering the urethra, vagina and anal canal in the female. The major portion of the pelvic diaphragm is formed by the levator ani muscles, covered with the superior and inferior fascia of the pelvic diaphragm. The anterior portion of this diaphragm has a fissure termed the porta levatoria for the passage of the urethra in the male, and the urethra and vagina in the female [1].

    The pelvic diaphragm is formed mainly by the paired muscle, levator ani, and has a funnel shape with the apex oriented towards the anus and coccyx. Damage to this muscle plays a crucial role in the mechanism of faecal and urinary incontinence. As previously mentioned, the anterior portion of the pelvic diaphragm is incomplete, and in the posterior portion the muscles unite in the anococcygeal ligament. The levator ani is not a homogeneous flat muscle and consists of four components:

  • - the puborectalis muscle;

  • - the pubococcygeus muscle;

  • - the ilieococcygeus muscle;

  • - the rectococcygeus muscle.

    • The puborectalis muscle, most important for the stability of the urethra, arises from the inferior ramus of the pubic bone, laterally to the pubic symphysis, runs to the posterior and inferior direction, and reaches the anterior and lateral wall of the rectum. Anteriorly, between the right and left side muscle fibres, there is a hiatus for the passage of the vagina in the female. The puborectalis muscle enfolds the dorsal surface of the rectum. Most likely, components of the levator ani and urinary sphincter arise from the puborectalis muscle [2].

  • Partnership through Investment – Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in CEE Countries

  • from PART TWO - Economy and Markets in Transition
    • By Anna H. Jankowiak, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Economic Relations
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 213-228

  • Summary

    China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 was the impetus for the creation of a new economic power and the search for new directions in foreign economic policy of this country. Simultaneously, the change of political and economic conditions in the global economy in the XXI century, and especially the outburst of the global economic crisis 2007/2008+, contributed to the increase in interest from the Chinese central authorities to energize diplomatic relations and the development of economic cooperation with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). During his visit in Warsaw in April 2012, at the Economic Forum ‘Poland – Eastern Europe – China’, the then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, emphasized the growing importance of multi-faceted and longterm cooperative and financial relations with sixteen countries in CEE, as a source of potential economic benefits for all parties involved.

    Foreign economic policy of China, due to the economic slowdown in the G3 countries, will concentrate on actively seeking partners in the markets of developing countries, including Central and Eastern Europe. What is worth mentioning, is that the multi-faceted efforts to establish contacts with developing countries from different regions of the world is evident in China's economic strategy since the beginning of the XXI century. This is reflected in rising of Chinese investment turnover with those countries. It should also be noted, that the Chinese people perceive Central Europe as a separate region, which is not a part of the German or Russian sphere of influence. This trend should be used in building relations with Beijing. It is a fact that China prefers the bilateral relations activities, rather than multilateral, and it should be taken into account (Clegg & Voss, 2012, p. 11).

    The aim of the article is to present the involvement of China in the CEE region through their foreign direct investment. On the one hand, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's visit and the strategy of cooperation with the Central European region presented by him, on the other hand, the increasing importance of the region, contributed to the exploration of this very issue in the article. In addition, the article attempts to identify future directions of cooperation between CEE and China, which directly affects foreign economic policy currently pursued by the Chinese authorities.

  • Opening the Two-Way Fast Lane for China-CEE Cultural Exchange by Equally Valuing the International Promotion of the Chinese Language and the CEE Languages Teaching

  • from PART THREE - Education in Transition
    • By Dong Xixiao, Associate Professor, Vice-dean at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, School of European Languages and Cultures
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 317-326

  • Summary

    Languages are the bridges of communication and exchange across different cultures. Demands for Chinese talents in foreign languages, especially translators can date back to the pre-Qin period (before 221 B.C.). But judging by the will and the methods of communication, the communication between China and the outside world had been unidirectional in the long historic period, after Zhangqian went to the west of China on a diplomatic trip. The Chinese rarely show interest in exploring the outside world. There were only a limited number of professionals in foreign languages and they were not influential. The bridge of languages wasn't a two-way street. Like Professor Ge Jianxiong said, the famous Silk Road “is not built or promoted by Chinese. The Silk Road cannot take form without foreign demands for Chinese silk” (Ge, 2015). The overseas communication of Chinese culture was also led by foreigners in the beginning: in the 5th year of Dazhong in Tang Dynasty (851 A.D.), the “Travel notes in China and India” by the Arabian Suleyman are the first books introducing Chinese culture to Westerners. Then Marco Polo, Matteo Ricci, Michal Boym, George Macartney, Nicolae Spataru Milescu and others went to China in different ways. They all wrote books or travel notes. But not all of them were experts in Chinese language.

    After the Opium War of 1840, the Chinese wanted to see the world. This wish became more stronger than ever before. Their demand for talents in foreign language kept on rising. A number of great translators turned up in the Republic of China period (1912–1949). They translated classic literature of different countries into Chinese. At that time, the culture of communication between China and the foreign countries was still mainly unidirectional, it was just the direction that had changed. It was only possible after entering into this new century, to promote Chinese language and culture, while cultivating talents in foreign languages to realize two-way fast passing of Chinese and foreign languages on the bridge of culture exchange.

    The history of building a two-way passage between Chinese and the CEE cultures

    After the People's Republic of China was founded, it was first recognized by former Soviet Union and the other CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) countries.

  • Chinese Community in Poland – the Dynamics of its Development

  • from PART I - Society and Culture in Transition
    • By Joanna Wardęga, Director of the Confucius Institute in Krakow (since 2010)
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 83-102

  • Summary

    Poland is an ethnically homogeneous country, and traditional foreign national groups are those originating from the bordering countries, and in recent years also from the European Union. The immigrant population from Asia for many years has been dominated by the Vietnamese, quite well organized and integrated. Chinese immigration to Poland does not have a long history. Among all the groups of a foreign origin in Poland, the Chinese are of a relatively small number, around 2,5 percent. Despite that, a rapid development may be observed in last few decades. The presence of this national group is visible in clusters, mainly in Warsaw and some other cities, where the branches of Chinese enterprises are located. Only individuals have settled outside these centres. Due to the short history of migration and a relatively low level of integration with the host society, the Chinese have not created a stable organization nor active institutions that would support their functioning in the new country. The following text is an attempt to describe the size and the forms of immigration, settlement structure, and rare organizations in which they operate. It was also intended to outline the prospects for the future development of this national group in Poland on the basis of the existing forms of cohabitation.

    Overview of the Chinese immigration to Poland

    Historically, Central and Eastern Europe wasn't a traditional destination for the Chinese immigration. In the pre-war period, the number of the Chinese in Central Europe was negligible (Nyiri, 2007, p. 29). In the first decades after World War II, there was no growth either as only individuals were arriving there, such as for instance the exchange students. The Chinese arrived in this part of Europe in larger groups in 1989–1991, mainly due to the abolition of Hungarian visas. As a result, in a very short period of time in that country the number of the Chinese rose to 40,000 (Nyiri, 2007, p. 54). Later, many of them re-emigrated to Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. After the tightening of visa policy in Hungary, new destinations emerged: Romania and the Czech Republic (also as a trail of transfer to Western Europe), and subsequently Slovenia, Poland, Albania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Lithuania. The number of the Chinese in Central and Eastern Europe can be estimated at around 50,000 (Nyiri, 2007, p. 137).

The Dynamics of Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency in Second Language Development
  • Iwona Kowal
  • Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    06 March 2018
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016
  • This book looks at the development of language skills in Swedish as a second language in young adults, beginning from the first months of their second language instruction and ending after three years of intensive language courses. The focus is on three proficiency dimensions: Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency and their interplay not only at group level, but also, and most importantly, in individual students. At the beginning of the second language learning process accuracy, complexity and fluency are not integrated in the learner’s mind and they tend to act in an arbitrary fashion. During second language development integration of all dimensions proceeds steadily and after three years of learning the discrepancy between different aspects of proficiency is very low. In view of the necessary interplay of dynamic systems, the mutual impact of every dimension on particular aspects was also traced, as a consequence of which four learner profiles could be identified.
    The goal of this book is to provide a platform for further discussion of the dynamics of second language development and the interconnectedness of systems involved in this development. With this aim in mind we call for an individual approach to be taken with every learner and for development to be treated as a constant interplay between many factors.

  • Perceptions of China among Central and Eastern European University Students

  • from PART I - Society and Culture in Transition
    • By Tamás Matura, L’École Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers (ESSCA) in Budapest and Shanghai, Ágnes Szunomár, Institute of World Economics
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 103-120

  • Summary

    Even though the People's Republic of China (PRC) and most Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries established diplomatic relations as early as in the year 1949, the Cold War had caused them to driftaway from each other. Before the dawn of the 21st century, the nations of the CEE region and the PRC dealt with their own development and domestic problems. Only the last decade brought in a new momentum to the bilateral relations between the two sides, thanks to common political and economic interests. After the new millennium, as the world's economic centre of gravity shifts to the East, the relations between Central and Eastern Europe and China started to strengthen. This shift was followed by the economic crisis, which drew even more attention to the potential of Chinese economic relationship for the countries of the region, as they started to see a possibility for a recovery from a recession in the expansion and deepening of relations with the emerging China.

    When China launched its new cooperation program with Central and Eastern European countries, it also invigorated the research on the relation of the PRC and the CEE region: economic and political aspects and potentials of the relation have been touched upon several times by academic scholars, PhD students and journalists. Now, it is time to assess the relations between the CEE region and the PRC with a special emphasis on public perceptions of China among the next generation of the CEE leaders. The research was motivated by our assumption, that highlevel political relations have an impact on the perceptions of university students: better general political relations mean better understanding and acceptance among university students as well; furthermore, there is a positive correlation between the level and depth of economic cooperation between China and certain CEE countries and the attitude of university students toward China.

    To thoroughly analyze the perceptions of China in the CEE countries, the paper presents the theory and literature on the topic, and provides an overview of the relations between China and the selected CEE countries, with a special emphasis on the general patterns. Following the description of the methodology, the paper's main section introduces the results of a public opinion survey conducted among Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak university students exclusively for this paper.

  • Development of Chinese Mobile Phone Game Market as an Export Opportunity for CEE Mobile Game Producers

  • from PART TWO - Economy and Markets in Transition
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 303-314

  • Summary

    In 2014, China was the second leading importer of commercial services in the world. During the years 2000–2013 Chinese imports of computer and information services grew on the average pace of 27%, amounting to 5,94 billion USD in the end of that period (WTO, 2015, p. 4).

    Two sectors of computer and information services in China that are developing especially dynamically are the mobile applications market and video game market. The market that seems to be the most promising for foreign imports is the one that emerges from the combination of these two sectors – mobile phone game market. Out of around 1600 companies active in the mobile games sector globally, around 150 are based in the CEE (The Multimedia Research Consultancy, 2008, p. 11). Unfortunately, most of the CEE markets are too small for locally focused content publishers, so most of the game producers try to enter other, bigger markets (Nostromo Wireless, 2012, p. 7). The aim of this article is to verify if the Chinese mobile game market can be treated as an attractive export opportunity for the CEE game developers, and if such expansion is possible.

    Theoretical background

    Fast development of smartphone and tablet market brought new possibilities for software developers all around the world. A completely new market of applications for mobile devices emerged. A mobile application (or mobile App) is software application that runs on a mobile device (smartphone, tablet, iPod, etc.), that has an operating system supporting standalone software. Mobile Apps can come preloaded on the mobile device, they can also be downloaded by the users from mobile App stores or the Internet (Wang, Liao & Yang, 2013, p. 11). Games are the most popular mobile applications, and mobile phones are potentially dominant game platforms in the future (Feijoo, Gómez-Barroso, Aguado & Scolari, 2012, p. 3). Technological innovations that improve device quality, greater mobile device ownership and broadband transmission offered by wireless communication networks, lead to further development of mobile gaming market (Soh & Tan, 2008, pp. 35–39).

    Companies operating on the global mobile game market use many different ways of monetization. The term monetization refers to the method and the ability to generate a revenue (Fields, 2014, p. 21).

  • The New Silk Road and its Geopolitical Consequences for Poland

  • from PART TWO - Economy and Markets in Transition
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 183-198

  • Summary

    The New Silk Road has recently become the most famous worldwide Chinese political initiative. Although far from being complete, or even secured, The New Silk Road – providing its success – would present unique opportunities for Poland. It would not only benefit from the short-term economic benefits but could even reverse the effects of its inconvenient geopolitical position.

    The New Silk Road: An Introduction

    The New Silk Road, or, to be correct, Silk Road Economic Belt/Corridor (later: One Belt One Road) Initiative was announced by the Chinese President Xi Jinping in Astana, in September 2013. During his speech at Nazarbayev university on September 7th 2013, Xi presented five most important policy recommendations: to strengthen policy communication, to improve road connectivity, to promote trade facilitation, to enhance monetary circulation and to strengthen people-to-people exchanges (President Xi Jinping Delivers…). The most important part of his speech came when he urged to “improve traffic connectivity, so as to open the strategic regional thoroughfare from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea, and gradually move toward the set-up of a network of transportation that connects Eastern, Western and Southern Asia”; also, among other things, he urged the relevant countries to “enhance communication and greenlight regional economic integration in terms of both policy and law” and to “promote local-currency settlement” (Xi suggests China…).

    Xi's Astana initiative was soon followed by another step. On the 4th of October 2013, while visiting Indonesia and speaking in the parliament, he proposed a parallel initiative: “building a new maritime silk road”, saying that China and ASEAN countries “share a destiny” and would both benefit from this new idea (Xi in call…). The content of Xi's Indonesia speech was similar to the viewpoint presented in Astana (though of course it differed on details): emphasis on a stronger economic cooperation, including financial aspects, very close cooperation on the joint infrastructure projects (e.g., building roads and railways), the enhancement of security cooperation, and the idea of a “21st century maritime Silk Road” through strengthened “maritime economy, environment technical and scientific cooperation (Szczudlik-Tatar, 2013). Since then, Central Asian and Southeast Asian components of New Silk Road became known in both Chinese media and within the expert circles under one slogan: “One Belt and One Road” (the belt being the maritime route whereas the road being the Central Asian one).

  • Fourteen EU States Already in, Japan and USA Still not Interested – What Lies Behind China-led AIIB?

  • from PART TWO - Economy and Markets in Transition
    • By Sebastian Bobowski, Assistant Professor, Lecturer, Faculty of Economic Sciences, International Economic Relations Department, Wrocław University of Economics, Poland
  • Edited by Joanna Wardęga
  • Book:
    China - Central and Eastern Europe Cross-Cultural Dialogue Society, Business and Education in Transition
    Published by:
    Jagiellonian University Press
    Published online:
    22 December 2017
    Print publication:
    01 September 2016, pp 259-276

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has gained a lot of attention recently, mainly due to the geopolitical context of China's proposal. A newly established development bank has been described by observers as an unprecedented project by a Northeast Asian emerging market with hegemonic ambitions.

    The AIIB was proposed by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and the prime minister, Li Keqiang, during a series of visits in Southeast Asia in October 2013. Massive interest of both regional and non-regional states in obtaining a Prospective Founding Member (PFM) status, as well as quasi-ostentatious absence of the United States and Japan in the proposed framework, assign an extra meaning to discussions over new financial institution.

    The aim of the paper is to study the evolution of Asian financial regionalism through the prism of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in order to understand hegemonic aspirations of Beijing, draw implications of establishment of new financial institution on mega-regional relations between China and Asian and non-Asian prospective founding members of AIIB. The author would like to study China's project addressing the scope of membership, investigating motivations laying behind the decisions of individual states such as the United States, Japan, Australia or the EU countries, including the United Kingdom and Poland. A theoretical context is drawn basing on the theories of financial regionalism and hegemonic stability.

    Theoretical frameworks

    Financial regionalism

    The author would like to address the concept of financial regionalism as proposed by Hamanaka, while indicating lack of cohesive definition of this term.

    Following Hamanaka, there are two types of financial regionalism, namely financial or macroeconomic forum or meeting, engaging regional states, and regional financial arrangement, involving two or more states.

    The financial forums used to act as platforms for the purposes of regular information exchange between representatives of regional financial authorities. In this context, extra importance is assigned to regional, macroeconomic surveillance forums, gathering various market and fi- nancial data, enabling policy coordination and peer pressure. Such meeting may involve senior, deputy or deputy-deputy level of ministries, as well as directors of national central banks. Noteworthy, involvement of institutional apparatus gives an opportunity for constructive discussion and provision of reliable commitments.

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