Health Tourism Prevalence among Western Balkans Citizens During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period

Background: This study seeks to evaluate the prevalence of and the association between receiving medical care abroad and the level of trust that citizens from the Western Balkans-Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro-have in their healthcare systems. Method(s): The study is cross-sectional and was carried out during three months (July 25-October 30, 2021) through a self-reported questionnaire administered through the Google Forms platform. The study included approximately two-thousand citizens (N=2,356) aged eighteen (18) to seventy (70). Result(s): More than one-third (37.2%) of respondents stated that they or a relative had received healthcare services abroad during the last twelve (12) months. Citizens of Montenegro had the highest prevalence of receiving healthcare services abroad at 43.8%, followed by those from Bosnia and Herzegovina at 39%. No statistically significant difference was found in the level of trust in the healthcare system in the country between those who received healthcare services abroad (4.41+/-2.88) (out of 10) and those who did not (4.48+/-2.81) (t=-0.587, p=0.557). Conclusion(s): We ultimately conclude that more than one-third of the participants in our study have traveled abroad for healthcare purposes, with females, those living in urban areas, and those who have previously had a negative healthcare experience in their home country all being more likely to rely on health tourism.Copyright © 2023 Maljichi et al.

Tourism Capacity Management and Growth Trend: Acces la Success

The purpose of this article is to compare the number of tourists during different periods over the years, the management of tourist capacities with a focus on the increase or decrease of tourists compared to recent years. The paper was prepared using the quantitative method with secondary data based on (Kosovo Statistical Agency) processed in SPSS program. The research includes 14 different countries from which foreign tourists came for 2017 2018 2019. In 2017, 138,657 foreign tourists visited Kosovo, 165, 281 in 2018, and 154, 507 in 2019 (total 485, 445 tourists), the growth trend is presented in the analysis results. Initially the latest data released by (Kosovo Statistical Agency) were researched and analyzed and the number of foreign and domestic tourists by countries of different countries and regions in Kosovo was analyzed, focusing on capacities Hoteliers by type of accommodation. The results revealed that over the years the number of tourists has increased based on the methods used to measure the growth trend.

Case study from Kosovo - repetitive COVID-19 infection and pregnancy

A 25-year-old woman, gravida 2, with no medical history of cardiovascular nor other chronic diseases, came to the gynaecologist and described symptoms of a flu-like disease, including very high fever. The gyneacologist prescribed her antibiotics and paracetamol to calm down the fever. At 37 week of gestation she was admitted to the provincial COVID-19 treatment center for isolation and health care in University Clinical Center of Kosovo in Gynecology/Obstetrics department. All bacteriological tests, including hemocultures and cultures of urines were negative. She received antipyretics (acetaminophen), antispasmodics trimethylphloroglucinol and antibiotics (oral azithromycin for 5 days and intravenous ceftriaxone). Despite this treatments, fever and uterine contractions persisted therefor the commission of doctors decided to deliver the baby via ceserean section. The peritoneal cavity and uterus were found to be very inflamed. Fetal appendages as well as the bladder were strewn with eruptive, vesicular lesions bleeding on contact. After few hours after the delivery her temperature (36.5 degreeC) and blood pressure (120/60 mmHg) were normal. The baby was healthy and tested negative on the COVD-19 tests performed. The patients after 2 weeks of treatment and a negative COVID-19 result she was released to go home and was counselled to eat healthy and prescribed multivitamins for her immune system and regular follow ups with the gynecologist. In a period of 8 months the patient became pregnant again and got infected with the COVID-19 again at 25 weeks pregnant. This time the symptoms were not severe and she was followed up at home. The delivery was planned with cesarean section and the baby was in healthy conditions. The patient got vaccinated with Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine after the delivery. Because of their changed physiology, susceptibility to infections, and weakened mechanical and immunological processes, pregnant women are a particularly vulnerable group in any infectious disease outbreak. The requirement to protect the fetus adds to the difficulty of controlling their health. Keywords: COVID-19, pregnant women, cesarean section, Kosovo, astra-zeneca vaccineCopyright © 2023

Limitation of rights in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic: a view from Kosovo's Constitutional Court's 'shaky' jurisprudence

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments across the globe to take infection-control actions by and large unforeseen and unforeseeable in their constitutional frameworks. Several measures forcing restrictions on travel, business operations, labour, healthcare and/or the education system have characterised public policy in most of them. A fair number of those restrictions adopted in the form of government or legislature decisions are labelled as 'lockdown measures'. This article examines two recent cases ruled upon by the Constitutional Court of Kosovo (CCK or Court), whose primary aim was to pronounce on whether the Kosovo government's lockdown measures were compatible with the criteria authorising a limitation of fundamental rights. These two cases present an outstandingly activist attitude of the Court in controlling government behaviour in times of a pandemic outbreak, by primarily questioning the state's negative obligations in the face of freedom of movement, right to private and family life, and freedom of assembly;whereas positive obligations of the state with regard to the right to life and its associated right, the right to health, were neglected altogether. The article concludes that the mechanical interpretation which the two Court cases drew neither contributes to a richer substantive human rights protection, nor functionally elevates the concept of human rights in times of pandemic. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Human Rights is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

E-work evaluation through work-life balance, job effectiveness, organizational trust and flexibility: Evidence from Kosovo during COVID-19

Purpose: This study aims to assess e-working remotely from the perspective of online workers based on important theoretical aspects that have been found to have an impact in this regard. Specifically, the study examines the influence that work-life balance, job effectiveness, organizational trust and flexibility have on e-workers experience in terms of satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: For this research, the E-Work Life (EWL) scale, which consists of 17 questions and yields four critical dimensions, namely work-life balance, job effectiveness, organizational trust and flexibility, was adapted to measure remote e-working experience. Data were collected by sending the electronic questionnaire link to e-workers. In order to define the factorial structure and test whether the data fit the hypothesized measurement model, factor analysis was initially conducted on a sample of 230 e-workers. The relationship between EWL scale variables and e-worker experience was examined using order logit model. Findings: This paper initially provides the validity and reliability of the EWL scale. Exploratory factor analysis optimally supported three factors and 13 items in contrast to the original scale. The influence that the remaining structure comprised of work-life balance, job effectiveness and flexibility has on e-worker experience was also measured. Results indicate that work-life balance and job effectiveness have a positive influence on e-workers satisfaction with online working, while flexibility does not show a positive association in this regard. Of the three variables, job effectiveness shows to be the most influential factor for e-worker satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: For the nature of this study, a larger sample size would have been more preferable. It must also be noted that the study took place in circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic where social activities were limited, and this could have interfered with employees' emotions to some level and ultimately with their evaluation of e-work. It is suggested that further research be conducted. Practical implications: Owing to the increasing occurrence of these working practices worldwide, particularly with the COVID-19 situation, this study, through its' findings, contributes to a broader knowledge on successful implementation of e-work environments. It helps individuals to comprehend crucial e-work-related issues and supports organizations to identify areas for improvement, so that effective strategies can be developed to increase productivity while supporting worker's well-being and satisfaction at the same time. Originality/value: This paper addresses a previously identified need for further validation of the newly developed EWL scale in a different setting and with a new sample. At the same time, it adds to the understanding of the impact of important dimensions previously shown to affect e-worker satisfaction with online working. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS AND ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESS DURING THE COVID-19

Aim. The researcher's goal is to investigate how organizational characteristics affect the process of making ethical decisions. Methods. The study's focus was on certified accountants working in Kosovo during the Covid19 era. The task is qualitative in nature;SPPS is used to process the data after Excel has done so. This study used descriptive and regression analysis. Results. The study demonstrated that organizational criteria like size, industry, the presence of an ethics code, and ethical climate have an impact on how decisions are made. To identify organizational elements and, as a result, improve the ethical decision-making process, the paper's findings may have policy implications. Conclusions. This study provided insight into how to increase the influence of organizational elements in ethical decision-making, particularly in the accounting field. A sound foundation for an ethical decision-making process that is sustainable is provided by the recommendations at the end of the paper. © 2023, Institute for Human Rehabilitation. All rights reserved.

Patient Safety Culture in the Emergency Center at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo and the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: Despite the developments in Kosovo's healthcare, there are still many challenges that hamper the delivery of proper health-care service. This was especially highlighted during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. AIM: This study aims to elucidate the factors that impede proper health service as well as reduce preventable medical errors by focusing on safety as a fundamental principle in patient care and a key component health services quality management. The main goal is to improve the overall approach to the patient by improving the workers performance and redesigning systems, with the goal of reducing patient risk not only in normal working environment but also in new and unusual situations such as COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD(S): In this cross-sectional study, data were collected and analyzed. Two questionnaires were compiled for this research: one was compiled to address patients who sought health services at the Emergency Center;the second questionnaire was designed for the Emergency Center personnel to identify the relationships between the workers, managerial staff, the problems of reporting errors, and similar. Moreover, relevant publications on the impact of the pandemic on the provision of health services were compared. Statistical analysis was done by IBM SPSS version 25. CONCLUSION(S): There is a need for improving Patient Safety Culture in The Emergency Center at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. By reorganizing working hours for the workers of the Emergency Center, preventable medical errors would be reduced. Raising the capacities of the primary care level would reduce the load of the Emergency Center from interventions, which can be handled without a problem at the lower levels. Continuous professional trainings, as well as trainings focused on stress management, working under time pressure, and relationships between health service providers would significantly improve the level of patient safety in the Emergency Center.Copyright © 2023, Scientific Foundation SPIROSKI. All rights reserved.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND LABOUR MARKET IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO

To analyse democratic and legal labour relations in the current conditions of economic and social development means, first and foremost, to highlight their essence and main features, as well as the development trends and future improvements of these relations.The year 2021, like 2020, has been characterized, among others, by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has produced various effects. As an effort to mitigate these effects, the Government of Kosovo has undertaken measures to support employment through the economic recovery package. Based on this context, the main and only purpose of the 1st Measure of economic recovery is the support of employment. Active employment measures have played a very important role in the integration of unemployed persons into the labour market. One of these measures with the largest number of beneficiaries is Vocational Training. Vocational training is a fundamental and very important process to get a job. In this sense, even the latest statistical data (2021) of the official authorities of Kosovo prove that the largest beneficiaries of active labour market measures are the persons who have undergone vocational training. The purpose of Vocational Training is to enable an increase or adoption of professional knowledge, namely to acquire additional knowledge, skills and abilities to perform efficient work, in order to increase the prospect of employment or retain their employment. Based on the international aspect, employment and the labour market are under the pressure of many factors, such as demographic, technological, economic and political ones;therefore, vocational training is considered as one of the most successful active labour market measures. © 2023, Institute for Human Rehabilitation. All rights reserved.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Presidential Tweets, the U.S.–U.K. Free Trade Agreement, Humanitarian Intervention, and China's Bilateral Relations

" Words Matter: Presidents Obama and Trump, Twitter, and U.S. Soft Power. Graph [9] concentrate on the issues that soured the initial optimism for a U.S.-U.K. free trade agreement between President Trump and Prime Minister Johnson which did not come to its planned fruition by 2020. EN Social Media Foreign Policy Twitter Soft Power Obama Trump Boris Johnson Humanitarian Intervention President Clinton Bosnia Kosovo China Sri-Lanka Kazakhstan South Korea ASEAN Sub-Saharan Africa Information Technology. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Presidential Tweets, the U.S.-U.K. Free Trade Agreement, Humanitarian Intervention, and China's Bilateral Relations. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of World Affairs is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

PERFORMANCE OF DAIRY FARMS IN KOSOVO DURING THE COVID 19

This research is important because milk production is considered as an activity of nutritional, social and economic importance in Kosovo. Cow's milk dominates the production of raw milk in Kosovo. Dairy cows (about 132,500 heads) produce 277,599 tons of milk. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on the performance of cow milk producers in Kosovo. It was used descriptive and quantitative survey. The random sampling technique was used to select respondents from a 242 dairy farms in the seven regions of Kosovo (Gjilan, Prishtina, Ferizaj, Peja, Gjakova, Prizren, and Mitrovica). Interviews have included the farms with the capacity of 5-120 dairy cows. Data on milk production, sales and farm incomes for each farm were recorded during the period of January-April 2021 and the comparison was made for a calendar year with that of 2019/2020. The average milk produced by farmers per year was 73052.94 liters in 2019, and it decreased to 71255.27 liters in 2020. In 2020, 93.1% of farmers said they have not been able to sell all the milk they produced, on average the surveyed farms could not sell milk at all in the amount of 12503.43 liters per year in 2020, and this represents an increase of 275 times compared to the amount of the previous year where there was only 45.38 liters per year of unsold milk destined for the market. The average farm revenues from milk were € 13892.37 in 2020, while in 2019 it was considerably higher, with an average of 19881.49 € per farm. Farmers reported that the restrictive measures taken as a result of Covid-19 have affected milk production negatively in terms of sales, revenues and returns. Advisory services should sensitize farmers to farm diversification so that losses from such situations as pandemics are kept to a minimum. © 2023, Consulting and Training Center - KEY. All rights reserved.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES - THE FUTURE WAY OF LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Digitalization trends have moved forward with accelerated steps, surrounding all spheres of our lives with the provision of light services, faster and less expensive communications, more functions, and a great influence on increasing quality of life. In developed countries, digitization of education is seen as one of the priority goals for achieving sustainable development. Higher education is an essential pillar in developing new knowledge economies for the twenty-first century, and Kosovo national authorities are strategically oriented toward the digitalization of higher education. Digitization includes a wide range of activities ranging from lecturers, group work lectures, and inclusion in individual or group study, and exams as an integral part of the revolutionization of higher education. The period of COVID19 has pushed forward the digitization of education in many countries of the world. In Kosovo, this was the period that established the dividing boundaries between the traditional multi-century teaching eras with the new digital era. This period is also characterized by the challenges faced by teaching and learning in the use of efficient digitized methods. This paper explores the impact of digitization on teaching and learning, specifically in medicine and architecture. Also, this work is intended to offer a model of how digital transformation can be used to build competitive advantages for universities. Based on the condition of the accreditation agency and the standards of the International Society for Technology in Education, we can say that the use of software and artistic methods in teaching processes affects the development and advancement of young people.

Exploring digital transformation of teacher education in the Western Balkans: Case of Kosovo

BACKGROUND:The whole educational system from pre-university to university level has been challenged with the immediate pressure to transform during the lockdown period of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The question of how to ensure digital transformation in universities become topical at policy, institutional, and classroom practice dimensions. OBJECTIVE:The main objective of this study is to examine and explore how digital transformation in higher education in Kosovo is conceptualised in a changing context. The study focuses on teacher education as a pathway that links pre-university education with higher education system to ensure future teacher preparation. METHODS:The study used a qualitative research design. The data were collected through interviews with management staff (n = 3) and teacher educators (n = 7), and group interviews with student teachers (n = 15), at the University in Kosovo and teacher education institution. Following the principles of the hermeneutical circle, conceptualisations of digital transformation in teacher education were clustered into the following dimensions: (i) policy, (ii) organisation culture and management, and (iii) teaching and learning. RESULTS:The paper analyses the Western Balkans, specifically Kosovo, as the country faced the transition challenges including institutional building, limited administrative capabilities, and other challenges regarding educational process and digitalization. The paper contributes to the discussions with the emerging conceptualisations of digital transformation in teacher education by drawing from thematic areas concerning policy response mechanisms, teacher education policy as isolated from higher education framework, change management process, missing organisational culture, rigidity and resistance in teaching. CONCLUSIONS:The paper concludes that teacher education context should be reconceptualised within the higher education framework to better manage a transition and change settings for a shared conceptualisation and sustainable digital transformation.

The situation of gynecological cancer before and after COVID-19 pandemic years in Kosovo

Background: On March 2020, the federal government of Kosovo declared a nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic until May 2020. Since the lockdown, examinations and routine checkups have been restricted. This resulted in a severe decline in patient referrals to the hospitals. We want to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rate of newly diagnosed gynecological cancers. Method(s): The data are taken from our patient database. Data from 752 patients from the only cancer centre in Kosovo with newly diagnosed gynaecological cancer between 2019, 2020 and 2021 were collected. Incidence, age group, stages of diagnosis and geographical distribution were compared between the time before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Result(s): Our results showed a slight decline in newly diagnosed cancers in 2020 as compared with 2019 and 2021: -17 % in 2020 versus an increase of 18% in 2019. We expected to have a major increase in 2021 but data shows that it was a slight increase of 17%. As we not expected after the COVID-19 pandemic we have a strong decline of metastatic new cases of 39% in 2021 compared to 2020 and a 60% decline in 2020 compared to 2019. The results show a slight increase of 13 % in the early stages from 2020 to 2021 and the same rates come up from 2019 to 2020. In all three years in a row the dominant type of cancer according to localization is corpus uteri then cervix uteri and ovarian cancer with respectively 39%, 26%, and 33% in 2019, 36%, 33%, and 29% in 2020 and the last, 40%, 26% and 32% in 2021. The groupages have a slight shift from 45-49 years old the peak of new cases in 2021. Conclusion(s): The lockdown led to a slight decrease in the number of newly diagnosed cases. The decreased accessibility of the medical services has not led to significant higher number of metastatic new diagnosed cases, on contrary lower metastatic cases and higher number of early cases and slight increase on advanced cases were presented in 2021. The impact on incidence were not significantly higher in 2021 despite the lockdown. Therefore, new strategies to manage early cancer detection are needed to optimize cancer care in a time of pandemic in the future. Effective, appropriate and affordable cancer prevention and control strategies are urgently needed in Kosovo for gynaecological cancer especially cervical cancer. Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding(s): Has not received any funding. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.Copyright © 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology

Beyond Meeting and Tweeting: The Next Challenges for Innovation in Diplomacy

COVID-19 might become another weapon in the armory of those who believe that the answer to the twenty-first century is to build a bigger wall. A pandemic that exposes the weakness of systems for international cooperation will lead some politicians to campaign on more nationalist platforms. In the last decade, countries have realized the benefit of becoming soft power superpowers, and have spent more time and energy shifting the way the world sees them. This chapter discusses from a personal perspective how states have used digital technology to craft new messages internationally, and both the challenges and benefits they have found along the way. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Mental Health Status and the Readiness of Nursing Students to Serve During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aims: This study aims to assess the state of mental health of nursing students in Kosovo and their willingness to provide professional health services for individuals at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): In this cross-sectional survey, undergraduate nursing students from three higher education institutions in Kosovo participate from May 25, 2020, to June 5, 2020. Data was collected through a structured, anonymous, self-directed questionnaire via the online platform-google forms. Questions about nursing knowledge, skills and competencies, and willingness to work, if necessary, in healthcare facilities in Kosovo before graduation during the COVID-19 pandemic, were organised according to the Likert scale. Result(s): Four hundred and seventy-two nursing students (82% female;and mean age 20.3+/-1.8 years) participated in the study. 18.2% of students required further evaluation for depression, 48.3% for anxiety, and 30.7% for stress. 77.8% of students agreed that they had acquired sufficient knowledge, 80.6% that they had sufficient skills, and 75.9% that they had sufficient competencies, during their studies, to work as nurses. Female students had higher stress (8.55+/-4.06) and anxiety scores (6.65+/-4.08) compared to their male counterparts (7.46+/-4.35;and 5.02+/-4.07;respectively) (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference among categories of stress, anxiety and depression, and nursing student's willingness to work or not during COVID-19 pandemic (p>0.05). Conclusion(s): Most nursing students in Kosovo appear ready and willing to join qualified nurses in healthcare institutions in delivering health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights: Most nursing students are willing to provide health services during the pandemic. The female students had higher stress and anxiety scores than their counterparts. This study discovered that students needed psychological support during the pandemic. Serving during the pandemic will put into practice problem-solving skills.Copyright © 2023 Tahirbegolli et al.

Crisis complicates peacebuilding in postconflict societies: COVID-19 support triggers negative outgroup emotions among individuals with low and high prejudice

Despite research on intergroup relations showing that prejudice influences the effect of intergroup help on outgroup empathy, less is known about the interplay of prejudice and intergroup help on outgroup emotions, trust, and perceptions in postconflict societies, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, we examined whether outgroup prejudice moderates the effect of outgroup help with fighting COVID-19 on intergroup affect and intergroup perception. In two studies (Ntotal = 811), participants with low prejudice exhibited more negative intergroup emotions and perceptions (i.e., perceived outgroup dominance) and less outgroup trust when the outgroup's country (i.e., a former opponent) had supported their country in fighting the pandemic than when it had supported another country or when support had been exchanged between other countries. In addition, participants with high prejudice exhibited more negative intergroup emotions and perceptions and less outgroup trust in all experimental conditions and perceived outgroup dominance explained the observed effects for participants with low prejudice. This article discusses what these results imply for theory and practice concerning postconflict intergroup relations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement This research clarifies how people in postconflict societies react to receiving help from former opponents. In two studies, individuals with low prejudice had less trust and more negative emotions and perceptions regarding the outgroup after receiving outgroup help than in two control conditions. In addition, individuals with high prejudice had those same emotions, perceptions, and levels of trust whether the outgroup had offered help or not, which indicates their largely fixed negative views on the outgroup. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Psychological distress among healthcare workers during the Covid-19 in Kosovo

Epidemic outbreaks, such as Covid-19, can cause psychological distress for health workers. This research explored the psychosocial experiences of healthcare workers caring for Covid-19 patients in Kosovo. From June 21 to February 9, 2022, we enrolled 21 physicians and 52 general and head nurses (in total 73 participants) who provided care for Covid-19 patients in secondary and tertiary health care institutions around Kosovo. The interviews were conducted face-to-face. Thematic analysis was used as a method for the analysis of interview transcripts. The psychological experiences of physicians and nurses caring for Covid-19 patients can be summarised into four main themes. First, fear of being contaminated with Covid-19 in the workplace and fear of infecting family members. The second, fear due to the unknown nature of the disease. Third, emotional distress from delivering bad news to the patients and families. And fourth, the death of Covid-19 patients. The research found out that the healthcare workers in Kosovo experienced psychological distress, i.e., feeling overwhelmed, helpless, guilty, fearful, and anxious while providing care services for patients with Covid-19. Copyright © 2022 The Authors.

Effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Undergraduate EFL Students in Kosovo

As most of the industries in the world, the education industry has also been impacted by the COVID-19 virus. The transition to online learning was the most expedient solution to continue education, particularly in tertiary education. Students, especially those learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL), have felt the effects of the pandemic. This study seeks to better understand the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on a group of university-level EFL students engaged in e-learning for the first time. It aims to investigate the challenges faced by undergraduate students who took online EFL courses during the academic year 2020/2021. For the purposes of this study, both "Kadri Zeka” University in Gjilan and Universum College in Prishtina, Kosovo, were used as base examples of institutions affected. A mixed method was applied in this study using two instruments: an online questionnaire with students and a semi-structured interview with English professors of the above-mentioned higher education institutions. The questionnaire was sent online to 200 students and a total of 105 students answered while the interview with 9 English professors was conducted in-person. The results obtained were analyzed using descriptive analysis. The results indicate that online lectures were not the best for EFL learning, and students did not accomplish the desired results in language learning performances. Furthermore, students did not have positive feelings with regard to learning English online and faced several challenges during the online learning period.

Culture of decision making and corona virus

The paper deals with the corona virus pandemic, which has caused health, social, cultural, economic 'earthquake' everywhere in the world and in our country Kosovo. The COVID-19 pandemic emerges as a stressful and traumatic event that requires individuals to make sense of the new situation and choose appropriate coping actions. Since cultural values reflect the desirable end states that are worth pursuing. While humans are a cultural species, our investigation aims to get acquainted with the culture of government decision-making, to fight the corona virus. Our research was conducted for one month, from 20 March 2021 to 19 April 2021. We provided the data from the National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo, which reports daily to the media. The highest number of deaths (within the dates of our investigation), within one day occurred on 24 March 2021 and 15 April 2021, by 17 people, while the lowest number of deaths, on 29 March 2021, is 4 people. A total number of died people during the research period is 354. We have also analyzed them in terms of age, where 138 people aged 70-79 have died the most While a man per month, died aged 20-29 and 30-39 years. After the age of 70-79, most people aged 80-89 died, 86 people died.

Psychological Applications and Trends 2022

This book contains a compilation of papers presented at the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) 2022, organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.), held in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal, from 23 to 25 of April 2022. Modern psychology offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and groups (mental functions and behavioral standpoints), from this academic and practical scientific discipline, aims ultimately to benefit society. The International Conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the several areas within the Psychology field, new developments in studies and proposals for future scientific projects. The goal is to offer a worldwide connection between psychologists, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in psychological issues. We take pride in having been able to connect and bring together academics, scholars, practitioners and others interested in a field that is fertile in new perspectives, ideas and knowledge. We counted on an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, which can supplement the view of the human essence and behavior, showing the impact of their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. This is, certainly, one of the reasons there are several nationalities and cultures represented, inspiring multi-disciplinary collaborative links, fomenting intellectual encounters and development. InPACT 2022 received 364 submissions, from more than 35 different countries all over the world, reviewed by a double-blind process. Submissions were prepared to take the form of Oral Presentations, Posters and Virtual Presentations. 121 submissions (overall, 33% acceptance rate) were accepted for presentation at the conference. The Conference addresses different categories inside Applied Psychology area and papers fit broadly into one of the named themes and sub-themes. This book contains the results of the different researches conducted by authors who focused on what they are passionate about: to study and develop research in areas related to Psychology and its applications. It includes an extensive variety of contributors and presenters that are hereby sharing with us their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. [This document contains the proceedings of the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) 2022, held in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal, from April 23-25, 2022. The proceedings were published by inScience Press. For the 2021 proceedings, see ED622091.]