The concept of Competencies 4.0 stems from a broader term of the 4th Industrial Revolution, also named Industry 4.0, which dates back to 2011, when the German Federal Government announced its high-tech strategy and policy towards increasing the competitiveness of the German economy during the Hannover Fair. These terms and concepts have been thoroughly and extensively discussed, analysed, and researched by experts within various scientific disciplines such as management, economy, psychology, education, human resources, informatics and systemics ever since. Due to the relevance of the Industry 4.0 concept in relation to current socio-economic challenges worldwide, the growing interest on the part of researchers and the proliferation of the above-mentioned terms in the literature, a network of patterns and relations has formed constituting a scientific landscape of the whole phenomenon. Accordingly, the aim of the analysis in this article is to map the landscape of scientific discussions on Competencies 4.0 in the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution. So far, some of the aspects of this landscape have been researched with the use of various databases, search engines and software in order to process and visualise retrieved data. All of these tools have their advantages but also their shortcomings. This research uses the Scopus database and the author’s own algorithm to process the data. The results of the analysis provide a point of reference for scholars, practitioners, managers, policy and decision makers from various fields who search for sources which define Competencies corresponding to current and future socio-economic challenges in the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Turbulent and unstable times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic constitute specific training grounds as well as a stress test to verify in practice the validity of assumptions underlying the modern paradigms in management on the one hand, and to assess which factors contribute, or pose challenges and threats, to the resilience and sustainability of modern organizations on the other hand. Research was conducted among 990 Erasmus+ project leaders to assess to what extent the factors connected with the relational and networking characteristics of Erasmus+ projects, functioning as temporary organizations, facilitate the sustainability of European transnational cooperation projects in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion concentrates on the digital and social dimensions of transnational cooperation and places these dimensions in the broader context of relational view and network paradigm in the modern science of management as well as in the context of strategic management. Bibliometric analysis shows that no such research has been conducted so far. Researchers tend to analyze the impact of Erasmus+ projects on regional, national, and European communities but do not touch upon the aspects connected with the management of the projects themselves, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, this research fills a research gap in this respect.

This article analyses competences 4.0 models created in the context of the concept of Industry 4.0. A literature review and bibliometric analyses were used to show the semantic shift of this concept over time. The results show that the 4.0 competences created in the context of Industry 4.0 assume that the skills they represent are needed in the labor market. Moreover, in most cases, analyses of competences 4.0 are carried out considering separate perspectives by researchers representing different scientific disciplines. Refining and fine-tuning a universal and detailed model of competences 4.0 is strongly recommended to bridge the gap between other scientific disciplines. Furthermore, this article presents competences 4.0 from a much broader perspective, including linguistic competences that stem from the wider domain of the ability to communicate within social competences. Linguistic competences are also interrelated with some aspects of cognitive competences. This approach makes this study completely novel and aims to present the most comprehensive and universal 4.0 model to date.

Technological transformation should lead to enhance people’s potential and the development of their cognitive and social competences, especially those connected with effective communication on different levels. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified all these processes and, for better resilience and effectiveness at work, it requires now different sets of competences. This book gives direct insight into changes that take place in education in the context of an unprecedented and rapid technological advancement, which requires the reorientation of goals and functions based on innovative, adaptive and flexible solutions – in most cases driven by individual leadership. It describes the way to reach this reorientation and shows through thorough research how educational leaders position themselves on this way in this fast-changing ecosystem. Exploring how educational leaders manage the challenges of digital transformation, using European collaborative projects, this research volume discusses how this process impacts the effectiveness and sustainability of organizational activities. Establishing a model for assessing digital transformation in educational organizations and evaluating the effectiveness of their leaders, it will be of value to researchers, academics, practitioners, and advanced students in the fields of leadership, organizational change, management of technology and innovation, and those interested in the development of education and the utilization of digitalization. <!----> <!----> <!----> <!---->

The publication contains the authors‘ vision on contemporary challenges in education. It was compiled according to the results of International Education Forum held in Lviv (Ukraine) on 16–17 September, 2021. The event was organized by the National Agency of the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE) and the Faculty of International Relations of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, which celebrates its 360th anniversary this year. The Forum focused on challenges in the development of educa-tion system in the face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and COVID-19 pandemic. It also addressed the issue of quality in formal and informal education, which has a direct impact on the competen-cies of young people under the challenges of the 21st century. The Forum also covered the Erasmus+ program within the new financial perspective of the European Union 2021–2027. Internation-al educational mobility is an important instrument for the develop-ment of young people, which should be supported by governmental and non-governmental institutions, educational institutions and business. The Forum provided a platform for discussion and exchange of experience between representatives of different sectors.

In the context of profound and widespread global transformations, driven by emerging socio-economic patterns and accelerated by technological advancements, there is a pressing need to redefine the concept of leadership and to understand why effective leadership is essential for navigating socio-economic change. This work proposes both a theoretical framework and a practical approach to capturing the contemporary landscape of socio-economic transformation, with a particular focus on leadership. It introduces the author’s original model of transformational leadership, applicable at both the individual and organizational levels. The research models can serve as self-assessment tools for individuals and organizations seeking to align their leadership practices with externally validated measures. These tools aim to evaluate the extent to which leadership practices are truly transformational. In addition, they provide insights into digital, transformational, and organizational maturity, defined as the capacity to lead effectively in dynamic and rapidly evolving social and institutional environments. The book offers a comprehensive overview of contemporary scientific perspectives on leadership, guiding readers through the diversity of existing theories and frameworks. It also addresses the conceptual ambiguities and terminological inconsistencies that often hinder a clear understanding of leadership as a construct. The central argument of the book is that transformational leadership, underpinned by a high degree of organizational maturity, represents the most viable strategy for successfully navigating the ongoing socio-economic transformations driven by technological innovation. <!----> <!----> <!----> <!---->