In the context of the sustainability roadmap, this study presents a quantitative perspective by investigating the interconnection between foreign direct investments (FDIs) and wage dynamics to contribute to the reduction of gender inequalities. This paper focuses on Austria and Germany, two European countries with strong commitments to sustainable change, as representative cases for the analysis. The main objective is to quantify the impact of FDIs on salary trends and investigate their relationship, especially concerning gender-related aspects. This research introduces fresh insights into the existing literature by shedding light on the role of FDIs in shaping wage dynamics, particularly related to gender equality. The quantitative analysis highlights the model’s robustness, revealing that approximately 86% of wage variation is explained by the independent variable, FDIs. This statistical result suggest a linear relationship between FDIs and wages in these two countries, reaffirming the potential impact of foreign investments on wage dynamics as a base for enhancing sustainable socioeconomic progress.

INTRODUCTION: A Smart University is a creative environment with a high level of adaptive capacity building to current societies’ challenges. From regional development planning perspective, a Smart University proves an anticipatory rather than reactionary adaptation to the context conditions, providing more development alternatives into the future, assuring in this way the regional performance and competitiveness.OBJECTIVES: The paper tackles 3 important perspectives of the role of HEIs from South-East region of Romania to regional development: The University as an Education and Training Platform, The University as a Research Platform and The University as a Knowledge and Technology Transfer Platform. An interesting research question becomes whether and to what extent the academia can contribute to territorial development policies in South-East region of Romania?METHODS: This research-paper highlights the main characteristics of the academic environment of South-East region analysing at intra-regional level, the educational offer and the results of HEIs activities in the fields of research and knowledge transfer.RESULTS: A Smart University should first and foremost help the local community to develop their territorial capital, which is defined by OCDE as “an ensemble of geographical (accessibility, agglomeration economies, natural resources), economic (factor endowments, competences), cognitive (knowledge, human capital, cooperation networks), social (solidarity, trust, associations), and cultural assets (“understandings, customs and informal rules that enable economic agents to work together under conditions of uncertainty”).CONCLUSION: Rethinking higher education system is the first step in boosting regional development in the digital age.

In this chapter, we aim to capture the way in which the phenomenon of diversity is perceived in Romania, while also highlighting the Romanian national values, in an attempt to understand the interaction between the values of the Romanian space and the action of Romanians in different contexts. The preservation of national values, as well as their creative capitalization, is a desideratum of affirming and displaying the Romanian wealth and diversity in a globalized and strongly interconnected world. Based on these reasonings, this chapter will address the issue of diversity from different perspectives, the element of diversity being presented not to highlight differences but to serve as a foundation in support of the European motto of “Unity in Diversity”. The findings of this research emerged from interdisciplinary perspectives of diversity management, political science and regional studies, sociology and psychology. “Unity in diversity” is a delicate goal, and merging the values of unity and diversity is the basis of cross-cultural management. Fostering a “healthy” society, that cultivates understanding, tolerance, dialogue and peace, means bringing together people from diverse ethnic, cultural, professional and demographic backgrounds. This chapter aims to raise awareness in this direction, especially for decision-makers, because including diverse perspectives in a decision-making process can be key to introducing innovation and growth, by enriching deliberations and adding different viewpoints. Yet, policymakers should not compromise the principles of meritocracy for the sake of diversity. At the same time, there is also the risk of “diversity-washing” policy in term that a society might mislead people about its diversity policy by spending time and money on advertising, pretending to be a fair and inclusive society rather than actually implementing practices that minimize discrimination.