The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought uncertainties to all countries in the world, causing human suffering and economic downturn that are unprecedented in recent history. This paper is the first empirical research that analyzes the effects of the outbreak on the Turkish stock market. The paper employed a fixed-effect model with daily data to explore the economic impact of the global pandemic at the sectoral level. Findings showed that sectoral indices were affected by the number of cases reported in Turkey than the number of cases in Europe and in the world. Furthermore, the most adversely affected sectors were metal products, machinery and sports, insurance and banking sectors. Despite the substantial economic downturn, food-beverage, wholesale and retail trade and real estate investment sectors have been the less affected industries from the outbreak.

This study aims to explore the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in international trade, focusing on its key roles in optimizing trade operations, enhancing trade finance, and expanding market access. In trade optimization, AI leverages advanced machine learning and predictive analytics to enhance demand forecasting, route optimization, and customs procedures, leading to more efficient logistics and inventory management. In trade finance, AI can automate document processing and risk assessment, increasing access to finance and enhancing transactional transparency, particularly through integration with blockchain technology. In terms of market access, AI-driven analytics can identify consumer trends and competitive dynamics, enabling personalized marketing and overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers. Due to the lack of quantitative data, this study employed qualitative research methods, specifically a multiple-case-study approach. The case studies of leading companies such as Alibaba, DHL, and Maersk showcase how they leverage AI to optimize their trade operations, improve customer service, and achieve greater efficiency. These real-world examples demonstrate AI’s practical applications and significant benefits in the global trade landscape. However, the adoption of AI in international trade is not without challenges. These include issues around data quality, ethical concerns, technological complexity, and public perception. Policy recommendations highlight the need for a robust data infrastructure, establishing ethical AI guidelines, and fostering international cooperation to align data protection regulations.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has led to considerable human suffering and raised concerns regarding the potential implications for the global economy. Türkiye, as a neighboring country and a major player in the region, maintains close ties with Ukraine and Russia and heavily relies on agricultural imports from both countries making it susceptible to market shocks caused by the war. In this research paper, we examine the economic impact of war-induced soaring food prices on the Turkish economy using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, which is a widely used tool for simulating the effects of shocks and policy changes on a country’s economy. We considered two utility functions with varying elasticity parameters to explore both micro-level and macro-level impacts of the price shock, encompassing household demand, industrial production, price and trade dynamics, income, investment, and welfare implications. The findings reveal significant effects on agricultural imports of crops (wheat, maize, barley, rice, and cereal grains), fruit and vegetables, and oil products, leading to an increase in both import and domestic prices, resulting in food inflation in the country. Additionally, the findings show that while the trade balance for the agricultural sector improved, the services, manufacturing, and forestry sectors have experienced an increased trade deficit. Furthermore, the war has caused a decline in foreign direct investment flowing into the country. Finally, the war-led price shock resulted in an estimated income loss of 0.2 or 0.8 percent of real GDP depending on the utility function, and a significant welfare loss. Based on these findings, several policy recommendations were discussed. The findings of the study highlight the importance of considering the interplay between food prices and micro and macroeconomic indicators.

Maker Majlis, based in Qatar, was the first manifestation of a localised human-centred design makerspace in the Arabian Gulf region that went digital during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a coalescence of three broad ideas: human-centred design thinking, sustainability and Islamic values. The digital makerspace hosted 229 participants from 25 countries. This paper aims to outline this platform and its programs and preliminarily assess their capacity to develop twenty-first century skills based on participants’ survey results of their learning experience. In doing so it also explores more broadly the role of informal digital makerspaces as a non-traditional educational approach in education for sustainable development. Overall, the findings indicate multifaceted positive benefits of these programmes on participants’ learning experiences, citizenship values, personal development, and holistic growth with ethical and social values. The participants valued the human-centered design and mentoring aspects of the programs for enhancing creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Moreover, the programs promoted global citizenship by enabling collaboration across different backgrounds, and nurturing qualities such as confidence, self-respect, and respect for others. This research underscores the potential of digital makerspaces to serve as innovative educational models that support lifelong learning as well as the implementation of digital civics pedagogy.

The rapid pace of urbanization, coupled with the growing need for environmental sustainability and technological innovation, has brought smart city initiatives to the forefront of global urban development. This paper provides a comparative analysis of smart city policies from leading cities such as Oslo, Zurich, and Canberra, and derives strategic insights for Qatar. By examining the strategies, priorities, outcomes, and challenges associated with implementing smart city initiatives in these cities, the study identifies areas of alignment and divergence with Qatar's own smart city policy framework. The research highlights potential opportunities for cross-learning and suggests how Qatar can leverage lessons from international best practices to enhance its smart city initiatives. Key areas of focus include fostering strategic partnerships, promoting innovation, and ensuring effective governance and data management systems. The findings provide actionable insights to improve the effectiveness of Qatar's smart city projects, aligning them with the Qatar National Vision 2030.