Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on a large array of economic and social facets has recently become one of the most debated topics both in academic and civic environment. Existing literature varies from topics touching on the AI ethics to the future of the labor market. Current research highlights significant divergences and a lack of consensus on the future implications of AI, leading to a heterogeneous perception among the general public. In this context, our research explores the intersection between AI and its profound impact on the labor market, focusing on business students’ perceptions of AI impact on skills, productivity and employment dynamics. The study examines how personal AI competencies, risk perception, and anticipated economic effects of AI technologies shape labor market expectations using structural equations modelling. Seven hypotheses were tested which summarize the correlations between six reflective constructs. Findings reveal that students generally perceive AI positively, recognizing its potential to increase organizational efficiency and work productivity. Our research highlights the dual impact of AI, exploring students’ perceptions of the effects of AI on society, organizations and the labor market and revealing the key links between these views and efficiency.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has often been cast as a straightforward engine of growth, yet its record across Central and Eastern Europe tells a more tangled story where outcomes hinge on the interplay of education, governance, and the timing of external shocks. This study embeds fixed effects panel econometrics within a systems framework, treating FDI as a subsystem of socio-economic dynamics. Using a long-run panel of eleven economies from 2000 to 2023, the analysis models path dependence and regime shifts through interaction terms and period-specific dummies set against a systems-thinking backdrop. The analysis shows that for the average CEE economy, FDI’s contribution has waxed and waned: it dragged on growth during the early transition years (2000–2007), settled into a neutral role after the global financial crisis, and proved unpredictable in the pandemic era. Romania stands out, however, with a marked “FDI premium” quantified as approximately 0.7 pp of growth per pp of FDI that seems to stem from reinforcing loops between rising tertiary enrolment and productivity spillovers. Mapping these feedbacks brings to light virtuous circles where human capital and resilience make or break the benefits of foreign capital. The policy message is plain: nurture the positive loops through investment in skills and firm linkages, keep institutions nimble enough to adapt, and watch for early warning signs of systemic strain.

Amid growing concern about labour market resilience in an era of digital and green transitions, this study carries out an investigation on how academic innovation and industrial transformation jointly shape sustainable employment outcomes across EU-27 member states. We frame this inquiry within the emerging concept of the “employment trilemma”, which posits inherent tension between competitiveness, innovation, and social inclusiveness in modern economies. Drawing on a dynamic panel dataset (2005–2023) and employing System SMM estimations, we test the hypothesis that the alignment of academic innovation systems and industrial transformation strategies enhances long-term employment sustainability. Our results reveal a nuanced relationship: academic innovation significantly supports employment in countries with high knowledge absorption capacity, whereas industrial transformation contributes positively only when embedded in cohesive, inclusive economic frameworks. Thus, these findings provide valuable insights for international business due to their emphasis on the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration, policy synchronisation, and investment in human capital for firms navigating increasingly volatile labour markets. Likewise, the study offers actionable insights for business leaders, policymakers, and universities striving to balance innovation with equitable labour market outcomes in an integrated European economy.

Mobility in Education is currently situated between the possibility of promising results and dangerous outcomes as a result of digitalisation and artificial intelligence, which may open up opportunities for previously disadvantaged learners, but potentially reinforce the position of the advantaged few in maintaining these advantages. Therefore, this paper offers the AI-Opportunity Systems Framework as a conceptual heuristic and a systems-based theoretical framework for analysing how inequality impacts on people’s capability to generate inter-generational results based on socio-technical practices and governance. The framework has originated through a qualitative synthesis of economic models of transmission; systems thinking; capability theory; and institutional perspectives on digital practices. It will explore how digitalisation impacts on generations with respect to the opportunity gradient and the conditions which will result in the flattening or steepening of this opportunity gradient. However, the degree to which digitalisation will impact opportunity will be dependent on whether there are quality assurance measures in place; ongoing development opportunities for teachers; investment in equity; and equitable systems for recognising skills; all of which will create pathways to reducing persistence in the face of challenging circumstances. Conversely, where there is fragmentation in the adoption of innovation, elite capture of innovation; and weak and fragmented governance systems the result will be further intensification of stratification. This study provides evidence of how removing barriers will allow those disadvantaged in accessing opportunities, to receive the greatest benefits. Similarly, by providing insight into how selective credentialing can perpetuate the above, the research provides an alternative representation of the classic inequality-mobility curve, as well as a new lens through which we can examine how digital education has the potential to benefit or penalise those who are less economically fortunate via repeated instances of limited access to resources.

Digital communication transformation influences both our communication habits and organizational structures of enterprises because nowadays digital communication represents the main element of human interactions and economic activities. After the pandemic, the role of digital communication in education has become crucial due to the forced transition to Education 4.0 paradigm generated by the 2021 lockdown. The main purpose of this study is to examine the influence of digital communication transformations on undergraduate students, as well as to understand how these changes affect students’ personal and academic communication. The methodological approach of this research paper applies a qualitative perspective by the means of an online survey disseminated to students (n=167) from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. Findings of this survey reveal the profound impact of digital communication transformation on undergraduate students’ habits and perceptions. Additionally, the results of this study suggest that digital communication facilitates more frequent and efficient interactions with both peers and professors, which enhance academic and personal engagement. Main conclusion of this research article suggest that digital communication instruments play a central role in Education 4.0 and must be adopted by all educational institutions with the aim of equipping students with digital skills that are mandatory in the digital era. Further research should focus on examining the effects of certain digital tools on students’ academic performance and motivation, as well as on the impact of digital communication on the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

In the age of Artificial Intelligence, higher education institutions must adapt accordingly by smoothly transforming their curricula and pedagogical approaches in a student-centered perspective that allows young adults to develop the necessary skillset of AI competences that will ensure them employability in the near future. After the 2022 launch of Open AI’s notorious ChatGPT, higher education settings have also faced the urgent need to both regulate and integrate gen AI platforms mainly because their students were already taking advantage of its benefits in terms of generating idea or producing high-quality writing papers. Even though several studies have documented GPT’s impact on students’ skills, there is limited focus on students’ perceptions in Romanian higher education. Hence, the main aim of the present study is to investigate students’ perception with regards to their perceived influence of generative AI use for academic purposes on their academic performance. The methodological approach taken in this study is a mixed methodology based on a pilot study (n=186), with data being gathered via a questionnaire-based survey and analysed via SPSS. Findings suggest that GPT improves several research skills of students, while 71% of respondents perceiving GPT’s impact as significantly improving their productivity, thus this article adding a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge. Future studies could enhance representativeness, mitigate self-reported bias, and improve econometric model predictive power.