The aim of this paper is to present the current state and wine tourism potential in the Republic of Srpska with the primary focus on its wineries and their activities towards attracting wine tourists from all over the world. To achieve this, a survey was conducted among 37 wineries in the Republic of Srpska. The first part of the questionnaire included data about planted grape varieties, annual yield, wine production, vineyards areas, and winery staff information. The second part of the survey was dedicated to the degree of participation of wineries in wine tourism activities and the services offered to wine tourists. Results indicate that the major factors thwarting further wine tourism development are the lack of accommodation and catering facilities as well as tours in foreign languages. One of the problems is the current lack of wine routes generally seen as critical supporting tools for wine tourism development. Based on the research results, the authors propose two wine routes in the Republic of Srpska, the Northern and Southern wine routes. Further wine tourism development should be focused mainly on these areas.

Purpose: The main reason for writing this paper was the systematic determination of the state of internationalization of public higher education for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). This paper aims to compare the state of internationalization with the results of comparative European and world research in higher education in order to determine the direction of public universities in B&H following globalization and connection with the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), as well as to determine future steps for mandatory inclusion into global higher education flows. Furthermore, the aim was to determine the treatment of mobility and student exchange programs and the ways of recognizing acquired qualifications abroad.Design/methodology/approach: The paper opted for a research study by conducting questionnaires that were divided into questions of elimination, questions of qualification and questions of the main survey. A total of 2,822 final year students were surveyed, as well as 386 representatives of the management of public universities. Within the paper, 25 different SWOT analyses of internationalization were performed by public universities, ministries and state/regional agencies, which was the basis for the SWOT analysis of the internationalization of B&H public higher education. The data were supplemented with a qualitative analysis of the obtained results compared with the International Association of Universities (IAU) and European Association for International Education (EAIE) research, as well as an overview of the most significant achievements in the field of internationalization of higher education.Findings: The paper provides empirical results on the barriers of students to study abroad, the existence of strategies and indicators for internationalization, the benefits of internationalization, internal and external drivers of internationalization and the potential risks of internationalization. These empirical results for B&H were compared with complementary IAUs and EAIE research and provided the basis for SWOT analysis of internationalization, development of institutional internationalization strategies and indicators, B&H recognition model, new criteria for accreditation with emphasis on internationalization and criteria for assessing internationalization. The paper suggests that virtual mobility and internationalization at home are future logical trends of development internationalization in B&H.Research limitations/implications: Suggestions for future research related to the examination of identified potential risks to the management of the internationalization of individual institutions, as well as to future comparisons of the new state of internationalization of higher education in B&H with current similar research in Europe and the world. Regarding the limitations in the research, it was possible that a larger number of participants participated in the survey with questionnaires, although the target set at the beginning of the survey was achieved.Practical implications: Most of the research results are the basis for improving the practical situation in the internationalization of public higher education in B&H. The paper presents a special chapter (undertaken improvement activities) dedicated to the practical implications based on the conducted research and comparison of results. Considering that this is a preliminary work related to the internationalization of higher education, based on the researched results, the context of the internationalization of public higher education in B&H was changed by the activities described in the mentioned chapter. The contribution to these activities was given by the approved project of the European Commission (EC) “strengthening of internationalization in B&H higher education” - STINT. Also, the research results of this paper offered a comparison with the research results of research conducted by IAUs and EAIE.Social implications: Different research groups participated in this research study: students, teachers, administration, representatives of ministries and state/regional agencies. All target groups supported the implementation of the questionnaire, the development of SWOT analyses and various reports, as well as the undertaking of various practical activities. In accordance with the research results, all these target groups were subsequently educated on issues of internationalization and recognition of qualifications. Stronger and better internationalization certainly increases the social impact on future students, higher education funders, as well as other interested stakeholders.Originality/value: This is a preliminary study whose main goal was to review the state of internationalization and to identify the most important undertaken activities in B&H. For the higher education area in B&H, the research study is new and has undertaken internationalization activities, but on the other side, in other developed European countries, similar studies and activities are not new. For the field of higher education in B&H, this work and research results are important because they will be the basis for future internationalization activities and will also serve as a basis for future activities to be undertaken in this field. The value of this paper is significant for both internal and external stakeholders of higher education.

Decision making on foreign direct investment (FDI) is a strategic decision for the country, the company, but also the individual, which is strategic. Where to invest, how and when, certainly depends on economic conditions and economic freedoms. Foreign direct investments represent a value of 357 million euros in 2019, representing a significant factor in the overall development of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Expectations of an increase in the level of foreign investment are also based on the level of economic freedoms. The research results show a significant impact and positive correlation of economic freedoms on strategic decisions on foreign direct investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The role and importance of the impact of economic freedoms on strategic decisions on foreign direct investment became especially important in the conditions of the COVID 19 coronavirus pandemic, when strategic decisions were coupled with even greater risks and sensitivity. The COVID-19 pandemic affected foreign direct investment in the world and expectations regarding the trend of foreign direct investment in BiH. According to preliminary data from the Central Bank of BiH for the first half of 2020, FDI is lower by 46.7% compared to the same period in 2019. Foreign direct investment in less developed countries such as BiH will be under additional pressure in 2020/2021, due to the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. The decline in global foreign direct investment in 2020 and 2021 is estimated at 30-40% as a result of the pandemic. The results of the research cover the period from 1998 to 2020, and show the existence of a positive correlation between these variables. The analysis used an econometric model of multiple correlation analysis Pearson Correlation.

Background: As one of the world's most important economies, China has faced the problems and challenges caused by geopolitical changes, the consequences of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, financial crises and other challenges in the last decade to the fullest extent. An overview of previous research studies shows the effects of partial elements of economic freedom on the financial performance of China's development. The focus of our research is on a strategic approach to the given problem, taking into account the possibility of modeling and improving the situation in response to new challenges and problems in the future. Purpose: The focus of the work is aimed at measuring the impact of economic freedoms on foreign direct investment decisions and the financial performance of China's development. Based on that, the main goal of the work is to model and determine new elements for improving the model based on a strategic approach. Study design: The research revealed that a strategic approach through the elements of economic freedom is an important factor of the model we investigated and represents the improvement of the situation and can contribute to the improvement of the financial performance of China's development. Findings: Based on the research, we obtained the result of a high degree of direct dependence and a positive correlation of the impact of economic freedom and strategic decisions on foreign direct investment on the financial performance of China's development. Economic freedoms represent a significant influencing factor and provide opportunities for the improvement of a model based on a strategic approach. Limitations: The limitations of the research refer to the unpredictable state of geopolitical changes in the world, which directly reflect on many factors of the model. Future research directions can be directed towards measuring which countries make up the largest part of China's foreign direct investments, as well as how much their influence is.

This is a comprehensive analysis study related to the integration of internationalization at home among seven universities within the framework of the BIOSINT project: "Strengthening capacities and digital competences in biomedical education through internationalization at home," - Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project – Strand 2 (ERASMUS-EDU-2022-CBHE, action: ERASMUS-LS), 101082863, co-funded by the European Union. Surveys were conducted among 2,927 students, 308 academic staff, and seven Deans. The data were analyzed, and chi-square tests and descriptive comparisons were made to evaluate topics such as mobility interest, language proficiency, and institutional support. Qualitative responses were also examined to better understand barriers and opportunities. Based on the results, SWOT analyses were performed, and a common framework was developed for creating strategies for each institution for Internationalization at Home. Actions such as curriculum internationalization, the introduction of virtual classrooms, mentoring systems, incoming guides, security protocols, and training related to IaH for staff and students were implemented during the project. Statistical analysis showed a significant improvement in the IaH index among the participating institutions. Specifically, the overall IaH index increased from an average of 39.3% to 55.6%, a statistically significant change (t = 41.00, p < 0.001), reflecting enhanced maturity levels across the partner institutions. This demonstrates the efficacy of the BIOSINT project implementation. Further steps should be taken to increase the impact of activities related to IaH.