Academic literature on the topic 'Information technology – Political aspects – Tunisia'

Social networking websites are: face book, twitter, beebo, orkut etc. The fact is that this technological advancement is changing the urban sociology drastically. Its effects range from personal friendships to political movements. The demonstrations in Iran were mainly organised through face book and twitter. They had a major role in the overthrow of Tunisian president. There are wide spread protests in Egypt also. People of Egypt were demanding the end of Hosni Mubarak's regime and Egyptian government has banned both face book and twitter because people were demanding that president Hosni Mubarak should resign. These websites don't start any movement but people who start movements use them to contact public. Previously it was difficult to arrange demonstrations and political parties had to announce in advance, which gave the government the chance to put a ban or just block the area where demonstration was to be held but now what they do is they just announce it one hour before the actual time and the government has no time to control it, that is why these websites have made political demonstrations more effective. On the personal level they have made it easier to maintain contact with your friends but the level of close friendships is reduced. Previously we used to have few friends and one or two were very close friends but now we have hundreds of friends but no one is close. Besides dedicating more time to online activities means we have less time to actually go out and meet friends. This phenomenon is very common in the developed world. It is a major change and we still don't know where this change is leading. The other aspect of technological advancement is that now knowledge is not restricted. Everybody and anybody can learn whatever they want all they need is an internet connection. The fact is nobody can close the internet. So internet in effect is the new super power in the world. America is not the super power internet is because America cannot close the internet but internet can close America.

Information access and open communication – through in person and mediated information and communication technology – are critical to an informed citizenry in democratic societies. The 2011 Arab Spring uprising that originated in Tunisia and resulted in the overthrow of long-time Tunisian authoritarian president Ben Ali, established a new transitional government with more democratic institutions and more open press and political expression. In this paper, we explore changes over time (2011–2019) in the use by young, educated Tunisians of different political information sources, the perceived reliability of these sources, their information sharing behavior, and sense of being politically well-informed (i.e., political information efficacy). We report here results from the third of three surveys we administered of an online questionnaire to three different but comparable opportunity samples of young, educated Tunisians. The first two surveys conducted in 2012 and 2015 have been previously reported. We compare results from the most recent survey regarding 2019 elections with findings from the two prior surveys. Our findings confirm increasing perceived reliability of government information sources during the 2014 and 2019 elections, and decreasing reliability of social media. Results also confirm that higher perceptions of information reliability along with information sharing, lead to greater political information efficacy which is an important predictor of further democratic political participation.

Philip Howard's important book offers a timely and thorough treatment of a subject that has been catapulted into the global limelight thanks to recent revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt: the impact of the Internet on the political cultures in the Middle East.

Objectives: There is growing interest in implementing hospital-based health technology assessment (HB-HTA) as a tool to facilitate decision making based on a systematic and multidisciplinary assessment of evidence. However, the decision-making process, including the informational needs of hospital decision makers, is not well described. The objective was to review empirical studies analysing the information that hospital decision makers need when deciding about health technology (HT) investments.Methods: A systematic review of empirical studies published in English or Danish from 2000 to 2012 was carried out. The literature was assessed by two reviewers working independently. The identified informational needs were assessed with regard to their agreement with the nine domains of EUnetHTA's Core Model.Results: A total of 2,689 articles were identified and assessed. The review process resulted in 14 relevant studies containing 74 types of information that hospital decision makers found relevant. In addition to information covered by the Core Model, other types of information dealing with political and strategic aspects were identified. The most frequently mentioned types of information in the literature related to clinical, economic and political/strategic aspects. Legal, social, and ethical aspects were seldom considered most important.Conclusions: Hospital decision makers are able to describe their information needs when deciding on HT investments. The different types of information were not of equal importance to hospital decision makers, however, and full agreement between EUnetHTA's Core Model and the hospital decision-makers’ informational needs was not observed. They also need information on political and strategic aspects not covered by the Core Model.

The article considers the problem of political discourse transformation as exemplified by European (British&Russian) political rhetoric of the 20th century. Considered is the complex nature of political discourse comprising both its variable and invariable aspects reflecting discursive constancy and change which are regarded as manifestations of the sliding mode usually applicable to exact sciences phenomena. The major factors of transformation depend on social change caused by dramatic events in history, namely political conflicts. The invariable part of political discourse is concentrated around the text structure with dicteme as the main information and structure unit of the text and discourse. The variable part is determined by factors of speech regulation including target content of the utterance, status of the speaker and the listener, pre-supposition and post-supposition. Genre and register specificity of political discourse as its constant characteristics reflect the change. Conclusions offer some generalizations Virtual Learning offer for Biologic Informatics aspects

How are women utilizing the capabilities of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the service of social and political transformation in the wake of the Arab Spring Uprisings? The structure of information flows on new media platforms have enabled activist groups to gain leverage in political systems and social contexts that otherwise marginalized them and this was never more apparent in the use of ICTs during the Arab Spring. However, Morocco continues to be a largely forgotten hub of revolution as researchers grapple with the systemic shifts observed in countries like Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. Women’s rights movements in Morocco exploded in increased action, engagement and influence during the same period, largely by virtue of increased accessibility to and innovative capabilities of ICTs. Morocco’s movement for women’s rights and democratisation (gradualist movement) is a lesser-explored context of women’s heightened engagement since the Arab Spring and hence, the focus of this research. Women’s use of alternative civic spaces to organize and enact social and political change has resulted in global networks of activism that are changing the climate of the MENA as well as perceptions of it from elsewhere. The region, while often politically turbulent, is also characterized according to a single narrative in the West. The “resistance against communal norms” and broadening use of digital media as an extension to existing women’s voices (Robinson, 2014, p. ii) has helped disseminate critical knowledge on the importance of gender equity to democratic ideals. It has also put an emphasis on women’s public praxis in Morocco over their religious affiliations or domestic labour. Keywords: new media, Morocco, activism, communication, technology, social justice

In recent years, studies on social networks have begun to become more and more numerous in the literature, with scientists showing a real interest in an influential analysis that they have on societies. Social networks are tools through which political candidates have the opportunity to distribute their political message during election campaigns, as well as outside them, to a growing audience. A very strong connection has been made between technology and communication, outside of which we, as individuals, can no longer exist, the virtual space managing to exploit communication in all its aspects. Online political communication, an easily accessible form of manifestation that attracts disinterested political groups, offers the possibility of avoiding information bottlenecks for citizens by changing content in real time, with low information costs, which means a real advantage for politicians.The importance of social networks in political communication is even greater as its role is the main channel of communication and occupies a special place in election campaign strategies. The present study aimes to analyze the phenomenon of social networks in terms of the benefits it offers to politics, through an online political communication with content transmitted in real time, without time limit and with low costs.

The article concentrates on the issue of Hungarian education reforms brought about by radical political changes, in particular, the country’s admittance to the European Union. The paper outlines priorities in educational process transformation, as well as risks emerging in the system of teacher education and lifelong learning. The challenges associated with our times transform the teacher’s consciousness, shiftingfocus to the mandatory use of information technology, the activation of students’ information mobility, and the detailed analysis of employers’ requirements. The study reveals the Hungarian government’s key activities in relation to the socialization of the Roma minority and other national minorities compactly residing in Ukraine. The research illustrated educational resources used to train teachers at educational institutions to instill tolerance and mutual respect. The 2020s’ are marked by powerful globalization and political factors penetrating all spheres of social life. The dynamic formation of the civilized information society is accompanied by a number of contradictions and conflicts, the strengthening of social ties, and changing living conditions (R.ti, 2009), (V.g. and Vass 2006). Despite numerous methodological and conceptual studies, the issues of updating the modern teacher’s training to enableteachers to train and educate students and adequately react to challenges imposed by digitalization remain open. In this respect, the experience of European states that successfully carried out a number of educational reforms is of great scientific interest and deserves to be systematically studied, popularized and introduced into the domestic educational system. One of such countries is Hungary, which borders on Ukraine both territorially and functionally (Transcarpathia is compactly inhabited by Hungarian national minorities). The aim of the article is to substantiate the essence of the key educational reforms in Hungary and to identify the risks and priorities brought about by transformational changes in the country.

The article, based on the norms of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the doctrine of modern labor law, analyzedthe Federal Sectoral Agreement on Communications and Information Technology Organizations for 2021–2023, identifiedduplicate and conflict of laws, as well as other controversial aspects

Comparative studies of democratization point to a multitude of explanatory factors, while often lacking empirical evidence and theoretical foundation. This study introduces the revolution in information technology as a significant contributor to democratization in the 1980s and beyond. Utilizing a cybernetic version of an evolutionary interpretation of democratization an amended model for 147 countries is tested by bivariate and multiple regression analysis. The focus of the analysis is on how the first-ever use of an indicator of information technology explains democratization. The overall findings show that information technology is a meaningful element in the study of democratization today.

A sophisticated and high tech form of state-to-foreign population diplomacy based on the use of the latest communication technologies has developed rapidly in recent years and has acquired an increasingly important position within a significant number of foreign affairs systems. Pioneered by the heavyweights of the international stage, the phenomenon has spread rapidly to secondary powers and is progressively extending itself to varying degrees to all states around the globe. This thesis grapples with the enigma raised by the brisk re-emergence of this foreign policy concentration by attempting to understand the reasons behind both the quantitative increase in public diplomacy activities and the qualitative evolution of these activities in terms of planning, organisation and implementation. The first argument that this thesis broaches is that the sudden growth of public diplomacy is the result of the shift to a new phase of the information revolution (necessary enabling force) which has been amplified by contingent factors: the explosion of global terrorism (accelerator) and the perception of leaders and foreign policy makers of this new environment (prism). The second argument is that, beyond quantitative growth, the new operational context born of the advent of the global information society provoked a qualitative evolution of the public diplomacy inherited from the Cold War towards what is today mass diplomacy. The result is the appearance of a market driven diplomacy employing persuasive techniques borrowed from the world of public relations and marketing. The new diplomacy is an entrepreneurial diplomacy that limits governmental leadership to a necessary minimum and encourages the participation of private and foreign sub-contractors. It is also a cyber-space diplomacy equipped with new diplomatic instruments such as high-resolution satellite imagery, high-speed networks, digital broadcasting and other marvels of the late twentieth cen

La société de l’information déstabilise-t-elle l’Etat-Nation ?

Analyse comparative du développement des nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication dans l’âge de la mondialisation

Partant du constat que le concept “Société de l’Information” est souvent utilisé dans des contextes et des situations très différents, qui ne présentent guère de traits communs, ce travail abouti à une interprétation de ce concept, qui permette de la redimensionner au lieu d’en faire un mythe, comme cela arrive trop souvent. La “Société de l’Information”, malgré son rôle innovant et unificateur qui outrepasse même les barrières étatiques, est confrontée au poids de l’Etat-Nation dans sa conception la plus restrictive.

Nous considérons cette analyse comme une réflexion nécessaire dans une période où le défi technologique est particulièrement chargé d’un rôle politique.
Doctorat en sciences politiques
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This body of work is a post modern analysis of how the shift from mass to me media influences the role and structure of the media. Was McLuhan right, is the medium increasingly the message? Or is the post-modern media a totally different animal, a manifestation of popular culture and marketing rather than the socially responsible institution responsible for safeguarding democracy that it was envisioned to be by the American founding fathers? The underlying theme is the convergence of media and marketing and the resulting conglomeration and technological dependency forced on the reader and the writer. Who are the new mediators and how do they manage the media? In the mediatrix, the readers become media managers and the writers become surfers. The analysis begins with an examination of the contrast between real and virtual communities and how the media bridges this information gap. How does reporting in virtuality reflect reality? The body of the study has three parts, the shift from mass to me media, the alternative media spheres it has engendered and the controlling forces behind this transition. Throughout the study, mass media and me media are contrasted. The study ends with a look at the impact of technology .andpopular culture on the South African media and how the media will click through the future. Will the deeply entrenched communal values of ubuntu stave off the individualisation cocooning brings? That is, will the I before we focus of personalised media nurture the South African democracy or will itfoster mediocracy?
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die volgende tesis is n omskrywing van hoe die beweging van die massa-media na die ek-media die rol en die struktuur van die media beinvloed. Was McLuhan korrek, is die medium dikwels doe boodskap? Of is die post-moderne media n totale ander gedierte? n Manifestasie van die populere kultuur en bemarking, eerder as die sosiale verantwoordelike instituut verantwoordelik vir die behoud van demokrasie soos dit gevisualiseer is deur die Amerikaanse voorvaders? Die onderliggende tema is die bymekaarvoeging van media en bemarking en die konglomerasie en tegnologiese verantwoordelikheid geplaas op die leser en skrywer. Wie is die nuwe tussengangers en hoe bestuur hulle die media? In die "mediatrix" word die leser die media bestuurder en die skrywer word die net-sweefer. Die analise begin met die ondersoek na die kontras ussen egte en virtuele gemeenskappe en hoe die media hierdie informasie gaping oorbrug. Hoe word realiteit beinvloed deur rapportering in virtualiteit? Die liggam van die studie bestaan uit drie dele - die skuifvan massa-media na ek-media, die alternatiewe media sfere wat dit vorm, en, die beheerende invloede agter die transformasie. Reg deur die studie word die massa -media en die ek-media gekontrasteer. Die studie eindig met n opsomming van die impak wat tegnologie en populere kultuur op die SA mark het en hoe die media sal saamstem in die toekoms. Sal die diepere gelee gemeenskapswaardes van ubuntu die individualisme wat "cocooning" meebring afskiet. Sal die ek voor die ons van verpersoonlikte media die SA demokrasie aanhelp of medioker maak.
rs201512

Defence date: 8 May 2017
Examining Board: Professor Hanspeter Kriesi, European University Institute (Supervisor); Professor Olivier Roy, European University Institute; Professor Fiona B. Adamson, SOAS University of London; Professor Alexandra Segerberg, Stockholm University
The spread of the internet and migration are key dimensions associated with globalization and range among the most salient challenges of our times. Looking at the intersection of these two phenomena, this dissertation explores how the internet enables citizens of non-democracies living abroad to partake in the political discourse and online campaigns in their home countries. How does the fact of living in non-authoritarian countries affect the migrant’s position inside their online community? Using concepts from the contentious politics literature, I examine why migrant netizens adopt different roles in online campaigns in the years leading to and during the Arab uprisings at the examples of Tunisia and Morocco. I draw upon multiple empirical strategies including an analysis of web crawls of the Tunisian and Moroccan blogospheres, in-depth interviews with a number of key actors and frame analysis. I find that migrants were among the pioneers of political blogging, are well-integrated in their respective blogosphere and often occupy central positions. Political opportunity structures matter, thus the relative absence of repression allows migrants to act as radical mobilizers in highly repressive regimes like Tunisia. In contrast to that, migrant netizens in slightly more liberal settings like Morocco are less of a driving force than an equal partner in online discussions and campaigns, even if they might provide additional resources and establish contacts with international actors. Finally, the frame analysis reveals that radical migrant bloggers are likely to suffer from a lack of credibility due to their relative immunity to repression, unless they adapt their frames to the concerns of the wider blogger community, thereby enabling the creation of a broad coalition.

This thesis examines the effects of internet use on Australian citizens' propensity to participate in political activity. The study applies the 'civic voluntarism' model of political participation to the Australian case, theorising that internet use comprises a resource. It hypothesises that participation in Australia is a factor of an individual's free time, time spent using the internet, money, civic skills, internet-related skills, recruitment and engagement. Australia is an appropriate case study due to its institutional and cultural similarities with other advanced democracies, as well as its notable differences. Voting is compulsory for Australian citizens, and they are compelled to vote frequently and in complex systems. Previous research has found that compulsory voting has positive effects on participation between elections, as well as on the stability of the country's political parties. Australians have ample opportunity to participate in politics. The thesis analyses 2010 (and earlier) Australian Election Study data, supplemented by data from previous Australian Election Studies, the World Values Survey and Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. Descriptive, logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression analyses find that internet use leads to participation earlier in life than would occur otherwise, but that participants possess the high socioeconomic status of participants in other advanced democracies. Skills are particularly important: across a range of behaviours including electoral, campaign, communal and protest participation, the positive influence of internet proficiency over time spent online is evident. However, the determinants vary greatly between types of participatory act, revealing lowered costs of entry, and opportunities for low-resourced citizens to equip themselves to participate. The findings have implications for understanding how the internet impacts the changing face of participation in Australia, how citizens can be mobilised in the future and the prognosis for the health of Australia's participatory democracy.

This chapter highlights the importance of information visualization using web mapping to shed light on the correlation between social actors. It shows how this method helps to understand if Berber identity beyond frontiers is a reality or just a motto in support of “cultural activism.” The suggested web mapping presents the hyperlinks weaved between websites whose focus is Berber cultural identity. Berbers are the indigenous people of North Africa. They are scattered in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya; they have built a “resistance identity,” including both cultural and political claims, long before the digital age. Since the 1960s they have been struggling for recognition against the state's cultural and political domination in which they live. The analysis of Berbers' relationships amongst each other on the internet is valuable for understanding the main features and issues of this digital connection, its shape, its contents, and actor typology.

This chapter explores the concept of new media in the Arab world and how politics in the information age has changed Arab politics and moved citizens to the streets. However, the evolution of new media social networks and the cause of political information in particular during the revolution is not studied alone. In fact, the evolution of the Arab Spring and the effects of new media social networks are taken into account by exploring how politics in the information age has influenced Arab citizens and allowed them to use information for the greater good and established such a new social movement. This chapter takes the Arab Spring as a case study and an empirical example to understand the transnational protests and global movements, the concept of global media and global politics in the case of the Arab Spring, new media and new politics regarding the Arab Spring, and city and street and public sphere as people power in the information age. Finally, the chapter distinguishes between the new social movements through social networks and the roles of ICTs to aim revolution and whether such a revolution will erupt without new media social networks.

In non-democratic societies new media social networks have played a significant role in changing political and social positions, not necessarily through real life but, instead, through cyber life. This chapter examines how Saudi activists challenge the political authority and how Saudi citizens took advantage of publicity by demanding political change. All of this happened due to social networks and new media, which allowed citizens to mobilize information for the sake of transparency. This was a new phenomenon in Saudi Arabia. The current young generation of Saudis, who use the Internet and social networking sites, played a significant role in the public sphere by making use of the space available to them within cyberspace. This chapter discusses the potential of political information to flourish in Saudi Arabia. It examines how and why citizen activism in Saudi Arabia can be effective. The chapter also shows that social networking activities have the power to change political decisions and society.

Information systems are becoming more involved in politics due to the growth of the World Wide Web, electronic government, and the increasing digitization of information of all kinds. Many information management specialists lack knowledge and experience about how to deal with political aspects of information management, and consequently they are ineffective. This chapter shows how important political issues are to information managers and illustrates strategies that can be useful in dealing with political issues. I provide several examples of how inattention to the political aspects of managing information systems can result in problems and disasters. The chapter covers both internal and external politics. Information managers have to deal with many internal politically-charged tasks such as the structuring of information management, purchasing information systems, managing personnel in this era of digital communication, and struggles over the sharing of information within organizations. External information management issues are also becoming important such as demands for online accountability information, the development of websites, issues over access to information, and interorganizational issues including disputes over turf.

This chapter employed an interdisciplinary attempt to investigate agricultural climate information use, linking sociology of translation (actor-network theory) and actor analysis premises in a qualitative research design. The research method used case study approaches and purposively selected a sample consisting of wheat growers of the Fars province of Iran, who are known as contact farmers. Concepts from Actor-Network Theory (ANT) have been found to provide a useful perspective on the description and analysis of the cases. The data were analyzed using a combination of an Actor-Network Theory (ANT) framework and the Dynamic Actor-Network Analysis (DANA) model. The findings revealed socio political (farmers' awareness, motivation, and trust) and information processing factors (accuracy of information, access to information, and correspondence of information to farmers' condition) as the key elements in facilitating climate information use in farming practices.

This article contains findings from the recent literature on the social aspects of how young people use digital technology. To be successful in today's world, youth must be competent at using digital tools and at defining, accessing, understanding, creating, and communicating digital information. However, even the self-defined ‘techno-gurus' can be digitally illiterate, often using technology in ways that compromise their privacy, safety, or integrity. Both optimistic and pessimistic opinions about youth use of technology are presented by age group, and formations of identity, friendship, participatory culture, and political engagement are addressed in the context of information and communication technology use.

The topic of privacy has many aspects. In some instances, especially where well-known figures are involved, it relates to the legal ability to stop the bringing of information about their private lives into a more public arena. For most people, it involves the ability to go about everyday life without having details of movements and actions recorded and analysed to form the basis for further actions relating to them. In some cases, this may appear relatively harmless. Most people are familiar with the notion of web advertising targeted by reference to a user’s browsing history but there have been more potentially threatening applications ranging from the use of automated facial recognition systems to monitor activity in public spaces to the oft cited use of Facebook data for political purposes as seen in the 2016 US Presidential election. More and more actions are recorded, processed and used as the basis for action that affects the individual concerned. Whether this is a force for good or ill is something that can be debated. What is clear is that informational surveillance will impact very significantly upon debates as to the nature of the societies that we wish to live in.

People’s ability to participate in the activities that are necessary to ensure their economic, political and social participation in the society in which they live is dependent upon the accessibility of the activities. Accessibility has traditionally been perceived as a function of the space, or distance, between the origin of the individual (or community) and the destination of the activity¾the opportunity, service, social network, goods¾alongside the time that it takes to cross this space. Thus, accessibility is dependent upon the individual’s ability to overcome space and time barriers, allowing them to reach the right place or person, at the right time¾and, of course, upon the availability to them of adequate resources to do this (Couclelis, 2000)1.

This chapter presents a summary of some features of soft systems methodology—SSM, and of critical systems thinking—CST as they have been experienced from the point of view of the field of applications of information technology. It highlights the manner in which CST completes SSM in the context of the design of computer support in the form of HYPERSYSTEMS, and evidences some problematic aspects of the two approaches which push the practitioner into philosophical issues. One concluding hypothesis is that further developments of systems practice must be sought at the interface between formal science, political ethics, analytic psychology, and religious thought. For tutorial purposes, a great amount of literature is related to these issues.

The article analyses the dichotomy of modern people’s choice in the context of the ample opportunity provided by information technology, and on the other hand, threats related to the invasion of privacy and offences. Social response to the choice of priority depends on political and cultural perception of the political reality, which was formed with the direct participation of power structures and which is shared by the majority of the population.

This paper describes results obtained by experiments on using Moodle for teaching Science and Information Technology. Modern graphical and dedicated languages are used to create content and embed the artifacts in four Moodle courses: Programming Paradigms (PP), Internet Programming Techniques (IPT), Graphical User Interface Design (GuiD), and Multimedia Techniques (MT). The following aspects are detailed and discussed: course format, HTML5 playing, SVG, CSS3, and JavaScript coding. The GuiD & MT courses, in old versions, will be reengineered to meet the new requirements imposed by web 2.0 e-learning technologies. The following challenging topics highgliht the efficiency of Moodle: PP(Programming in Python, Programming in Common Lisp, Programming in Prolog), IPT (Client-Server applications, Developing HTML5 complient content, Quality improvement by CCS3, Dynamic behaviour improvement by JavaScript and PHP, Server side applications, distributed data base connections), Guid (Graphical Interfaces in C# and Java, Android applications), and MT (Image standards, Audio-Video standards, Multimedia databases, Multimedia Security). Due to such a large plethora of objects, the Moodle platform is full investigated related on the support offered to build high quality e-Learning content. Interoperability assurance techniques are considered to import/export content. Not only standards on Multimedia artifacts, but the conformity with e-Learning standards are considered. Many types of resources are used to illustrate both the content of course's units, and the Moodle support. Statistical results on usage Moodle for Teaching (blended learning classes) two courses (PP & ITP) are presented in order to compare different type of content used for the same class. Preliminary references: 1. Ursache L., Vaju G., Donici G., and Herman C., Moodle: Administrare, Utilizare, Evaluare. Arad, 2011. 2. Retalis S., Dougiamas M. (eds), 1st Moodle Research Conference, Heraklion, Crete-Greece, September, 14-15, 2012. 3. de Raadt M., Ratalis S., 2nd Moodle Research Conference, Sousse, Tunisia, October, 4-6, 2013. 4. ***. Teaching with Moodle, https://moodle.org/ 5. Syllabus: ITP, PP, GuiD, MT (Departement of Information Technology)

Telehealth seems to be the new normal in this fast-changing environment. According to the European Commission eHealth was among the highest priorities before the COVID -19 pandemic. Transformation of health and care in the digital single market is among the EU`s six political priorities of the Commission 2019-2024 (2018 Communication on Digital Health and Care). The pandemic caused by COVID-19 just accelerates the necessity of the inclusion of digital health into the traditional healthcare systems. Telehealth services are among the biggest eHealth trends in EU. Therefore, one of the challenges is the national, regional and regulatory priorities regarding telehealth. There is lack of telehealth special legislative and governmental policies that needs to stimulate the developing and innovative solutions in medicine through technology and to envisage the upcoming innovation technology. Therefore, the government support and adequate policy making is important to support the development of the telehealth services. One of the main challenges is the electronic transactions of patient data among the telehealth providers and services and the cross-border patient data share. Another issue is the exchange of information among the national health institutions and providers and their interoperability. The Macedonian legislation does not have special legislation (policies, or laws) about telehealth. Telehealth is regulated as a term in the Law on health protection. Additionally, there is a lack of national acts, literature, and research in this subject matter. Thus, this paper will explore the telehealth from two main perspectives: scientific theories and legal practice and the users’ practice. Hence, this paper will analyze the legislation about the telehealth on the EU level and the EU Member States and the Macedonian legislation and the impact on the e-health that was made during COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it will make comparative analyses among different countries into the EU zone compared with the EU aspirant country- the Republic of North Macedonia. A survey conducted among doctors in private and public healthcare institutions in the primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare levels in the city of Stip and in the city of Skopje will provide data about the challenges, risks, and trends in telehealth before and during COVID -19.

The Research Group Realidades - from tangible realities to ontological realities - was created in 2010 and is based at the School of Communications and Arts, University of São Paulo, accredited by the Institution and CNPq, Brazil. It already has a huge production, from artistic works, texts, interviews, events organization, and other technical productions, which can be found at http://www2.eca.usp.br/realidades. In its initial research, the Realidades Group investigated how to coherently treat certain terms and categories while maintaining a dialogue between different areas of knowledge, in addition to pointing out counterparts from the breaking of certain conceptual coherences promoted by this dialogue. The object of study of the first projects was precisely to know and expand terms such as simulation, virtuality, hybridization, as well as to propose new devices, interfaces and uses for the technologies. In the current proposal, the group inaugurates new lines of research that will address contemporary phenomena in the field of digital media, critically observing the experience in the intersection between arts, sciences and communications in locative media, audiovisual performances, reality augmented, 360º video and photography, artificial intelligence, three-dimensional modeling, and digital prototyping, among others. It also considers broader issues that arise in this context in relation to the ways of weakening the consensus around the alternatives of representing reality, which happen because of the informational explosion, and the mapping of patterns, in addition to observing political aspects of these discussions. To fulfill these objectives, which significantly expand the initial problems, we redesigned our lines of research in 2020, which are now defined as: 1. Codified Thoughts; 2. Audiovisual Processes; and 3. Poetic-political criticism. The lines of research present specific goals, objectives, and results, which add up without failing to meet the general objectives of the group. It is important to say that the group has a diversified production, but it is evident that the artistic works stand out. In our artworks, the intrinsic relationship between theory and creative practices is essential. We can see the result of these practices and creative processes in the works we carry out and which have already been shown in national and international exhibitions. All information about each one can be found on the group's website. They have started with the Enigmas Series, which was developed between 2012 and 2017.This series has 3 productions and some versions. We also have the series “When the Stars Touch”, with two works, one created in 2019 and the other in 2020. In 2017 we produced the installation Dynamic Crossing, which participated in ISEA 2017 - 23rd International Symposium on Electronic Art, in Manizales, Colombia. The group's most recent artwork is "InMemoriam". It is still online and can be accessed on its website.

This study aims to analyze the role of E-participation in supporting the success of smart city development. This research method uses qualitative research with a bibliometric analysis approach. Sources of research data obtained 218 documents from the Scopus database using the keywords "smart city" and "e-participation" with a span of 7 years from 2015 to 2022. The data analysis phase of this research used VOSviewer and NVivo12 Plus software to visualize the data. This study indicates that e-participation is essential in creating the successful implementation of smart cities. The implementation of e-participation in four countries has different participation strategies. Spain is increasing participation forms online communities and public participation platforms. Italy utilizes digital technology and involves volunteers in public participation. Germany, in increasing participation, develops digital participation platforms and implements practical participation projects. The United States applies a political approach and involves interest groups supported by digitization. Furthermore, increasing participation is supported by information and communication technology, services, and agile management are the main focus. Spain, management focuses on location data management, and service aspect focuses on service platforms, and technology focuses on blockchain technology. Italy, the service aspect focuses on open service, and the technology aspect focuses on open source technology. In the United States, the management aspect pays attention to location data management. Then, the technological aspect focuses on civil technology practices. Germany, management and service are not yet a top priority in this aspect. While the technology aspect only pays attention to the web technology sector. Based on these findings, Spain is a country that dominates various aspects. This means being a country that can be an example of e-participation development in realizing a smart city.

This report maps the African landscape of Open Science – with a focus on Open Data as a sub-set of Open Science. Data to inform the landscape study were collected through a variety of methods, including surveys, desk research, engagement with a community of practice, networking with stakeholders, participation in conferences, case study presentations, and workshops hosted. Although the majority of African countries (35 of 54) demonstrates commitment to science through its investment in research and development (R&D), academies of science, ministries of science and technology, policies, recognition of research, and participation in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), the following countries demonstrate the highest commitment and political willingness to invest in science: Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to existing policies in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the following countries have made progress towards Open Data policies: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Only two African countries (Kenya and South Africa) at this stage contribute 0.8% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to R&D (Research and Development), which is the closest to the AU’s (African Union’s) suggested 1%. Countries such as Lesotho and Madagascar ranked as 0%, while the R&D expenditure for 24 African countries is unknown. In addition to this, science globally has become fully dependent on stable ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure, which includes connectivity/bandwidth, high performance computing facilities and data services. This is especially applicable since countries globally are finding themselves in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is not only “about” data, but which “is” data. According to an article1 by Alan Marcus (2015) (Senior Director, Head of Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries, World Economic Forum), “At its core, data represents a post-industrial opportunity. Its uses have unprecedented complexity, velocity and global reach. As digital communications become ubiquitous, data will rule in a world where nearly everyone and everything is connected in real time. That will require a highly reliable, secure and available infrastructure at its core, and innovation at the edge.” Every industry is affected as part of this revolution – also science. An important component of the digital transformation is “trust” – people must be able to trust that governments and all other industries (including the science sector), adequately handle and protect their data. This requires accountability on a global level, and digital industries must embrace the change and go for a higher standard of protection. “This will reassure consumers and citizens, benefitting the whole digital economy”, says Marcus. A stable and secure information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure – currently provided by the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) – is key to advance collaboration in science. The AfricaConnect2 project (AfricaConnect (2012–2014) and AfricaConnect2 (2016–2018)) through establishing connectivity between National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), is planning to roll out AfricaConnect3 by the end of 2019. The concern however is that selected African governments (with the exception of a few countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia and others) have low awareness of the impact the Internet has today on all societal levels, how much ICT (and the 4th Industrial Revolution) have affected research, and the added value an NREN can bring to higher education and research in addressing the respective needs, which is far more complex than simply providing connectivity. Apart from more commitment and investment in R&D, African governments – to become and remain part of the 4th Industrial Revolution – have no option other than to acknowledge and commit to the role NRENs play in advancing science towards addressing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). For successful collaboration and direction, it is fundamental that policies within one country are aligned with one another. Alignment on continental level is crucial for the future Pan-African African Open Science Platform to be successful. Both the HIPSSA ((Harmonization of ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa)3 project and WATRA (the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly)4, have made progress towards the regulation of the telecom sector, and in particular of bottlenecks which curb the development of competition among ISPs. A study under HIPSSA identified potential bottlenecks in access at an affordable price to the international capacity of submarine cables and suggested means and tools used by regulators to remedy them. Work on the recommended measures and making them operational continues in collaboration with WATRA. In addition to sufficient bandwidth and connectivity, high-performance computing facilities and services in support of data sharing are also required. The South African National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System5 (NICIS) has made great progress in planning and setting up a cyberinfrastructure ecosystem in support of collaborative science and data sharing. The regional Southern African Development Community6 (SADC) Cyber-infrastructure Framework provides a valuable roadmap towards high-speed Internet, developing human capacity and skills in ICT technologies, high- performance computing and more. The following countries have been identified as having high-performance computing facilities, some as a result of the Square Kilometre Array7 (SKA) partnership: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia. More and more NRENs – especially the Level 6 NRENs 8 (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and recently Zambia) – are exploring offering additional services; also in support of data sharing and transfer. The following NRENs already allow for running data-intensive applications and sharing of high-end computing assets, bio-modelling and computation on high-performance/ supercomputers: KENET (Kenya), TENET (South Africa), RENU (Uganda), ZAMREN (Zambia), EUN (Egypt) and ARN (Algeria). Fifteen higher education training institutions from eight African countries (Botswana, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania) have been identified as offering formal courses on data science. In addition to formal degrees, a number of international short courses have been developed and free international online courses are also available as an option to build capacity and integrate as part of curricula. The small number of higher education or research intensive institutions offering data science is however insufficient, and there is a desperate need for more training in data science. The CODATA-RDA Schools of Research Data Science aim at addressing the continental need for foundational data skills across all disciplines, along with training conducted by The Carpentries 9 programme (specifically Data Carpentry 10 ). Thus far, CODATA-RDA schools in collaboration with AOSP, integrating content from Data Carpentry, were presented in Rwanda (in 2018), and during17-29 June 2019, in Ethiopia. Awareness regarding Open Science (including Open Data) is evident through the 12 Open Science-related Open Access/Open Data/Open Science declarations and agreements endorsed or signed by African governments; 200 Open Access journals from Africa registered on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); 174 Open Access institutional research repositories registered on openDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories); 33 Open Access/Open Science policies registered on ROARMAP (Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies); 24 data repositories registered with the Registry of Data Repositories (re3data.org) (although the pilot project identified 66 research data repositories); and one data repository assigned the CoreTrustSeal. Although this is a start, far more needs to be done to align African data curation and research practices with global standards. Funding to conduct research remains a challenge. African researchers mostly fund their own research, and there are little incentives for them to make their research and accompanying data sets openly accessible. Funding and peer recognition, along with an enabling research environment conducive for research, are regarded as major incentives. The landscape report concludes with a number of concerns towards sharing research data openly, as well as challenges in terms of Open Data policy, ICT infrastructure supportive of data sharing, capacity building, lack of skills, and the need for incentives. Although great progress has been made in terms of Open Science and Open Data practices, more awareness needs to be created and further advocacy efforts are required for buy-in from African governments. A federated African Open Science Platform (AOSP) will not only encourage more collaboration among researchers in addressing the SDGs, but it will also benefit the many stakeholders identified as part of the pilot phase. The time is now, for governments in Africa, to acknowledge the important role of science in general, but specifically Open Science and Open Data, through developing and aligning the relevant policies, investing in an ICT infrastructure conducive for data sharing through committing funding to making NRENs financially sustainable, incentivising open research practices by scientists, and creating opportunities for more scientists and stakeholders across all disciplines to be trained in data management.