Elizabeth Jackson

Understanding connectivity to international markets: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Improving freight connectivity is increasingly a topic at the centre of the international trade and transport policy agendas. An examination of available documents and studies in both the policy-making and the academic fields shows that the concept of freight connectivity has often been defined in different ways, and thus has taken a variety of meanings. This poses the question on what connectivity is and what are its determinants in the context of international trade. We are not aware of any studies that have analysed, in a systematic way, the different perspectives and determinants of freight connectivity so as to increase access to international markets. This paper seeks to fill this gap by performing a systematic literature review that spans disciplines such as Transport Engineering, Transport and International Economics, and Supply Chain Management. The outcome of this examination is a multidisciplinary framework that hopefully will help stakeholders to understand freight connectivity to international markets better, as well as guide future research and analysis in policy-making.

The use of indices in the maritime transport sector

Many disparate indices are collated across the transport sector, usually for the purpose of highlighting changes in particular system characteristics. In the development of new indices, questions arise as to what are the most widely used indices by practitioners and what can be learnt from their development and compilation? This paper explores the use of such indices in the context of the maritime transport sector with the aim of identifying and understanding the industrys most popular indices. Quantitative content analysis of 10 publications concluded that four indices dominate (the Dry Baltic Index, the Energy Efficiency Design Index, the Baltic Capesize Index, and the New ConTex Index). A further 14 indices were frequently observed, while in total 109 indices were observed. The 109 indices identified were grouped according to their common characteristics into four categories: maritime indices, economic performance indices, environmental indices, and miscellaneous indices, which illustrate the diverse nature of the maritime industry. As well as exploring the extant indices relevant to the sector, the benefit of this analysis is that the findings can form a basis for the development of other, new indices.

Europe Needs Consistent Teaching of the Economics of Animal Health

Summary Education in the use of economics applied to animal health (EAH) has been offered as part of various veterinary degree programmes since the 1980s. However, it has never been institutionalised in under-graduate curricula for animal health professionals and there is no systematic information on current teaching and education activities. An online survey was conducted in Europe to assess existing teaching programmes and the expectations of people using economics in animal health. The main conclusion is that there is insufficient EAH education on offer and there are disparate approaches to EAH-related curricula. Respondents expressed concerns regarding for example the limited education relating to assessing economic impacts of animal diseases, evaluation of intervention decisions, or using economics for general business management and understanding markets. Both public and private organisations predicted an increasing need for EAH in the future. The overarching implication is that EAH teaching methods and materials need to be developed and philosophically embedded into animal health curricula to ensure that future policy decisions regarding animal health are based on strong, well-founded knowledge of resource allocation.

The Challenges and Issues of Undergraduate Student Retention and Attainment in UK Veterinary Medical Education

Student retention and attainment has recently been identified as a key area for development in veterinary medical education enquiry. Woodfields research on retention and attainment across the UK disciplines has yielded some unique information about the challenges and issues of students who study veterinary medicine and related subjects. The present literature review aims to expand on Woodfields findings and explain important issues about retention and attainment across veterinary medicine. Overall, the subject of retention and attainment in undergraduate veterinary medical education needs a great deal more empirical attention, such as data on the retention and attainment of mature and widening access students, and the effects of students being placed at remote locations during their studies. Our findings also cover some unsurprising issues: the dominance of women in a profession that is principally lead by men, the underrepresentation of black and minority ethnic (BME) students in veterinary medicine, and the effects of content overload in the veterinary medical curriculum. Based on data gathered by Woodfield and our investigation of the scholarly and gray literatures, we offer an overview of gaps in current knowledge and recommendations for further research.

Improving Student Engagement in Veterinary Business Studies

Improving Student Engagement in Veterinary Business StudiesIn a densely packed veterinary curriculum, students may find it particularly challenging to engage in the less overtly clinical subjects, yet pressure from industry and an increasingly competitive employment market necessitate improved veterinary student education in business and management skills. We describe a curriculum intervention (formative reflective assignment) that optimizes workplace learning opportunities and aims to provide better student scaffolding for their in-context business learning. Students were asked to analyze a business practice they experienced during a period of extra-mural studies (external work placement). Following return to the college, they were then instructed to discuss their findings in their study group, and produce a group reflection on their learning. To better understand student engagement in this area, we analyzed individual and group components of the assignment. Thematic analysis revealed evidence of various depths of student engagement, and provided indications of the behaviors they used when engaging at different levels. Interactive and social practices (discussing business strategies with veterinary employees and student peers) appeared to facilitate student engagement, assist the perception of relevance of these skills, and encourage integration with other curriculum elements such as communication skills and clinical problem solving.