This issue of Society and Economy includes papers around the themes of the future of universities, industry 4.0 and digital transformation, as well as sustainability and the circular economy. What ties these three themes together is that all of them are challenges and possibilities which face societies globally and require departures from current mind-sets. These transitions may be especially difficult in the Central and Eastern European region, where countries have long been seen as followers and late adaptors, and not as trend-setters. The articles in this collection however evidence significant innovation in the region, and show, remaining difficulties notwithstanding, that it is increasingly well-placed to face the challenges of the technological and green transitions.
Specifically, the papers cover a number of topics around best practices of innovative universities in their master programs, university experiences in online education, the growing importance of online literacy; the adaptation of tourism to climate change and the circularity in the tourism sector, green energy transition, raising local awareness of sustainability; the adaptation of industry 4.0 small and medium enterprises, and changing positions in global value chains. Most of the papers cover examples and cases from Hungary, but they have relevance for the entire Central and Eastern European region, and potentially beyond.
This thematic issue is the result of cooperation between the Research Centre for Supplier and Industrial Development at Corvinus University of Budapest, and the Faculties of Business and Economics, and Engineering at the University of Pannonia. The papers in this issue are results of an open call for papers, for which more than fifty abstracts arrived. Following a rigorous review process, nine papers were selected for publication in this issue of Society and Economy, and represent the academic communities of the Budapest Business School, Corvinus University of Budapest, and the University of Pannonia.
Among the important objectives of Hungary's model change in higher education is the comprehensive presentation of scientific results, increasing the importance of international (English-language) publications, and strengthening the third mission of universities. This latter idea relates to the responsibility of the academic sector in developing a more globally conscious society in terms of consumption and attitudes towards sustainability. The papers published in this thematic issue contribute to the implementation of this objectives.
We would like to thank authors of this articles in this collection for choosing this thematic issue for as an outlet of their research, the publisher Akadémia Kiadó, and the editor-in-chief of Society and Economy, Balázs Szent-Iványi.
Sandor Gyula Nagy and Katalin Lőrincz
Guest editors
