The effect of board size and composition on European bank performance

Banks are “special” financial institutions generating distinct corporate governance challenges. The present paper examines the relationship between two of the most pertinent corporate governance factors—that is, the size of the Board of Directors and the proportion of non-executive directors—and firm performance on a sample of 58 large European banks over the period 2002–2004. The empirical analysis embraces a number of bank-specific variables. Our results reveal that bank profitability is negatively related to the size of the Board of Directors, while the impact of Board composition, although positive in all models, is, in most cases, insignificant. The results are robust after controlling for firm-specific variables.      

邓小平在中央苏区“第一落”的坎坷与启示

邓小平在江西中央苏区时期,政绩显著,出类拔萃,却又历尽坎坷,大起大落。1933年3月,时任中共会寻安中心县委书记的邓小平,被"左"倾错误推行者打成所谓"毛派"头子和"江西罗明路线"的代表人物,并受到错误的处置。本文依据大量第一手文献资料,揭示了"左"倾错误推行者在中央苏区开展反"罗明路线"斗争的缘由,勾勒了邓小平在中央苏区"第一落"的来龙去脉,总结了这场错误党内斗争的历史教训和邓小平在逆境中奋起的风范与启示。     

发展中心城市是陕西省城市化的最优途径

关于中国城市化发展的道路,学术界有优先发展小城镇和优先发展中心城市两种不同的观点。陕西省应走优先发展中心城市之路。这是因为,陕西省是一个欠发达的省份,中心城市规模太小,中心城市综合实力偏弱。     

Measuring Economic Integration in Developing Countries: The Case of Central America

This article builds a composite index, the Central American Integration Index (IIC-AMPI), to measure economic integration. This index utilises a robust methodology and conceptual framework. The study shows that IIC-AMPI is responsive to variable changes and resistant to outliers. The findings indicate that the Deep Integration Process initiative dominates the current integration trend, as seen in the regional average score from 2015 to 2017, aligning with Guatemala and Honduras. Nicaragua demonstrates the most consistent progress, while Panama lags behind. The evidence supports the Customs Union as Central America's future integration path, highlighting the index's ability to capture the dynamic reality of economic integration.     

Remortgaging Women's Lives: The World Bank'sLand Agenda in Africa

In recent months, the World Bank has issued a series of draft policy reports on land relations. This is the first time in over two decades that the Bank has sought to review its policy on lending in the land sector. Access to the draft reports and participation in the consultation process has, however, been severely limited. Nonetheless, the World Bank expects to issue the final Report by the end of this year. This paper presents a gender analysis of the two draft documents that have been made available to date. It assesses their implications for gender relations in Africa. It explores the World Bank's promotion of formal rural credit and challenges the assumption of the availability of women's unpaid agricultural labour. The paper argues that, far from being over, the struggle over land relations which has characterised the last decade in Africa, must continue. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

试论中亚的安全问题及中国与中亚关系

中亚的安全因素有外部因素和内部因素。大国在中亚的争夺是中亚成为安全热点的一个外部条件,但中亚的民族问题,宗教问题,政治体制问题也是主要的因素。这些因素与外部条件,都是影响中亚和我国的西部安全因素。中亚国家的内部因素是历史的遗产,但在现实的政治安全中依然起着决定作用。中国与中亚国家安全合作应进一步加强。     

厦泉漳城市联盟发展的意义及取向探析

深化闽台经济合作、充分发挥对台优势是海峡西岸经济区建设的重要依托,其关键是实施城市联盟发展战略,打造海峡西岸“区域经济集群”发展优势。厦泉漳城市联盟有利于提升海峡西岸经济区的综合竞争力,从而增强海峡西岸经济区承接海峡东岸经济辐射、“承‘珠’接‘长’、连接中部”、对抗区域经济边缘化的能力,因而,应大力加以推动。本文仅就厦泉漳城市联盟对于海峡西岸经济区建设的意义和发展取向加以探讨。     

“Double transformations:” nation formation and democratization in interwar East Central Europe

Following the collapse of empires and the subsequent founding of self-determined nation-states, East Central Europe experienced a turning point after World War I. The new states had to transform themselves from branches of a multi-ethnic empire to independent nation-states, as well as from a system of monarchy to democracy at the same time. We argue that one cannot really understand why democracy failed in almost all East Central European states after World War I if one does not take into account the extreme challenges of this “double transformation” consisting of the interactions of the two tightly interwoven processes of nation formation and democratization. Therefore, we deem it necessary to develop a broader research program that addresses the complex interlacement of these two fundamental transformations of politics and society.     

Population data for Central Portugal population with NGM amplification kit

The purpose of this work was to establish frequencies and population statistic parameters for Central Portugal population using NGM amplification kit as well as carry out a comparative study with other population groups.     

中亚地区非传统安全潜在风险的多元化趋势

苏联解体后,中亚地区的安全问题一直成为国际舆论关注的焦点。20世纪90年代,中亚地区在国际社会和相关大国的协助下实现了无核化,并与中国、俄罗斯等国成功解决边境地区军事安全问题。当以军事威胁为主的传统安全问题大大缓解后,中亚地区的非传统安全问题就突出地呈现在各国政府面前。中亚地缘结构的特殊性,决定了非传统安全因素生成的跨国性和地区性,仅凭个别国家能力很难有效治理。而中亚各民族国家曲折的发展历史,尤其是苏联时期遗留下来错综复杂的关系,制约着地区各国建立起有效的地区治理机制,致使中亚地区非传统安全问题一直存在、发酵、升温。这一趋势如仍不能引起中亚各国和国际社会予以足够重视并采取有效措施,势必成为威胁地区安全的重要隐患。独立25年来,中亚各国高度警惕宗教极端主义和国际恐怖主义渗透和蔓延的危险,积极参与国际合作打击毒品走私、跨国犯罪等联合行动,"典型意义"上的非传统安全因素得到有效治理。但存在于各国高度关注之外的民族关系、人口膨胀、生态恶化等"非典型意义"上的非传统安全因素仍然不断积累,并正在对地区安全形势产生负面影响。