Shahzada Rahim Abbas

This study examines the impact of demographic shifts and broader macroeconomic factors on labor productivity in 23 European Union countries (EU-23) over the period 2005–2022. The analysis employs dynamic panel estimation techniques, including the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), Random Effects (RE), and Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) models, to investigate the effects of population aging, unemployment, inflation, GDP per capita, research and development (R&D), life expectancy, and capital formation on productivity dynamics. Unit root and cointegration tests confirm the existence of long-run relationships among variables with different levels of integration. The findings indicate that inflation exerts a significant negative effect on productivity, whereas GDP per capita and R&D investment consistently enhance efficiency and output per worker. Life expectancy appears to have a negative impact, likely reflecting demographic pressures, while unemployment shows an unexpected positive association with productivity – possibly due to structural changes in the labor market and the adoption of new technologies. The ARDL error-correction model confirms long-run convergence, with persistent effects of productivity determinants over time. Overall, the results suggest that sustaining productivity growth in Europe depends on macroeconomic stability, innovation, human capital accumulation, and demographic adaptation.

Turkish Version Soğuk Savaş'ın sona ermesinden bu yana Orta Asya, günümüz jeopolitiğinde Çin, ABD, AB ve Rusya gibi küresel güçlerin ilgisini çeken kritik bir arena olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Sovyetler Birliği'nin dağılmasından sonra bölgede yeni bir güç boşluğu ortaya çıkmış ve ABD, AB ve Çin gibi küresel güçler ikili ve çok taraflı ekonomik anlaşmalar yoluyla yavaş yavaş bölgeye dahil olmuşlardır. Bu tez, "Yeni Büyük Oyun" bağlamında Rusya ve Çin'in Orta Asya'ya yönelimleri üzerine kapsamlı ve karşılaştırmalı bir çalışma yürütmektedir. On dokuzuncu yüzyılda imparatorluk Rusya'sı ile Büyük Britanya arasında Orta Asya'da nüfuz sahibi olmak için yaşanan rekabetin yerini alan "Yeni Büyük Oyun" terimi, ticaret yollarına, enerji kaynaklarına ve siyasi nüfuza erişim için yaşanan rekabet ile karakterize edilmektedir. Tez araştırması, küresel güçlerin Orta Asya'ya yönelim stratejilerini, dış politika motivasyonlarını ve sonuçlarını değerlendirmek için jeopolitik ve uluslararası ilişkilerden yararlanan çok disiplinli yaklaşımları içermektedir. Bu tez, küresel güçlerin Orta Asya'ya yönelişini karşılaştırmalı ve zıt bir şekilde inceleyerek, stratejilerinin yakınsak ve ıraksak yönlerini ve bunun bölgesel ve küresel güç dengesi üzerindeki sonuçlarını açıklamaktadır. Dolayısıyla, küresel güçlerin Orta Asya'ya yönelmesine vurgu yaparak Yeni Büyük Oyun'un jeopolitiğinin karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmesi, küresel güç rekabetinin değişen dinamiklerini anlamak açısından kritik önem taşımaktadır. Sonuçta bu karşılaştırmalı çalışma, Yeni Büyük Oyun'a ve onun 21. yüzyıldaki küresel politikaya etkilerine ilişkin bakışlara katkıda bulunmaktadır. English Version Since the end of the Cold War, Central Asia has emerged as a critical arena in contemporary geopolitics dragging the attention of the global powers such as China, U.S., EU and Russia. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a new power vacuum emerged in the region, and global powers like U.S., EU amd China gradually became involved in the region through bilateral and multilateral economic deals. This thesis conducts a comprehensive comparative study of Russia's and China's respective pivots to Central Asia in the context of the "New Great Game." Hence, the term "New Great Game" as the replacement of the old nineteenth-century rivalry between imperial Russia and Great Britain for the influence of Central Asia is characterized by the competition for access to trade routes, energy resources, and political influence. The thesis research involves multi-disciplinary approaches drawing on geopolitics and international relations to assess strategies, foreign policy motivation and outcomes of global powers pivot to Central Asia. Through a comparative and contrast study of global powers pivot towards Central Asia, this thesis explains the convergent and divergent aspects of their strategies and the consequential implications for the regional and global balance of power. Hence, the comaprative study of the geopolitics of the New Great Game, with an emphasis on global powers pivot to Central Asia, is critical to understanding the shifting dynamics of global power competition. Eventually, this comparative study contributes to our understanding of the New Great Game and its implications for global politics in the 21st century.

This study explores the concept of the "Religion of Revolution" by inquiring into Shariati's reinterpretation of key Islamic theories such as monotheism (Tawhid/social Tawhid), prophethood, and martyrdom as revolutionary principles, which are crucial for the collective awakening of marginalized communities. One of the important themes of Shariati's philosophical framework is that it compares the historical dialectic of religion as a mechanism of both liberation and domination. As a scholar of the sociology of religion, Ali Shariati attempted to redefine the sociopolitical and religious diemensions of Islam. Through his reductive framework, Shariati criticized the perversion of the traditional Islamic teachings and politicization of Islam to supporting oppressive structures. Shariati viewed Islam as the "Religion of Revolution", not passive faith and hence deemed the revolutionary nature of Islam as a tool to counter domestic despotism and colonial subjugation. This study explores the concept of the "Religion of Revolution" by inquiring into Shariati's reinterpretation of key Islamic theories such as monotheism (Tawhid/social Tawhid), prophethood, and martyrdom to place his interpretation of Islamic theology within the wider framework of anti-colonial resistance and liberation movements.

This study explore the encounters between civilizations to understand whether colonization can occur during the contact. By taking the case-study of the Islamic and European ecounter with other civilization, the study aims to broaden the historical domain of the colonialism. Drawing historical examples from renowned historical texts such as Timothy Mitchell’s Colonizing Egypt, Michael Curtis’s Western Culture in Eastern Lands, Hagen Schulze’s States, Nations and Nationalism, Marshall G.S. Hodgson’s The Venture of Islam, Irwin R. Blacker’s Cortes and the Aztec conquest and Cathrine Nixey’s darkening age, the study explores how European colonization (15th–19th centuries) in regions like Egypt, the Americas, and India imposed governance, economic exploitation, and cultural erasure—driven by nationalist ambitions, economic greed, ideological prowess and Enlightenment ideals of superiority. On the other hand, the Islamic exapansions (7th–13th centuries) and encounters in Al-Andalus, Persia, Byzantine, India, Central Asia and Byzantine fostered cultural pluralism and intellectual advancements through trade, scholarship, and religious coexistence, rooted in a universalist ethos. By taking the colonization of Egypt as a case study, the study investigtes how ideological, structural, and economic factors shaped these divergent outcomes, highlighting differing historical trajectories in terms of civilizational encounter. For a theoretical framework, the study employs Hagen Schulze’s States, Nations and Nationalism and Toyanbee’s “Challenge and Response” theory to enrich the inquiry.

Growing water scarcity can spawn geopolitical conflicts in fragile regions. This is already evident in the growing trend of turning water into tradable finance instruments, such as futures contracts on stock or commodities exchanges in certain advanced nations. The dominant explanation for this trend of water scarcity leading to outright conflict is increased population and climate change. Previous research on this topic has used a meta-analysis in conjunction with human-water system case studies, employing qualitative comparison analysis to identify water resource system outcomes and the elements that drive them. Much of the research focused on highlighting the location and nature of these worldwide consequences. According to the study, some parts of the world will experience water emergencies. This paper synthesises findings from recent interdisciplinary case study research on water supply to provide a geopolitical perspective on the nature of water shortage and how it affects political stability and civil unrest in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

The undertaken research investigates the contemporary demonstration of the “Great Game” in the North Pole by considering Russia’s expanding pivot towards the region. In the last two decades, the Arctic region has undergone significant changes due to anthropogenic climate change. The rising global temperatures and the rapid ice-melting in the region are opening up new opportunities for the great powers including Russia and NATO members for maritime trade and economic opportunities. Unlike the NATO neighbours, the Russian involvement in the Arctic region both in terms of military and economic investment is unprecedented. By employing a theoretical framework based on the Realist School of International Relations, specifically the theory of geopolitics, this study analyzes the various dimensions of Russia's involvement in the Arctic. The research examines Russia's two major strategic objectives: balancing geopolitical competition with aspirations for cooperation and assessing its implications for economic, geopolitical, and security landscapes. By carrying out a comprehensive investigation of Russia's diplomatic initiatives, strategic manoeuvres and military presence, the study aims to explore the motivations behind its expansion to the Arctic region. Finally, the research investigates the consequences of the Russian rapid expansion towards the Arctic region for geopolitical affairs and regional stability by emphasizing the sustainable security architecture to prevent a geopolitical turf between Russia and its NATO neighbours.

The paper discusses the dynamical nature of fifth-generation warfare, which is gradually becoming a new way of waging war. In the past two decades, there has been a fierce debate on the nature and methods of fifth-generation warfare across the international security forums. Within these discussions, the term “Hybrid warfare” has grabbed the attention of various security experts. Although the discourse of “Hybrid warfare” initially emerged in the mainstream sphere during the 2006 Lebanon war, it gained prominence after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, which triggered debates on the nature of warfare in the 21st century. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Military doctrine “Escalate to deescalate” is very clear about the Russian red line for NATO expansion on the Eastern European shores that aims at least aggression with maximum gains. The article enquires about the wider analytical and historical notions of security to sum up the discussion on the new military strategies and tactics on security. The Russian operation in Ukraine with hybrid warfare methods will be the focal point of the discussion throughout the article. The article will also discuss the well-established hybrid warfare infrastructure of Russia vis-à-vis NATO to further elaborate on the discourse of modern armed conflict. To theoretically explore the topic, this study will consider the growing challenges to international security amidst the hybrid warfare settings through the lens of strategic theory.

This paper investigates the relationship between external debt, population growth, and inflation with unemployment in 26 developing countries. The study uses data from 2010 to 2021 and panel data models (fixed, random, and pooled) to analyze the relationship between the variables. Results show that external debt has a significant and positive impact on unemployment across all three models. Similarly, GDP growth has a reducing and significant impact on the unemployment rate, which shows high employment elasticity of growth in the case of these 26 developing countries. Another important finding of the study is that foreign direct investment, inflation, and population growth have a non-significant impact on unemployment. The paper suggests robust macroeconomic policies and effective debt management in these developing countries to address the issue of unemployment.

Since the disintegration of USSR Eurasia has gained a new geopolitical and strategic significance. Fifteen countries emerged as result of disintegration, among which only Russian Federation was the successor state. The post-soviet era, especially the era of 1990s, was a political and economic trauma for the Russian Federation and the post-soviet space. But Eurasianists were well aware of American unilateralism and the American “Grand Chessboard strategy” that was solely aimed at encircling Russian geography. With these concerns, the Eurasianists advised the Russian political and military elites to initiate the Eurasian Union Project. This paper briefly sketches Russian historical Eurasian dream, which is deeply rooted in Russian imperial history, and discusses the importance of Eurasian philosophy for the political and economic stability of Russia-Eurasia. The paper also illustrates the challenges and opportunities for the Eurasian integration and for the establishment of a multipolar world order. The paper also briefly outlines the geopolitical rationale behind the Eurasian project as a key objective of the contemporary Russian foreign policy and geopolitics.

Since the disintegration of the USSR Eurasia has gained a new geopolitical and strategic significance. Fifteen Countries emerged as a result of disintegration, among which only the Russian Federation was the successor state. The post-soviet era especially the era of the 1990s was a political and economic trauma for the Russian Federation and the post-soviet space. But Eurasianists were well aware of the American unilateralism and American ‘Grand Chessboard strategy” that was solely aimed at encircling Russian geography. With these concerns, the Eurasianists advised the Russian political and military elites to initiate the Eurasian Union Project. This paper briefly sketches the Russian historical Eurasian dream, which deeply rooted in Russian imperial history, and discusses the importance of Eurasian philosophy for the political and economic stability of Russia-Eurasia. The paper also illustrates the challenges and opportunities for Eurasian integration and for the establishment of multipolar world order. Moreover, the paper also briefly outlines the geopolitical rationale behind the Eurasian project as a key objective of contemporary Russian foreign policy and geopolitics.

The title of the book was chosen due to inspiration from Nietzsche’s famous book ‘Beyond good and Evil’, which has marked an unprecedented turning point in the history of philosophy. Hence, the book titled ‘Beyond Civilization and History’ is intended to outline the politico-historical debate, since the dawn of the 20th century. The discussion in the book will cover pre-modern, modern and post-modern discourse of the history of civilizations. The debate mainly focuses on the modernist and post-modernist historical context especially surrounding the writings of Oswald Spengler, Norman Angell, Arnold J. Toynbee, and Alexander Dugin.

Throughout history, Eurasia has been central to relations between Europe and Asia. It has been the crossroads of civilizations, contributing to the cultural and ethnic hybridity of the region. However, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and later the Soviet Union in the twentieth century, Eurasia lost its geostrategic importance in the US-led liberal world order. In the 1920s, a group of Russian emigres described the cultural and ethnic ties among the communities living across the vast Eurasian steppes as Eurasianism. Eurasianists divide the world into two opposing forces with Eurasianism including Russia and the European states favoring integration with it and Atlanticism including the US and European countries supporting an American-led Atlantic order. Today, Russia is an important revisionist power in Eurasia, with huge stakes in the global order and the capability to help forge new relationships in the region.