This book examines some of the most pressing issues affecting contemporary societies in Europe in the 2020s, namely uncertainty, unrest and the fragility of individuals and groups. Monika Banaś, Vesa Puuronen and their contributors analyse a selection of challenges affecting the present and near future of Europe and European societies. They reflect on processes and events that have a pivotal impact on individual and collective life, for example, how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has affected reformulation or revision of such concepts as security, uncertainty, independence, freedom, democracy and democratic values as well as nation and nationalism. The volume discusses phenomena such as the migration and integration of refugees, media narratives on the Russian–Ukrainian war, political campaign rhetoric concerning the war, institutional engagement in fostering civil and inclusive societies, strategies of young people to cope with uncertainty in times of socio-economic challenges. The book offers a valuable reference for scholars and students of European societies studying a broad scope of courses in sociology, political culture, intercultural communication, intercultural and international relations, along with political science. It will also be of interest to experts and practitioners of the NGO sector active in supporting vulnerable individuals, communities and societies.

The book is divided into two sections: one focusing on the phenomenon of television and the other on audiences. It argues that television is changing from a singular object, fixed in a particular place, to a social phenomenon distributed across many devices and platforms. It also argues that audiences are increasingly demanding an ‘open relationship’ with television, as their attention is often distributed across multiple devices and platforms simultaneously. In addition to these aspects, we analyse the evolution of television since its inception, the need for a renewed public service 2.0 in tune with our times, the increasing dominance of talk shows and infotainment, and the new power of television combined with artificial intelligence. These and many other topics are covered in this book, which will be of interest to television professionals, academics in sociology, media studies, and various other fields.

Plenary Lectures. Topic 1 -- Off-Line Systems. Topic 2 -- On-Line Systems. Topic 3 -- Computational & Numerical Solutions Strategies. Topic 4 -- Integrated And Multiscale Modelling And Simulation. Topic 5 -- Cape For The Users!. Topic 6 -- Cape And Society. Topic 7 -- Cape In Education.

This book draws attention to selected aspects of the Central European reality and discusses interesting subjects related to the political, economic and social landscape of the region, which are in a continuous process of transformation. The book will be a useful source of knowledge, as Central Europe is still considered to be an “undiscovered island” in the “changeable waters” of contemporary international relations.

This book collects 4 keynote and 15 theme lectures presented at the 2nd European Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (2ECEES), held in Istanbul, Turkey, from August 24 to 29, 2014. The conference was organized by the Turkish Earthquake Foundation - Earthquake Engineering Committee and Prime Ministry, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency under the auspices of the European Association for Earthquake Engineering (EAEE) and European Seismological Commission (ESC). The book’s nineteen state-of-the-art chapters were written by the most prominent researchers in Europe and address a comprehensive collection of topics on earthquake engineering, as well as interdisciplinary subjects such as engineering seismology and seismic risk assessment and management. Further topics include engineering seismology, geotechnical earthquake engineering, seismic performance of buildings, earthquake-resistant engineering structures, new techniques and technologies, and managing risk in seismic regions. The book also presents the First Professor Inge Lehmann Distinguished Award Lecture given by Prof. Shamita Das in honor of Prof. Dr. Inge Lehmann. The aim of this work is to present the state-of-the art and latest practices in the fields of earthquake engineering and seismology, with Europe’s most respected researchers addressing recent and ongoing developments while also proposing innovative avenues for future research and development. Given its cutting-edge conten t and broad spectrum of topics, the book offers a unique reference guide for researchers in these fields. Audience: This book is of interest to civil engineers in the fields of geotechnical and structural earthquake engineering; scientists and researchers in the fields of seismology, geology and geophysics. Not only scientists, engineers and students, but also those interested in earthquake hazard assessment and mitigation will find in this book the most recent advances.

Ties between the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) rival those between any other pair of international actors. After all, no other regions of the world are as closely connected in economics, security and politics as Europe and the US. This comprehensive volume makes conceptual progress and empirical contributions in accounting for how EU-US relations have been impacted by a context of multiple EU crises alongside a parallel change in US policies. The authors find strong evidence to suggest that the transatlantic relationship is weakening. This is partly a consequence of the EU’s internal policies, as it becomes more unified and autonomous of the US in some areas, while fragmenting in others. Most importantly, it is a consequence of the two actors’ increasingly diverging perspectives and positions on international issues, institutions, norms and indeed the value of the transatlantic relationship. Although the long-term effects remain to be seen, it is likely that the cracks in the foundation of transatlantic relations will continue into the present and foreseeable future. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of European Integration.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic marks the most significant, singular global disruption since World War II, with health, economic, political, and security implications that will ripple for years to come." -Global Trends 2040 (2021) Global Trends 2040-A More Contested World (2021), released by the US National Intelligence Council, is the latest report in its series of reports starting in 1997 about megatrends and the world's future. This report, strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, paints a bleak picture of the future and describes a contested, fragmented and turbulent world. It specifically discusses the four main trends that will shape tomorrow's world: - Demographics-by 2040, 1.4 billion people will be added mostly in Africa and South Asia. - Economics-increased government debt and concentrated economic power will escalate problems for the poor and middleclass. - Climate-a hotter world will increase water, food, and health insecurity. - Technology-the emergence of new technologies could both solve and cause problems for human life. Students of trends, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, journalists and anyone eager for a glimpse into the next decades, will find this report, with colored graphs, essential reading.