The accelerating digitization of higher education has intensified longstanding inequities in access, participation, and epistemic representation, particularly within Indigenous and Global South contexts. While global reform agendas emphasize digital literacy, innovation, and future-ready skills, insufficient attention has been given to how digital transformation intersects with Indigenous knowledge systems, self-determined learning, and sustainability imperatives. This paper advances the concept of digital sovereignty as a transformative response to the digital divide in tertiary education. Moving beyond access-based frameworks, digital sovereignty foregrounds Indigenous epistemological authority, cultural self-determination, and equitable participation in knowledge production within digitally mediated learning environments.

Drawing on heutagogy as a theoretical foundation, the paper conceptualizes self-determined learning as a pedagogical bridge between Indigenous knowledge traditions and digital innovation. Heutagogical principles—learner agency, double-loop learning, capability development, and reflexivity—align with Indigenous relational epistemologies and collective knowledge stewardship. Through this alignment, tertiary institutions can reframe curriculum, technology integration, and digital literacy initiatives toward culturally grounded, sustainable futures. The analysis highlights how curriculum reform, digital infrastructure policy, and institutional leadership must shift from technocentric adoption models to context-responsive, culturally embedded strategies that empower learners as co-creators of knowledge.

The paper proposes an integrative conceptual framework that connects digital equity, Indigenous knowledge systems, and sustainable development goals within higher education transformation. It argues that achieving sustainable futures requires moving from digital consumption to digital agency, and from digital access to digital sovereignty. In doing so, tertiary institutions can cultivate future-ready graduates who are critically literate, culturally rooted, ethically responsible, and capable of navigating complex socio-ecological challenges. The study contributes to emerging debates on decolonizing digital education, sustainable curriculum innovation, and transformative pedagogies in the 21st century.

The rapid acceleration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the global technological revolution has intensified longstanding debates about transformation in tertiary education. While AI is often positioned as a disruptive force capable of reshaping higher education, less attention has been given to a more fundamental question: who must change in response to this disruption? This paper critically examines whether transformation should primarily occur at the level of educators, learners, curriculum content, or teaching and learning approaches, with specific attention to tertiary institutions in Fiji and the wider Pacific region.

Drawing on contemporary scholarship in AI in education, heutagogy, learning analytics, and digital transformation, the study argues that technological adoption alone is insufficient. Instead, meaningful change requires a systemic reimagining of educational roles and relationships. The paper contends that educators must transition from content transmitters to facilitators of capability development; learners must assume greater agency and responsibility as self-determined participants in knowledge construction; curriculum content must evolve from static disciplinary coverage toward adaptive, interdisciplinary, and problem-based learning; and pedagogical models must shift from traditional pedagogy to heutagogy, emphasizing autonomy, reflection, and lifelong learning competencies.

Within the Pacific context, these shifts are shaped by distinctive socio-cultural, geographic, and infrastructural realities. AI presents opportunities to address geographic dispersion, resource limitations, and inequities in access to higher education. However, it simultaneously raises concerns related to digital divides, algorithmic bias, ethical governance, cultural alignment, and educator preparedness. The paper proposes a contextually grounded framework for AI-enabled transformation that balances innovation with ethical oversight, cultural responsiveness, and institutional capacity-building.

Ultimately, this study argues that transformation in the age of AI is not the responsibility of a single actor but a shared, systemic evolution of educators, learners, content, and pedagogy. By situating this discussion within a Pacific perspective, the paper contributes to global debates on AI in higher education while foregrounding the importance of contextual adaptation, equity, and sustainability. It offers strategic insights for policymakers, institutional leaders, and academics seeking to navigate the technological revolution without losing sight of human agency, cultural integrity, and educational purpose.

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping higher education globally, compelling tertiary institutions to reconsider traditional pedagogical models that prioritize content transmission over learner capability. In the context of Fiji and the broader Pacific region, where higher education systems face unique challenges related to geographic dispersion, resource constraints, digital inequities, and postcolonial educational legacies, the integration of AI presents both transformative opportunities and critical responsibilities. This paper argues that the meaningful adoption of AI in Pacific tertiary education requires a paradigmatic shift from pedagogy to heutagogy, emphasizing self-determined learning, learner autonomy, adaptability, and capability development.

Drawing on contemporary scholarship in heutagogy, digital transformation, and AI in education, the paper develops a conceptual framework positioning AI as an enabler of learner agency rather than a replacement for human educators. It examines how AI-driven tools, such as adaptive learning systems, intelligent tutoring, research assistants, learning analytics, and simulation platforms, can support personalized learning pathways, reflective practice, and double-loop learning. Within a Pacific context, this transformation is further situated within the region’s cultural emphasis on relationality, community knowledge, and collective responsibility, highlighting the importance of human-centred, ethically grounded AI integration.

The paper critically discusses opportunities, including expanded access to learning, enhanced research productivity, and innovation capacity, while also addressing challenges such as algorithmic bias, data sovereignty, digital divides, and academic integrity. It argues that sustainable AI-enabled transformation in Fiji and Pacific tertiary institutions must prioritize ethical governance, digital literacy development, culturally responsive pedagogies, and strong human oversight.

Ultimately, this study positions AI not as a technological disruption to be managed, but as a strategic catalyst for reimagining tertiary education in the Pacific, moving beyond pedagogy toward a heutagogical model that fosters lifelong learning, resilience, and capability in an era of uncertainty.

This study examined the moderating role of organizational culture on the relationship between Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and employee performance in selected private universities in South-West Nigeria. In the rapidly evolving higher education sector, effective HRM practices are essential for enhancing employee productivity and institutional competitiveness. However, the effectiveness of these practices may depend largely on the organizational culture within which they are implemented. The study therefore investigated how organizational culture influences the relationship between HRM practices and employee performance. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collected from academic and non-teaching staff of six selected private universities in South-West Nigeria. The total population of the study comprised 3,530 staff members, from which a sample size of 359 respondents was determined using Taro Yamane’s formula. A multi-stage sampling technique involving purposive, stratified, and convenience sampling methods was employed to select participants. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression techniques to examine the relationships among the variables. The findings revealed that HRM practices significantly influence employee performance in private universities. Additionally, the results showed that organizational culture plays a moderating role in strengthening the relationship between HRM practices and employee performance. Universities with supportive cultures characterized by innovation, shared values, and alignment between HR policies and institutional norms were found to experience improved employee performance outcomes. However, the study also identified areas where cultural alignment with HR practices remains weak, particularly in communication systems, performance appraisal processes, and reward structures. The study concludes that organizational culture is a critical factor in determining the effectiveness of HRM practices in private universities. Consequently, university management should ensure that HR policies are carefully aligned with institutional cultural values to enhance employee engagement, motivation, and productivity. Strengthening organizational culture will not only improve staff performance but also contribute to the overall effectiveness and competitiveness of private universities in Nigeria.

This study investigates the relationship between customer perception and customer satisfaction within the hospitality industry in Southwest Nigeria, focusing on key service quality dimensions. Drawing on the SERVQUAL model, the research examines how reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles influence satisfaction outcomes across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti States. A quantitative survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 422 customers of registered luxury hotels and fast-food outlets using convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and mediation analysis were employed to test the study’s hypotheses. Findings from descriptive analysis reveal strong agreement among respondents that perception significantly shapes satisfaction, particularly regarding cleanliness, visual appeal, staff competence, pricing fairness, and expectation fulfillment. However, regression results indicate that customer perception has a positive but statistically insignificant direct effect on customer satisfaction at the 5% significance level. Mediation analysis confirms that customer perception partially mediates the relationship between service quality delivery and customer satisfaction. The study concludes that satisfaction in Southwest Nigeria’s hospitality sector is perception-driven and context-sensitive, requiring integrated operational and perceptual management strategies.

The paper understanding the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in Nigeria, is a modest effort in explaining the Objective and Directive Principle of State Policy in Nigeria as contained in 1999 Constitution as Amended. The review is anchored on secondary data source and employed textual analytical method. It aimed at exposing the reader on the core objects of state policy, citizens’ rights and governments’ contract roles to its citizens for harmonious relationship and suitable socioeconomic development. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how knowledge is created, validated, and disseminated in higher education. This paper synthesizes recent empirical and policy literature (2023 – 2025) to examine how AI tools—from large-language-model (LLM) chatbots such as ChatGPT to domain-specific research assistants like Elicit—are reshaping the research lifecycle in universities. We review adoption trends, map functional use-cases, analyse reported benefits and challenges, and propose a governance framework grounded in UNESCO’s 2025 guidance on generative AI. Findings indicate that AI already augments literature discovery, data analysis, scientific writing, reproducibility checks, and research management; however, concerns over academic integrity, bias, data security, and cognitive deskilling persist. We conclude that strategic investment in human-centred AI, faculty–student capacity-building, and robust ethical oversight will determine whether tertiary institutions leverage AI as a catalyst for scholarly innovation or encounter new inequities.

This study aims to explore the diplomatic strategies employed by Monaco as a microstate to enhance its trading power and influence within the European Union. By examining the intersection of economic integration, cultural visibility, and urban planning, the research seeks to understand how Monaco can leverage its unique position to navigate the complexities of international relations and microstate diplomacy.We employ a qualitative research method was employed, utilizing case studies, document analysis, and expert interviews. The study analyzed Monaco's existing strategies, including its participation in EU research and innovation programs, urban planning initiatives, and cultural diplomacy efforts. The findings reveal that Monaco's strategic approach to diplomacy is characterized by a multi-dimensional framework that integrates economic, cultural, and environmental considerations. The principality's ability to act as a trusted intermediary and its focus on sectoral specialization significantly enhance its trading power and influence. Additionally, the research highlights the importance of normative alignment and soft power initiatives in reinforcing Monaco's position within the EU. Overall, the study concludes that Monaco's unique capabilities and strategic positioning allow it to effectively navigate the challenges of being a microstate. We found the Principality’s strategy on the evolution of the relationship with the EU wanting and that the EU lacks understanding as we recapitulated on our tour d’horizon . We propose how to strengthen governance towards completion of the negotiations on MC membership of the internal market. By adopting a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach, Monaco can maximize its influence and contribute meaningfully to the European economic landscape, serving as a model for other microstates seeking to enhance their diplomatic engagement and economic integration.

This study examines the return of the nation-state as a structural actor in the contemporary transformation of democracy. Starting from the critique of the post-sovereignty paradigm of the 1990s—which predicted the progressive erosion of state sovereignty in the face of globalization and multi-level governance—the paper argues that developments of the last decade have shown the analytical limits of this model. The financial crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, the return of war in Europe, and geopolitical rivalry between great powers have restored the nation-state as a central node of security, political economy, and democratic legitimacy.

The paper also treats the case of Albania and Kosova as a micro-laboratory of this democratic metamorphosis, where the tensions between limited sovereignty, institutional legitimacy, and geopolitical pressure appear in a condensed manner. The analysis argues that without a functional state and real capacities for action, democracy risks being reduced to a formal procedure, while the strengthening of the state—if it remains within the democratic framework—can serve as a prerequisite for institutional resilience.

In conclusion, the study suggests that the return of the nation-state should not be interpreted as a historical regression, but as a sign of an ontological metamorphosis of democracy in the post-neoliberal order. In this process, the nation-state appears as a political space where sovereignty, security and democratic representation are negotiated, while for the Albanian space the reconfiguration of state capacities and their functional integration appear as key factors for democratic stability and geopolitical role in Southeast Europe.

This article examines the rhetorical structures and persuasive strategies employed in online editorials addressing Nigeria's Tax Reform Acts of 2025. Using Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) as the analytical framework, the study analyzes three editorials from major Nigerian news outlets to identify how genre conventions and rhetorical relations construct persuasive arguments about fiscal policy. The findings reveal that editorials employ distinct rhetorical patterns that combine problem-solution structures with evidence-based argumentation, strategically positioning tax reform as either an economic necessity, a social imperative, or a technical modernization. The study demonstrates that RST provides a systematic approach to understanding how editorials organize discourse to achieve persuasive purposes within the public sphere, contributing to broader understanding of editorial genre conventions in policy discourse.