To investigate the role of academic achievement in the reasons for participation in and/or avoidance of competition more clearly, the presented research was aimed at assessing the role of the discrepancy between objective evaluations and subjective self-evaluations of academic performance in secondary school students. The differences between under-raters, accurate raters, and over-raters in their reasons for participation in and/or avoidance of competition were investigated. The study comprised 534 secondary school students. The results do not clearly indicate possible benefits of the positive bias; we found that under-rating may have some advantages in the sense of mastery orientation and self-improvement motives (upward comparison) in competitive situations. Concerning other reasons for participation in competition, as well as reasons for avoiding it, students were found to rely more on teachers’ objective measure of academic performance than on the (in)accurate aspect of social comparison information.

Previous research examined only the role of interpersonal competition in academic self-handicapping. Therefore, from the multidimensional perspective, the goal of the presented research on academic self-handicapping was to determine the role of (1) different attitudes to competition, (2) the reasons that motivate people for competition and (3) the reasons for avoidance of competition. We also aimed at distinguishing the roles of different types of motivation for education in academic self-handicapping, according to the level of self-determination. Participants were 748 high school students. In academic self-handicapping the results confirmed the relevance of distinguishing among different dimensions of competitiveness. Those denoted by selfworth protection proved to be more characteristic of academic self-handicapping than those depicted by testing one’s own limits and by high importance of the quality of task accomplishment. Regarding motivation for education, amotivation played the important role. Intrinsic motivation correlated with academic self-handicapping negatively, but extrinsic motivation showed no significant correlation. Important implications for refinements of pedagogical practice are discussed.

As a part of its long-term strategic objectives, the European Union has set efforts to increase internal cohesion, improve economic growth levels, which will strengthen its position in the world economy area and also strengthen its competitiveness vis-à-vis other key players in the world economy. The level and quality of education, as well as the level and quality of science and research, are key areas for achieving this goal. Thus, the main attention at the level of the European Union and its individual member states should be focused on the implementation of systemic measures aimed at improving the educational process and research activities in all aspects (legislative, personnel, financial, procedural, etc.). The article focuses on the definition and analysis of the main developmental trends and tendencies in the area of education and support of science and research in the area of the European Union and the Slovak Republic.

The concept of governance is part of contemporary trends in public management. Its popularity has been growing since the early 1980s and it has become one of the main principles in modern approaches. Governance means the inclusion of actors, operating in different areas and at different levels, to achieve common aims at the interface with the public. In the Polish reality, the concept has got relatively little publicity; thus, it is worth promoting its objectives and showing how it can be implemented in the political and institutional practice. At present, it is identified with the improvement of management methods in the European Union in all aspects of the implementation of community policies, within the scope beyond the issues of administrative capacity and management efficiency. Such issues are becoming increasingly important as they relate to social participation and the question of legitimacy of public action in the European Union. The purpose of this article is to present the key issues related to the concept of European governance. It presents the key European documents on governance in the context of the search for its practical applications.

The article aims to define the role of institutions in shaping competitiveness in certain European states. The research problem to be addressed through this study is to what extent does the level of competitiveness in world economy depends on Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) in particular countries. The study was conducted using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods of data analysis. A cross-country comparative analysis, based on data from 32 European states in 2021, revealed that the level of competitiveness is determined by institutional environment. The higher the WGI percentile ranks, the better place in the World Competitiveness Ranking. The results of the study enabled to fully confirm the 1st hypothesis, i.e. the institutional governance quality and control of corruption have a noticeably positive impact on competitiveness. It was revealed that the 2nd hypothesis could not be confirmed because of statistical insignificance, i.e. countries with political stability, absence of violence/terrorism and quality of law are typically more competitive among world economies. Meanwhile, the 3rd one was partially confirmed, i.e. the quality of regulations leads to higher competitiveness of economies, while freedom of expression, free media and ability to participate in national elections have not a significant impact on competitiveness.

Effective participation in regional associations is a necessary condition for the functioning of a modern state and the tools of implementation of economic and political interests. Th e questions of the impact of the processes of formation of the Common Economic Space, the Eurasian Union on different sectors of the economy, particularly in the system of the higher education of Kazakhstan in the context of international experience in this field are analyzed in this article.

The article explores the evolving landscape of European energy security amidst geopolitical tensions and market dynamics. Despite the European Union’s efforts to protect consumer interests, access to its energy market has been restricted for nations disregarding international law, leading to shifts in pricing dynamics and trade patterns globally. Notably, market participants like African nations and Kazakhstan have gained influence, while China and India face challenges in their dealings with Russian energy. The study assesses the effectiveness of strategies adopted by energy market participants and their implications for investor sentiment, using Axelrod tournament simulations to analyse strategic choices. Insights from the competition reveal the advantage of active strategies and the importance of readiness for unexpected moves. Furthermore, the article examines the interaction of strategies within the energy market and their impact on competitiveness. It also presents the inclusion of crude oil within optimal investment portfolios and discusses the temporary retreat of European and American investors from renewable energy markets in vulnerable regions like Africa. The findings suggest a decline in investor interest in renewable energy ventures outside the EU, highlighting the complex interplay of geopolitical factors, market dynamics, and investor sentiment in shaping Europe’s energy security landscape.