This study reveals the current problems and prospects of developing shale oil and gas industries in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Poland, Russia, China, India, and Australia. This approach allows a comprehensive and wide view on the industry and its geography. A brief review of the technologies implemented in the shale industry is provided. The key aim of the paper is to compare the hydrocarbon market conjuncture and economic environment (including financial), in the above-mentioned states, in order to reveal the factors contributing to the development of the industry. The methodology is based on the statistical estimation of the extraction, exports, and reserves of extractable shale hydrocarbons. The analysis given allows the forecast and estimation of the economic effects and external institutional effects of shale hydrocarbon extraction. It also contributes to the evaluation of the prospects of shale industry development in America, the EU, Russia, and the Asia-Pacific region. In accordance with the overall impact the shale revolution has had on the economies, environmental conditions, and societies of the chosen countries, recommendations are provided. The authors develop three scenarios for the future of the shale industry. The most probable scenario is a slower dissemination of horizontal drilling, as well as tight oil and shale gas extraction, with the decline of conventional reserve volumes.

This study aims to examine the essence of education monitoring, its place in the higher education management system and the practical implementation of teacher's performance monitoring as a tool to promote the quality of education. The article considers theoretical aspects of monitoring as a tool to promote the quality of education, assesses the performance of the university departments, research and teaching staff and discusses the results and suggestions on how to improve monitoring activities in higher education. Based on their research and findings, the authors claimed that the monitoring of the performance of the university research and teaching staff on the base of an indicator system in terms of education, methodology, research, organization and counselling services would lead to valid conclusions as to the effective performance of both individual researchers and teachers and university departments, in general.

The article is devoted to revealing the main problems and prospects of the energy industry on the Balkan Peninsula. Due to the lack of natural resources and the low ecology standards of current energy production, reforms in the sphere are needed. There are two main approaches to these reforms that are pinpointed by the authors in the article: the development of shale resources, that is cheaper and the development of alternative energy, that is much more eco-friendly. In order to specify the path, that a Balkan country is likely to choose, the countries are divided into groups by geographical conditions and the synthesis of geographical, ecological and energy data results in a complex analysis of the energy production prospects in the region. The authors develop a special index, demonstrating the difficulty of energy production development in the region. Based on this index, the strategies to overcome the problems in the industry are offered. Special attention is payed to grouping the measures for the first and second group of countries, in which they were divided by geographical conditions. The key findings include the mentioned index, the strategies for the countries and the development of financial model of cooperation with international organizations without undermining the fragile peace in the region.

The role and influence of investment and construction activities in the social and economic development of the country is indicated. In accordance with the data on the condition and development of the construction sector, its main problems, tasks and ways to solve them, as well as problems and factors affecting the subjects of the investment and construction complex, are considered. The investment and construction complex is considered as an initiative economic sphere of activity of entrepreneurial type entities, depending on the current direction of construction development, complications of tasks and management functions of investment and construction activities. In this regard, it is proposed to strengthen the integration processes in the management of investment and construction industry.

Целью настоящей статьи является анализ научных изысканий в области исследования рисков в период перехода к цифровой экономике. Рассматриваются причины возникновения возможных угроз, связанных с использованием систем искусственного интеллекта и технологий больших данных, а также современных политических технологий в условиях становления цифровой социально-политической реальности. В работе кратко исследована технология таргетинга в различных ее интерпретациях в области информационно-коммуникационных технологий и политических целях. Обоснована актуальность изменения модели организации государственного контроля при все расширяющемся использовании технологий больших данных и искусственного интеллекта в государственном управлении.