All of the articles in this proceedings volume have been presented at the FIREtalk conference – Research on Fire! during 26-28 August 2025 at DHBW Mannheim, Coblitzer Allee, Mannheim, Germany. These articles have been peer reviewed by the members of the FIRE researchers’ scientific committee and approved...

Despite the Tanzanian government's efforts to enhance reproductive health education through policies such as the National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Framework and Comprehensive Sexuality Education, adolescent pregnancies remain prevalent in Magu District, Mwanza Region. This study...

Agroforestry has emerged as a vital strategy for environmental conservation and climate resilience, with trees playing a key role in carbon dioxide sequestration. However, community engagement in agroforestry and its impact on climate resilience in Tanzania remains underexplored. This study assessed...

Food insecurity is a challenge experienced by many students across the globe. One of the risk factors associated with food insecurity is dependence on financial aid. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds in South Africa receive financial aid for tuition and food. However, there are no mechanisms to...

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in supply chain management holds great potential for savings, as processes can be designed very efficiently without human intervention. However, the use of AI in cross-border trade requires that contractual declarations issued by the AI are legally valid. Unharmonized...

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) offers a significant challenge in social communication, sustained attention, and motivation, often limiting the ability of children to engage in activities essential for their development. This systematic literature review investigates the potential of combining gamification...

Substantial evidence suggests that climate change significantly contributes to the global rise in infectious disease outbreaks. Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big climate data have enhanced the accuracy of medical and climate analysis, supporting accurate prediction of climate-related diseases....

Globally, road accidents are among the leading causes of death and injury, with driver fatigue being one of the main contributors. Driver fatigue is especially critical in emergency response driving, where factors such as long and overnight shifts are common. This study presents a multimodal driver fatigue...

This publication introduced the practical elaboration to Sustainable Interactive Systems. Due to the constantly growing energy consumption of digital applications and their contribution to global CO₂ emissions, the sustainable design of web pages represents a major challenge and great possibilities. ...

Mental health disorders affect nearly 30% of South Africa’s population, yet access to adequate care remains significantly limited due to socioeconomic barriers, stigma, and resource shortages. This study presents Federated GANS-LLM, a novel hybrid framework that combines federated learning (FL), generative...

This study assessed the role of school leaders in promoting critical thinking skills, it also examined teachers’ understanding of the concept of critical thinking skills, its relevance to learners, and the pedagogical strategies used in selected secondary schools in Northern Tanzania. An explanatory...

While Augmented Reality (AR) can transform education, its adoption is often limited by gaps in digital competence and accessibility. This case study evaluates the “Accessible AR Learning Experience Journey” at DHBW to identify how institutions can transition from exploratory pilots to inclusive, scalable...

The study examined the impact of teacher training programmes on student learning outcomes, focusing on the role of educational leadership in enhancing effective teacher preparation and positive student learning outcomes. Educational leaders such as principals and administrators shape the effectiveness...

The integration of online learning platforms into higher education significantly reshaped the pedagogical landscape, particularly in Information Technology (IT) education. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Blackboard and Virtual Laboratory (V-Lab) in delivering the IT curriculum at Botho University...

This study evaluated the implementation of special education programmes in junior secondary schools in Botswana’s Kweneng region. Despite strong policy frameworks like the Inclusive Education Policy (2011), a significant gap exists between policy intent and classroom practice. A qualitatively...

The study aims to showcase that as study exchange mobility is often assumed to enhance intercultural competence and academic development while contributing to sustainable partnerships. Yet empirical research on intercultural competences through study exchange mobility between Germany and Sub-Saharan...

This study investigates the long-term effects of analog and digital mentoring formats on undergraduate mathematics exam performance. Based on a dataset of 489 students across six semesters, the results confirm that prior domain knowledge is the strongest predictor of exam success in first-year mathematics...

Universities and research institutions play a central role in democratic societies, yet their political voice is often weak. While economic actors routinely engage in lobbying, political interest representation by scientific organizations remains under-theorized and normatively disputed, particularly...

Although Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) research has gained global scholarly attention, its application in developing countries, particularly East Africa, remains limited. This study examined the state of CSR research and practices in East Africa through a systematic literature review using the...

We integrate the Social Exchange Theory to test the influence of work-family conflict on the external mobility of employees and the interaction effect of transformational leadership. The study used quantitative data from a survey of 333 public agency employees and analysed it with the help of Partial...

The study examined the role of Sustainable Village Community Banks (VICOBA) in enhancing the living standards of members in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. A cross-sectional research design incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. The study targeted a population of 8,700...

This article explores the resilience of tourism destinations in the face of crises, emphasizing the necessity of systematic preparation and adaptive strategies. Drawing on scenario technique as a methodological approach, the study demonstrates how destinations can account for multiple possible futures...

The expansion of digital messaging platforms is reshaping business practices in Africa, particularly in the domain of negotiation and deal-making. This research paper analyzes the merger of formal as well as informal negotiation channels in African boardroom structures. A two-step research methodology...

This paper displays how global corporate settings select negotiation channels in strategically for international transactions. Based on an interdisciplinary review the interplay between informal digital negotiations, and the organizational and cultural contexts in which they are applied is analyzed....

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global shift to remote work to reduce health risks. Similar to other years, in 2023, around 22% of German employees worked from home, for reasons like offering greater staff flexibility and saving commuting time. Many companies are now implementing return-to-office policies...

The widespread influence of technology revolutionized every area of life and fundamentally changed how businesses and organisations functioned, including the banking sector. As technological progress continued, it became necessary for banks to incorporate digital solutions into their services and products...

This study sought to identify the “comparing dynamic capabilities in digital banking institutions in developed and developing countries” through a Quantitative research approach. The population of the study comprised 101 participants who were the IT managers, innovation officers, compliance staff, and...

The study aimed to assess how economic integration supports women entrepreneurs’ engagement in cross-border trade, with a focus on the East African Community (EAC). Three policy documents and four policy practices were analysed using an adapted reading guide, coupled with content and discourse analysis,...

While agile methodologies are often associated with empowerment and self-organization, little is known about their implications for gendered career trajectories. Prior research shows that women in ICT frequently encounter “glass ceiling” effects and perform disproportionate amounts of “invisible work”,...

This scoping review explores pet owners’ motivations and experiences when selecting destinations for accompanying pet travel to guide future research. A scoping review, followed by snowballing method were conducted, to counter limitations of each search method. Electronic databases used were SA e-publications,...