This study is the first to analyze performance of Taiwanese domestic equity funds between January 2009 and October 2014, the period during which quantitative redirected capital flows toward developing economies and the Taiwanese Stock Exchange Weighted Index compounded at approximately 12.9% annually. Adopting methods endorsed by earlier research, we evaluated 15 Taiwanese equity funds' performance relative to market averages using the Sharpe (1966) and Treynor (1965) ratios and Jensen's alpha method (1968). To test market timing proficiency, we applied the Treynor and Mazuy (1966) and Henriksson and Merton (1981) regression analysis methods. Jensen's alpha method (1968) was used to measure fund managers' stock selection skills. Results revealed that funds significantly under-performed Taiwan's average annual market return and demonstrated no exceptional stock-selection skills and market timing proficiency during the era of quantitative easing.

The purpose of this research is to identify the relation between the Korean wave and Korean cosmetics export. Instead of using UN COMTRADE data as with other researches on the similar studies, this paper adopts Google Trends query index with keyword 'Korean drama'as a proxy variable for cultural trade. With controlling export determining factors such as GDPs of import and export countries, distance, R&D, and FTA, this paper examines whether the Korean wave represented by Google Trends contributes to the explosive increase of Korean cosmetics export in the recent years. Moreover, this study also investigates the possible effects of the Korean wave on export that could vary according to the different trade groups by classifying import countries into two groups: 74 countries worldwide and 9 ASEAN member countries. The results reveal that the Korean wave indeed leads to cosmetics export to ASEAN countries but show weak relation with cosmetics export to worldwide.

Green technologies are essential tools to ensure sustainable development of the economy. In this regard, the article deals with analysis of the development tendency of green economy in Kazakhstan emphasizing commercialization of green technologies. In the first part of the study, authors investigated more than 50 official sources of information, including laws, concepts, programs, events and reviews of major international organizations. The study's methodological basis included Kazakhstan's legislative and regulatory Acts, state programs and Concept for transition to Green economy, and data about innovations in the field of green technologies. Six experts were interviewed in order to determine factors which interfere to commercialization of green technologies. Urgent problems and trends of development, challenges and obstacles to gain green economy have also been identified in the result of expert interviewing. The research shows that despite Kazakhstan's intentions to update and develop much of its infrastructure over the coming 20 years, inefficient use of resources is currently observed in every sector. It is necessary to encourage scientists and entrepreneurs to invent and commercialize new green technologies. That would be basis for successful implementation of transition from "brown" to green economy.

During the last two decades the idea that central bank independence and transparency helps to maintain price stability, became popular among economists and central bankers. Many countries' governments give their monetary authorities higher independence and transparency to achieve the price stability goal. However, emerging countries such as Kazakhstan, suffer from high inflation. This inflation occurs largely due to a low level of independence and transparency of central banks. This research project measures the current level of independence and transparency of central bank of Kazakhstan. Indices were used to measure central bank independence and transparency. Central bank independence was measured by two types of indices: based on central bank laws (legal independence) and based on central banks governor's turnover (TOR). Developing countries have a weak legal framework, implying that a legal independence index cannot be appropriate to use as a measures of actual independence. Therefore, by paying attention to the other two indices, we can say that the central bank of Kazakhstan has a low level of independence and transparency. This, in turn, can be one of the causes of high inflation in Kazakhstan.