2008. vol. 3. No. 6

Olga Perfilieva, Deputy-Director of the Center for Cooperation with OECD (OECD-HSE Partnership Centre), International Organizations Research Institute, State University - Higher School of Economics. Post-graduate Studies (PhD) in Sociology

8th Council of Europe conference of ministers responsible for youth “The future of the Council of Europe youth policy: Agenda 2020” was held in Kiev, Ukrain, in October 10-11, 2008. The paper highlights the key priorities for the future youth policy development in Europe and beyond fixed by the Agenda 2020. Agenda 2020 adopted during the Council of Europe ministerial conference summarizes set of policy actions and arrangements to be implemented to improve youth policy and youth sphere in member states and partner countries. It also describes different instruments and tools to ensure efficiency of the future youth policy developments based on the principles of multilateral cooperation and co-management and in accordance with the core democratic values.

A. Dedusenko, PhD in Law, M.I.L.E. of the World Trade Institute, Joint-Stock Foreign Trade Company “Exima”, Head of the Contracts and Claims Division

Policy of any country on recognition of documents on education and academic status can have a direct impact on liberalization of both trade in goods and services. In an effort to minimize risks of discrimination, imposition of non-tariff barriers and in order to increase level of trade liberalization the General Agreement on Trade in Services contains provisions, establishing mechanism of notification and monitoring of current and future measures of the WTO Members on recognition.

The mechanism is a subject of a thorough analysis provided in this paper. The author presents examination of the “WTO law” provisions in correllation with multilateral and bilateral agreements of the Russian Federation on recognition and its position at the WTO accession negotiations.

M. Larionova, PhD in Political Sciences, Director of the International Organizations Research Institute, State University – Higher School of Economics

The paper sums up major methodological problems of assessing liberalization impact for education services, defines a set of parameters for analysis, substantiates the choice of indicators and measurement scales. The author proposes an algorithm for comprehensive analysis of education sector liberalization.

B. Zhelezov, Deputy-Director for International Relations, State University – Higher School of Economics, MBA, PhD in Political Science

Project based, result oriented approach to development of national education systems as well as international educational initiatives, growth of resources appropriated for educational projects actualize the issue of monitoring and assessment mechanisms.

This paper provides a brief historical review of monitoring in education as well as a review of monitoring mechanisms embedded in the most significant All -European initiatives, the majority of which are conducted  with the Russian involvement.

Finally, it provides the general profile of monitoring which should be considered as the basic for all educational projects. 

Dr Raymond Saner, University of Basle, Switzerland, Centre for Socio-Economic Development, Geneva

This article sets out to provide an overview of the field of national competitiveness studies and its relation to high quality human resources and correspondingly to high quality education and training. In particular, the author’s goal here is to develop the reasons why countries increasingly need well trained and motivated human resources. Drawing on Michael Porter’s pioneering work on national competitiveness and Christophe Koellreuter’s application studies on regional competitiveness, the author highlights the importance of high quality human resources in general and of high quality education and training in particular. In conclusion, suggestions are made to establish a quality assurance systems of education and training in Russia in order to guarantee high quality levels of learning necessary for sustainable economic development.