|
2009. vol. 4. No. 1
|
Topic of the Issue
|
4–14
|
T. Meshkova, PhD in Political Science, Director of the OECD-HSE Partnership Centre of the SU-HSE International Organisations Research Institute, Y. Vasyakova, Researcher of the OECD-HSE Partnership Centre of the SU-HSE International Organisations Research Institute The article presents OECD estimation of a current and predictaible situation in global economy, having repercussions (feeling the consequences) of economic and financial crisis, and besides OECD attitude to the G20s Action Plan, accepted in November 2008, concerned with increase of controlling mechanisms efficiency for economic growth recovery and stability achievement, and also possible OECD contribution to joint efforts on economic stabilisation, which may carry, first of all, analytical and recommendatory (advisory) character. The article examines basic approaches to global economic stabilization, generalised in the document "OECD Strategic Response to the Financial and Economic Crisis. Contributions to the global effort" and based on both existing OECD legal instruments, and on current results of projects and investigations made by various OECD departments and national authorities of member states. Two interconnected directions of the economy restoration provided by OECD Strategic Response are in detail considered. The first direction includes political measures (policy action), aimed at the prompt stabilisation of the economy and easing of recession influence, including: the control of financial sector, activization of financial institutions interaction, maintenance of a competition and investment flows, increase of taxes transparency and management efficiency. The second direction - all-round strategy (comprehensive strategy) - assumes taking measures for steady growth maintenance in long-term outlook (prospect), including: stimulation of a fiscal policy, keeping markets open and increase of conducting reforms efficiency, development of innovative activity and augmentation of investments into the human capital. Simultaneously OECD will be developing strategies assisting authorities gradually weaken government regulation of economy problem sectors, which have strengthen in the conditions of (during)crisis. |
Analytical Papers
Rising Opportunities for Competitiveness
|
15–33
|
P. Sahlberg, Lead Education Specialist, European Training Foundation Globalization has increased economic competition within and between countries and the world’s regions. Economic competitiveness is commonly seen as a valid index for judging a country’s level of economic prosperity. Many recent large-scale education reforms have been justified by the urgent need to increase labor productivity and promote economic development and growth through expanded and improved education. It is generally assumed that to increase economic competitiveness, citizens must acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for civic success and the knowledge-based economy. This article argues that what schools are expected to do in order to promote economic competitiveness often contradicts commonly accepted global education reform thinking. Experience in many countries indicates that increased standardization of teaching and learning, for example, may be counterproductive to the expectations of enhanced economic competitiveness. The conclusion is that rather than competition between education systems, schools and students, what is needed is networking, deeper co-operation and open sharing of ideas at all levels if the role of education in economic competitiveness is to be strengthened. The key features of education reform policies that are compatible with competitiveness are those that encourage flexibility in education systems, creativity in schools and risk-taking without fear on the part of individuals. |
|
34–70
|
J. Neilson, D. Taglioni, The Trade Policy Linkages Division of the OECD Trade Directorate The paper presents the translation of the Part II of the OECD international report on the study “Services Trade Liberalization: Identifying Opportunities and Gains” prepared by Julia Neilson and Daria Taglioni of the Trade Policy Linkages Division in the Trade Directorate, under the oversight of Ken Heydon, Deputy Director of the Trade Directorate in 2004. The Secretary-General has agreed to declassify the document under his responsibility, as recommended by the Working Party of the Trade Committee, with the aim of bringing information on this subject to the attention of a wider audience. Part II “Modeling the Economic Benefits of Services Trade Liberalization” is turned to define possible economic outcomes and evaluate effects from the trade services liberalization both for developed and developing countries on the basis of quantitative analysis launched. |
|
71–83
|
N. Vyshnevskaya, PhD in Economics, Lead Specialist of the SU-HSE Centre for Labour Studies In the mid-1990s, the OECD formulated a set of policy recommendations intended to improve labour market performance. The article provides a detailed analysis of labour market reforms in member countries over the past ten years. It attempts to rank countries according with past reform efforts. Over the past decade member countries have employed very diverse reform strategies, from comprehensive reforms package (Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands) to reforms more narrowly targeted on specific fields. The intensity of reforms has differed markedly across policy fields, with more action being undertaken in areas that are more widely accepted by the population, such as active labour market policies and cuts of labour taxes. While reforms in such areas as employment protection legislation and wage-setting institutions have often been partial and even sometimes counter-productive. |
|
84–99
|
A. Sokolov, MA in International Affairs, Chairman of the National Youth Council of Russia The article explores the history of the youth policy institutionalisation in Europe, analyses functions and responsibilities of main European institutions in charge of youth policy development, overviews the evolution and gradual intensification of their role in the process of youth policy development both across Europe and beyond. Author focuses on guidelines and legal and normative base for the youth policy development in Europe, as well as the instruments for its successful provision and further development, elaborated and widely employed by the Council of Europe and European Commission. |
|
100–112
|
V. Kharchenko, MA in International Affairs, PhD Student at the Moscow State Institute of Foreign Affairs (University), Vice-Chairman of the National Youth Council of Russia The article turns to the analysis of current international youth cooperation, existing problems and ways to solve them on the bases of system approach. Actuality of the touched questions is explained by the fact that international youth cooperation is a colossal resource of the government institutions as well as non-government organisations in development of long-term cooperation and mutual understanding between society and government. The overall national development depends on the way how the youth work is structured. The article reveals problems which face government institutions and non-government organisations by realisation of international cooperation, provides the system description and analysis of the current state and perspectives of the development of the international youth cooperation on the government level. It is the fist attempt to describe international youth cooperation integrally, to define problems in complex in this field on the bases of analysis of accessible home and foreign sources, official publications, documents and reports of international and intergovernmental organisations. The main sources for analysis were materials from official sites of the Council of Europe (www.coe.int/youth), European Union (www.europa.eu.in), Council of Barence Euro-Arctic region (www.beac.st) and Council of Baltic See States (www.cbss.org). |
|
113–120
|
V. Zolotov, PhD Student at the Moscow Institute of Economics, Management and Law The article is devoted to the problems of free economic areas in Russia. The world financial crisis force economists to find new effective methods to force the business sector development. The idea to found free economic areas as a special restricted territory to form points of growth due to preferential duties is very actual. The objectives of creating free economic areas is quit different and depend on economic, social and sometimes political conditions shaped on a national level. This article deals with the principles of organisation of free economic areas in the current circumstances. The main problem for the free economic areas efficiency in Russia is the difference occurs between planning and real objectives on regional and overall national level. The development of free economic areas, as the paper shows, is currently an effective tool for regional economic policy development, the catalyst of positive economic processes. |
Welcome to a Debate
|
121–128
|
OECD Centre for Education Research and Innovation (CERI) The paper presents the translation of the document “Four Future Scenarios for Higher Education” prepared by the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI), provides a vision of the OECD experts on different pathways for the higher education development in long-term perspectives and welcomes readers to think and reflect on proposed scenarios by answering questions on future of higher education such as: Where are we going? Where should we go and why? How can we get there? |
Projects
Book Review
|
|