The role of the system of educationin the socio-economic development of territories

Education is one of the most important factors promoting modernization processes in the economy. It determines the compliance of employees’ qualification with the requirements of a society in the post-industrial stage. Thus, it is possible to overcome socio-economic development problems in the territory by directly influencing its education system. Using the calculated data, the authors assess the influence of Russian education on the level of socio-economic development in the subjects of the Russian Federation. For this purpose, the authors have carried out the pair-wise comparison of the development level of education sphere (calculated by ISEDT RAS specialists) and the level of socio-economic development of Russia’s regions (calculated by the Institute of Contemporary Development jointly with the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation) for2012. The comparison revealed a number of territories that require improvement in educational sphere performance indicators in order to enhance the socio-economic development in these territories. The findings of the article can be used by the authorities in the elaboration of strategic plans to overcome the heterogeneity of Russia’s economic space.