The role of higher education in competitiveness of visegrad countries

Abstract

Competitiveness is a frequent topic of the economic literature today. This is assessed using globally recognized indexes, most of which include the higher education factor. The significance of this is that increasing competitiveness by development of human capital is essential. Our research was based on the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), a frequently used index in international literature developed by the World Economic Forum. The focus has been placed on the 5th pillar of this index including higher education. It was assumed that this element is linked to other competitiveness factors (including infrastructure, research and development). These links were analyzed by statistical methods. The aim of these synergistically related factors is to show the role of higher education in competitiveness. We conducted our research on the countries of the European Union, mainly focusing on the Visegrad countries. As a research question, we have examined the position in ranking due these indicators and parallel the individual and collective economic performance of the countries.