FINANCING OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS A DETERMINANT OF HUMAN CAPITAL FORMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF REGIONAL DISPARITIES

Анотація

In the era of globalization and digital transformation, higher education serves as a pivotal instrument for cultivating human capital, underpinning the competitiveness of national economies. Yet, regional disparities in financial, infrastructural, and intellectual resources engender significant inequalities in access to quality education, constraining sustainable territorial development. This study investigates the interplay between higher education funding, human capital formation, and regional asymmetries, aiming to devise mechanisms to mitigate these imbalances. The subject of the research is the impact of financial flows in higher education on human capital accumulation amidst regional inequality. It explores the economic, socio-cultural, and technological dimensions of higher education, alongside factors driving spatial disparities, including regional economic capacity, infrastructure, demographics, and institutional constraints. The methodology employs a systemic approach, integrating economic, social, and institutional analyses. Methods include comparative analysis to delineate regional variations, correlation analysis to evaluate the linkage between funding and educational quality, and conceptual modeling to illustrate the transformation of financial inputs into human capital outcomes. The aim is to construct a conceptual model elucidating how financial investments in higher education translate into qualitative human capital parameters, accounting for regional contexts. The research addresses several scientific tasks: analyzing the economic, social, and technological impacts of higher education, identifying drivers of regional disparities, and proposing optimized funding models to reduce inequality. Findings affirm that higher education is a strategic determinant of human capital development, with its efficacy heavily contingent on funding levels and allocation structures. Regions with constrained educational resources experience talent outflow, diminished innovation, and exacerbated socio-economic disparities. The proposed model advocates a tailored funding approach, sensitive to regional specifics, and emphasizes integrating higher education institutions into local innovation ecosystems. Results suggest that overcoming regional disparities necessitates optimizing financial flows through a synergy of public, private, and international funding to ensure educational quality and stability; enhancing infrastructure, including digital platforms and research facilities, to improve access; and fostering academic mobility via exchange programs and interregional collaboration to bridge intellectual gaps. These findings hold practical significance for shaping public policy in education, regional development, and human resource management. Future research could explore alternative funding mechanisms, such as endowments, and develop region-specific indicators for assessing human capital quality. In conclusion, optimizing higher education funding is a critical lever for fostering sustainable human capital growth and alleviating regional inequalities, paving the way for balanced socio-economic progress at national and regional scales.

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