The purpose of this empirical study is to find the relationship between economic growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) using endogenous technological change model. First, we combine the CIS and CEECs into one group to test our hypothesis, and then we test each group separately to account for heterogeneity and draw a conclusion whether FDI is indeed a driving force of the economy. Panel data have been used from 2003 to 2014 and different panel estimation methods have been applied. Additionally, we use the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) panel estimator to control for endogeneity problem. The present study finds that FDI is an important factor explaining economic growth in the pooled group and CEECs, although it is not significant in the case of CIS.
For development of the knowledge-based economy, potential and quality of university education are an important factors to increase a competitiveness of local, regional, national and international scales. To shape the modern economy, the development of university education and studies corresponding with contemporary socio-economic challenges play an important role. As a result, the formation of scientific and academic centres, which are the basic elements of knowledge-based of economy, determines the improvement of the human resources quality and the increase in innovativeness of spatial systems on various scales. The author has discussed the issue of changes in university education in Poland and its role in socio-economic activation of regional systems, and also defined the structure of major studies in regional (voivodship) systems. This paper research has initiated wider investigations which aim will be to answer to what extent the actual university education structure corresponds to contemporary and future socio-economic needs and competences. this level of education in Poland has to face with the growing globalization processes and increasing spatial competitiveness, not only in a regional scale, but also in the national and international ones, and actual reforms of Polish education and science system.