2011 Issue №2(8)

This paper provides an analysis of income differentiation among the residents of Latvian regions in order to assess the government’s economic policies aimed at the development of a socially inclusive market economy in the country. The paper describes the dynamics of changes in the income of population of Latvian regions over nine years (2000—2008). The authors put forward a hypothesis that the changes in the state social and economic policy tend to influence the level and dynamics of income of Latvia’s population.

This paper analyzes the features of the global financial crisis in the Baltic states, shows the differences between the countries in the process of its development, and examines changes in the mass consciousness of the political establishment in the countries considered.

Innovation is a vital process for countries striving to evolve and occupy a competitive position in international markets. This paper is based on research designed to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the national innovation system in Russia. The objective of the study was to examine innovation activity and innovation performance in Russia, as well as to identify the priorities of the government’s policy for promoting innovation.

This paper assesses the level of openness of the Russian economy. It demonstrates that the openness indicators used in the Concept of Long-term Social and Economic Development of the Russian Federation differ from those employed by international organisations. The paper examines the intensity of Russian trade in terms of its gross domestic product and the relatively high barriers in relation to import penetration in Russia. Methodological differences determine the differences in the analysis results.

This article offers a comparative assessment of the Baltic region countries on the basis of three groups of indicators — indicators of economic and research potential, indicators of dynamics of economic and research potential development, and indicators of economic and innovation potential of the states of the region. The author emphasises the need for Russia to cooperate with other countries of the region in the field of innovations as well as the possible role for the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University in this process.

This article focuses on the present state and prospects of research and technology development in Lithuania. The authors focus on the main competitive innovation spheres (information technologies, biotechnologies, special purpose laser technologies) and analyse the principal lines of innovation policy and strategy. The article presents the results of a SWOT analysis of Lithuanian innovation development and describes the possible fields and mechanisms of research and technology cooperation between Lithuania and the Russian Federation.

This article considers the present state and prospects of Russian-Lithuanian cooperation in the field of research and innovation. The author analyses the tendencies of innovation activities of economic entities in the North-West of Russia in terms of relative innovation activity indicators. Special attention is paid to the role of cross-border and trans-border cooperation in the Baltic macroregion as a mechanism of managing the innovative development of regional economy.

From the perspective of the modern system of domestic relations facilitating the development of research and industrial potential of the country and aimed at creating the conditions for the development of science intensive industries, which extract a high surplus value, the authors consider the research and education and innovation sectors of the Republic of Lithuania — the closest neighbour of the Russian Federation in the North-West region. The analysis of competences of Lithuanian research and education sectors helped identify promising research and technology development areas in terms of innovation cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Lithuania.

This article compares the dynamics, content and character of education system modernization in Russia, Poland, and Lithuania. It is shown that the education systems of Russia, Poland, and Lithuania differ substantially in the secondary and higher education structure, sources of financing, and strategic development directions.

This article analyses the role of Russia — the North-West federal district — in the New North concept, which encompasses new political relations in the North of Europe in the framework of international organisations and regional cooperation — for instance, the Northern Dimension.

This article analyses the role of innovations at higher educational institutions, gives a definition of innovation, explores the features of international cooperation in the sphere of innovations, and focuses on the forms of innovative interaction between Russian and German higher education institutions.

This article focuses on the development of research in the exclave region. The authors offer a programme of research development in the Kaliningrad region. The article describes the principal lines of implementation of priorities of modernization and technological upgrade of regional industries.

This article offers an overview of the leading Polish research centres focusing on the political, social, and economic aspects of the Kaliningrad region.

This article sets out to assess the potential of cross-border region development on the basis of theoretical and methodological materials. The study examines the Kaliningrad region and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. The article is focused on the modelling of interindustry balance and export/import functions of border territories.

This article presents an overview of the principal intellectual alternatives of today regarding the role and place of Russia in the social and political spaces of the former Baltic republics, which were articulated in the course of international expert discussions and round tables at the IKBFU.