Local/Regional Economic Development in South ... - Value Chains

dled, but also the financing mechanisms. Education, in
particular, has multiple financing sources.
The second important conclusion resulted from the great
importance of learning and education for the entire Russian
society. Given that the economy is developing well,
there are now attempts to again build on the long periods
of high educational standards in the Soviet times, which
have disintegrated during the transformation period.
This is the explanation for the impressively broad participation
in the Learning Region Pereslawl. Although the
project is still in the initial stages, even after termination of
the German support, the actors have realized that a higher,
more modern educational level, with an orientation to
economic development possibilities, can reduce migration
of young people and increase the competitiveness of firms
and the region as a whole.
Recommendations for similar projects
Experience in the district of Pereslawl shows that certain
conditions must be met in order to use learning regions to
actually tap the existing potential for sustainable regional
development. However, the experiences also lead to the
conclusion that these preconditions can be met especially
in the context of transformation because of the incomplete
restructuring of the economy, the continual reorientation
of educational and cultural policy, and the new
awareness developing in civil society. Above all, education
and educational policy still have very great importance in
the minds of the people, despite the grave financial problems
in the public educational sector.
Criteria for successful learning regions:
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Common identity and mutual trust
Favorable political framework conditions
Support of local and regional administrations
Transparent fields of activity
Target-group orientation and visible benefits for all
actors
The existence of communication structures and joint
resources
Potential for scientific flanking, quality assurance, and
clear signals for regional marketing
Key people, who assume responsibility, make decisions,
and communicate
It is crucial that the educational sector be mobilized as a
resource for improvement of the economic and social situation
in the region, whereby the consequences of rapid
structural change still occurring particularly in the regions
of the transition countries must be taken into account.
Recommended reading
Petra Stremplat-Platte, Eike Vater, Annegret Westphal (2004): Auf dem
Weg zur lernenden Gesellschaft – nachhaltige regionale Entwicklung
durch Vernetzung und Kooperation, GTZ
German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, Work Area
Educational Research: Learning Regions – Promoting Networks Video
Trailer, Documentation, Newsletter):
www.lernende.regionen@dlr.de,
www.lernende-regionen.info, http://u.pereslavl.ru/region
Contacts
Dr. Petra Stremplat-Platte, GTZ OE 4200
petra.stremplat-platte@gtz.de
Dr. Annegret Westphal, GTZ OE 3122
annegret.westphal@gtz.de
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