Higher Education and Economic Development: A Review of the Literature

The widespread recognition that tertiary education is a major driver of economic competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy has made high-quality tertiary education more important than ever before in both industrialised and developing countries. This literature review of the relationship between higher education and economic development examines

1. The relationship between higher education and economic growth.
2. The implications of a shift in the debate the debate on the role of higher education in the ‘knowledge economy’.
3. The relationship between higher education and regional development, including the role of universities in innovation.
4. The role of universities and public research institutions as drivers of economic development.