Filozofija i drustvo 2017 Volume 28, Issue 4, Pages: 1136-1159
https://doi.org/10.2298/FID1704136M
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The importance of knowledge for wellbeing of society in the contemporary world
Marković Dušan Z. (Ekonomski fakultet, Beograd)
Mlađan Mrđan M. (EBSBusiness School, Wiesbaden, Germany)
Following the recent wave of globalization, the possession of different types
of knowledge became even more important for economic development than the
possession of physical resources. The ability of a society to adopt existing
and create new knowledge thus gained fundamental importance for its
wellbeing. In this paper, we identify important aspects of the relationship
between education, creation of knowledge, economic growth, as well as both
material and immaterial wellbeing of a society. We describe potential
problems that prevent societies from maximizing the benefit from the effort
its members invest in acquiring knowledge. The problems of failure of the
national markets for education as well as the global migrations which lead
to drain of knowledge towards economically highly developed countries are
especially analyzed. In the long run, they lead to a decline in both
national competitiveness and different aspects of the immaterial wellbeing.
As the basis for solving these problems we propose a combination of economic
theory and the concept of solidarity between more and less developed
countries, individuals and societies of their origin, respecting the free
will of individuals.
Keywords: Globalization, knowledge, education, wellbeing, competitiveness, migrations