A Multidimensional, Comparative Analysis of the Regional Entrepreneurship Performance in the Central and Eastern European EU Member Countries

Entrepreneurship research has changed considerably over the last 30 years, and today entrepreneurship is widely accepted as a major driving force of economic development, of the creation of employment and of innovation (Acs et al. 2008, 2009; Carree and Thurik 2003; Braunerhjelm et al. 2010; Lazear 2004). However, the dynamics of the effect of entrepreneurship are very diverse and depend on many factors such as the development level of the home country and the institutional context (Acs et al. 2008). Whilst previous studies on entrepreneurship have focused on examining the role of entrepreneurial activity and start-up rates, recent research has shown that not all entrepreneurial activity is effective. High growth rates, such as those achieved by innovative gazelle companies, are responsible for the bulk of new job creation and growth, whilst other non-innovative or traditional businesses have only minor economic influence (Acs and Mueller 2008; Baumol 1996; Wong et al. 2005)

Competence-based Approach to Learning Outcomes Assessment: Russian Experience in Sociological Education

The paper considers the methodological approaches to the description of the competency outcomes of education when implementing the federal standards of higher education on the example of the Sociology as an area of study. The authors have offered a methodic for assessment of the competences formation which is based on the so called indicators of achievement of each of the related competences and on the distribution of these indicators among all elements (modules) of the educational program of BA or MA in Sociology. In the paper, a list of indicators of universal (to be achieved in each higher education program regardless of the area) and general professional competences of the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sociology is proposed, as a result of monitoring and evaluation of several educational programs in the area of Sociology; moreover, the authors adduce the examples of content-related, concrete indicators of education called descriptors for competences. Besides, the paper describes the testing schemes which enable to adjust indicators of universal competences and to evaluate the level of competence of students who have completed the related educational level