EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC COMPLEXITY: EVIDENCE FROM MINT COUNTRIES

Öz

Education, as a cornerstone of human capital development, plays a crucial role in equipping populations with the skills necessary to engage in knowledge-intensive industries and diversify economic activities. Therefore, the relationship between education and economic complexity is a critical area of study, particularly for developing countries seeking to achieve sustainable growth and structural transformation. Given this significance, this study examines the relationship between education and economic complexity over the period 2003-2022 in the MINT countries, which are characterized by significant economic potential and unique demographic dynamics. Empirical findings indicate that education increases economic complexity. This finding addresses that investments towards increasing schooling rate in MINT countries will increase the capacity to produce and export high value-added products in these countries. Education is not only a tool for supporting individual skill development but also a strategic instrument for diversifying the economic structure of countries and enhancing their international trade capacities. In this context, policymakers should prioritize investments that accelerate industrialization and innovation processes, considering the potential of education to create a more skilled and specialized workforce in labor markets. Education policies should not only focus on quantitatively increasing enrollment rates but also be supported by curriculum reforms and technical skills programs aimed at qualitative development. Such policies will enhance countries' global competitiveness, accelerate the transition to high-value-added sectors, and ensure long-term economic sustainability.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Education
• Economic Complexity
• MINT Countries

EĞİTİM VE EKONOMİK KARMAŞIKLIK: MINT ÜLKELERİ ÖRNEĞİ

Öz

Beşeri sermayenin temel belirleyicilerinden biri olan eğitim, emek gücünün bilgi yoğun sektörlerde istihdam edilebilmesi ve ekonomik faaliyetleri çeşitlendirebilmesi için gerekli becerilerle donatılmasında kritik bir role sahiptir. Bu nedenle eğitim ve ekonomik karmaşıklık ilişkisi, özellikle gelişmekte olan ülkelerde sürdürülebilir büyümenin ve yapısal dönüşümün sağlanması adına çok önemlidir. Bu doğrultuda çalışma, kendine has ekonomik potansiyeli ve demografik dinamikleri olan MINT ülkelerine odaklanarak 2003-2022 döneminde eğitim ve ekonomik karmaşıklık arasında ilişkiyi araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bulgular eğitimin ekonomik karmaşıklığı artırdığını göstermektedir. Bu bulgu, MINT ülkelerinde okullaşma oranını artırmaya yönelik yatırımların bu ülkelerde katma değeri yüksek ürünler üretme ve bunları ihraç etme kapasitesini arttıracağına işaret etmektedir. Eğitim, bireylerin beceri gelişimini desteklemenin ötesinde, ülkelerin ekonomik yapısının çeşitlenmesine ve uluslararası ticaret kapasitelerinin artırılmasına yönelik stratejik bir araçtır. Bu bağlamda, politika yapıcılar, eğitimin iş gücü piyasasında daha nitelikli ve uzmanlaşmış iş gücü yaratma potansiyelini göz önünde bulundurarak, sanayileşme ve inovasyon süreçlerini hızlandıracak yatırımları önceliklendirmelidir. Eğitim politikaları, sadece niceliksel olarak okullaşma oranlarını artırmakla kalmamalı, aynı zamanda niteliksel gelişimi hedefleyen müfredat reformları ve teknik beceri programlarıyla desteklenmelidir. Bu tür politikalar, ülkelerin küresel rekabet gücünü artıracak, yüksek katma değerli sektörlere geçişi hızlandıracak ve uzun vadeli ekonomik sürdürülebilirliği sağlayacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Eğitim
• Ekonomik Karmaşıklık
• MINT Ülkeleri

Kaynakça

1. Ajide, K. B. (2024). Exploring the relationship between trade openness, FDI, and economic complexity in Africa. The International Trade Journal, 1–27.
2. Agosin, M. R., Alvarez, R., & Bravo‐Ortega, C. (2012). Determinants of export diversification around the world: 1962–2000. The World Economy, 35(3), 295-315.
3. Chu, K. L. (2023). Determinants of economic complexity revisited: Insightful understanding from panel quantile regression. Journal of Economic and Banking Studies, 5, 30-44.
4. Chu, L. K., & Hoang, D. P. (2020). How does economic complexity influence income inequality? New evidence from international data. Economic Analysis and Policy, 68, 44-57.
5. Costinot, A. (2009). On the origins of comparative advantage. Journal of International Economics, 77(2), 255-264.
6. Cristelli, M., Gabrielli, A., Tacchella, A., Caldarelli, G., & Pietronero, L. (2013). Measuring the intangibles: A metrics for the economic complexity of countries and products. PloS one, 8(8), e70726.
7. Delgado, M. S., Henderson, D. J., & Parmeter, C. F. (2014). Does education matter for economic growth?. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 76(3), 334-359.
8. Elhiraika, A. B. & Mbate, M. (2014). Assessing the determinants of export diversification in Africa. Journal of Applied Econometrics and International Development, 14(1), 147-162.

9. Erkan, B., & Ceylan, F. (2021). Determinants of economic complexity in transitional economies. Journal Transition Studies Review, 28(2), 57-80.
10. Granger, C. W., & Newbold, P. (1974). Spurious regressions in econometrics. Journal of Econometrics, 2(2), 111-120. Hausmann, R., & Hidalgo, C. A. (2011). The network structure of economic output. Journal of Economic Growth, 16, 309-342.
11. Hausmann, R., Hidalgo, C. A., Bustos, S., Coscia, M., Simoes, A. & Yildirim, M. A. (2011). The atlas of economic complexity: Mapping paths to prosperity. MIT Press.
12. Hausmann, R., & Hidalgo, C. A. (2013). How will the Netherlands earn its income 20 years from now. The Hague: The Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy.
13. Hidalgo, C. A., & Hausmann, R. (2009). The building blocks of economic complexity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(26), 10570-10575.
14. Im, K. S., Pesaran, M. H., & Shin, Y. (2003). Testing for unit roots in heterogeneous panels. Journal of Econometrics, 115(1), 53-74.
15. Kurt, U. (2019). The Relationship Economic Complexity and Education Expenditure: A Empirical Analysis on South Korea. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 9(2), 73-79.
16. Levin, A., Lin, C. F., & Chu, C. S. J. (2002). Unit root tests in panel data: asymptotic and finite-sample properties. Journal of Econometrics, 108(1), 1-24.
17. Lucas Jr, R. E. (1988). On the mechanics of economic development. Journal of Monetary Economics, 22(1), 3-42. Mealy, P., Farmer, J. D., & Teytelboym, A. (2019). Interpreting economic complexity. Science Advances, 5(1), eaau1705.
18. Neagu, O. (2020). Economic complexity and ecological footprint: evidence from the most complex economies in the world. Sustainability, 12(21), 9031.
19. Nguyen, C. P., Schinckus, C., & Su, T. D. (2023). Determinants of economic complexity: A global evidence of economic integration, institutions, and internet usage. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 14(4), 4195-4215.
20. Okombi, I. F., & Lebomoyi, N. E. (2024). Economic complexity and inclusive green growth: the moderating role of public expenditure on education. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 1-31.
21. Papageorgiou, C. (2003). Distinguishing between the effects of primary and post‐primary education on economic growth. Review of Development Economics, 7(4), 622-635.
22. Romer, P. M. (1990). Endogenous technological change. Journal of Political Economy, 98(5, Part 2), 71-102. Simoes, A. J. G. & Hidalgo, C. A. (2011). The Economic Complexity Observatory: An Analytical Tool for Understanding the Dynamics of Economic Development. Workshops at the Twenty-Fifth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence.
23. Strauss, J. (2015). Economic Challenges in the MENA region. Middle Eastern Busines s Environment Cognella Academic Publishing.
24. Tebaldi, E. (2011). The determinants of high-technology exports: A panel data analysis. Atlantic Economic Journal, 39, 343-353.
25. Viegas, G., & Hartmann, D. (2023). Higher Education, Economic Complexity, and Knowledge Spillovers Across Micro-Regions of Brazil. A Geographically Weighted Regression Approach. A Geographically Weighted
26. Regression Approach (August 23, 2023).
27. Wang, Z. & Wei, S. J. (2010). What Accounts for the Rising Sophistication of China's Exports?. NBER Chapters, in:
28. China's Growing Role in World Trade, pages 63–104, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
29. Yalta, A. Y., & Yalta, T. (2021). Determinants of economic complexity in MENA Countries. JOEEP: Journal of Emerging Economies and Policy, 6(1), 5-16.
30. Zengin Tasdemir, S. & Topcu, E. (2024). Ekonomik karmaşıklık ve çevre: AB ülkeleri örneği. Dicle Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 14(28), 627-641.
31. Zhu, S., & Li, R. (2016). Economic complexity, human capital and economic growth: empirical research based on cross-country panel data. Applied Economics, 49(38), 3815–3828.