This paper presents an assessment of Belarus’ progress on the way to the circular economy as compared to a number of the European countries. The monitoring framework proposed by the European Commission is chosen for these purposes, since its indicators capture the key elements of a circular economy, have a high degree of practical application, are easy to analyze and informative. The existing system of recording in Belarus does not permit to calculate some indicators used by the European Commission.

The policy paper considers prerequisites and factors conditioning the development of entrepreneneurial higher education institutions (universities 3.0) in Belarus. Capitalizing on state-of-the-art academic research and policy initiatives in the field, as well as on the custom-made survey of Belarusian faculty members, the paper analyses the environment for higher education institutions' modernization and provides policy recommendations.

This policy paper deals with the perspectives of the national economy development in 2018-2020. The study emphasizes that fluctuations around equilibrium growth rate is the most likely scenario. The study uses the estimate of 2.5% of equilibrium growth rate for Belarus, which is a compromise among different approaches and methodologies. The scenario of higher growth may become possible due to positive external shocks. However, even in case of permanently strengthening external environment, the growth rate of the national economy is still likely to be unsustainable.

The paper deals with opportunities of circular economy for ensuring green growth. Analysis and comparison of concepts of sustainable development, green and circular economy revealed that despite similarity there is a differences in ways of their implementation. It is shown that the green economy is one of a tool for achieving sustainable development, and the circular economy acts as a practical way of putting it into effect. The concept of circular economy is interlinked with various scientific schools of environmental economic system, each of which can be considered as directions of its development.

Although the government’s plans to raise foreign financing were fulfilled, the results of 2017 were ambiguous in this respect. The private sector and, especially, hi-tech startups generated investors’ profound interest. Investments in the public sector were provided by the state through external borrowing and redistribution of funds raised this way. The public sector thus remains unattractive for investors, but, in fact, it seeks state subsides, rather than investments. In 2017, the government took a number of important steps to improve the regulatory framework for investment and to stimulate business ventures.

Foreign Investment: Startups and Innovations or Loans

This work is devoted to the study of the essence of the concept, causes and main characteristics of depressed regions in foreign countries. The paper highlights the main approaches to the implementation of measures to support depressed regions, as well as the main indicators for assessing the effectiveness of their implementation. Based on the analysis of the experience of the development of depressed regions in foreign countries, basic recommendations for the improvement of regional policy in the Republic of Belarus have been developed.