Reinforcement of Social Sustainability through Education and Public Intangible Capital

Abstract

Education promotes the development of human capital, which has long been studied in the literature as a key determinant of economic development. Education is today listed as key part of public intangible capital and is further studied in the context of new growth determinants. This chapter extends the analysis of the contribution of education as a public intangible capital to the economic growth. It shows that education in fact promotes all three components of sustainable development. First, education promotes economic development and higher value-added creation, second, it is related to better and more job opportunities, higher wages, promotes health, etc., and consequently contributes to the achievement of the “social” dimension of sustainable development. Last, more educated population is also more prone toward supporting environmental goals. Therefore, investment into education is very important from the perspective of sustainable development. With offering a range of opportunities to individuals, the role of public education and policy-making in the field is essential to promote sustainable development from this perspective.

Citation

Erjavec, E. (2020), "Reinforcement of Social Sustainability through Education and Public Intangible Capital", Žabkar, V. and Redek, T. (Ed.) Challenges on the Path Toward Sustainability in Europe, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 253-270. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80043-972-620201014