Convergence trends in the “economy – education – digitalization – national security” chain

Purpose. To identify the current level and trends of convergence to justify the directions of adjustment of approaches to the management of the national economy. Methodology. The methodological basis of the study is economic and mathematical modelling using Barro-regression and variational analysis. Integral indicators for the characteristics of the components of the studied chain are defined as the arithmetic mean of partial indicators of economic development (24 indicators), educational development (28 indicators), digitalization (12indicators) and national security (53 indicators), normalized by the method of natural normalization. To assess the pairwise, triple and complex convergent relationships in the studied chain, a multiplicative convolution of the corresponding integral indicators characterizing a pair, triple or four of the studied concepts, was performed. The sample consisted of 11 countries from Central and Eastern Europe (Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine). The research period includes 19992020. Findings. The existence of dynamic convergent links in the national security digitalization, education national security digitalization chains is confirmed, which indicates the need for further interstate integration of regulatory practices in the field of digitalization impact on the national security (including digital education effects). The links in the economy education, economy national security, education national security, economy education national security chains have a fairly high static level of convergence, which indicates the need to level the differences in national practices of regulation of these directions. At the same time, current trends in the digitalization of education and the digitalization of the economy remain quite diversified, which determines the need to apply specific national government practices in this area. Originality. Methodological principles of integrated assessment of convergent relationships in the economy education national security digitalization chain differ from the existing ones by using integrated indicators of characteristics of single, pair, triple and complex relationships within the studied chain to determine the levels of their - and -convergence. This allowed identifying the presence of the achieved level of convergence and dynamic convergent trends that arise in the process of economic and educational transformations in the context of overcoming security challenges in the national economy in the context of digitalization. Practical value. The achieved significant level of convergence of the economy, education and digitalization of the studied countries has been revealed, as well as stable convergent links of integrated development of their economy, education and national security have been formed. The results obtained can be used as a scientific substantiation of adjustment of directions of state regulation of economy and education in the conditions of digitalization and in the context of overcoming security challenges.