Analysis of the institutional building and sustainable development of higher education in transition economies

The scientific discussion regarding the processes of the origin, formation, sustainable development, and institutional change of economic institutions in transition economies took place almost simultaneously with the transition of these economies from the rails of the administrative-command platform to market forms of economic activity. Since then, it has been actively, continuously and quite sharply raised and discussed in a plethora of scientific publications on the problems of theory and practice of social and economic development using the examples of several countries. Despite the background and history of studying these processes that go almost thirty year back, economic science has not developed a common understanding and generally accepted system of interpretation and interpretation of this relevant phenomenon. This paper provides an analysis of the institutional building and sustainable development of higher education in transition economies. We use the examples of former socialist countries to show how the reforms of higher education intended to increase its competitiveness and international prestige, often backfired and led to institutional issues.