FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE TRANSITION TO A GREEN ECONOMY AND THEIR ECONOMIC SUBSTANCE
Abstract
This paper examines the economic substance of the financial resources of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the context of Uzbekistan's transition to a green economy. It draws a clear distinction between three concepts that are often used interchangeably - financial sources, financial resources, and financial funds - and classifies HEI financial resources into six groups: state-commissioned places (state grants), tuition-contract fees, grants, sponsorship, research projects, and own revenues. For each group, the paper identifies its role in financing the green transformation and the risks it carries. As a contribution to the literature, the paper proposes classifying a set of innovative, repayable and performance-linked financing channels - green bonds, green revolving funds, energy service contracts, international climate grants, “1+1” partnerships with innovation-support funds, crowdfunding, public-private partnerships, and a green-oriented adaptation of the targeted teaching-laboratory fund and HEI-enterprise partnership model proposed by Turobova, Giyazova and Qodirov (2018) - as a distinct “seventh group of resources.” The paper also develops indicators for assessing the diversification of financial sources and innovative financing capacity, and offers recommendations for financing the “green” HEI.Keywords
higher education, financial resources, financial autonomy, tuition contract, state grant, green economy, diversification, sustainable financing
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