The aim of the present article is to analyze higher education financing models and their characteristics in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (the CEE countries). To obtain research results, the authors have analyzed the existing higher education financing models of each CEE country. In the course of research, the authors have developed the formulas that most comprehensively characterize the financing policy and its specific features of each higher educational establishment in the CEE countries. The existing differences in the higher education establishment financing models in the CEE countries regarding state direct and indirect financing have been discovered. Differences in the volume of financial support, study crediting systems, and tuition fees in different CEE countries have also been identified. However, despite the differences in the sources of direct and indirect financing observed in the CEE countries, numerous common mid-term tasks have been set, such as: 1) increase of the state funding for higher education; 2) granting of larger autonomy in financial resource management; 3) ensuring of direct correlation between performance results and the allocated funding; 4) promotion of diversification of the sources of finance, as well as establishment of cooperation among research institutions, enterprises and municipalities. The authors have concluded that higher education establishments in the CEE countries should purposefully improve the efficiency of financial management systems, in such a way approaching the level of the leading EU and world universities in the globalized economy.

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Currently, in the world there is a growing interest in the digital economy including the blockchain technology. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is one of the leading current blockchain technology-related trends. The paper aims to provide an overview of the opportunities, advantages and shortcomings of this technology, as well as to summarize information on 12 most popular DeFi applications, using Total Value Locked indicators for the period of 34 months.

Strategic purchasing is a significant part of any health policy and health financing reform, which theoretically may have an impact on optimization of cost-effective provision of health care services while simultaneously maximizing population health. The payment model has a direct impact on the delivery of health services. In Latvia, adoption of new purchasing procedures and criteria is one of the challenges that should be faced. The goal of this article is to identify the key determinants of the Latvian university ‘tertiary’ hospital behavior and, based on the international experience, propose a strategic purchasing model. In the paper, the authors use comparative analysis, empirical analysis, statistical data processing including the deductive and synthesis methods. The main proposals for future reforms and policy include decisions on selective contracting and the role of public and private service providers in the Latvian health care, with redefined access criteria based on population needs rather than historical supply, which aim at ensuring more equal access of providers. To ensure that university, quality service hospitals, are transparently rewarded with the capacity to provide appropriate research and education, re-invest in infrastructure and to reduce negative impact of fund allocation policy on treatment compliance, access and equity. Lessons for health policy reforms include a patient-purchaser interaction model with defined rights for patients and responsibilities for purchasers, a specific financing model to facilitate access to knowledge and provider decision autonomy. Analysis of strategic purchasing in several European counties demonstrates that the countries adopt various approaches thereto. However, there are certain clearly identifiable common tendencies. Various approaches to strategic purchasing used across Europe indicate that reforms should be mainly focused on strengthening purchase ability to respond to consumer needs and establish more Cost-efficient contract with provider