V. Working Group on Regional Development and Inter-regional Cooperation
WG Assistant Coordinator:
Diana Stirbu, London Metropolitan University, London, UK
E-mail: D.Stirbu@londonmet.ac.uk
Goals of the WG activity is to research both in theoretical way and in best practices the problems of governance and development on the regional level. The problems of inter-regional cooperation are vital for recent economic, political, cultural reality of Eastern Europe, and to find the best theoretical and practical decisions for elimination of the tensions between different regions, to establish the cooperation of regions can be recognized as the top priorities for Public Administration and Public Policy nowadays.
Possible topics for discussion , that are based on present objective conditions of regional development, are:
· Regionalism and regionalization in the context of globalization: driving forces, differences, background;
· Best practices and mechanisms for sustainable regional development;
· The models of regional governance;
· Inter-regional networks;
· Regional identities;
· Strategy for successful economic development of regions: cooperation, or autonomy?
· Territorial differences and regional heterogeneity: EU and EU neighbors;
· Possibilities and different schemes of cooperation between heterogeneous regions, out of EU, and EU regions with non-EU regions.
The benefits for practice and scholarship that can be achieved through WG activity, include but are not limited by the description of the best practices of inter-regional cooperation and development, and by exploring new models of territorial governance. Such a theme is highly significant for NISPAcee countries, especially given the current levels of political and socio-cultural diversity of its regions.