I. Field
of Research.
The problems of regionalization and inter-regional
cooperation have been concentrated recently on issues of territorial
governance, sustainable development of territories, and intra- and
extra-territorial connections both for EU members and non-EU countries of
Eastern Europe and Central Asia. To identify best practices and models of
regional development and to discover how it is possible to apply the best
practices for different cases, can be seen as a significant part of the
solution for the problems of regional development and inter-regional
cooperation.
This field of research will provide an excellent focus
for discussion of the diverse needs of the varied regions of Russia,
Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and other countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
A possible title of WG could be be "Regional development and Inter-regional
Cooperation”
II. Background
Information about the Working Group
Great interest to participate in the researching of
theoretical and practical problems in the area of regional development was
shown by colleagues from Central and Eastern Europe during the last two annual
NISPACee conferences. The great success of the Belgrade conference was its
concentration on the problem of Regionalization and Inter-regional
Cooperation. This led to the initial establishment of our working group "Governance of Territories and Regional
Development: Best Concepts and Practices” during the Budapest NISPA conference
at May 2014, which collected over 15
abstracts, 8 of which were reported during the conference. Among the
researchers were representatives of UK, Russia, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania,
Poland. Papers presented tackled a wide
range of issues, including the methodologies of measurement of regional development,
and the evaluation of the effectiveness
of development strategies and plans. Institutional frameworks, including
governance arrangements were also a focus of study, with cases examining the
impact of different forms of decentralization and devolution on regional
development. Papers with a comparative focus examined variations in regional
development policies across and between different EU member states. These and
other themes themes are likely to be of continued wide appeal and
relevance to NISPACee members.
A further attractive feature of the papers presented was
the combination of disciplines offered by the researchers, including papers by
economists, political scientists and public administration experts.
On the base of positive results of last two years, we
would like to propose the establishment of this Working Group and that we should continue to explore the topic
of regional development during the next years.
III. Goals and Objectives
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.