Call for papers: Interdisciplinary connections between history & regional studies

The RSA Research Network on Regional Economic and Policy History (ReHi) organizes a workshop at The Barlett School of Planning, University College London (UCL) between April 25-26, 2017.

The past plays a crucial role in understanding, developing and implementing regional economic development policies. History reveals path dependencies in regions' economies and informs about the successes and failures of policy instruments. As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Regional Studies Association, the RSA Research Network on Regional Economic and Policy History (ReHi) has been funded for the period 2017-2019. The main objective of the network is to explore what a historic perspective may contribute to regional studies as well as current regional policy-making and how approaches and methodologies used by historians can be better integrated in the regional studies.

Format of the workshop

The start meeting should create a basic level of interdisciplinary connections on which can be built during the subsequent workshops. On the afternoon of Tuesday 25 April the discussion will start on key notes delivered by, amongst others, a local host John Tomaney, UCL as well as Joan R. Roses, LSE who will speak about long-term economic development in regions. In the morning and early-afternoon of 26 April 2017 it will be continued with 6 to 8 individual papers from researchers in several stages of their career. Hopefully at least one or more PhD-students which we can offer travel bursaries can be scheduled. Especially (but not exclusively) invited applicants:

• Economic geographers, human geographers, political scientists economists and sociologists who include historical perspectives in their work
• Economic historians, political historians, urban historians working on urban and regional development and researchers who focus on territorial policy history

Those research approaches and case-studies are especially invited that helps to get insight in the ontological and methodological similarities and differences between historical and regional studies. Many historians tend to work inductively, whereas regional studies are mostly theory driven. Nevertheless, there are numerous similarities between research approaches which will be presented and debated in the start meeting of the RSA research Network on Regional Economic and Policy History.

Abstract submission

Please send an abstract of about 250 words and a short bio with full contact details before 10 March 2017 to the key contact name of the network: Marijn Molema, m.molema@fryske-akademy.nl.

Call for paper (Download)