Regional universities as creators of an inter-state knowledge
The closing event of the project “UNIREG IMPULSE” of the Hungary-Croatia Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 was held at the Main Hall of the Municipality of Baranya County in Pécs on the 4th of May, 2011. During the conference titled “The regional development role of universities”, besides the presentation of the general results and activities related to the programme, the four working groups (spatial and strategic planning, rural development, environmental protection, university knowledge transfer) also presented the theme-specific results and experiences of their 16-month-long research. The presentations of invited speakers sharing with participants their practical experiences and realisations further raised the standard of this event.
Book on “Regional Transformation Processes in the Western Balkan Countries” published
The collapse of Yugoslavia added a new dimension to the problem of regional inequalities. Becoming former regions to independent states resulted in territorial changes. The disparities between smaller areas within the new countries became more apparent. Serious problems were posed by the new state organisation also. During the initial phases of the organisation of the new state formations, spatial aspects were obviously neglected. The book analyses the spatial structure of the countries of the Western Balkans as well as the factors contributing to this. It gives an overview of the more typical features of different periods in the transformation of the area, undertakes an evaluation of the effects of regional disparities and outlines the development perspectives for the region. The book is a result of the joint cooperation of the OECD LEED (Centre for Local Development) Trento and the Centre for Regional Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The recently published book was edited by Gyula Horváth and Zoltán Hajdú.
