Elisabete Martins
Portuguese Review of Regional Studies (RPER): Nº 73 (2026) is already available!
No. 73 (2026): Portuguese Review of Regional Studies
Editor-in.Chef: José Cadima Ribeiro
Co-Editors: Conceição Rego e João Marques
Full Issue
Technical Information
Articles
Call for papers: Special Session "Happiness Economics: Moving beyond GDP to reverse the joyless economy" and "Economic Geography: Regions in transformation. Development Traps, Narrative Fallacies and New Perspectives". Deadline January 31st 2026
Call for Papers
Special Sessions "Happiness Economics: Moving beyond GDP to reverse the joyless economy" (organized by Dimitris Ballas, Martijn Burger, Spyridon Stavropoulos),and "Economic Geography: Regions in transformation. Development Traps, Narrative Fallacies and New Perspectives" (organized by Elli Papastergiou, Dimitris Ballas and Anastasia Panori). Deadline January 31st 2026.
These Special Sessions are part of the 10th International Conference on Applied Theory, Macro and Empirical Finance (AMEF). https://amef.uom.gr/, April 6th - 7th. University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece
SS: "Happiness Economics: Moving beyond GDP to reverse the joyless economy"
It’s been half a century since Richard Easterlin introduced his famous paradox about happiness and income in his 1974 article, and Tibor Scitovsky incorporated psychological concepts and insights into economics in his seminal book ‘The Joyless Economy’ (1976). Since then, the interdisciplinary science of well-being has been expanding rapidly towards a broader understanding of social welfare and progress. Today, this approach is more relevant than ever. Societies, amidst a global polycrisis, face a range of challenges whose implications for people’s life satisfaction and happiness are poorly captured by monetary indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Ecosystem degradation, the climate crisis, and resource exploitation, mental health challenges that reach epidemic levels (including depression, stress, loneliness, and burnout), and rising interpersonal, intra-urban, and inter-territorial inequalities, interact and impose a substantial human and economic cost for societies (WHO, 2025; World Economic Forum, 2025; OECD, 2024; OECD, 2025).
These intertwined challenges underline the limits of growth-oriented paradigms and the need for policy frameworks that are not only concerned with traditional economic outcomes but also account for real quality of life impacts. While advances in well-being research have produced several tools, their systematic integration into public policy and planning still lags behind across regions and spatial scales.
This call invites contributions that advance the measurement, analysis, and governance of wellbeing beyond GDP. We welcome theoretical, empirical, and methodological work that engages with subjective well-being and its determinants, including spatial and social inequalities, urban and regional dynamics, environmental sustainability, and policy design. Submissions may draw from economics, geography, urban studies, psychology, public health, environmental sciences and related disciplines
For more info see https://www.linkedin.com/posts/elli-papastergiou-521b1186_amef2026-happiness-beyondgdp-activity-7410287336611123200-9MGa/
SS: "Economic Geography: Regions in transformation. Development Traps, Narrative Fallacies and New Perspectives"
Regions across the globe are urged to transform to keep up with an increasingly competitive development paradigm. The pace imposed by technological and economic change frequently outstrips the institutional, financial, and social capacities of regions to respond, reinforcing forms of vulnerability and uneven development. These dynamics are commonly interpreted as evidence of enduring development traps that often go hand in hand with heightened feelings of left-behindness, despair, and fatalism that translate into political discontent. At the same time, critical perspectives question whether such diagnoses reflect structural constraints or narrative constructions that shape spatial imaginaries that inform governance choices. Limited collective capacity to imagine alternative regional features restricts the emergence of new forms of development, as well as disputing or recombining of existing ones.
We invite contributions that address the conceptual, empirical, and political dimensions of regional transformation. These may include, but are not limited to:
- Left-behindness, political discontent, and regional identities
- Conceptual and empirical assessments of development traps in regional contexts
- The role of spatial imaginaries in shaping regional policy and governance
- The performative effects of development paradigms, indicators, and benchmarks
- Interactions between innovation advancements, institutional capacity, and uneven development
For more info see https://www.linkedin.com/posts/elli-papastergiou-521b1186_spatial-geography-amef2026-activity-7409190818542075904-_TM3/
ERSA2026 Call for Abstracts (and) Papers in now OPEN!
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Obituary: Plinio Esteban Ramirez Alvarez
In the first week of January, we received a tragic news. On Dec. 14, 2025 Dr. Plinio Esteban Ramirez Alvarez sadly passed away, aged just 44.
Plinio worked at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), Paraguay, as Docente Investigador de la Carrera de Licenciatura en Administración Agropecuaria. Eduardo met Plinio years ago, as his career path brought him to Brazil, where he obtained a BA in Agricultural Economics from the Universidade Federal do Ceará, and where he obtained a Ph.D. in Agribusiness from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul.
Plinio has played a very active role in connecting the RSAI to the Paraguay institute where he worked. The main technical channel connecting his university with regional science was through the use of Input-Output models. In March 2023, the RSAI organized a summer school entitled “Regional Analysis of Input-output: Applications for Paraguay”, where local students and scholars attended classes that eventually led to the generation of the first regional IO table for the Country of Paraguay. Local staff was incredibly hospitable, and laughs and talks were not missed. One of the highlights of the summer school was a soccer game played between the home team and a mix of RSAI instructors. In the picture below, Plinio is the tenth player from the left, standing up. The RSAI team wears a black and green shirt gently provided by Eduardo Haddad, with the colors of his favorite Brazilian team (América Futebol Clube from Minas Gerais). The game was fair and hard-fought, and ended up with a sumptuous barbecue offered by UNA colleagues.
We stand shocked by the sudden news. Plinio fought bravely and with a smile on his face, the same we will remember him for, against a kidney disease. He sure will be missed, and remembered, by all who had the luck to know him.
New Issue: Regional Science Policy & Practice | Volume 18, Issue 1, January 2026
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Book Reviews
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Special Issue Editorial
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RSAI NNT2026 | Call for Applications: CITY-FOCUS Spring School 2026, 14-18 April 2026 Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania
Call for Applications – Spring School 2026
“Building Knowledge, Shaping Cities: Nurturing Young Researchers in Urban Science”
14–18 April 2026 | Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania
About the Spring School
The Centre for European Studies (CSE) at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași is delighted to announce the Spring School 2026, supported by the RSAI Nurturing Talent Program. This intensive training program is designed to support early-stage researchers through lectures, analytical workshops, and interactive discussions on urban resilience, spatial modeling,
and urban data collection.
The event will bring together leading international scholars and emerging researchers to explore the complexities of contemporary urban transformations.
Program Highlights
Participants will engage in:
- Lectures by internationally renowned experts
- Methodological workshops (GIS, spatial modelling, academic writing)
- Field visits and guided tours on urban regeneration
- Research presentations with feedback from senior scholars
Confirmed Lecturers
- Özge ÖNER – Cambridge University
- Andrés RODRÍGUEZ-POSE – London School of Economics
- Fernando RUBIERA MOROLLÓN – University of Oviedo
- Vinko MUŠTRA – University of Split
…alongside members of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University research community.
Who Should Apply?
- PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior researchers (with less than 5 years of research experience since PhD award);
- Working on topics related to digitalization, smart development, smart cities, and other urban science challenges
- Maximum 25 participants will be accepted. The Spring School aims for international diversity and gender, age, and regional balance.
Why Apply?
- Access to cutting-edge methodologies in urban and regional science
- Guidance from internationally recognized experts
- Opportunities for academic networking
- A stimulating environment for refining research and publication strategies
- Hands-on field experience in urban regeneration
- A friendly atmosphere fostering international exchange
Application & Selection
Applicants must submit: a short CV and a research project summary
Registration
Participation fee: €200
- Accommodation for 5 nights (shared room, breakfast included)
- Lunches and coffee breaks
- Welcome reception, official dinner, closing reception, and social events
Key Dates
- Application deadline: 1 February 2026
- Notification of acceptance: 10 February 2026
- Payment deadline: 27 February 2026
Web page: https://city-focus.uaic.ro/school.htm
RSAI NNT2026 | Call for Applications: CITY-FOCUS Spring School 2026, 14-18 April 2026 Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania
Call for Applications – Spring School 2026
“Building Knowledge, Shaping Cities: Nurturing Young Researchers in Urban Science”
14–18 April 2026 | Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania
About the Spring School
The Centre for European Studies (CSE) at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași is delighted to announce the Spring School 2026, supported by the RSAI Nurturing Talent Program. This intensive training program is designed to support early-stage researchers through lectures, analytical workshops, and interactive discussions on urban resilience, spatial modeling,
and urban data collection.
The event will bring together leading international scholars and emerging researchers to explore the complexities of contemporary urban transformations.
Program Highlights
Participants will engage in:
- Lectures by internationally renowned experts
- Methodological workshops (GIS, spatial modelling, academic writing)
- Field visits and guided tours on urban regeneration
- Research presentations with feedback from senior scholars
Confirmed Lecturers
- Özge ÖNER – Cambridge University
- Andrés RODRÍGUEZ-POSE – London School of Economics
- Fernando RUBIERA MOROLLÓN – University of Oviedo
- Vinko MUŠTRA – University of Split
…alongside members of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University research community.
Who Should Apply?
- PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior researchers (with less than 5 years of research experience since PhD award);
- Working on topics related to digitalization, smart development, smart cities, and other urban science challenges
- Maximum 25 participants will be accepted. The Spring School aims for international diversity and gender, age, and regional balance.
Why Apply?
- Access to cutting-edge methodologies in urban and regional science
- Guidance from internationally recognized experts
- Opportunities for academic networking
- A stimulating environment for refining research and publication strategies
- Hands-on field experience in urban regeneration
- A friendly atmosphere fostering international exchange
Application & Selection
Applicants must submit: a short CV and a research project summary
Registration
Participation fee: €200
- Accommodation for 5 nights (shared room, breakfast included)
- Lunches and coffee breaks
- Welcome reception, official dinner, closing reception, and social events
Key Dates
- Application deadline: 1 February 2026
- Notification of acceptance: 10 February 2026
- Payment deadline: 27 February 2026
Web page: https://city-focus.uaic.ro/school.htm
ERSA Monthly E-news - December 2025
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Indonesian Section | CALL FOR PAPERS: Indonesian Section | 21st IRSA International Conference in Bandar Lampung, 6–7 July 2026
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Indonesian Regional Science Association (IRSA), in collaboration with the University of Lampung, invites scholars, practitioners, and students to submit papers to be presented in the 21st IRSA International Conference. The theme of the conference is Driving Regional Transformation: Synergizing Innovation, Connectivity, and Social Inclusion in Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Forestry, and it will be held in Bandar Lampung, Lampung, on 6-7 July 2026.
Potential topics to be discussed in the conference include, but are not limited to:
- Regional Development and Innovation in the Agricultural, Aquaculture and Forestry Sectors
- Domestic Trade, Connectivity, and Sustainable Local Economies
- Strengthen Trade Resilience and Inter-Region and Country Cooperation
- Unemployment, Social Challenges, and Labor Migration
- Tourism and Community Development
- Natural Resources, Economic Growth, and Poverty
- Institutional Innovations and Collaborative Mechanisms for Sustainable Regional Economies
- Digital Transformation in Finance and Economic Development
- Strengthening Tax Policy and Local Government Revenue to Accelerate Regional Growth
- Policy Frameworks and Implementation Strategies to Advance Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
- New Approaches in Regional Science
An extended paper abstract of about 500 words should be submitted online via http://www.conftool.com/irsa2026 by 2 March 2026.
The abstract should consist of background, data and methodology, potential contributions, and keywords. Abstracts must be submitted in English, as also the full paper.
Paper sessions are seminar-style for each paper and allow ample time for discussion and for participants to provide constructive feedback to authors. Paper presentations will be in English.
For further details about the conference, please visit: https://lampung2026.irsa.or.id/
Submission deadline extended to January 5, 2026, for the Special Session Proposals for the 2026 RSAI World Congress!
Dear Colleagues,
We hope this email finds you all well.
RSAI and the LOC are fully immersed in the organization of the 15th edition of the RSAI World Congress "Wellbeing and Sustainability: Regional Science Discussions at the Earth’s Core", that will take place in Quito, Ecuador (June 9th to 12th June, 2026) (https://www.regionalscience.org/index.php/congress.html)
Although we have received already a significant number of proposals to organize Special Sessions, following some requests the RSAI and the LOC have decided to extend the deadline for submissions to January 5th, 2026.
If you are interested in organizing a Special Session, please do get in touch with the congress secretariat (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) as soon as possible with your proposal (https://www.regionalscience.org/2026RSAIcongress/special-sessions.html )
Thank you in advance for your attention and we look forward to seeing you in Quito!
Dr Ana Viñuela
RSAI Executive Director
Associate Professor, Applied Economics Department
REGIOlab, University of Oviedo, Spain
European Project EXIT (https://www.exit-project.eu/)
About Us
The Regional Science Association International (RSAI), founded in 1954, is an international community of scholars interested in the regional impacts of national or global processes of economic and social change.