Regional Science Groningen is a joint research and education group of the Faculties of Spatial Sciences and the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Groningen. Chairman of the department of Economic Geography is Prof. Dr. Jouke van Dijk, who is also President of the European Regional Science Association for the period 2014-2018. The research group contains several of the most cited and leading academics in regional science. Groningen also hosts the 2017 ERSA congress.

Research in Regional Science within both faculties has been concerned with issues of regional development and globalization, wellbeing, entrepreneurship, migration and mobility, spatial inequality, innovation, agglomeration, regional labour markets, urban economics, input-output analysis, demography, as well as property markets and real estate economics.

Regional Science Groningen offers top study programmes in regional sciences. The Faculty of Economics and Business is both AACSB accredited as well as EQUIS accredited. The combination of the EQUIS and AACSB accreditations is only reserved for one percent of business schools worldwide. Recently, the Master in Real Estate Studies has been RICS accredited. The Master Economic Geography offers a special interdisciplinary track focused on Regional Competitiveness and Trade.

There are around 30 faculty members involved in Regional Science research. They are at the centre of a larger group involving postgraduate researchers and PhD students. The research conducted at the University of Groningen appears in top international Regional Science, Economics, and Geography journals and its quality – as well as the standing of University researchers – has been recognized by numerous international awards and prizes.

Much of the research developed in Regional Science at the University of Groningen has important policy implications. This is reflected in the key roles played by researchers as advisers and consultants to numerous international organisations and government departments and the private sector. 

Programs and Degrees in Regional Science

Research program: towards Well-being, Innovation and Spatial Transformation (tWIST) Research: Urban and Regional Studies Institute (URSI) Phd: Graduate School of Spatial Sciences Master degree programs Bachelor degree programs	Research: SOM Research Institute Phd: Graduate School of Economics and Business Master degree programs Bachelor degree programs

Thesis on Regional Science in the last five years

2016

Fahmi, F. Z. - Ph.D. -Creative industries and regional economic development in Indonesia: Meanings, patterns and impacts

J. van Dijk & S. Koster

Modrego Benito, F. A. - Ph.D. - Entrepreneurial Regions: Causes and Consequences of the Spatial Variation of Entrepreneurship

P. McCann, M.R. Olfert & W.E. Foster

Daams, M. N. - Ph.D. - Rethinking the economic valuation of natural land: Spatial analyses of how deeply people value nature in rural areas and in cities

J. van Dijk, D. Strijker & F. Sijtsma

2015

Suparman, Y. - Ph.D. - Controlling omitted variables and measurement errors by means of constrained autoregression and structural equation modeling: Theory, simulations and application tomeasuring household preference forin-house piped water in Indonesia

J. van Dijk, H. Folmer, A. van der Vlist

Crowley, F. - Ph.D. - Empirical explorations of firm innovation, government intervention and firm performance in European countries

P. McCann & J. van Dijk

Delfmann, H. - Ph.D. - Understanding entrepreneurship in the local context: Population decline, ageing and density

P. McCann, J. van Dijk & S. Koster

Chen, Q. - Ph.D. - The role of household consumption in the Chinese economy: Input-output analyses

E. Dietzenbacher & B. Los

2014

Li, Z. - Ph.D. - Valuing the welfare effects of air pollution in the Jinchuan mining area

H. Folmer & J. Xue

Oumer, A. - Ph.D. - The role of economic integration for European cities and border regions

H. Garretsen, Harry, S. Brakman, Steven & M. Gerardus

2013

Hoogstra, G. J. - Ph.D. - Location changes of jobs and people: Analyses of population-employment interactions and impacts of gender and geography

J. van Dijk & R.J.G.M. Florax

Bijker, R. A. - Ph.D. - Migration to less popular rural areas: the characteristics, motivations and search process of migrants

D. Strijker & T. Haartsen

Pei, J. - Ph.D. - Trade, growth, regions, and the environment: Input-output analyses of the Chinese economy

J. Oosterhaven & H.W.A. Dietzenbacher

2012

Markantoni, M. - Ph.D. - Side activities by non-farmers: in search of personal and rural development

D. Strijker & S. Koster

Venhorst, V. - Ph.D. - Smart move? The spatial mobility of higher education: the spatial mobility of higher education graduates

J. van Dijk & L. van Wissen

Regional Science Scholars’

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