1st Ibero- American Congress on Regional Development:

Global Standing and Strategies

and to the

17°     National Meeting on Regional Development in Mexico, AMECIDER 2012

 Mexico City

MEXICO

September 3-6, 2012

CALL FOR PAPERS

I. JUSTIFICATION AND AIMS

1. As Ibero-Americans, and especially as Latin Americans, we are very concerned about the rapid pace of negative and positive changes the world is witnessing in the process of globalization and in the shifting role of its regions and supra regions. Such concern includes the nature of the crisis that exploded in September 2008. Indeed, it directly hit the USA, but is expanding throughout the globe. Furthermore, there are other sources of general worry such as environmental pollution, natural and social disasters, as well as deep social inequalities, massive migrations, terrorism of all kinds, unemployed youth, etc.

2. As Latin Americans who share a large set of values, we wish to gather and start a process of deep thinking in the reactivation of our identity and knowledge as a large region of the planet.  We belong to a territory of people that needs to have a voice and say, and a strategy of its own, in the context of the world scenario.

3. On these issues we would like to confront ourselves, our history, and our knowledge, with the range of alternatives that the world can present to us. In our Congress, we wish to invite not only Ibero-Americans, but also European, Asian and North American colleagues to mutually share our views and to foster the discussion regarding our situation in the global era.

4. Our expectations are that the present Congress will take place on a regular basis every two years (even years, i.e., 2014, 2016, etc). It shall be organized by one of the Ibero-American sections of the RSAI with the help of RSAmericas and, of course, with the support –formal or informal- of AMECIDER. Thus, it may become a good way for Latin American sections to maintain close contact and we also hope to strongly contribute to the creation of new RSAI sections in the countries lacking them. However, there is also a huge potential to enlarge the overall presence of regional science in the continent. An event like this one could be prove a great stimulus in this regards.

In accordance with the above, we launch the following CALL FOR PAPERS:

The Mexican Association of Sciences for Regional Development (AMECIDER)

and

The Regional Science Association International (RSAI)

call scholars, students, public officers, entrepreneurs, civic and political organizations, and public in general interested in regional development issues, to the

1st Ibero- American Congress on Regional Development:

Global Standing and Strategies

and to the

17°     National Meeting on Regional Development in Mexico, AMECIDER 2012

Mexico City

MEXICO

September 3-6, 2012

II. GENERAL APPROACH AND PROFILE

A. GENERAL APPROACH

It is of the utmost importance that we approach the idea of the present congress as the starting point of a series of congresses to be generated by this initiative. It should be flexible and adapted according to each specific circumstance. Yet its general approach is to be kept in order to really get deep-thinking into its key aims. Namely: (1) the standing of Ibero- America (regions and macro region) in the world, (2) the reactivation of our specificities and identities, (3) the pondering of medium and long term roles of its regions and the macro region in the era of globalization, (4) the establishment of a broad strategy for our macro and micro regions to a more effective role in the world context (economic, social, political and cultural).

B. GENERAL PROFILE

The general profile will be given by focalizing and connecting all themes and approaches under strategic viewpoints. Such emphasis will be placed in all papers on one or more of the following five aspects and three perspectives:

a. Emphases:

1. Open macro regional or sub national approaches

2. Synthetic approaches supported by data and case studies preferred to purely analytical ones

3. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches

4. Bottom-up approaches (social networks, civic organizations, popular movements)

5. Approaches that crisscross East/West and South/North relations

b. Perspectives:

All five points suppose an explicit effort to be more directly connected with:

1. Public policies,

2. Tradition and/or knowledge innovation,

3. The determination to develop –and/or adapt- theories, methodologies and concepts more suited with Ibero-American realities.

It should be clear that the General Approach and Profile (A and B) are, together with quality, the main criteria for accepting papers in any of the Theme Subjects.

III. PLENARY PANELS (through international panellists especially invited for the purpose)

1. Scope and significance of Ibero-American region(s)

2. Standing of Ibero-America in the world context

3. Ibero-American specificities: basic traits, challenges and potentials of the region(s)

4. Long, medium and short term strategies for Ibero-America and its regions

IV. THEME SUBJECTS AND SPECIAL FORA

A. THEME SUBJECTS (open to all accepted paper participants)

1. Ibero-American theories, methodologies and concepts for regional analysis in the face of globalization and the crisis

2. Regional blocs and regional agreements

3. Strategic potentials and opportunities for development

4. Biodiversity, energy types, and sustainable development

5. Finance and regional policy

6. Economic sectors and land use renewal

7. Urbanization and regional development

8. Population, poverty, and regional inequality

9. Democracy, social organization and politics

10. Technological innovation and endogenous development

11. Social constructions, history, and cultural, educational and gender diversity

B. SPECIAL FORA

1. Forum for dialogue between postgraduate programs linked to regional development.

- Addressed to postgraduate program coordinators, wishing to share and discuss their curricular programs, teaching, research lines and operational academic problems, as well as the impact on society.

- For more information, please write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2. Call for undergraduate students to participate in teams (maximum three students per team) in the 5th ebate-forum: “SALVADOR RODRIGUEZ Y RODRIGUEZ”. The aim is to foster research and academic debate among students.

- Participation is through collective essays dealing with the local, national or international perspective, referring to any of the Theme Subjects of the congress.

- The winning team will receive the “SALVADOR RODRIGUEZ” award.

- For participation requirements see AMECIDER’s web site.

V. TECHNICAL FORMALITIES, SPECIFICATIONS, FEES, DEADLINES AND PUBLICATIONS *1

A. Formalities

-      The maximum number of authors per paper is two. Any author may not register more than two papers,

-      Papers may be submitted in Spanish, English or Portuguese,

-      The first page of the paper should contain the following identification information: title, thematic axis, name (s) of author (s), the utilized working method (either completed research or essay in progress). Font: Arial 11 points, 1.5 interlined space,

-      The second sheet of paper will contain: title and abstract (maximum of 300 words, ended with at least three key words in the three accepted languages; font: Arial 11 points and 1.5 interlines space. Footnotes must include the following information of the author (s): academic degrees, institution (s) of affiliation, telephone and e-mail, in font: Arial 9 points, single and justified interlined space,

-      The extension of the paper will be between 15 and 20 pages, charts, schemes and maps included,

-      The paper (s) must be products of research and must not be published anywhere before.

B. Technical Specifications

-      Use Word processor, which saves files with extension .doc

-      Margins of 2.5 cm., without headers or frames

-      All texts written in Arial font

-      No special spaces between paragraphs

-      The full text will be justified to 11 points, using upper and lower case letters, no indentation and interlined of 1.5 cm., except the following cases:

-      References in Harvard style *2

-      The organizers will not check nor accept papers in the following cases:

All papers must be sent only to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with the special attention to the Academic Commission, who will review the received papers and will decide on the acceptances for them to be part of the Congress and Meeting programmes.

*1.- There is a file example in the link: http://www.amecider.org.mx/modelo-de-ponencia, which you may unload so as you can get the necessary support for it.

*2.- Please see: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estilo_Harvard_de_citas

C. Important Dates

-      The reception of papers will be at the moment of the publication of this Call up to May the 14th, 2012.There will not be any date extension.

-      The acceptance or not acceptance letters, as well as the information on the programme of participation will be sent to the authors not later than June the 15th, 2012.

-      The preliminary academic programme will be published in our Web site on July the 1st, 2012.

D. Publications

All accepted papers are refereed and they will be presented and published in an electronic book with ISBN.

E. Registration fees

The registration fees are individuals for every participant (either authors, or attendants) and they cover the right to obtain a copy of the working papers, academic and socio-cultural events and diplomas of participation. There will not be any of them for those who not pay the fees.

The registration fees have three modes of themselves according to the following times and payment procedures:

*3.- Those AMECIDER’s members with their fees updated will be liable of a 20% discount in the registration fees.

*4.- In the case of payments or transference from abroad, the transaction will be in Mexican Pesos at the exchange rate at the moment of the payment. There will be discounts of 20% for the participants coming from Central America and The Caribbean countries.

Payment procedure:

-      Please do a bank deposit to the account number: 00161646540 of BANCOMER, payable to the: Asociación Mexicana de Ciencias para el Desarrollo Regional, A. C., with your name (s) as a reference.

-      Send by E-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) a digital image of such a deposit that includes the name (s) you wish to enroll.

-      For the case of undergraduated students, they must include in their deposit copy attached, their up-to-date ID copy from the school where they are enrolled. The original will be required at the moment of their registration in the very event.

-      For the cases of electronic transferences of payments, please do it to the same account number (00161646540 of BANCOMER), CLABE: 012 180 00161646540 9, adding your name and e-mail address as a reference for your immediate receive notice.

-      Deliver personally your original payment deposit or a print of your electronic transference at the registry desk in the moment of the Congress/Meeting.

-      The direct payment in the Registry Desk will be only in cash and in Mexican Pesos

-      The official invoices will be sent at request at the Registry Desk in the days of the academic event. They will be sent by e-mail not later than one week after the Congress/Meeting finishes. There will not be invoicing in the days of the academic event.

VI. INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL AND ACADEMIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A. INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL

It is formed by the presidents or directors of each one of the convening and co-convening organizations (or the persons they delegate), plus the RSAI President and its immediate Past President.

B. EXECUTIVE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE

It is designated by the AMECIDER.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Ø  AMECIDER’s web page: www.amecider.org.mx

Ø AMECIDER’s office: Phone number: +52 (0155) 56230100, Ext. 42449 (Mr. Ivan Sanchez); and e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CO-CONVENING INSTITUTIONS

Argentinean Society of Regional Economics (SAER)

Brazilian Association of Regional Science (ABCR)

Chilean Society of Regional Studies (SOCHER)

Colombian Association of Regional Studies (ASCER)

Coordination of Humanities (CH-UNAM)

Institute of Economic Research (IIEc-UNAM)

National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)

Portuguese Association for Regional Development (APDR)

Regional Center for Multidisciplinary Research (CRIM-UNAM)

Regional Science Association of America (RSAmericas)

Spanish Association of Regional Science (AECR)

Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUAL)

University Programme of City Studies (PUEC-UNAM)