This International Women’s Day, the Regional Studies Association Women’s Network is taking a moment to celebrate the incredible community it has built since its founding in 2018. Born out of a shared vision by RSA members, the network has grown into a welcoming space where women working and studying across regional studies and science can […]
We are pleased to announce that the RSA Board have agreed funding for the RSA Research Network on Urban policy for the Sustainable Urban Manufacturing (UP-SUM). In times of climate crisis, digital transformation and the transition to a circular economy, we need to rethink the role of manufacturing in urbanised contexts. UP-SUM is an international […]
Regional Studies Association Student Representative Board Member An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic PhD Student to join the Board of the Regional Studies Association. The RSA is an established global Association, and a place on the Board offers the successful candidate the opportunity to engage with colleagues, including students and early career researchers, as well […]
The Regional Studies Association is pleased to announce the appointment of the new RSA Fellows (FeRSA) for 2026. RSA Fellows are individual members who have been dedicated members of the Regional Studies Association and are recognised for their innovation or service in the field of regional studies, their scholarly achievement, and contributions to the life […]
The RSA is delighted to announce the first tranche of Start-Up Grant awardees from the 2025 round. The Start-Up grant is an initiative designed to strengthen research capacity in emerging economies. The scheme supports early-stage projects led by regional and urban researchers who are members of the RSA in Bands C and D, helping them […]
At the RSA, we are committed to supporting the next generation of scholars and practitioners shaping the future of regional studies. Whether you’re a student, PhD candidate, or early career researcher, the RSA offers a wealth of opportunities to help you grow, connect, and thrive. Our programmes and initiatives are designed to build your skills, […]
We would like to welcome the new co-editors for Spatial Economic Analysis, a pioneering economics journal dedicated to the development of theory and methods in spatial economics, published by RSA and the RSAI-BIS. Alex Shuai Shi is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Real Estate and Construction of the University of Hong Kong, Hong […]
RSA Early Career Grant Scheme We are very pleased to announce the new Early Career Grant holders for the 2025 round. Congratulations to Conor O’Driscoll and Xuanyi Maxwell Nie. Read below to find out more about them and their projects. Project title: Stuck in Place: Unpacking Residential Immobility in the UK Dr. Conor O’Driscoll is […]
Following the departure of our CEO in mid-January, the RSA Board is pleased to announce that it has appointed an Interim Advisor to the Board to work on a temporary basis until a new Chief Executive is appointed. Sally Hardy has returned to the organisation to work with the staff team and the Board as […]
The Regional Studies Association is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our colleague, Stephen Ramos, on Tuesday, 20 January 2026. Stephen was a professor of urbanism in the College of Environment and Design at the University of Georgia, Athens, U.S.A, whose research focused on port cities, infrastructure, and logistics. Stephen was an active member […]
The plenary speakers for the 2026 RSA Annual Conference have now been announced, under the conference theme of ‘Regions as Arenas in a Changing World.’ The Opening Plenary ‘Regions as Arenas in a Changing World: Rethinking Spatial Theories‘ will kick things off with a rethink of spatial theories in an era shaped by AI, climate […]
2025 was a busy year for regional studies scholars and practitioners worldwide. From conferences and workshops to partnerships and research initiatives, the year reflected the continued relevance of regional studies in addressing pressing global and local challenges. Many regions helped celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the RSA. Across continents, RSA territories organised events and activities […]
The Regional Studies Association announces the departure of Alan Kinder as Chief Executive Officer of the RSA. We want to thank Alan for the role he played during his time as CEO, during which he oversaw an important number of important internal changes and helped to form the RSA’s strategy moving forward. We wish Alan […]
Having our journals online means articles are easier to access and have a smaller environmental footprint. To access journal content, please log in through RSA Lounge and head to the Publications tab. Here you can find the latest issues, articles, and journal updates. With improved search tools, quicker updates, and the flexibility to read anytime, […]
Regional Studies, Regional Science (RSRS) is an open access journal covering regional and urban issues in geography, economics, regional science, environmental studies, planning and governance. It explores a wide range of topics across the social sciences at various spatial scales, generally subnational (such as metropolitan regions and planning regions), but can cross jurisdictional boundaries (such […]
The Regional Studies Association (RSA) invites members, partners, and the wider regional research community to attend the public launch of the new 2026–2030 RSA Strategy in January 2026. This live online event will offer attendees a first look at the Association’s refreshed vision and priorities for the next four years, and provide an open forum […]
The global reach of policy and academic research on entrepreneurship by disabled people was the theme of the recent webinar on the Regional Studies Policy Impact Book: A Seat at the Table: A place for disabled entrepreneurs edited by Helen Lawton Smith, Connie L. McNeely, Jacqueline Winstanley, and Ayse Seyyide Kaptaner Demirhan. The Chair Alan […]
The RSA Board and staff at the RSA Office wish all our members and the wider regional studies community a very happy festive season and a peaceful start to 2026. We are excited about our programme of online and in-person events in 2026 and hope you can join us. These include free webinars, in-person conferences, […]
RSA Blog Series Call for Blogs Historical Regions: Same Place and Changing Policies, Politics and People Deadline: 20 December 2025 Introduction Across the world, regions are shaped not only by their contemporary boundaries but also by the layered traces of history, ambition, and governance. This blog series invites reflections on how the same place acquires […]
Watch as Lavanya Gupta, RSA Blog Editor, presents the 2025 RSA Best Blog Award to Ayush Srivastava and Asma Sayyad, both of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India, for their blog entitled Tide and Territory: Vernacular Regionality in Maharashtra’s Koli Fishing Communities.
The Regional Futures Conference 2025 took place in London this month, bringing together around 250 participants from 35 countries. Over two days, participants engaged in 47 parallel sessions, two plenary lectures, and two major panel sessions, exploring themes ranging from industrial investment and regional inequality to sustainable development, digital infrastructure, global value chains (GVCs), regional […]
Professor Philip McCann, Sir Terry Leahy Chair in Urban and Regional Economics at Alliance Manchester Business School and a leading researcher at the Productivity Institute, has been awarded the Walter Isard Award for Scholarly Achievement, the highest honour given by the North American Regional Science Council. McCann, a long-standing member and Fellow of the Regional […]
Ahead of the Regional Futures Conference, the RSA Women’s Network held a workshop on 12 November. This revolved all around tips for career development and planning. For the first time, the workshop was held as a hybrid event, with participants joining from all over the world as well as in person in London. The workshop […]
We are delighted to introduce the Regional Studies Association Knowbot to our website. You may have noticed a new “Have a question? Ask Knowbot” link at the top of our main webpages. This feature takes you directly to the RSA Knowbot, an AI-powered assistant designed to help you find information quickly and easily. Whether you […]