On 9th September 2025, Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ), Rajasthan, India, hosted a guest lecture and workshop titled “From Blogs to Papers: Building Skills for Ethical and Engaged Writing.” The session was delivered by Ms Lavanya Gupta, Blog Editor at the Regional Studies Association (RSA), and drew over 65 participants, including undergraduates, master’s students, PhD scholars, […]
For centuries, Mumbai’s Koli fishing communities have sustained a way of life shaped by the tides, their Koliwadas (कोळीवाडा, Marathi for hamlet of the Kolis) functioning as self-contained maritime regions with distinct cultural, linguistic, and economic rhythms. These settlements, which are now under pressure from coastal reclamation and urban expansion, illustrate both their deep historical […]
The concept of Quyu (区域) in China Across policy and academic debates, regions are increasingly recognised as key arenas for addressing climate change, demographic shifts, and economic transitions. In Western contexts, they are often conceptualised as functional economic spaces shaped by inter-firm trade, labour mobility, supply-chain integration, or as outcomes of local agency where regional […]
Development History: A Multi-Dimensional Region Centred on Shanghai In the Chinese context, as urban spatial patterns and governance systems evolve, the concept of “region” increasingly exhibits multi-dimensional and dynamic characteristics, especially prominent in Shanghai and its surrounding areas. Shanghai is one of China’s four municipalities directly under the central government and a core city of […]
The Regional Studies Association invites contributions for a special issue of our blog focused on Asian Perspectives on Regional Development. This initiative seeks to explore how regions are conceptualized, governed, and experienced across diverse Asian contexts through place-based terminologies and frameworks. This special issue aims to uncover the rich tapestry of regional concepts embedded in […]
Prof. Liu graduated from the National University of Singapore and has been with the School of Tourism Management at Sun Yat-sen University since 2013. He currently serves as Assistant Dean of the School and holds the title of Yat-sen Pioneer Scholar. His research spans regional studies, globalization, industrial upgrading, and AI/big data applications, across the […]
Prof. Liu graduated from the National University of Singapore and has been with the School of Tourism Management at Sun Yat-sen University since 2013. He currently serves as Assistant Dean of the School and holds the title of Yat-sen Pioneer Scholar. His research spans regional studies, globalization, industrial upgrading, and AI/big data applications, across the […]
Kantha, a traditional embroidered quilt from Bengal (now divided between Bangladesh and West Bengal, India), historically represented women’s domestic artistry through distinctive running stitches and colored motifs on layered muslin garments. There is a growing demand for commercial Kantha textiles in conditions of the ‘market,’ driven primarily by NGO setups (Modak, 2021). These ‘marketable Kanthas‘ […]
The recent RSA China Division Annual Conference was a great success, with over 240 scholars from more than 80 prestigious Chinese universities participating. The conference featured 19 parallel sessions and six keynote speeches delivered by renowned scholars, including Fulong Wu and Canfei He. Zhouying Song gave a presentation introducing RSA and played a video message […]
I recently read an article on the SDG goal of zero hunger among nations. It made me realize that after the pandemic, people were able to have control over their consumption to ensure that everyone in the family was fed correctly. It can be challenging for those from a less privileged community to fairly divide […]
Lavanya is a rural geographer and PhD scholar at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India, where she examines the intersections of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community development in the Himalayan region. Her doctoral research in Munsiyari, Kumaon, explores how cultural entrepreneurship initiatives catalyze rural regeneration. Her previous works investigated pathways for rebuilding rural spaces with women’s […]
Lavanya is a rural geographer and PhD scholar at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India, where she examines the intersections of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community development in the Himalayan region. Her doctoral research in Munsiyari, Kumaon, explores how cultural entrepreneurship initiatives catalyze rural regeneration. Her previous works investigated pathways for rebuilding rural spaces with women’s […]
We would like to welcome Mengdi Wang as the new Secretary of the RSA China Division. Dr. Mengdi Wang graduated with a BSc in Geographical Science from Wuhan University and earned her PhD in Human Geography from the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her research focuses […]
This blog was written for the RSA Blog Student Summer Series that will highlight graduate student success in regional studies across the globe throughout the summer. We have witnessed many instances of migration and displacement due to conflicts, violence or genocide in the modern world. It has caused much harm to lives, property and […]
In the last two decades, there has been a considerable shift in the patterns of global growth in terms of trade and investment from the “Global North” towards the “Global South” economies particularly Brazil, China and India. However, as a flip side, these upsurged developments and growth are imposing the environmental cost across the globe […]
The advent of technology and concomitant digitalisation has unleashed new business models and working arrangements in urban centres. The gig and platform economy are at the heart of this structural transformation of jobs, disrupting sectors like ride-hailing transport services, education, home services, food delivery, retail, logistics and so on. I refer to this as ‘Digihenheimer’- […]
Professor Shenjing He joined the Department of Urban Planning and Design at The University of Hong Kong in January 2015. She served as Associate Dean (Research Postgraduate Studies) for the Faculty of Architecture at HKU from January 2020 to August 2021. Prior to joining HKU, she was Professor and Assistant Dean at the School of Geography […]
Professor Shenjing He joined the Department of Urban Planning and Design at The University of Hong Kong in January 2015. She served as Associate Dean (Research Postgraduate Studies) for the Faculty of Architecture at HKU from January 2020 to August 2021. Prior to joining HKU, she was Professor and Assistant Dean at the School of Geography […]
Alex Shuai Shi is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Real Estate and Construction of the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR; Deputy Director of the surveying undergraduate program; Fellow of HKU Urban System Institute and Real Estate Lab. He also holds an HKU-Cambridge Hughes Hall visiting fellowship. As an urban economist, his research […]
To better serve the strategic goals and demands of the high-quality regional development and promote innovative development in the area of regional research, the Regional Studies Association China Division and Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University will hold the 2023 RSA China Division Annual Conference from December 1st to December 3rd 2023, at the […]
Michael Dunford is a Visiting Professor, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Emeritus Professor, School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, and Managing Editor of Area Development and Policy. He graduated with B.Sc in Geography and M.Sc in Quantitative Economics from the University of Bristol. His interests are […]
This blog was written for the RSA Blog Student Summer Series that will highlight graduate student success in regional studies across the globe throughout the summer. In the era of globalization, innovative development and the artificial intelligence revolution have transformed the global economy. Economists have long viewed technological progress and innovation as dominant economic […]
In India, the 1993-94 constitutional amendments extended the state’s and local government’s role in the investment-related decision-making powers to improve their economic performance. A significant reason behind such an unprecedented rise of decentralization reforms is associated with the long-term outcome of regional economic growth. This transition towards market-oriented resource allocation from centralized planning has enhanced […]