AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of RSAI-BIS is to promote the advancement and dissemination of regional science among academics and practitioners internationally. To this end its members develop internationally recognized regional science research in economics, geography, planning and others relevant disciplines, and contribute to topical regional discussions in the policy and business arenas.

This aim is advanced through:

• Hosting annual conferences to facilitate formal and informal networking among members.
• Encouraging members to submit papers to regional science journals, especially Spatial Economic Analysis.
• Seeking opportunities for publication of selected papers from the annual conference in regional science journals.
• Awarding the Moss Madden Memorial Medal for the best regional science article by a member each year.
• Developing links, through for example joint conferences, with other RSAI sections, both in Europe (including the periodic hosting of the ERSA Congress) and internationally and with other academic and practitioner associations.
• Enhancing the attractiveness of RSAI-BIS to young scholars in Britain and Ireland through the annual student and early career researcher prizes, special sessions for young scholars at each annual conference and on-going financial support for conference attendance.
• Developing web-based resources for members to re-position the section at the centre of knowledge diffusion between members and further a-field.
• Conducting conferences/workshop for policy/business practitioners on niche issues where the potential exists for regional science to make a worthwhile contribution, including the leveraging of international perspectives.
• Improving the openness and transparency of RSAI-BIS governance, including efforts to increase attendance at the AGM, contested elections for membership of committee and positions of officers.