The College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences (CHESS) at UNC Charlotte invites applications for the Knight Distinguished Professorship of Public Policy, a full-time, tenured faculty position to begin August 10, 2026.

The Knight Professorship of Public Policy serves as a catalyst for studying critical regional needs in Charlotte and other rapidly growing urban areas in the southeastern United States. Such needs include, but are not limited to, transportation, growth management, economic development, health, education, economic mobility, sustainability, and environmental issues, especially energy policy.

The Knight Professor will have an appointment within an appropriate CHESS Department and will act as a faculty affiliate to the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute. The Urban Institute is a non-partisan, applied research and community outreach institute at UNC Charlotte, seeking solutions to the social, economic, and environmental challenges facing our region. The Knight Professor will also be a core member of the interdisciplinary Public Policy Ph.D. program, teaching and mentoring doctoral students.

https://jobs.charlotte.edu/postings/65556

The Southern Africa Regional Science Association (SARSA), in collaboration with the Regional Science Association International (RSAI) and the Department of Land and Spatial Sciences at NUST, announces the 4th Annual Southern Africa Regional Science Association (SARSA) Conference 2026 Reimagining Regional Development Futures: Pathways to Inclusive, Resilient, and Sustainable Growth in Southern Africa

Conference Themes

The conference will specifically focus on the complex development challenges shaped by urbanisation, climate change, inequality, migration, and economic transformation. Regional development debates increasingly emphasise the need for inclusive and resilient approaches that can address structural inequalities while fostering competitiveness and long-term sustainability.

• Economic Resilience, Finance, and Regional Development
• Urbanisation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability
• Society, Labour, and Inclusion
• Poverty, Inequality, and Informality
• Transportation and Mobility in Urban Areas
• Governance, Policy, and Institutions
• Technology, AI, and Digital Futures
• Land Governance, Tenure, and Administration
• Land Use Planning, Property Markets, and Spatial Development

Conference Registration

• Early Bird Conference Registration Opens: 20 March 2026
• Late Conference Registration: 17 April 2026
• Conference Registration Closes: 30 June 2026
• Early Bird Registration: N$2 000
• Late Registration: N$2 500
• Students: N$1 000
• A discounted group rate will be considered for students or early- career academics submitting co-authored papers.

Submission Details

• Abstracts for papers should contain the purpose, objective(s), methods, findings, and implications/significance.
• Keywords (up to five) should be included.
• Full papers should contain an abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, findings and discussion, and conclusion.
• Papers and abstracts should be submitted online using this link (https://forms.gle/awxbMdER56YG1ewBA).
• Note that papers will only be accepted on the programme if the author/co-author will attend the conference
• If you have any questions relating to your submission, please contact Sam Mwando This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Elina Teodol This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Royal Mabakeng This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Prof Eric Yankson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  

Important Dates

• Deadline for Submission of Abstracts: 31 January 2026
• Notification of Accepted Abstracts: 21 February 2026
• Submission of Full Papers: 30 April 2026
• Notification of Full Paper Acceptance: 21 May 2026
• Conference Dates: 22 - 24 July 2026

+Info: https://sarsa2026.weebly.com/

The APDR invites regional scientists, economists, managers, sociologists, geographers, urban planners, engineers, policy makers, and researchers of related disciplines to participate in the 33rd APDR Congress with the theme "Interregional Governance, Cohesion and Sustainability: Overcoming Territorial Inequalities for a Balanced Future" that will be held from 2 to 3 of July, 2026, at the Polytechnic University of Cávado and Ave, Barcelos, Portugal. On June 30 and July 1, 2026, just before the main conference, a Sustainable Regional Development Academy will be organized for a limited number of participants.

The theme “Interregional Governance, Cohesion and Sustainability: Overcoming Territorial Inequalities for a Balanced Future” underscores the growing importance of collaborative frameworks that promote equitable and sustainable development across regions. In the face of persistent territorial disparities, effective interregional governance emerges as a key mechanism for fostering cohesion, resilience, and shared prosperity. By integrating economic, environmental, social, and cultural dimensions, this approach seeks to ensure that sustainability is achieved not only within individual regions but also across territorial boundaries, paving the way toward a more balanced and inclusive future.

The call for papers and Special Session Proposals is open, and your participation is very welcome!

Deadline for Special Session proposals: February 1, 2026. Proposals should be sent by email to the Congress secretariat (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 

Deadline for Abstracts submissions: April 2, 2026. Authors should submit their abstracts through the online submission system by following the link https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/APDR2026

Deadline for Academy Applications: March 15, 2026.

All information available at the congress website: https://apdr.pt/congresso/2026/index.html

Looking forward to hosting you in Barcelos, Portugal!

The Organizing Committee and the Board of APDR

33rd APDR Congress

New Issue: Global Challenges & Regional Science

Global Challenges & Regional Science Volume 4, December 2025

Regional Science Policy & Practice Volume 17, Issue 12, December 2025

Articles

Book Reviews

Special Issue Editorial

Dear RSAI members,

I hope this email finds you well.

In the following link you can read the newest issue of the RSAI Newsletter (download). 

Enjoy the read, and please do not hesitate to get in touch with Martijn (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Mina (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you would like to propose new material, ideas, researchers to interview, etc. for the next newsletter.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that Regional Science events (conferences, seminars, workshops, summer schools, awards, etc) organized by the RSAI National Sections or the RSAI Supranationals (NARSC, LARSA, ERSA, PRSCO) are regularly announced in the NEWS of the RSAI web page (https://regionalscience.org/) and also for convenience in the events calendar (https://regionalscience.org/index.php/news/events-calendar.html)

Kind regards,

Dr Ana Viñuela

RSAI Executive Director

Associate Professor, Applied Economics Department

REGIOlab, University of Oviedo,  Spain

European Project EXIT (https://www.exit-project.eu/)