Dear colleagues,

Prior to the presentation of the Congress, we want to highlight some changes with respect to the congresses of previous years agreed by the Board of Directors of the AECR:

1. The most relevant change is the advance of the congress one month (from November to October).

2. To simplify procedures, the previous round of communication summaries is eliminated so that the extended communications or summaries will be the documents to be evaluated by the Scientific

3. The submission date is brought forward to June In this way, a response can be given as a deadline of July 1 and travel and registration for the congress can be organized before July 15 (prior to the summer holidays).

4. It is decided to maintain the virtual option, in order to encourage international participatio Although we encourage presence as an ideal formula.

5. In relation to the “Juan Ramón Cuadrado” young researcher award, the participation of any researcher under 33 years of age or whose doctoral thesis defense has been carried out, at most, two years prior to the date of celebration of the congress is permitted.

The Spanish and Castilian-La Mancha Associations of Regional Science cordially invite you to participate in the XLVIII International Conference on Regional Science, which will be held from the 16th to the 18th of October 2024 at the Campus of the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca.

As with previous editions, the International Conference on Regional Science is a multidisciplinary forum that offers an overview of regional science and territorial analysis as a starting point. It is the main annual event in Spain for the study, debate, and presentation of academic papers on territorial and regional concepts.

For the XLVIII edition we have chosen the slogan: "Sustainability, water and territory: regional strategies for the challenges of the 21st century", which reflects the importance of addressing, in a comprehensive and participatory manner, the environmental, social, and economic problems that affect the regions in a context of climate change and growing demand for water resources. Environmental sustainability and water scarcity are global challenges that require local solutions. From a regional perspective, these issues can be tackled through analysis, planning, management, and cooperation. Analysis entails gathering data and information and studying specific processes related to sustainability. Planning involves designing strategies and policies that promote the efficient and responsible use of natural resources, protect biodiversity, and adapt to climate change. Management involves controlling and regulating human activities that impact the environment and water, as well as implementing measures for prevention, mitigation, and restoration. Cooperation involves promoting participation and dialogue among different actors and interests in different territories, as well as seeking agreements and alliances that promote sustainable development and community resilience.

We aim for the XLVIII edition to serve as a forum for discussing the role of regions, cities, and rural areas in addressing the multidimensional challenge of sustainability and water management. This discussion will take a multidisciplinary approach, covering economic, social, political, technological, and cultural dimensions of the issue.

We encourage your participation in the XLVIII Meeting of Regional Studies and hope you enjoy the beautiful city of Cuenca. Its old town has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and offers a unique experience that combines history, art, and nature.

As in previous editions, the presentation of results of ongoing research work for which a complete article does not exist yet will be accepted. In order for the Scientific Committee to consider the acceptance of said works, the submission of an extended summary with a minimum length of 1,500 words will be required. Here  you can find the templates and more information about the congress.

Communications that, in addition to being unpublished, have been made by researchers of no more than 33 years of age or whose doctoral thesis defense has been carried out, at most, two years prior to the date of the congress and are presented as a part of the parallel sessions, they will be eligible for the Juan Ramón Cuadrado Young Researchers Award. The jury in charge of awarding the prize will be the Scientific Committee. The signing authors of the award-winning communication will receive a document accrediting the award and a gift.

Doctoral students who are in the early stages of their doctoral theses and research- oriented master's students will enjoy a reduced registration fee to access the parallel sessions of the conference and participate in the special sessions for young researchers. In these sessions you will be able to make a brief presentation of your research ideas.

The Organizing Committee and the Scientific Committee also invite you to propose a Special Session at the Congress. Proposals can be made from today until May 15, and will be disseminated as they are received and approved by the Scientific Committee and the Organizing Committee. It is required to send the title of the session and the name of the coordinator or coordinators with a brief summary of its content to the Congress Secretariat: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. It is recommended to secure at least 4 contributions for each special session. In the case of receiving a high number of works, they will be distributed into several time slots, according to the criteria of the coordinators.

Sincerely. We are waiting for you in Cuenca, The Organizing Committee

https://reunionesdeestudiosregionales.org/cuenca2024/en/

Dear Members of the Regional Science Community,

I would like to remind you of the upcoming abstract submission deadline (March 15) for PRSCO 2024, which is set to be held in Daegu, South Korea, from August 4 to 7, 2024.  I look forward to receiving your abstracts!

Best regards,

Jun, Hee-Jung, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Public Administration/Graduate School of Governance

Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea

Chair of International Committee, Korean Regional Science Association

Call for Papers: The 28th Pacific Conference of the RSAI

The 28th Pacific Conference of the Regional Science Association International(RSAI) will be hosted by the Korea Regional Science Association(KRSA) in partnership with the Regional Science Association International, at EXCO, Daegu, South Korea, on August 4-7, 2024. 

The overarching theme of the conference is: “Sustainability of the Region in the Era of Great Transformation”. This theme reflects the need to address the challenges and opportunities that arise from the great transformation in the region. The conference aims to explore ways in which the region can adapt and thrive in the face of these changes in a sustainable way. This includes examining the economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainability, and identifying strategies and solutions that can contribute to the long-term well-being and resilience of the region.

The conference will bring together experts, scholars, and practitioners from various fields to share their insights and experiences, fostering meaningful discussions and collaborations to drive positive change. Together, we can work towards a more sustainable future for the region.

The conference committee calls for papers on various topics related to this overall theme in regional science for presentation at the conference. The committee will welcome papers on any aspect of regional science, and would particularly welcome papers reporting research or case studies on the following topics:

1. Regional economics and development
   2. Income inequality and regional disparities
   3. Infrastructure, basic utilities and regional management
   4. Public services and human development
   5. Trade, investment and economic growth
   6. Decentralization and regional fiscal policies
   7. Regional macro and financial policies
   8. Local government innovation and governance
   9. Economic shocks and social safety nets
   10. Culture, land and village development
   11. Environmental and climate change
   12. Big data, artificial intelligence, and regional analysis
   13. GIS and spatial econometrics

The paper abstract of about 500 words should be submitted online via this link by Mar 15, 2024:

https://prsco2024.krsa83.or.kr/

Abstract should consist of background, data and methodology, potential contributions, and keywords. Abstracts must be submitted in English. Paper sessions are seminar-style for each paper and given ample time for discussion so that participants may provide constructive feedback to authors. Paper presentations will be made in English.

Important dates:

Dec 1, 2023 : Abstract submission opening
Mar 15, 2024 : Abstract submission deadline
Apr 15, 2024 : Early bird registration open
Apr 15, 2024 : Notification of abstract acceptance
Jun 1, 2024 : Full Paper submission deadline
Jun 15 2024 : Early bird registration end
Jun 30, 2024 : Paper presenter registration deadline
Aug 4, 2024 : The Regional Science Academy
Aug 5–7, 2024 : Conference date

In Partnership with:

Regional Science Association International (RSAI)

Hosted and Organized by:

Pacific Regional Science Conference Organization (PRSCO)
Korea Regional Science Association (KRSA)
Daegu Policy Institute

THE NEW ISSUE OF REGIONAL STATISTICS IS ALREADY AVAILABLE!

We are pleased to inform you that a new issue of the Regional Statistics has been released and now it’s available online.

https://www.ksh.hu/terstat_eng_current_issue

REGIONAL STATISTICS, 2024, VOL 14, No 1.

STUDIES

Balázs Ablonczy - Gábor Koloh - Attila Bátorfy: Lutheran Network – Spiš (Szepesség) refugees in post-Trianon Hungary

http://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2024/2024_01/rs140101.pdf

Ildikó Kovács - Marietta Balázsné Lendvai - Judit Beke: Generation Z’s consumer attitudes and purchasing intentions toward sustainable food consumption by settlement type in Hungary, 2022

http://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2024/2024_01/rs140102.pdf

Fernando Antonio Ignacio González - Lara Sofia Cantero - Pablo Ariel Szyszko - Joel Heman Bys: Brain drain in the health care sector? Impact of the Mais Médicos program in Argentina, 2010–2019

http://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2024/2024_01/rs140103.pdf

Dung Quang Nguyen - Dung Tuan Hoang - Huyen Khanh Giang Nguyen - Trung Xuan Hoang - Tuyen Quang Tran: The well-being of internal migrants and their children in destination districts in Vietnam: A microeconometric analysis, 2015

http://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2024/2024_01/rs140104.pdf

Ngo Thai Hung: Relationship of global geopolitical risk and exchange rates: Evidence from Covid-19 and Russia–Ukraine crisis, January 2020–August 2022

http://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2024/2024_01/rs140105.pdf

Jesús A. Treviño-Cantú: A balanced normalization for cross-sectional and longitudinal composite indices in Mexico, 2000–2020

http://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2024/2024_01/rs140106.pdf

Esmaiel Safaralizadeh - Farzaneh Janakipour - Sara Nikkhoo - Marzie Amimi - Moslem Zarghamfard: Factors affecting housing prices in metropolitan regions: The case of Tehran, 2021

http://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2024/2024_01/rs140107.pdf

Fatima Zehba M. P. - Mohammed Firoz C.: Assessing regional quality of life with an integrated framework: An application to district of Kozhikode in the state of Kerala (India), 2011 http://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2024/2024_01/rs140108.pdf

Join us to our social networking sites:

https://www.facebook.com/RegionalStatistics

https://ksh.academia.edu/RegionalStatistics

Applied Geography

Call for Papers

The Ever-Changing Food and Beverage Landscape: Challenges, Opportunities, Equity, and Policy

Guest Editors

Neil Reid, University of Toledo, USA

Rafael Garduño Rivera, Universidad de Navarra, Spain

Haoying Wang, New Mexico Tech, USA

Introduction

The theme of the proposed special issue is The Food and Beverage Industry: Current and Emerging Challenges and Opportunities. The food and beverage industry plays a critical role in every country. Its value chain expands from manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, transportation, retailing to purchasing and consumption of food and beverages. The industry provides sustenance to people across the globe while also contributing significantly to local, regional, and national economies. For example, the food and beverage sector in the United States employs over 1.8 million people. It is the third largest contributor to manufacturing gross domestic product (National Institute of Standards and Technology 2021).

Meanwhile, the industry has undergone significant transformations over the past several decades, from the popularity of organic food in the early 2000s to the surge of online grocery and food deliveries propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. These industry-level innovations reflect society's desires and concerns regarding food safety, health, and the environmental footprints of the industry. For instance, estimates suggest that food systems account for over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions (United Nations 2021). Other social and economic concerns, such as the fragility of the food supply chain and food waste, are also reshaping the industry landscape (e.g., Felix et al. 2020). It is imperative to identify and understand the current and future challenges and opportunities presented in the food and beverage industry to facilitate innovations.

Objectives and Research Topics

This special issue explores current and emerging challenges and opportunities facing the food and beverage industry. Challenges, of course, must be overcome, and opportunities must be harnessed. Moreover, what might be conceived of as a challenge to one company or place may represent an opportunity for another company or place. Current and emerging challenges and opportunities in the food and beverage industry include [but are not limited to] high rates of worker turnover, inflation, the rise of e-commerce, supply chain vulnerability, geo-political instability, environmental sustainability, tracking and tracing of food, changing consumer values and tastes, changing regulatory environments, food safety, food waste, monoculture, and an overreliance on food aggregators (e.g., Grub Hub).

At the industry level, overcoming challenges and taking advantage of opportunities often requires identifying and adopting new technologies or business models. These can include reconfiguring or expanding the value chain, embracing new technologies, pinpointing new markets, finding new ways to serve existing customers, etc. More often than not, these "new ways of doing business" have a geographical dimension. They could change the industry landscape on different scales (e.g., local, regional, national, and international). In addition, these "new ways of doing business" can have differential impacts on sub- populations of a society. For example, increased use of automation along the supply chain can disproportionately affect specific places and groups of the labor force.

With this special issue, we hope to assess the socio-economic implications of changes occurring in the food and beverage industry and, where applicable, identify possible policy prescriptions and pathways that might ameliorate their negative impacts, especially those on disadvantaged populations and communities. We hope this special issue will generate new insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the food and beverage industry by encouraging submissions from scholars across various disciplines, using different methodological approaches, and from diverse geographic contexts (see below).

Possible topics that are part of the special issue include those listed below. However, we welcome submissions on other topics relevant to the special issue theme.

• Changing Geographies and Systems of Production and Consumption
• Alternative Food Systems
• Transportation and Supply Chain Logistics
• Public Policy and the Regulatory Environment
• Environmental and Sustainability Issues
• Changing Consumer Tastes, Preferences and Behaviors.
• Access and Equity
• The Geography of Food Safety and Food Insecurity
• Automation, AI, and Industry 4.0
• Polycrisis (e.g., pandemics, geo-political disturbances, climate change, economic shocks, etc.)

Abstract Submission

We invite submissions from Geographers and scholars working in related fields such as Regional Science, Economics, and other social sciences. We encourage submissions from across the globe to have a special issue that represents as wide a variety of socio-economic-political contexts as possible. We also hope to receive studies demonstrating the range of geographers' methodological approaches, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Only manuscripts with an explicit geospatial focus will be considered for this special issue.

All papers should address significant issues pertinent to the themes of this issue and fall within the scope of the Journal of Applied Geography. Criteria for acceptance include originality, contribution, and scientific merit. All manuscripts must be written in English with high scientific writing standards. Acceptance for publication will be based on referees' and editors' recommendations following a standard peer review process.

In the email accompanying your abstract, please state how your proposed submission is consistent with the Aims and Scope of Applied Geography and why it is a good fit for this special issue. Abstracts (up to 250 words) should be emailed to Neil Reid at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Proposed Timeline

• Submission of abstracts (250-500 words) – March 15, 2024
• Decision on who to invite to make a submission (based on review of abstracts) – March 30, 2024
• First Draft Due – September 30, 2024
• Reviewer Feedback Due – November 15, 2024
• Revised Manuscripts Due – February 15, 2025
• Anticipated SI Publication Date – Late Spring 2025

References:

Felix, Ignacio, Adrian Martin, Vivek Mehta, and Curt Mueller. 2020. US food supply chain: Disruptions and implications from COVID-19. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-  goods/our-insights/us-food-supply-chain-disruptions-and-implications-from-covid-19.

National Institute of Standards and Technology 2021. Farm to Factory to Table: The Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry. https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-infographics/food-and-  beverage-manufacturing-industry.

United Nations. 2021. Food systems account for over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions  https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086822.

The Italian section of the Regional Science Association International (AISRe) supports the development of early career researchers (scholars younger than 35 years and who have received their PhD certificate no more than three before the application deadline) by granting a scholarship for a research visiting period in a hosting research institution in the European (EU27 + UK) territory.

The scholarship is established to recognize and honour the contribution of Professor Roberto Camagni, a founder of AISRE and an outstanding regional science researcher, committed to the encouragement and involvement of young scholars in Regional Science research and national and international communities.

Value: up to 15,000 €

Important Deadlines

The estimated process for 2024 is detailed below and the deadlines are as follow:

• 15 May 2024: Application
• 30 June 2024: Decision by the Evaluation Committee
• 5 July 2024: Acceptance by the winner

Download the Post-Doctoral Scholarship “Roberto Camagni” – 1ST Edition – HANDBOOK 2024.

Here you can access the APPLICATION FORM.

https://www.aisre.it/notizie/notizie-in-evidenza/post-doctoral-scholarship-roberto-camagni-1st-edition/