Findings from the Department of Economics' and Fraser of Allander Institute's project on the Overall Impact of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on Regional Economies were disseminated at the European Regional Science Association's (ERSA's) annual international conference in Jonkoping, Sweden, in August.
In the final stage of its three year duration, researchers felt that an invitation to present at Special Sessions on the Role of Universities as Regional Economic Innovators - organised by Professor Bjorn Harsman of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm - was too good an opportunity to pass on.
ERSA provided a valuable opportunity to spread the word on the latest developments in UK research on the regional economic impact of HEIs, as well as providing an opportunity to absorb feedback and draw inspiration from some of the leading researchers in Europe and further afield.
The annual ERSA conference is one of the most important dates in the regional science calendar, drawing in high quality research from economics, geography, planning and other disciplines. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the ERSA. Participants included Professors Massa Fujita, Paul Krugman and Anthony Venables who offered a panel discussion, hosted by Professor Jacques Thisse, celebrating the 10 year anniversary of their classic book, The Spatial Economy.
The University of Strathclyde's work on the Overall Impact of Higher Education Institutions on Regional Economies represents the single largest project in a major UK-wide initiative funded by the ESRC and all four of the regional higher education funding bodies: The Scottish Funding Council, the Higher Education Funding Council England, the Higher Education Funding Council Wales and the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland. The initiative was launched in 2007 and is set to finish this year. To mark its end, a major international conference will be held in Edinburgh in November.
For further details see the initiative's website.