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THE PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
[Issue 20: January 1997]

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

For a number of reasons, the end of 1996 has been really important for the European Regional Science Association. First, on 28 August, our Council passed unanimously a 'new Constitution'. Thus, a process has been completed which lasted more than a year and in which a clearly cooperative atmosphere has prevailed. The new text, already supplied to all of the Section Secretaries and set out again below, does not alter, of course, either the aims for which ERSA was created many years ago, or its links to the RSAI. However, some changes regarding the role of the Council and the European Organizing Committee (EOC) have been introduced. These changes are to clarify the internal structure and the distribution of reponsibilities. This is, definitively, a Constitution which is simple in its form and, at the same time, open and embodying democratic principles which will allow the ERSA to develop more intensively as a scientific Association.

It was decided that it was appropriate that certain issues should not be considered explicitly in the new Constitution, in order to preserve its stability over time, but that they should be regulated through some complementary bye-laws. In order to implement this feature of the new Constitution, we have requested Associations which are integrated into the ERSA to make suggestions and to prepare the drafts of such bye-laws so that they can be considered for adoption at future meetings of the Council.

Other relevant events have taken place during the last year. The '5th RSAI World Congress' held in Tokyo was a very singular and successful one, where there was an excellent European representation. The '36th European Congress' held in Zuerich on 26-30 August attained great achievements in many aspects. There were participants from 34 countries, the papers presented reached a high quality level and the organization performed perfectly. The Local Organizing Committee, run by Professor Angelo Rossi, introduced some interesting technical innovations: all of the Congress-related information was available via the web and the greater part of the papers presented were incorporated into a CD-Rom delivered to all of the participants. I want to thank again the Swiss LOC for their excellent work in organizing the Congress.

In Zuerich the 'Epainos Prize' was also awarded for the first time. This Prize rewards the best contributions of young researchers in the regional field. This initiative, which will continue in future years, together with others developed by the national Associations, will provide regional science with new 'zap'.

Looking at the forthcoming year, two events stand out. The first one, in order of scale of activity is, of course, the '37th European Congress' to be held in August in Rome, which already has splendid prospects. An extensive list of themes to be analysed has been offered which is consistent with the traditional multidisciplinary approach of Regional Science. The second one is the 'Summer Institute' to be held from 15 to 20 of June in Are an Meraker, in Sweden and Norway respectively - and close to their joint border - an ideal location in which to study the central subject of the Institute - the problems, policies and experiences of frontier regions. We want to give the event the importance that Summer Institutes have enjoyed in the past, recovering the sense of a work week, with distinguished lecturers and experts providing benefits to be shared by young regionalists and professionals.

Looking ahead, I think ERSA's future can be contemplated with optimism. In practical terms, in the first half of my term as President, several key objectives have been achieved, such as the regulation and normalization of financial issues, constitutional revision, the growth in the availability of information and greater transparency of problems and projects, and a higher level of support for young researchers. Ahead we now have other challenges, such as the transference of information and the 'Newsletter' to the electronic medium and innovatory features of the forthcoming Congresses that will take place in Vienna (1998) and Dublin (1999), as well as the Summer Institute that will be held in Muenchen (1998).

I firmly believe in the good work of the EOC members and the cooperation of all of the national and linguistic associations in seeking to achieve and sustain a lively, dynamic and innovative ERSA both now and into the future.

Juan R. Cuadrado-Roura, ERSA President

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