#EURegionsWeek: Are policy makers alone in charting recovery from crisis? How researchers can help

Wed 7, October 2020, 09:30 – 10:30

To register for this #EURegionsWeek session, please go to: https://europa.eu/regions-and-cities/programme/sessions/1537_en

COVID-19 has disrupted the normal working of cities and regions around the world. In all parts of life citizens have had to adapt to new restrictions on their lifestyles, changes to working life and new policies from multiple layers of government – local, regional and national.  The global impact of the coronavirus will have a shadow effect on all peoples for many years and the pressure is really focussed on policy makers to chart safe ways through and out of the pandemic. In this session, organised by the (global) Regional Studies Association, we will address how research and researchers can support and help policy makers with this task.

The potential contribution of higher education institutions to their cities and regions has been better understood in recent years and some regions have been able to establish joint projects and close relationships, but there remain both opportunities for and barriers to better communications. Using examples of where research has positively influenced policy this session addresses practical ways in which policy makers can reach out to and work with researchers to improve crisis outcomes. It will highlight the common barriers to working together such as time frames, the framing of policy recommendations, data and the financial and other support needed for effective partnerships.

This session will consider the needs of policy makers at this extraordinary time and the ways in which researchers can contribute. It will be structured to allow plenty of time for questions and answers, and attendance of policy makers at all spatial scales and researchers is encouraged to enable the fruitful sharing of experience.