From June 14th to 16th, 2024, the School of Economics and Management at Southeast University and the National Development and Policy Research Institute of Southeast Universitysuccessfully held the 11th International Workshop on Regional, Urban, and Spatial Economics in China. The seminar aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of urban development in China and the development paths of regions and cities in the context of global economic changes, attracting widespread attention from the international academic community and more than 50 scholars from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Russia, Spain, Hungary, Iran, Vietnam, and other countries.
The conference received over 200 submissions from domestic and international contributors, and after careful selection, 56 papers were ultimately chosen for on-site presentation, covering important topics such as housing, transportation, consumer welfare, land policy, and technological innovation.
Conference Opening Ceremony
Professor Liu Xiuyan from the School of Economics and Management at Southeast University presided over the opening ceremony, and Professor Yuan Jianhong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Economics and Managementat Southeast University , attended and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Secretary Yuan first expressed a warm welcome to all guests and scholars, then briefly introduced the development and main achievements of the School of Economics and Management at Southeast University in recent years in the field of regional economics. Secretary Yuan, drawing on her own experience, elaborated on the importance and cutting-edge nature of the RUSE (Regional, Urban, and Spatial Economics) conference, emphasizing the significant academic contributions made by the series of conferences in the field of regional economics. Finally, Secretary Yuan encouraged the participating scholars to actively engage in discussions, hoping that the conference would promote academic exchanges and jointly promote the development of regional economics.
Speech by Professor Yuan Jianhong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Economics and Management, Southeast University
Professor Liu Xiuyan from the School of Economics and Management at Southeast University presided over the opening ceremony
The keynote speech ofthis conference was chaired by Professor Li Hao from the School ofEconomics and Management at Southeast University.
Professor Li Hao from the School ofEconomicsand management at Southeast University, presided over the keynote speech
Keynote Speech
Professor Dávid Nagy from the Barcelona School of Economics delivered a keynote speech titled "The Death and Life of Great British Cities". The study focused on the distribution of economic activities in England and Wales, analyzing the size and specialization evolution of British cities since the 19th century. The research explained the findings through macroeconomic and local factors and quantified the role of trade in the urban lifecycle based on a multi-sector dynamic spatial model. The study concluded that local specialization may have adverse effects on long-term development, and policies need to balance short-term gains with long-term costs.
Professor Dávid Nagy from the Barcelona School of Economics delivered a keynote speech
Professor Mark Partridge from Ohio State University delivered a keynote speech titled “Does cultural diversity matter for innovation? Empirical evidence from large-scale internal migration”. The study focused on the impact of regional cultural diversity on innovation output, constructing urban immigrant diversity as a proxy for cultural diversity based on census data from 2000 to 2015, and using ancient domestic migration data as an instrumental variable. The study found that cultural diversity significantly enhanced urban innovation output. This research supported the theory that diverse backgrounds and the mixing of ideas contribute to innovation activities, providing policymakers with a basis for encouraging immigration and cultural integration to promote innovation.
Professor Mark Partridge from Ohio State University delivereda keynote speech
Professor Zhang Junfu from Clark University delivered a keynote speech titled "Trade and Spatial Distribution of Firms: Quantitative Analysis of Chinese Manufacturing". The study reviewed China's opening up, infrastructure development, and the regional reallocation of economic activities since 2000, and constructed a multi-regional spatial model for explanation. The model quantified the extent to which international and domestic trade costs explain the spatial distribution of economic activities and explained the differences in various ownership types of enterprises and their impact on efficiency. The study found that coastal areas experienced rapid growth after economic opening, especially driven by the processing plants of foreign multinational companies. Since 2004, the manufacturing output in inland areas has grown rapidly, thanks to the development of the western regions, infrastructure construction, and lower labor costs.
Professor Zhang Junfu from Clark University delivered a keynote speech
Professor Fu Shihe from Wuhan University delivered a keynote speech titled "A New Approach to Estimating The Natural Rate of Housing Structure Depreciation". The study constructed a new estimation method for the natural depreciation rate of housing structures. Professor Fu Shihe pointed out that current research neglected the issue of rapid depreciation of housing structures, especially in rent-controlled cities and multi-unit apartment buildings in China. The study used model design and American Housing Survey data (2001-2013) and found that the annual natural depreciation rate of American housing structures is about 8%. The model considered the effect of the plot and used non-linear regression analysis to draw conclusions. The study has important reference value for maintenance and investment decisions, showing that the elasticity of maintenance on house value is about 0.3.
Professor Fu Shihe from Wuhan University delivered a keynote speech
Finally, all guests took a group photo to commemorate the event. The success of this conference was not only due to the strong support and guidance of the leaders but also due to the deep participation and great help of many co-organizing units, experts, and scholars, as well as the hard work of the staff and the active response of the participants.
Thank you all for your support and participation, which has led to fruitful results for this conference. We look forward to meeting with you again next year to explore new developments in regional economics and contribute more wisdom and strength to the high-quality development of cities!
Took a group photo
Parallel Sessions
The conference organized eight parallel sessions on themes such as "Urban Form and Housing Issues," "Land Finance and Land Policy," "New Urbanization and Consumer Welfare," "Agglomeration and Regional Innovation," "Urban Ecology and Sustainable Development," "Inter-regional Connections and Knowledge Spillover," "Human Capital and Industrial Structure," and "Regional High-Quality Development." More than 50 outstanding young domestic scholars participated as moderators and commentators in the sub-forums, providing detailed and constructive feedback for the presenters. In addition, the guests shared their insights and engaged in in-depth interactive discussions, concluding the conference in a harmonious and enthusiastic atmosphere.
Translated by: Zeng Zirui
Reviewed by:Wei Xinyan
