At the end of this course, the student will learn:
- the key concepts that are required to examine the state and "public policy" as spatially constructed entities and processes.
- the spatial implications of decisions/policies made by public authorities.
- geographical dynamics that lead to the emergence of "regional policy and governance" as a key political/policy concern for the national and supranational/global policymakers.
- key socio-economic problems/issues addressed by regional policies
- the political dynamics behind (and implications of) administrative reforms that lead to creation of regional governance structures.
- different dimensions of the administrative reform pressures on national governments.
- how to construct an analytical framework to conduct "regional policy analysis"
- how to prepare a policy research proposal on regional issues
- how to conduct "policy analysis" targeting a concrete regional policy problem.
- how to gather and/or produce empirical information required to evaluate a given regional policy issue
- how to establish connections between a theoretical framework and the empirical material collected via field research.
- how to develop a critical evaluation of a given regional policy so as to identify policy alternatives.