Minutes of the PRSCO Council Meeting
Held on Tuesday 18 July 2006
Berjaya Times Square Hotel
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

President Y. Kumata opened the meeting at 8:30 pm.
a) Apologies received and roll-call
Apologies received:
P. Aroca (SOCHER, Chile), A. Bailley (Past President RSAI, Switzerland), P. Nijkamp(Past President RSAI, Netherlands), D. Plane (WRSA, USA), B. Resosudarmo (IRSA,Indonesia)
Present:
Wardatul Akman (BRSA, Bangladesh)
Graham Clarke (Executive Director RSAI, United Kingdom)
Huan Zheng Du (Jiaxing University, China)
David Edgington (CRSA/ACSR, Vice-President PRSCO, Canada)
Cheng-Min Feng (CRSA-T, Taiwan)
Lay Gibson (WRSA, LRPC, Past President RSAI, USA)
Injung Carna Hamis (Philippines)
Mohd Shukri Hajinoor (MRSA, Malaysia)
Kingsley Haynes (LRPC, Past President RSAI, USA)
Yoshiro Higano (JSRSAI, Executive Secretary PRSCO, Japan)
Md. Fakrul Islam (BRSA, Bangladesh)
Rahmah Ismail (MRSA, Malaysia)
M. Yusof Kasim (President MRSA, Malaysia)
Yoshinobu Kumata (JSRSAI, President PRSCO, Japan)
Tao Lin (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)
Yuzuru Miyata (JSRSAI, Japan)
Shin Kung Peng (CRSA-T, Taiwan)
Jacques Poot (ANZRSAI, New Zealand)
John Quigley (WRSA, representing T.John Kim, USA)
Jorge Serrano (AMECIDER, Immediate Past President PRSCO, Mexico)
Bob Stimson (ANZRSAI representing John Madden, RSAI President, Australia)
Roger Stough (WRSA, USA)
Makoto Tawada (JSRSAI, Japan)
Ishak Yussof (MRSA, Malaysia)

1b) Minutes of the PRSCO Council Meeting in Las Vegas, USA, 10th November 2005
Following a few typographical corrections, the minutes were approved as a correct recordof the meeting.
c) Report on the organization of the 9th PRSCO Summer Institute in Kuala Lumpur,
18-20 July 2006
M. Yusof Kasim, President MRSA, reported that the conference, which was at the end ofits first day at the time of the Council meeting, was very successful. The Summer
Institute had attracted 117 participants of whom 50 came from Malaysia and 67 fromabroad, representing 20 countries. President Y. Kumata offered a vote of thanks to theconference organizers, which was carried with acclamation. M.Y. Kasim also reported onthe establishment of the Malaysian Regional Science Association (MRSA). All
Malaysian participants in the PRSCO Summer Institute would be automatically inauguralmembers of MRSA, but efforts would be made to attract more members soon fromthroughout Malaysia. Executive Secretary Y. Higano invited MRSA to formally apply tojoin PRSCO and RSAI. This application could be considered at the NARSC meeting inToronto in November 2006. It was pointed out that joining RSAI would imply an online
subscription to Papers in Regional Science (and the RSAI Newsletter) for all MRSA
members at 10 euro per member annually. It was suggested that such a fee could be paidin a lumpsum and recovered from conference revenue. The Executive Secretary of RSAI
would discuss the options with the MRSA President.
d) Progress report on the organization of the 20th PRSCO regular conference, inBritish Columbia, 6-9 May 2007 (CRSA)David Edgington (University of British Columbia, PRSCO Vice-President), who chairs
the organizing committee of the 20th PRSCO conference, gave a presentation about theconference. He also distributed a conference postcard and a brochure about Vancouver.
The conference would be held at the Westin Bayshore Hotel. The conference website iswww.prsco2007.confmanager.com, while the email address of the conference secretariat
is registration@housing.ubc.ca. The main theme of the conference is “Creative city
regions: examining their role in the Pacific Rim”. David Edgington reminded Council
that the last PRSCO conference in Canada was held in 1993 in Whistler, 2 hours drivefrom Vancouver. The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held at that location.
Conference registration would commence in the afternoon of Sunday 6 May. The closing
ceremony would be late afternoon on Wednesday 9 May. On Thursday 10 May there
would be post-conference excursions. J. Poot reminded the organizers to send out email
invitations to all members of all PRSCO sections. J. Serrano pointed out the need toprovide differential registration fees linked to country income. He also noted thatparticularly young researchers from low income countries in the Pacific Rim should beencouraged to participate.
e) Report on the RSAI Workshop in East China Normal University, Shanghai,China, 3rd-5th April, 2006
RSAI President R. Stimson reported on this successful workshop. Several institutions
participated, including representatives of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the ChineseGeography Association and the existing Chinese Regional Science Association. The goal2

would be to announce a RSAI and PRSCO affiliated Chinese Section at the Vancouver
meeting. Y. Higano stressed the importance of effective communication among all parties
to reach this goal. H.Z. Du noted that regional science is of growing importance in China
and that the international collaboration through the RSAI network is highly desirable.
Further workshops in China would facilitate the strengthening of the links. R. Stimson
saw the recent initiatives in India and China that were aiming at expanding the global
network of RSAI as a positive step in enhancing capability building in regional science indeveloping countries.
f) Matter of naming CRSA-T
H.Z. Du noted that after development of a RSAI-affiliated section on mainland China,
there would be a dialogue with the members of the Chinese Regional Science Association– Taiwan regarding the relationship and names of the respective organizations. C.-M.
Feng said that his association supported the affiliation of China with the RSAI/PRSCO
network, as there would be global benefits from this. It was agreed that the relationshipbetween the associations of Chinese regional scientists was a matter that required furtherdiscussion among these associations. A report would be provided at a future PRSCO
Council meeting. This agreement was endorsed by Y. Kumata.
g. Report on other activities of Pacific Rim regional science communities(1) Columbia
J. Serrano and Y. Higano attended a workshop of Columbian regional scientists in Cali.
A decision was made at this workshop to establish a Columbian Regional ScienceAssociation. Once a constitution has been drafted, the Columbian association would seek
affiliation with PRSCO and RSAI. Using the model of affiliation of other sections, thehosting of a PRSCO Summer Institute could be a milestone for formal integration of theassociation into the PRSCO/RSAI network. Y. Higano suggested that the firstinternational event in Columbia could be modeled on the RSAI workshop in India.
(2) Bangladesh
Md. Fakrul Islam reported on the inaugural meeting on May 27 of the Bangladesh
Regional Science Association (BRSA). A formal announcement about this association
and a request for affiliation with PRSCO/RSAI would be made later this year.
(3) Philippines
I.C. Hamis said that there was a considerable interest in regional science in thePhilippines, but it was difficult for Filipino scholars to attend international conferences
due to national science budget cuts. International assistance would be welcome. I.C.
Hamis would endeavor to establish a PRSCO-affiliated regional science section in thePhilippines.
(4) Mexico
Y. Serrano noted that AMECIDER had agreed to the universal membership offered byRSAI. The fee of 10 euro per AMECIDER member would be recovered from theproceeds of the annual conference, to be held 7-9 November 2006.

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h. Nomination of PRSCO delegate for the RSAI Council, 2007-2009It was noted that Y. Higano’s term expires at the end of 2006. Council agreed
unanimously to appoint Y. Higano to this position on RSAI Council for a further threeyears.
i) Report of the Pacific Editor, PiRS
J. Poot reported that both he, as Pacific Editor of Papers in Regional Science, and R.
Florax, as Editor-in-Chief, would step down from their positions at the end of 2006, after
having served as editors for nine years. A recommendation for replacement editors would
be made by R. Florax to RSAI Council. R. Stimson noted that this matter was urgent andneeded to be discussed at the ERSA meeting in August. Although there had been somedelay in the first issue of PiRS in 2006, publication was expected to be on track for theremainder of the year and there had been a steady submission of new manuscripts. The
annual report would be presented at the Editorial Board meeting held at the NARSC
conference in Toronto in November. One innovation in 2007 will be the introduction ofthe Electronic Editorial Office (EEO), which is software that tracks the progress ofmanuscripts from first submission to publication (or rejection).
j) Suggestions for the venues and host sections/associations of the 2008 PRSCO
Summer Institute and the 2009 PRSCO Regular Meeting
Suggestions for the 2008 PRSCO Summer Institute included a meeting in Columbia or inBangladesh. For 2009, suggestions for host countries included China, Indonesia orAustralia.
k) Any further business
The next PRSCO Council meeting would be held in Toronto at the NARSC conferenceon either the evening of Thursday 16 November or the morning of Friday 17 November.
Y. Higano would confirm time and location by email.
President Y. Kumata closed the meeting at 10.30 pm.

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