Executive Report of the 13thSummer Institute and Creation ofthe Ecuadorian Chapter of Regional
ScienceRonny Correa Q.
Official Coordinator for the Creation ofthe Ecuadorian Chapter of Regional ScienceFrom July 23-25, 2014, the 13th Summer Institute of the PRSCO 2014 was held in the city of Loja,Ecuador. On this particular occasion, the theme of the Summer Institute was: “Economy, Society
and the Environment: Territorial and Regional Development”. It was an event that was attended
by 300 people and with speakers from a broad spectrum of countries: Bangladesh, Malaysia,Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, the United States, Japan, Indonesia, and Mexico

Geography, patrimony (cultural heritage), regional disparities, regional development policies,
regional science methodologies, urban-regional planning, and Asia-Pacific relations were thecore thematic axes of the conference. In total, 148 abstracts were submitted-128 of which wereapproved by the Scientific Committee for the event.

The overarching aim of the conference papers was to contribute to the international scientificcommunity by producing studies, proposals and initiatives that were directly related to thefield of regional science. With the aim of promoting the study of regional science as well as
developing networks, facilitating exchanges among young researchers and jointly
disseminating research, a special institute was subsequently established, namely The Summer
Institute for New Researchers in Regional Development. This second event was attended byundergraduate students as well as recent graduates- namely those who had graduated within
the last five years

During the event, there were important keynote speeches by renowned international academics
and researchers: Geoffrey Hewings (from the Regional Economics Laboratory at the University ofIllinois Urbana-Champaign), Michael Piore (from the Department of Economics at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology- MIT), Coro Chasco Irigoyen (from the Department of Applied EconomicsUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid), Jean Claude Thill (President of the Regional ScienceAssociation International), and Luis Riffo (from the Latin American Institute for Economic andSocial Planning- ILPES-CEPAL)..

During the event, there were important keynote speeches by renowned international academics
and researchers: Geoffrey Hewings (from the Regional Economics Laboratory at the University ofIllinois Urbana-Champaign), Michael Piore (from the Department of Economics at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology- MIT), Coro Chasco Irigoyen (from the Department of Applied EconomicsUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid), Jean Claude Thill (President of the Regional ScienceAssociation International), and Luis Riffo (from the Latin American Institute for Economic andSocial Planning- ILPES-CEPAL)..

In a subsequent meeting that was attended Jean Claude Thill (RSAI President), Budy
Resosudarmo (PRSCO President) and Jose Barbosa (Rector of the Universidad Técnica
Particular de Loja), as well as other professors, researchers, and representatives from the fieldof public policy, a Letter of Intent was signed. In this letter, 72 signatories (people andinstitutions) officially declared their interest to form part of the said association and agreed toimplement the activities that would be necessary for the consolidation of the Ecuadorian
Chapter of Regional ScienceIn a subsequent meeting that was attended Jean Claude Thill (RSAI President), Budy
Resosudarmo (PRSCO President) and Jose Barbosa (Rector of the Universidad Técnica
Particular de Loja), as well as other professors, researchers, and representatives from the fieldof public policy, a Letter of Intent was signed. In this letter, 72 signatories (people andinstitutions) officially declared their interest to form part of the said association and agreed toimplement the activities that would be necessary for the consolidation of the Ecuadorian
Chapter of Regional ScienceDuring one of the parallel conferences, members of the Department of Economics at theUniversidad Técnica Particular de Loja, under the guidance of the Regional Science Association
International (RSAI) and two of its sections, The Pacific Regional Science Conference
Organization (PRSCO) and the Regional Science Association of the Americas (RSAMERICAS),
coordinated together the creation of the Ecuadorian Association of Regional Science (AECR).