The course engages with the emergent approaches to local and regional development and dwells on the socioeconomic implications of the emergence of local and regional governments and institutions as key actors in the design and implementation of economic development strategies. The course analyses the consequences for economic efficiency and equality of the gradual but relentless shift of development responsibilities from the national and the supranational to the local and regional scale and focuses on the strategies being implemented by sub-national governments. The course is going to develop an understanding of local and regional development theory and policies in an international context.

The course consists of 13 lectures covering the major scientific fields of local and regional development:

Lecture 01: Local and Regional Development in an International Context
Lecture 02: Globalization, Integration and Regional Development
Lecture 03: Regional Competitiveness or Regional Resilience?
Lecture 04: State Rescaling, Fiscal Federalism and Local Development
Lecture 05: Public Investment, Infrastructures and Local and Regional Development
Lecture 06: Persistently Underperforming Regions
Lecture 07: Human Capital, Human Capabilities and Local and Regional Development
Lecture 08: Regionalism, Institutions, Social Capital and Local and Regional Development
Lecture 09: Competition, Cooperation and Local Development in Europe
Lecture 10: Agglomeration Schemes and Urban Dipoles
Lecture 11: Strategic and Tactical Planning Process
Lecture 12: Strategic Image Management and Branding, Community Development Strategies, Town Center Management (TCM), Creation of Investment Images
Lecture 13: Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Students’ performance evaluation is based on final exams, on one take-home assignment and on students' participation.