Vilnius University Confucius institute would like to invite you to a public lecture “Regional and Urban Developments in China and Comparisons with the European experience", which will be delivered by a special guest from the University of Thessaly (Greece), Professor of Economics dr. George Petrakos. The lecture will take place on the 27th of November, 12pm, at VU Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sauletekio av. 9, II Building, JR8 auditorium
This lecture will aim at comprehending the peculiarities of urban and regional systems of China and Europe in order to further dialogue opportunities. In doing so we attempt to learn from the interaction by drawing lessons from theory and examining the implications for policy from a comparative perspective. As a latecomer to urbanization, China has the opportunity to rely on knowledge and models of urban and regional development that were not available to the first movers in the industrial world, including Europe. Although the systems of urban places of Europe and China have grown independently from each other for long time and with no significant interaction, they have a developed interesting similarities with respect of the spatial organization of their economies. This has occurred despite differences in population scales, pressure on land and resources, type and degree of integration in the global economy, as well as the differences in their political and economic contexts. This background gains importance as Europe and China will inevitably become closer economically and culturally through the resurgence of the Silk Road. From this perspective, it is important to understand how the trade and investment flows developing with the Belt and Road strategy will affect the spatial organization of both Europe and China.
George Petrakos has served as the Rector of the University of Thessaly, Secretary General for Investment and Development in the Ministry of Economy and Development of Greece and Vice-President of the European Regional Science Association (ERSA). He holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Arizona State University (USA) and has a strong research and publication record in the fields of urban and regional economics, development, international economic relations and European integration. His new research interests include the comparative analysis of the spatial structure and the urban and regional dynamics in Europe and China.
The lecture will be held in English at Vilnius University Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sauletekio av. 9, II Building, JR8 auditorium.