Lecturers and Ph.D students from the Department of Regional Development, University of National and World Economy, led by Associate Professor Georgi Nikolov atended the 3rd Forum of Regional and Local Economic Development.  The event took place in the Albanian port town of Vlorë.

The forum brought together participants from the Western Balkans. The third traditional edition of the event was devoted to the open international dialogue and the opportunity of shared-experience in the field of regional and local economic development. The forum provided an opportunity for establishment of beneficial partnerships between researchers, experts, the private sector, the academic world, civil society and others. They worked together on proposals for stimulating policies for sustainable regional and local economic development and improvement the efficiency of the exciting once.

The Forum aimed to analyze how the approach to regional and local development should become an operational and strategic model that will harmonize the development policies in the Western Balkans with the European ones.

The Department of Regional Development took part in the debates presenting two reports on  the field of regional and local development policies with an emphasis on the issues of urban (city) development, “Implementation of government policies for regional development” and “Impact of demographic change on European cities”.

„I want to emphasize the message that our joint work addresses to the academic environment and practice – an appeal for more interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral, and hence more systematic, and not that fragmented view on the issues that we look to resolve. The sustainable response has to be provided in both scientific and practical nature and to be reflected in the establishment of the best training programs.“, was emphasized by the Head of the Department of Regional Development, UNWE, Associate Professor Georgi Nikolov.

In his speech, he also noted that, ever since its establishment, UNWE has been an explicit educational leader in the preparation of the governmental, political, economic and administrative elite. This requires a commitment and involvement in such initiatives of applied character dedicated to the complex issues of scientific area with a strong regional character.

He expressed his confidence that despite all the difficulties, the partnership of the Western Balkan countries will happen because we have common problems and we have to solve them together! He congratulated the sponsors of the Forum and sincerely thanked for the invitation to participate in the event.

The Regional and Local Economic Development Forum - FoRLED 2018, is a three-day event on regional and local economic development policy in the Western Balkans organized by CRLDS Albania, in partnership with the European Academy of Regions, Ismail Qemali University of Vlora, the Regional Council Vlora, including relevant regional and international stakeholders, resulting in regional and local policy recommendations.