The Centre for Regional Studies (CRS) was established in 1983 as a network based research institution of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) with the task of carrying out multi-disciplinary research on urban and regional issues. The new political-economic situation after 1989 and emerging aspirations for EU-membership reinforced the need to study spatial processes and Hungary’s position within a reshaping Europe.
The CRS aims at satisfying this need by engaging in different types of activities. Besides carrying out a cademic research, staff with specialised expertise is involved in independent contract research projects commissioned by various public and private bodies. Consultancy areas include among others regional, urban and rural development, public service provision and environmental management. The Centre equally acts as a base for high quality training in urban and regional issues by encouraging staff to assume a role in different graduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes across a wide range of related disciplines. These activities are all benefiting from the Centre’s strong national and international links. Finally, in order to popularise academic knowledge and disseminate research findings among professionals, the CRS initiated the setting up of the Hungarian Regional Science Association. Various seminars and conferences are organised to foster exchange between researchers, practitioners and the lay public.
By combining the worlds of research, practice and education, the Centre aims at effecting positive changes in Hungarian spatial policy and thus in the country’s spatial structure. To date, the efforts of the CRS to enhance the importance of urban and regional research in Hungary have been successful. The position of regional science has been reinforced both as a discipline within the academic curriculum and as a research field. A further objective is to extend the Centre’s reach and to realise its potential of becoming a centre of excellence in academic and applied research on spatial issues in Central and Eastern Europe.
Academic reform – The Centre for Regional Studies was dissolved on the 31th of December, 2011 and as a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Economic and Regional Studies it has been operating from the 1st of January, 2012 under the name of Institute of Regional Studies. The new organisational order will hopefully contribute to the efficiency of spatial and settlement development research. We are indebted to several institutions, organisations and professionals for their support of the development of regional science. The distinctive attention given to our activities was and remains an important motivating force for us.