OPEN DAYS UNIVERSITY
A new element of OPEN DAYS 2009 will the OPEN DAYS University. A series of lectures and moderated panels with renowned academics and researchers will be organised by the Commission's Regional Policy DG and the Committee of the Regions on the basis of suggestions put forward by all participating regions and partners, covering the four themes of OPEN DAYS 2009
web-site : http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/conferences/od2009/university.cfm?nmenu=7000
en http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/conferences/od2009/
DRAFT PROGRAMME VERSION
Tuesday 6 October 2009
9:30 - 10:30 How the third industrial revolution can bring the economy back on track : Keynote speech by Jeremy Rifkin
11:00 - 13:00 Panel debate: Regional responses to climate change
Regions throughout Europe will be increasingly confronted with the impacts of climate change, and new challenges in
terms of energy provision and efficiency. The combined impacts of climate change will raise serious questions generally
in relation to quality of life for the EU's citizens, but also pose more specific sectoral challenges in some EU regions, for
instance in tourism and agriculture. This panel examines some of these challenges and examines ways in which regions
can respond to these.
14:30 - 16:30 Panel debate: Innovation and the role of the public sector
Investments in science and research have the potential to be one of the key factors to address the economic crisis
because innovation is essential for sustainable growth. There is widespread agreement that innovation should be a core
activity of the public sector. The focus on innovation across Europe has been accompanied by an emphasis on the role
of universities in working with industry with the public sector playing an important role in driving knowledge transfer
between these two different sets of organisations. This panel explores experience of university-industry knowledge
transfer and how it has supported innovation.
14:30 - 16:30 Panel debate: Secondary cities and economic growth?
Secondary cities can play an important role in both spreading economic growth and increasing the potential for national
economic growth. In some countries, secondary cities rival and sometimes surpass the economic weight of the capital
city, while in other countries the capital is by far the largest economic engine and thus follows a far more mono-centric
development pattern. In many countries, the balance between the capital and the secondary cities has been the focus not
only of intense debate but also of policy intervention. Some have made a political commitment to encourage the
emergence of secondary growth poles outside the capital region, while other have continued to maintain a strong focus
on public services and investments in the capital region.
Wednesday 7 October 2009
9:30 - 10:30 Keynote address by Professor Karl-Heinz Brandenburg (TBC)
11:00 - 13:00 Regional Studies Association Panel: Regional responses to the global economic crisis
11:00 - 13:00 Panel debate: Multi-level governance
14.30-15.30 Keynote speech: "Does geography matter?"
14:30 - 16:30 The Global Economic Crisis: endangering the European Social Model?
There is widespread agreement that there is no such thing as one European Social Model, but rather a variety of models
with some common features. It has been described as a unique blend of economic competitiveness and equality but to
what extent can the European Social Model withstand the challenges posed by the global economic crisis? This panel
will debate the extent to the global economic crisis threatens a model based on strong economic performance and a high
level of social protection.
16:00 - 17:30 Regional Studies Association Panel: Understanding and Promoting Territorial Cohesion -
Addressing the Challenges of the Green Paper
In October 2008 the European Commission presented a Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion. The Paper launched a
debate with a view to deepening understanding of this concept and its implications for policy and cooperation. It explicitly
recognises the territorial diversity of Europe, and the Green Paper opened up a debate on how regional development
policies and practices could respond more effectively to the specific needs and characteristics of regions and cities. This
workshop addresses key ideas questions and debates surrounding the understanding and pursuit of Territorial Cohesion
as outlined in the Green Paper.
Thursday 8 October 2009
9:30 - 10:30 European Cohesion Policy post-2013
Keynote Address by Commissioner Danuta Hübner
11:00 - 12:30 Panel debate: European Cohesion Policy post-2013
European cohesion policy programmes cover the period 2007-2013. However, the debate on post-2013 cohesion policy
is already under way. Representatives of Member States, regions and cities, members of the European Parliament, the
Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, and all interested citizens are invited to
take part in the debate. This opportunity for reflection is vital as it forms part of the wider debate on the European budget
and future priorities of the Union.
