The National Documentation Centre (EKT) has launched a new publishing partnership with the Research Centre for Economic Policy, Governance and Development, for the online publishing of the scientific journal ‘Region and Periphery’, which focuses on urban and regional development. From now on, the journal will be published electronically and with Open Access through the ejournals platform, an EKT ePublishing service.
‘Region and Periphery’ journal is published bi-annually and includes Greek and English scientific articles covering a wide-range of issues related to the regional development from the historical, legal, institutional, political, social, environmental, cultural, spatial and economic point of view. It also publishes political initiatives, research abstracts and book reviews, special issues with comprehensive views on specific subjects of the issues.
The English title of the journal comprises two related, but different terms, in order to convey the twofold meaning of the Greek word “periphereia” (περιφέρεια). On the one hand, “periphereia” refers to a specific geographical area, which becomes an object of social scientific analysis (region). On the other hand, it is conceptualized as a space defined by its dialectic relationship with a “centre”, which can be found at a national, European or international level (periphery).
Thus, under the first conceptualization, regional development refers to an individual and independent analysis of the regions of Calabria or Darmstadt, the federal state of Bavaria, the city of Shanghai or any other spatial unit. According to the second conceptualization, regional development refers to the juxtaposition of the “peripheral” region of Calabria to the “central” region of Darmstadt, the development of Greece as part of the European periphery in relation to the European “core, or the development of a “third world” country in relation to the developed world. This twofold reading of the world «περιφέρεια» is central to the identity of the journal itself.
The journal was started by Professor N. Marabegia with the support of colleagues in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, National & Kapodistrian University Athens. It is now also supported by the Research Centre for Economic Policy, Governance and Development.
There are already 6 issues of the journal available, with the first appearing in Spring 2012 and the most recent in Spring 2018. The current issue includes articles such as ‘Governmental Centralisation and Ministerial Inflation: Two Inhibiting Factors for the Consolidation of Local Culture in Greece’.
Research Centre for Economic Policy, Governance & Development
The Research Centre for Economic Policy, Governance & Development was founded in 2018 and is an extension of the Research Unit for European Policy and Economy. Its aim is the study of factors related to the economy, development and governance at local, regional and international levels. The centre conducts research programmes, workshops, conferences and related scientific activities.
EKT ePublishing service
Under the agreement between the two organisations, EKT provides the infrastructure for the electronic publishing of the journal and the Research Centre for Economic Policy, Governance & Development provides both the content and its editing. EKT’s ePublishing platform consists of three publishing platforms: journals, conference proceedings and books-monographs. These platforms host the content of each publisher (journals, monographs, conference proceedings), enabling their co-existence alongside other prestigious publishers. The EKT ePublishing platform hosts high quality journals, 34 to date, and offers a unified environment for publishing and open access to reputable content, enhancing academic communication and research activities. Many prestigious organisations have already made use of the platform for the transition to scientific a modern publication covering all stages of the publishing process.