On 24 February 2021, Lise Bourdeau-Lepage was elected President of ASRDLF, the French-speaking Section of RSAI-ERSA. Lise Bourdeau-Lepage succeeds Fabienne Leloup (president from 2017-2020) for the term 2021-2023. Her mandate starts on April 1st, 2021.
We wish Lise Bourdeau-Lepage a fruitful ASRDLF Presidency and welcome her at the European Regional Science Association Council (ERSAC) as the New ASRDLF Section Representative.
The new ASRDLF Board
President: Lise Bourdeau-Lepage, 1st class full-professor, geography, Université Lyon 3, UMR 5600 EVS
V-P international Relations: Guy Chiasson, full-professor, Political sciences and regional development, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Centre de recherche sur le développement territorial (CRDT)
V-P Scientist events: Alexandra Schaffar, full-professor, Economy, Université de Toulon, LEAD (Directrice)
V-P Young researchers: Leïla Kebir, professeure associée, Territorial economy, Université de Lausanne, IGD
Treasury: François Moullé, Assitant professor, geography, Université d’Artois, Laboratoire Discontinuités UR 2468
Secretary: Sébastien Bourdin, Assistant professor HDR, geography, EM Normandie Business School, Métis Lab
Assistant secretary: Fabien Nadou, Assistant professor, planning and territorial economy, EM Normandie Business School, Métis Lab & UMR 7324 CITERES
Interview
Lise kindly accepted to answer a few questions:
What is your personal background within ASRDLF and ERSA?
I discovered the French-speaking Section (ASRDLF) in 1999 and attended the Congress of Hyères for a day to see what was being said and to appreciate the atmosphere. I remember thinking that I wanted to join this network of researchers. The following year, I attended the congress in Crans-Montana as a presenter. I dreamed of being an active member of this association where I would meet every year, the researchers or their disciplines that had nourished my research career, where different influences came together. It is only 9 years later, in 2008, that I applied to be a member of the Board. I was elected and subsequently appointed Secretary General from 2011 to 2014. The experience was very enriching and the following term (2014-17), I was appointed vice-president of ASRDLF. In particular, I managed the young researchers’ file. During these terms, I strengthened my presence at ERSA congresses telling myself that we needed to be more present. And this year, which is not just any year, but that of the 60 years of the association I ran for the position of President and was elected.
What are your first plans for ASRDLF?
The first task is to position the association in the virtual world. With this objective in mind, the website will be updated and Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook accounts, and a YouTube channel will be created.
By using these communication tools to disseminate content, French-speaking researchers will be more present in the public debate and make their work known to diverse audiences such as territorial actors, politicians, economic developers, civil society, journalists, … and of course academics. This will help them to take part in the life of the city and to be more present internationally, especially in French-speaking countries and within the ERSA.
The second task is the most challenging: prepare for the future and ensure the renewal of the association’s members by giving itself the means to retain a new generation. It is a question of making the association for young researchers a meeting place, a place of intellectual development, of acquisition of knowledge and of the founding values of regional science, but also of deployment of varied activities. It is the reason why I wanted to have at my side a Vice-President for young researchers to send a clear signal to the outside world and to coordinate actions in this area.
In addition to these two medium- and long-term projects, I would like to organize something (an event perhaps) to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the French-speaking section of Regional Science (ASRDLF).
How important is ERSA for ASRDLF?
ERSA is important to ASRDLF for several reasons. It allows French-speaking researchers (who participate in ERSA events) to increase the visibility of their work, to expand their network, to exchange on their research and to collaborate with researchers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Indeed, by the fact that ERSA gathers all the national associations of regional science present in Europe, but also those of Israel, Morocco, Turkey and those of German and French language, it is the principal means of making community and advancing science in this part of the world.
It is also a good relay to promote the voice of European and French-speaking research in a globalized world where the diversity of ideas is difficult to make heard and to spread.
In this year 2021, when we celebrate the 60th anniversary of ASRDLF, I think a small event organized jointly with ERSA would be welcome to strengthen the links between the two associations.