Robert E. Wright is professor of Economics in the Department of Economics in the Strathclyde Business School. From 1995 to 2005, he was Professor and University Chair in Economics in the Department of Economics at the University of Stirling and Vice-Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Management. From 1991 to 1994, he was Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer, in the Department of Political Economy at the University of Glasgow. Before moving to Scotland, he held positions in the Department of Economics at Birkbeck College in London and at the Institute for Research in Public Policy in Ottawa. He is a Senior External Demographic Expert at the Office of National Statistics, London. He was a member of the Board of the Scottish Parliament's Positive Ageing Project.
Robert E. Wright will talk on Periphery-Core Graduate Migration Flows. (abstract)

Kristinn Hermannsson is born and brought up in the Westfjords of Iceland and knows the structural problems of this peripheral region. His PhD, he is working on at Strathclyde University, deals with Computable general equilibrium modelling of the overall regional impact of higher education institutions on the Southwest of Scotland
Kristinn will talk about the economic impacts of students livinig expenses under both core and periphery perspective. (abstract)

Vífill Karlsson is working as lecturer and consultant in Western Iceland. He has been teaching at University of Akureyri as well as Bifröst University and has done research on interregional migration with a focus on regional development and regional economy. His topic is very much related to Robert Wright's topic and it will be interesting to see whether they come to similar results.

Anna Guðrún Edvardsdóttir is working on her PhD on higher education and peripheral regions in Scotland and in the Westfjords of Iceland. Having been active in regional politics for many years, she combines the experience of a practitioner and the knowledge of the scientist. She will talk on Science in Service of the Local Community.

Shiran Þórisson is economist at the Westfjords Economic Development Agency atvest.is, working on an economic analysis for the Westfjords of Iceland. Part of the economic system is the public sector and here again, the institutions of education play a big role. The Westfjords Economic Development Agency has done, last year, an analysis of the economic impact, the university centre has on the Westfjords economy.

Dr. Nicole Bourque is senior lecturer in social anthropology at University of Glasgow. Her research interests are amongst others religious change, religious education and islam in Scotland. Immigration and not least immigration in rural areas connects to this. Her topic will be Does Religious Education Work? (abstract)

 

Aðalsteinn Óskarsson is managing director of the Westfjords' Municipalities' Association Fjórðungssamband. He is most knowledgeable about the Westfjords' development as well as all plans of development during the years and will , from this point of view, analysing the overall regional planning for the country as a whole.

 

Peter Weiss, director of the University Centre of the Westfjords, will approach the topic from a regional brain drain vs. brain gain perspective.