Academician LU Dadao, affiliated with the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences, was elected as Vice-President of the Regional Studies Association (RSA) in November 2015.

Prof.LU Dadao is an outstanding economic geographer. He proposed a “T-shaped” spatial strategy for regional development according to his theory of “pole-axis” system in regional economy. He established the theoretical framework for China’s industrial geography. His theory which considers the Yangtze River corridor and coastal region as the axles of national economic development has had great influence on national and regional economic development.

Founded in the United Kingdom in 1965, the RSA is a lively, inclusive and policy engaged global community, with international membership, respected journals and books and a large programme of conferences and events worldwide. It works with its international membership to facilitate the highest standards of theoretical development, empirical analysis and policy debate of issues at this sub-national scale, incorporating both the urban and rural and different conceptions of space such as city-regions and interstitial spaces.

In 2014, the RSA has launched its China Division which is based at the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences with Professor LIU Weidong as the Chair.