Curriculum vitae

Professor József Benedek

Professor of Human Geography

József Benedek is Professor of Human Geography at the Babeș-Bolyai University (BBU), Faculty of Geography, Cluj (Romania). He is also Director of the Centre of Spatial Economics attached to the Faculty of Economics, Miskolc (Hungary). He holds the Vice-Presidency of the University Senate (BBU).

Distinctions:

• Selected by Institut für Donauschwäbische Geschichte und Landeskunde, Tübingen for a Research Fellowship, 1997-1998
• Selected for a DAAD Research Fellowship at the Institut for Regional Geography, Leipzig, 2000
• Selected as „Alexander von Humboldt” Research Fellow at the University Würzburg, 2002-2003
• Awarded by the National Council for Scientific Research with the Medal “In hoc signo vinces”, 2004
• Awarded “Pro Geographia” diploma by the Hungarian Geographical Society, 2004
• Selected as New College Europe Research Fellow, Bucharest, 2005-2006
• Elected Academician of the Hungarian Academy of Science, Section 9: Economics and Law, Regional Science Commission, 2010
• Awarded „Lóczy Lajos” Medal, the highest distinction of the Hungarian Geographical Society, 2010
• Selected Country Representative, Regional Studies Association (RSA), Seaford, United Kingdom, 2006
• Elected Vice-Director of the Center for Population Studies, Cluj, Romania

Research
 
Research interests fall into four major areas:
 
Regional Economic Development

This research topic goes back to his PhD on spatial relations and household typology in the rural region of Bistrita (Romania). It has since broadened to encompass the uneven geographical development, regional inequalities and spatial polarisation, the role of tourism in local and regional development, urban economic change.

The most significant publications include: The emergence of new regions in transition Romania, in: Scott, J. (Ed) De-coding New Regionalism. Shifting Socio-political Contexts in Central Europe and Latin America, pp. 233 – 246. Ashgate. Urban and Regional Planning Series, Aldershot, 2009; Paths of convergence and polarization in the Visegrád countries (with Kocziszky Gy.). In: Lang, T., Henn, S., Sgibnev, W., Ehrlich, K., (eds.): Understanding Geographies of Polarization and Peripheralization. Perspectives from Eastern Europe and Beyond. Palgrave/MacMillan, Basingstoke. 352 p., 217-234, 2015; Spatial differentiation and core-periphery structures in Romania. Eastern Journal of European Studies, 6:1, 49-61, 2015; Catching up or falling behind? Economic convergence and regional development trajectories in Romania (with Cristea M. and Szendi D.). Romanian Review of Regional Studies, 11:1, 15-34, 2015.

 
Economic Theory and Regional Geography
 
Key contributions in the development to a new regional theory and to the study of space.
 
The most significant publications include: The emergence of new regions in the transition Romania, Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii „Al. I. Cuza”, Geografie, tomul XLIX-L, 199 – 206, 2004; Régiók kialakulása és változása: véletlen vagy törvényszerűség? [Establishment and Change of Regions: Accident or Necessity?]Tér és Társadalom, (24): 3, 193-202, 2010; Economic convergence and polarisation: towards a multi-dimensional approach (with Moldovan  A.). Hungarian Geographical Bulletin, 64:3, 187-203, 2015; A földrajz térszemléletének hullámai [Waves of Space Perception in Geography], Tér és Társadalom 2, 21 – 40, 2002; A Társadalom térbelisége és térszervezése [The Spatiality of Society and the Organisation of Social Space]. Risoprint, Cluj-Napoca, 2000; Amenajarea teritoriului şi dezvoltarea regională [Territorial Planning and Regional Development]. Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, 2004.

Geography and Public Policy

This topic includes a range of articles and books expressing the strong commitment of the author to the policy relevance of geographic research. A current interest is in the sustainable urban transport. Research include the evaluation of regional policy.
 
The most significant publications include: Politicile regionale în România (with Bakk M.). Editura Polirom, Iaşi, 2010; Chapter 12, Romania, (with Horvath R.), in: BAUN M, MAREK D., (Eds) EU regional policy after enlargment, 226 – 247. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, 2008; Urban policy and urbanisation in the transititon Romania, Romanian Review of Regional Studies 1, 51 – 64, 2006; Growth pole development and metropolization in Romania (with Cristea M.). Studia UBB, seria Geographia, 59:2, 125-138, 2014; Recent regionalisation discourses and projects in Romania with special focus on the Székelyland. Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences (with Bajtalan H.), 44E, 23-41, 2015.

The Geography of Human Risks and Vulnerability

Over recent years, a key role has played to development of a better understanding of human risks and the social vulnerability to different risks.
The most significant publications include: Social Sustainability in the Historical District of Cluj. In ENYEDI Gy., KOVÁCS, Z. (Eds) Social Changes and Social Sustainability in Historical Urban Centres. Centre For Regional Studies of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pécs,147 – 161, 2006; Identification of traffic accident risk-prone areas under low lighting conditions (with Ivan K., Haidu I. and Ciobanu S.). Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 15:9, 2059-2068, 2015; Spatial characteristics and public health consequences of road traffic injuries in Romania (with Ciobanu S.). Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 14:11, 2015; Hot spots and social background of urban traffic crashes: a case study in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) (with Ciobanu S. and Man T.). Accident Analysis and Prevention, 87:2, 117-126, 2016.

Consultancy and Advisory Work
 
Research advice, consultancy provided to Government Institutions and Regional Development Agencies. Various studies and development strategies undertaken for County Councils and Local Councils.

PhD Students
 
The supervision of PhD students in the following topics:

• The Geography of Spatial Mobility: Inter-regional and Intra-urban Migration and Commuting
• Human Risks and Vulnerability
• Territorial Governance and Regional Policy
• The Geography of Uneven Development and Spatial Polarization

Editing Roles

• Editorial Board Member, Europa Regional, 2008 to date
• Co-Editor, Romanian Review of Regional Studies, 2004 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Romanian Journal of Population Studies, 2007 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Studia Universitas Babes-Bolyai, seria Geographia, 2001 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Erdélyi Társadalom, 2004 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Forum on Economics and Business, 2009 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Észak-magyarországi Stratégiai Füzetek, 2010 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Theory, Methodology, Practice, 2010 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Tér és társadalom, 2010 to date
• International Editorial Advisory Board Member, Romanian Journal of Urban and Regional Analysis, 2011 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Hungarian Geographical Bulletin, 2014 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Human Geographies. Journal of Studies and Research in Human Geography, 2008 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Regional Statistics, 2012 to date
• Editorial Board Member, Economy and Finance, 2015 to date
• Editorial Council Member, Egyetemi Műhely Kiadó, 2010 to date