The university community and the Regional Studies Institutes (IDECOs) have met friday through Saturday at the Faculty of History and Geography in order to analyse several questions on Valencian local-regional dimension and identity. The purpose of the second edition of this annual meeting, organized by the Ofifice of the Vice-Principal for Territorial Projection and Participation and the Federation of Regional Studies Centres (FIECOV), is to create an space where to show the several realities of the Valencian municipalities and regions, the lines of research, and the research lines, difficulties or future alternatives.

Sessions took place at the Juan Fuster Assembly Hall of the Faculty of History and Geography. The objective is to ensure the relation between the University and the local and regional associations from the point of view of environment, territory, education and cultural heritage.

In the first session, on Friday 30 November, members of the University and the Regional Studies Institutes (IDECOs) have discussed about Environment and Territory. The first conference has started at 10:00, run by Emilio Barba, researcher at the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology. Barba has reviewed the research potential of the University, and has detailed the wide and varied experts panel who can conduct studies, or advise in the implementation of initiatives related to Territory and Environment. Afterwards, a round-table on Environment and Territory has been held. The participants have been: Purificación Peris (Eliana Studies Centre and tenured university professor of the Department of Financial Law and Legal History), Alejandro Pérez (full university professor of the Department of Geography), Vicent Sales (Fundació Assut and Centre d’Estudis Comarcals de l’Horta) and Vicent Morera (Institut d’Estudis Comarcals de la Marina Alta).

At 16:00 had begun the afternoon session with the talk of Luis Arciniega (Director of the Department of History of Art) entitled "Excéntricas aproximaciones historiográficas hacia el patrimonio cultural" (Eccentric historiographical approximations to cultural heritage). Afterwards, Arciniega will chair a roundtable on History, Education and Cultural Heritage; the participants are: Miriam Civera (Rincón de Ademúz Cultural and Studies Institute and professor of the Department of Language Theory and Communication Sciences), Carmen Agulló (Vall d'Albaida Studies Institute and professor of the Department of Comparative Education and Education History), Julio Montagut (Local History Workshop of Godella) and Josep Aparicio (Director of the CREC and El Caroig Institute of Territorial Studies).

The session on Saturday 1 November has focused on a third thematic section: Economics and Local Development. At 10:00, Josep Mª Jordán (full professor of the Department of Applied Economics) has opened the session with a talk on "El desarrollo local y la lucha contra la crisis" (Local development and fight against the economic crisis). At 11:30, a roundtable will take place in which Javier Esparcia (Interuniversity Institute for Local Development and full university professor of Geography), Tomás González (tenured university professor of the Department of Business Management). Carles Rodrigo (Consultor Alter and  Studies Centre) and Víctor García (Agent of Local Development from la Vall de la Gallinera and Institut d’Estudis Comarcals de la Marina Alta member) will participate.

To conclude the conference Jorge Hermosilla, Vice-Principal for Territorial Projection and Participation, and Josep Vicent Frechina, President of the Federation for Valencian Regional Studies Institutes (FIECOV), will expose the proposals and conclusions of the II University of Valencia-Regional Studies Centres Conference. Both institutions carry out a fundamental task of rehabilitation and vindication of the local identity and its studies.

This session evidences the close and productive collaboration between the Federation for University and Regional Studies Institutes (FIECOV), between the members of the university community (lecturers, researchers, students) and the associates of the groups that review the different local perspectives of the Valencian territory.

The collaboration between the University, through the Office of the Vice-Principal for Territorial Projection and Participation, and this regional organisations network intend to promote coexistence, exchange of experiences and development of future actions between both institutions. This 2nd meeting displays and strengthens the common project developed by both institutions last autumn in 2010.