Kerstin Schaefer from the Institute of Economic and Cultural Geography (IWKG), Leibniz University Hannover, has co-authored a programmatic article in Regional Studies with Stefania Fiorentino, John Harrison, Michiel van Meeteren, Tine Béneker and Dan Whittall. The piece opens the first dedicated debate on pedagogies and curricula in regional studies and addresses four angles: how regional studies creates “powerful knowledge,” how regional thinking can be embedded in school education and curriculum design, the training needs of the next generation of regional scholars, and the potential impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on teaching and assessment in regional studies. The authors conclude by reflecting on whether we need a regional pedagogy or a pedagogy of regions and invite further discussion. The article is openly available and a product of a panel discussion at the Regional Studies Winter conference 2024.
Fiorentino, S.; Harrison, J.; van Meeteren, M.; Béneker, T.; Whittall, D. and Schaefer, K. (2026): Teaching regions: do we need a regional pedagogy or a pedagogy of regions? Regional Studies. DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2026.2622453
