Javier Esparcia Javier.esparcia@uv.es http://www.uv.es/javier/ Department of Geography University of Valencia-Spain Tel. +34-96.3864237 (Dpt.) PO Box 22.060 46080 Valencia-Spain Javier Esparcia is PhD in Geography from the University of Valencia (1990), becoming Associate Professor (1990) and finally Full Professor of Geography (national qualification in June 2004, effective in January 2006) at the same University, to which he is linked. He currently has four complements of research productivity (positive evaluations). He has been member of the National Commission for the Evaluation of the Research Activity (CNEAI) until January 2016. Currently he is area coordinator in the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FCCYT) for the evaluation of scientific journals, and member of the Commission of Accreditation for university senior lectures and professors (ACADEMIA programme) at the Nacional Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA). He has been Head of the Department of Geography from April 2009 to October 2010, and director of the Master in Management and Promotion of Local Development (at the Research Institute for Local Development, University of Valencia), until September 2011. Currently he is involved in a second PhD Thesis, in Sociology (Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain). He has taught doctoral and master courses and numerous conferences in several universities, primarily around the issues of local development in rural areas and the methodologies of evaluation of public policies. He was the founder in 1993 of UDERVAL (Research Unit for Rural Development and Evaluation of Public Policies), which with other units and colleagues became in 2003 in the Institute for Local Development (University of Valencia and University Jaume I of Castellón). He has had sabbatical leaves in several universities in Canada and Britain as Visiting Scholar (University of Toronto, 1994 95; York University, 1996; and Chelteham College for Higher Education Gloucester University, 1998). In 1998 he launched the first postgraduate course for local development agents, which has evolved into the current official title of Master in Management and Promotion of Local Development (Interuniversity Institute for Local Development), of which he has been director until September 2011. In his professional scientific activity he has been a contributor to the Spanish Unit of the European Observatory, then Animation and Promotion of Rural Development Unit (Ministry of Agriculture) and Member of the Editorial Board of Actualidad LEADER Journal of Rural Development (1999 2004), in which he has published numerous articles. He also collaborated with DG Agri of the European Commission preparing material for the application of the Community Initiative LEADER. Since 1998 he is also evaluator of the European Commission (DG Research in the areas of agricultural policies, rural development and, more recently, economic development initiatives and the environment in developing countries). He has been expert evaluator for the European Commission in the different R+D Framework Programmes since 1998 to the present, including COFUND programmes and Marie Curie Actions, 1
in fields as Common Agricultural Policy, policies of regional development, cooperation, environment and research. From 2004 to January 2009 he has been Manager in charge of Social Sciences in the National R+D+I Programme (DG Research). He was the Spanish representative in the Management Committee of the European Science Foundation (2005 2007), becoming appointed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the National Research Council as the Spanish representative in the Social Sciences Standing Committee of the European Science Foundation (2007 to October 2013). He has conducted and participated in the evaluation of rural development policies, especially the LEADER and PRODER programmes for both regional government of Valencia and the European Commission, and recently (2011) has been appointed as member of group of experts who evaluated both programmes for General Directorate of Rural Development (current Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, 2011). His scientific activity has focused mainly on regional, local and rural development as basic research issue, especially aspects such as socio economic transformation processes in rural areas, the role of new activities, social capital and the actors in land management and rural development policies. On these subjects he has been the supervisor of several doctoral theses, being some other inprogress under his responsibility. He belongs to the scientific board of several journals and he is actively involved in the evaluation of papers as external reviewer, such as Sociologia Ruralis, Journal of Rural Studies, International Journal of Sustainable Development, Urban Geography, International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, The Geographical Journal, Geoforum, African Journal of Agricultural Research, Ecological Indicators, International Journal of Sustainable Development, in addition to national journals such as Investigaciones Regionales, Revista Internacional de Sociología, Papeles de Geografía, Revista Española de Estudios Agrosociales, Revista de Estudios Regionales, Estudios Territoriales, Geographicalia, Anales de Geografía de la Universidad Complutense, AGER Revista de Estudios sobre Despoblación y Desarrollo Rural, Cuadernos de Geografía, etc. He is also doing research on local socio productive systems in rural areas, research which is completing with analysis of the relationship between social capital and regional development, and specifically the role of social networks, leadership and elites and structures power in the socioeconomic dynamics of rural areas (funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation). Results of this research are being presented at various conferences, such as the European Congress of Rural Sociology Association (Crete, August 2011), or the XIII World Congress of Rural Sociology and Iberian Symposium of Rural Studies both of them to be held in Lisbon (2012), among others. During 2014 and 2015 he participated as member of the International Commission of experts for the evaluation of the Portuguese system of R & D in the field of Social Sciences, commissioned by the Fundação para a Ciência ea Tecnologia, and managed by the European Science Foundation. In 2015 he moved from the Editorial Board of AGER (Journal of Studies on Depopulation and Rural Development) assuming the role of deputy director. He has been member of the Advisory Committee of the National Evaluation of Research Activity (CNEAI), as member (2013), secretary (2014) and president (2015). 2
He has worked on numerous competitive research projects, mainly funded by the European Commission and to a lesser extent the DG Research (national government) or other regional governments. He has also worked on projects and contracts, also mainly for public administrations. During the last years his main research is devoted to the analysis of social capital and territorial development. The main research projects are: Personal networks and rural territories: spatial and temporal dynamics, innovations and social support. Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (3016 2018). Social capital and territorial development. Crisis, resilience and leadership in the new rural dynamics in Spain. Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (3013 2015). Social capital and territorial development. Social networks, power elites and leadership in the new rural dynamics in Spain. Ministry of Science and Innovation, DG Research (2010 2012). Rural Areas, People and Innovative Development (RAPIDO). Commission of the European Communities, DG Research, VI Framework Programme (2007 2009). A Cognitive Approach to Rural Sustainable Development: The Dynamics of Expert and Lay Knowledges (CORASON). Commission of the European Communities, DG Research, VI Framework Programme (2004 2006). Entrepreneurship and social and productive local systems in lagging rural regions in Spain. Ministry of Science and Innovation, DG Research. (2003 2006). Building New Relationships in Rural Areas Under Urban Pressure (Building Rurban Relations). Commission of the European Communities, DG Research, VI Framework Programme (2002 2005). Aspatial Peripherality, Innovation and the Rural Economy (ASPIRE). Commission of the European Communities, DGXI, VI Framework Programme (2001 2004). Supporting and Promoting Integrated Tourism in Europe`s lagging Rural Regions (SPRITE). Commission of the European Communities, DGXI, VI Framework Programme (2001 2004). Partnerships for Rural Integrated Development in Europe (PRIDE). Commission of the European Communities, DGVI, FAIR Programme (1999 2001). Regional Images and the Promotion of quality products and services in the lagging regions of the European Union (RIPPLE). Commission of the European Communities, DGVI, FAIR Programme (1997 1999). Improving the Economic Impact of Public Institutions on lagging Rural and Coastal Regions. Commission of the European Communities, DG XII XIV VI, AIR Programme (1994 1996). Some publications (most of them accessible at http://www.uv.es/javier/index.htm): - Esparcia, J., Escribano, J., Serrano, J. (2016): Una aproximación al enfoque del capital social y a su contribución al estudio de los procesos de desarrollo local. Investigaciones Regionales Journal of Regional Research, 34: 1 23. 3
- Esparcia, J., Escribano, J., Serrano, J. (2015): From Development to Power Relations and Territorial Governance: Increasing the Leadership Role of LEADER Local Action Groups in Spain. Journal of Rural Studies, 42: 29 42. - Esparcia, J., Escribano, J., Buciega, A. (2015): A perspective of LEADER Method in Spain based on the Analysis of Local Action Groups. In Granberg, L., Andersson, K., and Kovach, I. (Eds.), Evaluating the LEADER Approach to Rural Development. Grass roots Experiences of the LEADER Programme. Ashgate Publisher, pp. 33 51. - Cheshire, L., Esparcia, J., Shucksmith, M. (2015): Community resilience, social capital and territorial governance. AGER Journal of Depopulation and Rural Development Studies, 18: 7 38. - Esparcia, J. (2014): Innovation and networks in rural áreas. An analysis from European innovative projects. Journal of Rural Studies, 34:1 14. - Esparcia, J. (2013): La investigación en Geografía en los planes nacionales: elemento de consolidación de la disciplina. En Lasanta, T., Martín Vide, J. (Coords.): La Investigación Geográfica en España (1990 2012). Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, pp. 87 117. - Esparcia, J. (2012): From Business to Territorial and Social Networks in Rural Development: Experiences from rural Valencia (Spain). En Sjöblom, S., et al. (Eds): Sustainability and Shortterm Policies. Improving Governance in Spatial Policy Interventions. Ashgate Publisher, pp. 261 299. - Esparcia, J. (2012): The environmental dimension of LEADER approach. An analysis from best environmental practices in Spain. En Paniagua, A., Bryant, R., Kizos, T. (Eds.) The political ecology of depopulation. Centro de Estudios sobre Despoblación y Desarrollo de las Áreas Rurales, pp. 39 66. - Esparcia, J. (2010): Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas: Experiences from Rural Spain. En Robinson, G., Molinero, F., Guerra, J.C. (Eds.): Proceedings III Anglo Spanish Rural Geography Conference, Institute of British Geographers Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles, pp. 215 233. - Buciega, A., Esparcia, J., Ferrer, V. (2010): Traditional and Artisanal Versus Expert and Managerial Knowkedge: Dissecting Two Local Food Networks in Valencia, Spain. En Fonte, M., Papadopoulos, A. (Eds): Naming Food After Places. Food Relocalisation and Knowledge Dynamics in Rural Development. Ashgate Publishing, pp. 215 236. - Esparcia, J. (2010): Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas: Experiences from Rural Spain. En Robinson, G., Molinero, F., Guerra, J.C. (Eds.): Proceedings III Anglo Spanish Rural Geography Conference, Institute of British Geographers Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles, pp. 215 233. - Buciega, A., Pitarch, M.D., Esparcia, J., (2009): The context or rural urban relationships in Finland, France, Hungary, The Netherlands and Spain. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 11 (1): 9 27. - Noguera, J., Esparcia, J. (Eds.) (2008): Nuevos factores de desarrollo territorial. Universidad de Valencia. 495 p. 4
- Esparcia, J., Paniagua, A. (Eds.) (2006): Políticas Públicas, Sustentabilidad y Geografía Rural. Una Agenda de Estudio (Eds.). Monográfico en Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles, 41. 336 p. - Esparcia, J., Buciega, A., (Eds.) (2005): New Rural Urban Relationships in Europe: A Comparative Analysis. Experiences from The Netherlands, Spain, Hungary, Finland and France. Instituto Interuniversitario de Desarrollo Local, Univ. de Valencia, 142 p. - Esparcia, J., Noguera, J., Ferrer, V. (2003): La innovación empresarial y la difusión de nuevos factores de desarrollo territorial. Una comparación entre dos áreas geográficas de diferente accesibilidad. Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles. 2003, 36: 149 160. - Esparcia, J. (2003): Sectores productivos y dinámica socioeconómica. Una aproximación a la situación y cambios recientes en áreas rurales valencianas. Serie Geográfica. Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Servicio de Publicaciones, Dpto. de Geografía. 2003, 11: 91 115. - Cavazzani, A., Moseley, M. (Eds.) (2001): The Practice of Rural Development Partnerships in Europe, Soveria Manelli (capítulos correspondientes a España, junto con J. Noguera y A. Buciega: pp. 83 94, 299 310, 311 322, 323 334, 335 348). - Esparcia, M. Moseley, Joan Noguera (Eds.) (2000): Exploring rural development partnerships in Europe. An análisis of 330 local partnerships across eight EU countries. Informes UDERVAL, Dpto. de Geografía, Univ. de Valencia. - Esparcia, J., Noguera, J., Buciega, A. (1999): Emerging Community Development in Spain. Westholm, E., Moseley, M., Stenlas, N., (Eds,): Local Partnerships and Rural Development in Europe: a Literature Review of Practice and Theory. Dalarna Research Institute, Sweden, 1999, pp. 65 77. - Esparcia, J., Noguera, J., Buciega, A. (1999): Europe wide experiences of the LEADER Programme. Westholm, E., Moseley, M., Stenlas, N., (Eds.): Local Partnerships and Rural Development in Europe: A Literature Review of Practice and Theory, Dalarna Research Institute, Sweden, 1999, pp. 185 195. 5