The inaugural lecture of Professor John Shutt has taken place at The Rose Bowl.

His lecture, titled 'The State of the Region in 2010: Is there a future for UK and European Regional Policy?' examined local and regional development in the light of this year's impending General Election.

Professor Shutt described what has been achieved and what needs to be done to create a new turning point in local and regional development.

Questions posed by his lecture included, where will the new jobs and opportunities come from and what do we need to do to build the skills and knowledge economy in the region and the green economy? Are the current sets of policy responses adequate to build a new regional resilience? Can the region's universities strengthen their contribution to the Cities and the Region at this critical time of policy change?
 
John Shutt is Professor of Employment and Regional Development and Director of the European Regional Business & Economic Development Unit (ERBEDU), at Leeds Business School, Leeds Metropolitan.

He teaches at Leeds Business School on the Leeds MBA, the Masters in Public Sector Management and the Masters in Economic Regeneration.