The fifth issue of Eurázsia Szemle, Volume V, marks a special edition devoted to the theme “Growth, Development, and Institutional Transitions.” Departing from the journal’s regular geopolitical column structure, this issue is organised around three thematic sections that approach the question of development from multiple disciplinary and regional perspectives: Rethinking Development and Industrialization, Sectoral Transformation, and Urban Governance and Regionalism.
Over the past decade, renewed attention has been given to the concept of development — not only as a measure of economic performance but as a process encompassing institutional evolution, social inclusion, and sustainability. The contributions in this issue engage with these broader understandings, exploring how different countries and sectors navigate the challenges of growth, transformation, and governance in a changing global environment.
The first section, Rethinking Development and Industrialization, opens with Tina Saavedra Clemente’s article, “Emancipatory Development? Evaluating Philippine Archipelagic Development Perspectives, Performance, and Measurement.” Clemente revisits the development paradigms of the Philippines through the lens of the blue economy and archipelagic governance, examining how policy frameworks reflect both progress and persistent structural constraints. Drawing on critical and post-colonial perspectives, the study explores the tensions between sustainability, inclusiveness, and economic growth, arguing for a more integrated approach that aligns maritime and land-based development. By engaging with the enduring legacies of coloniality and the contemporary pursuit of self-determined growth, the paper offers valuable insights into the evolving relationship between authority, environment, and economic policy in archipelagic states.
In the subsequent contribution, Alexander Michael Palma presents “Decolonizing Industrialization of the Post-Independence Period: Impact of Fiscal Instruments on Foreign Direct Investment Participation.” The study examines how fiscal policy and investment incentives have shaped the Philippines’ industrialisation trajectory since 1946. Through a detailed historical and empirical analysis, Palma evaluates the effectiveness of fiscal instruments in promoting industrial development while maintaining economic sovereignty. His findings suggest that industrial policy outcomes depend not only on capital inflows but also on the coherence and maturity of national institutions. The paper offers a nuanced view of how policy design mediates between openness to global markets and the need for domestic capacity-building — a theme that resonates across developing economies in the Eurasian sphere.
Together, these two studies frame development as both an economic and institutional process, calling attention to how policy legacies, governance structures, and global integration interact in shaping national development strategies.
The second section, Sectoral Transformation, turns to the dynamics of structural change within key economic sectors. Aloysius Gunadi Brata’s paper, “Indonesia: In the Grip of the Middle-Income Trap,” analyses Indonesia’s economic performance in the context of the long-discussed development threshold between middle- and high-income status. The study explores how institutional rigidity, human capital challenges, and uneven innovation capacities contribute to developmental stagnation. Brata argues that addressing these structural barriers requires a coordinated approach that links fiscal discipline, industrial upgrading, and governance reform, offering an instructive case for economies seeking to sustain inclusive growth.
The section continues with Sándor J. Zsarnóczai and György Iván Neszmélyi’s study, “Agricultural and Food Production in India between 2000–2020.” Their analysis examines India’s agricultural transformation over two decades, focusing on productivity trends, technological adaptation, and the relationship between agricultural output and rural livelihoods. The authors highlight the critical importance of institutional adaptability in managing resource use, market access, and environmental sustainability. Their findings underscore that, in emerging economies, agricultural modernisation remains central to balanced growth and social stability.
Both contributions in this section illuminate how sector-specific developments are embedded in broader macroeconomic and institutional contexts. They collectively demonstrate that successful transformation depends on long-term policy coherence and the effective coordination of economic, technological, and social change.
The third section, Urban Governance and Regionalism, explores how local and regional governance structures mediate the processes of globalisation and decentralisation. Phan Thị Hồng Xuân and Đoàn Diệp Thùy Dương, in their paper “Creative Cities and Urban Diplomacy: Prospects for Cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Central European Cities,” analyse how cities act as agents of international cooperation. By situating Ho Chi Minh City’s partnerships with Central European urban centres within the framework of creative industry development and cultural diplomacy, the authors demonstrate how urban policy can function as a channel for dialogue and mutual learning. The study highlights how local governments contribute to cross-regional relations and sustainable urban development through knowledge-sharing and cultural exchange.
In the concluding article, Pál Gyene and Zoltán Egeresi present “The Different Pathways of Regional Separatism in Indonesia.” Their paper explores Indonesia’s diverse experiences of regionalism and separatism, examining how governance structures, socio-economic disparities, and identity politics shape regional dynamics. Through comparative analysis, they reveal the varying institutional responses to demands for autonomy and integration. The study provides a balanced perspective on how decentralisation and national cohesion interact, offering broader lessons for managing diversity and regional governance in complex states.
In addition to the thematic studies presented in this issue, the volume features two book reviews that extend the discussions on institutional change and long-term development. Dávid Ligeti’s assessment of Géza Gecse’s Russian Great-Power Politics, 1905–2021 highlights the historical continuities shaping Russia’s strategic behaviour, offering valuable context for understanding contemporary Eurasian geopolitics. Complementing this, Máté Szakáli reviews The Developer’s Dilemma, edited by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Kunal Sen, Andy Sumner, and Arief Anshory Yusuf—an ambitious comparative study of structural transformation and inequality dynamics across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The review underscores the book’s contribution to debates on inclusive growth and the evolving trajectories of middle-income economies, themes that resonate strongly with the empirical and conceptual questions addressed in this special issue.
By focusing on cities, regions, and governance frameworks, this section expands the lens of development beyond national economies to encompass the subnational and local dimensions of transformation. It reflects how urbanisation, decentralisation, and local diplomacy increasingly influence the architecture of Eurasian development.
This special issue of Eurázsia Szemle demonstrates the value of cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary inquiry in understanding development as a multidimensional process. The articles collected here highlight that economic growth, institutional adaptation, and social transformation are deeply intertwined. They also show that development is not a uniform trajectory but a set of context-specific negotiations between history, policy, and aspiration.
By departing from the journal’s usual column-based structure, this issue reinforces Eurázsia Szemle’s mission to explore Eurasia’s transformations from new and integrative perspectives. The theme Growth, Development, and Institutional Transitions invites continued reflection on how societies pursue progress while addressing inequality, sustainability, and institutional change. The Editorial Board hopes that this special issue will contribute to scholarly dialogue on these pressing questions and inspire further comparative research on the evolving patterns of development across the Eurasian space.
Csaba Moldicz, PhD
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Eurázsia Szemle
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