Rubén C. Lois-González is a Full Professor of Geography at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and Vice President of the International Geographical Union (UGI). He is the Principal Investigator of several European and international cross-border cooperation projects. He is the author of about 200 books and book chapters, and more than 150 articles in academic journals. Main lines of research: spatial planning, local development, and tourism.