Professor Rachel Murphy gave an invited keynote lecture at an international workshop hosted by the Institute for the Study of Strategic Regions (ISSR) at Charles University in Prague, 7th-9th December 2017. The workshop theme was 'Regions of Strategic Importance: Geographical Spaces, Cultural and Political Constructions, and Analytical Tools'. Rachel's lecture addressed the topic of 'Area Studies and the Analytical Advantages of Context'. The workshop programme is available here. Representatives of SIAS and ISSR have previously held discussions about forming a European network that recognises the importance of the study of regions and areas and we look forward to future collaborations.