Border Studies in the Greater Region: Review of 4.5 years of Interreg project cooperation

The Interreg VA GR project "European Center for Competence and Knowledge in Border Studies" came to an end on June 30, 2022. With the support of the six partner universities during the four and a half years (2018-2022) of the project, the foundations for successful border studies have been created in the Greater Region, on which researchers will build in the future.

The UniGR-CBS would like to thank the more than 80 colleagues from the UniGR partner universities for the successful collaboration. The network also thanks the strategic and associate partners from the Greater Region, the scientific advisory board and the project steering committee for their support and cooperation in full confidence.
 

"The expectations for the Interreg project were high, in retrospect we even exceeded them. Indeed, while the EU funding was initially intended to structure cooperation between border studies researchers in the Greater Region, we are now perceived as an interdisciplinary UniGR competence center at the international level and we look forward to a promising future." - Christian Wille, scientific coordinator of the Interreg VA GR project "European Center for Competence and Knowledge in Border Studies" and director of the coordination unit of the UniGR-Center for Border Studies.

"Border Studies was already an exciting field for me since my studies, and working with and within the UniGR-Center for Border Studies has made it more accessible." Isabel Schmidt, central coordinator of the Interreg VA GR project "European Center for Competence and Knowledge in Border Studies".

Networking tools for the UniGR-Center for Border Studies

A strong interregional and international network of border studies researchers is crucial for border studies based in the Greater Region. The project financed 17 research visits of researchers from the Greater Region and excellent international researchers from eight European and American countries.

In order to strengthen the exchange between border studies researchers at the UniGR-CBS, eight "Border Studies" seminars were organised. Scientific dialogue across disciplinary boundaries took place here, collegial relations were consolidated across national borders, scientific results were openly discussed and joint research projects were developed.

 

Border Studies researchers have contributed to the territorial development of the Grande Région in the framework of this project. The Interreg VA GR project "Schéma de développement territorial de la Grande Région (SDT-GR)", which received scientific support from the UniGR-CBS, is one of the fields of action. The cooperation has resulted in the provision of expertise, joint workshops and thematic networking meetings.
 

Interface between research, administration, politics and society

Besides scientists and stakeholders, the citizens of the Greater Region are an essential part of the UniGR-CBS audience. A special exchange platform has been dedicated to them: the "Greater Region Forum" is a series of round tables that could be set up by researchers thanks to the project. Since 2018, the variety of themes has attracted more than 400 participants from the Greater Region. Here is an overview of the seven forums organised during the project.
 

From its own publication series to digital teaching materials

In addition to its three publication formats (Policy Papers, Working Papers and Thematic Papers), UniGR-CBS has developed two practical working tools for regional actors and researchers. The UniGR-CBS Digital Knowledge and Documentation Center Border Studies, with more than 150 reference documents, is already available online. The Border Studies digital glossary will soon be available online and will include more than 40 key Border Studies entries.

The Master in Border Studies is a trinational program developed by researchers in Border Studies. It offers students the opportunity to acquire the main concepts and analytical tools to understand the social, cultural, political and economic challenges of border regions and cross-border cooperation. Paul Neufert, a graduate of the Master's program, talks about the added value of border studies:
 

The project has developed digital learning materials to facilitate cross-border studies. This includes the MOOC "Territorial Diagnosis - Beyond Borders", a 5-week online course. Another important achievement is the interactive map on the industrial history of the Greater Region with numerous film sequences and pedagogical backgrounds.
 

Further information about the Interreg VA GR project "European Center for Competence and Knowledge in Border Studies" here

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