The University of the Greater Region (UniGR) has founded the first interdisciplinary centre of expertise for border research. It is a cross-border structure with border researchers from Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg, coordinated at the Department of Geography and Spatial Planning of the University of Luxembourg.

The establishment of interdisciplinary centres of expertise is an important component of the development strategy of the rectors and presidents of the UniGR partner universities. By bundling selected expertise from the six university sites, they want to strengthen cross-border research cooperation and make the Greater Region a top-class research area.

The new interdisciplinary centre of expertise "UniGR-Center for Border Studies" is active in research and teaching (Master in Border Studies) as well as at the interface with politics and society. Especially in times of war and other crises, which encourage the current resurgence of social and territorial borders, border studies are in particular demand as an emerging research field. The development plan of the UniGR-CBS for the next five years builds on established cooperation routines between border researchers in the Greater Region and on solid preparatory work. This includes, above all, an EU-funded Interreg VA Greater Region project (2018-2022), which created the basis for the interdisciplinary centre of expertise.

Next events of the UniGR-Center for Border Studies:

• Public lecture series from October – December 2022 ”Border Realities: Transformation of the border and new conceptual challenges“
• Forum Greater Region (24.11.2022) “How do young people participate in the development of the cross-border region?“
• Conference (15.-16.12.2022) “Borders in Flux and Border Temporalities in and beyond Europe” in collaboration with international partners