Border Studies
The study of borders and border regions has gained great momentum during the last 20 years. In the context of borders, political, social, economic, environmental, legal and cultural aspects can be investigated. Borders (e.g. state boundaries) are discussed as an expression of social, political or economic processes and not just as a geopolitical phenomenon.
The key area of "Border Studies" was selected by the presidents and vice chancellors of the UniGR partner universities because it represents a distinctive feature of the Greater Region: The separation by national and regional boundaries is still strictly implemented in some areas of the Region, such as in legislation or local government. In the professional, social or cultural life of the inhabitants of the Greater Region, the crossing of borders is, however, hardly an issue; it has become commonplace for many people.
This has been recognized by many researchers at the UniGR partner universities from the departments of law and economics, linguistics, history, geography, regional planning, and Cultural Studies as a topical and important issue.
In order to allow for improved coordination of the many disciplines and scientists involved, the key area of Border Studies has been subdivided into three sub-groups, which are open to other participants:·
- Regional planning
- Law
- Cultural and linguistic studies, history
UniGR-Center for Border Studies
The UniGR-Center for Border Studies emerged from the key area of Border Studies. The UniGR-CBS is a thematic cross-border network of approximately 80 researchers within the university grouping University of the Greater Region conducting research on borders, their meanings and challenges. Due to its geographical position in the «heart of Europe», its expertise and disciplinary diversity, the UniGR-CBS has the best prerequisites for becoming a European network of excellence.
For the creation of a “European Center for Competence and Knowledge in Border Studies”, the Interreg VA Greater Region program provides the UniGR-CBS network with approximately EUR 2 million ERDF funding between 2018 and 2022. Within this project, the UniGR-CBS aims at developing harmonized research tools, embedding Border Studies in teaching, promoting the dialogue on cross-border challenges between academia and institutional actors and supporting the spatial development strategy of the Greater Region.
The UniGR-CBS Project is geared towards broadening and structuring the existing diversity of scientific competencies at the universities of the Greater Region in this subject area. The aim is to expand the existing cooperation between researchers at the six member universities in the university grouping within the Greater Region into a multidisciplinary Center for Competence and Knowledge with international visibility. The intention is to create appropriate and permanent framework conditions for scientific cooperation. In 2022, the UniGR-CBS was made permanent.
