On November 27, 2024, the roundtable discussion "Towards Cross-Border Faculties? Reflecting on Ten Years of the UniGR Interdisciplinary Competence Center 'UniGR-Center for Border Studies'" took place at the University of Luxembourg.
This event marked the festive conclusion of a memorable anniversary year and brought together key representatives from the University of the Greater Region (UniGR) and the UniGR-Center for Border Studies (UniGR-CBS):
- Hélène Boulanger, President of the University of the Grande Région and the University of Lorraine
- Jens Kreisel, Rector of the University of Luxembourg
- Eva Martha Eckkrammer, President of the University of Trier
- Christian Wille, Director of UniGR-CBS, University of Luxembourg
- Astrid M. Fellner, Director of UniGR-CBS at the University of Saarland
- Grégory Hamez, Co-Director of UniGR-CBS at the University of Lorraine
- Moderator: Eric Pirard, University of Liège
Together with experts from academia, politics, and related fields, they reviewed the significant achievements of the past decade and discussed the future role of the UniGR-CBS as a driving force for strengthening cross-border academic structures in the Greater Region.
Over the last ten years, the UniGR-Center for Border Studies has established itself as a pioneering institution in border studies and has become an essential platform for cross-border academic collaboration. The UniGR is proud of the remarkable success story of the UniGR-CBS and looks back on an anniversary year filled with opportunities to celebrate shared achievements:
- April 11, 2024: Official Launch – Members of the UniGR-CBS Steering Committee officially launched the anniversary program.
- Anniversary Website: A dedicated platform was created to share congratulations, event information, and details about the anniversary year.
- Podcast “ON AIR”: A new podcast series focusing on border studies topics has been regularly released since April 2024.
- Highlight in October: The UniGR-CBS Jubilee Conference on October 17–18, 2024, at Saarland University brought together over 80 researchers from 30 countries. In 16 panels, two workshops, and keynote lectures from international experts, the conference highlighted the rich expertise and collaborative spirit of the UniGR-CBS research community.
The roundtable discussion on November 27 provided a worthy conclusion to the anniversary celebrations. It not only reflected on the achievements of the past decade but also set the stage for the UniGR-CBS’s future prospects.
Dr. Hélène Boulanger, President of the UniGR and the Université de Lorraine:
"The UniGR-Center for Border Studies is an outstanding example of how the strategic goals of the University of the Greater Region can be successfully realized. It serves as a best-practice model for the development of further UniGR Centers of Expertise and shows how interdisciplinary cross-border cooperation can advance the creation of a shared academic and research space. The diverse initiatives of the UniGR-CBS underscore the Greater Region’s leading role in this field and provide crucial impetus for shaping the future of the European higher education landscape."
Dr. Christian Wille, Head of the UniGR-CBS at the Univrersity of Luxembourg:
"The first milestone anniversary of the UniGR-Center for Border Studies has demonstrated how a bold vision can become a lived reality in just ten years. This success is thanks to the dedication of border researchers from the partner universities, who have always believed in the idea of a cross-border UniGR Center of Expertise and worked tirelessly to bring it to life. Equally important has been the steadfast support of the University of the Greater Region, which more than a decade ago recognized the potential of border studies for fostering scientific collaboration and has actively promoted its development ever since."
Here’s to the next ten successful years of the UniGR-Center for Border Studies!
More impressions of the event:
