Successful Grant for Trinational Doctoral Network on Border Studies

The Université Franco-Allemande (Franco-German University) has announced the successful awarding of a grant to support the creation of a unique, trinational Doctoral College entitled “Metamorphoses of Borders: Integration – Ruptures – Transformations“. This prestigious Doctoral Network unites leading institutions and scholars from France, Germany, and Luxembourg and aims to explore the ever-evolving dynamics of border regions through a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary, and international approach.

The participating institutions and scholars are:

France:

• Université de Strasbourg, Sciences Po – Prof. Dr. Birte Wassenberg
• Université de Lorraine – Prof. Dr. Grégory Hamez
• Université d’Artois – Prof. Dr. Bernard Reitel

Germany:

• Universität des Saarlandes – Prof. Dr. Florian Weber
• Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Kehl – Prof. Dr. Michael Frey

Luxembourg:

• Université du Luxembourg – Prof. Dr. Machteld Venken, in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Christian Wille and Prof. Dr. Birte Nienaber.

The doctoral college “Metamorphoses of Borders: Integration – Ruptures – Transformations” operates within the rapidly growing field of Border Studies—a multidisciplinary domain that brings together researchers from geography, contemporary history, law, political and administrative sciences, culture, and linguistics.

This network’s strength lies in the diversity of expertise and research methodologies represented by its members. United by a common goal, the team will examine complex processes of border transformation and will analyze cooperation, crises, and ruptures in border regions. Due to their geographical proximity, researchers from the Upper Rhine, the Greater Region, and the French-Belgian border region will collaborate to compare border experiences across time and space, actively integrating partners from the professional world. Led by German and French project leaders, and with active involvement from the University of Luxembourg, the network will establish a structured doctoral training program. This initiative aims to foster productive scientific exchange among doctoral candidates in Border Studies.

Key objectives include:

• Promoting interdisciplinary approaches to enable doctoral students to transcend disciplinary boundaries
• Highlighting and encouraging joint-supervision opportunities
• Focusing on the multidimensional transformation processes of borders and border regions since the post-war era
• Building a robust network of higher education institutions and researchers from the Upper Rhine to the Greater Region and the Franco-Belgian-Luxembourg border, facilitating the exchange of diverse regional development processes and experiences.

Furthermore, the network will actively collaborate with non-academic stakeholders, including cross-border institutions, to provide doctoral candidates with practical perspectives and potential career pathways beyond academia.

This innovative academic endeavor positions the Greater Region as a center of scientific excellence in Border Studies, enhancing international cooperation and supporting the next generation of experts in the field.