Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine
Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance
Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust
Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine
Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History
Luxembourg Centre for European Law
Luxembourg Centre for Socio-Environmental Systems
On 27 March 2026, the international community of border scholars gathered in Albuquerque, USA celebrated the official launch of the digital exhibition ‘Talking Borders’ at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Borderlands Studies (ABS). The event marked a major milestone in collaborative, transnational border research and pedagogy. The ‘Talking Borders’ digital exhibition presents a unique collection of curated monologues from 14 renowned border scholars, each reflecting personally and intellectually on the meaning of borders. These monologues provide global perspectives, giving voice to experts from diverse geopolitical contexts — all brought together in one digital space. The project began during the ABS 2nd World Conference in Vienna, where scholars agreed to participate in a citizen science experiment. Each recorded a monologue addressing the question, “What does a border mean to me?” In the Fall of 2025, their contributions were preserved, curated, and later meticulously analyzed by MA students enrolled in the advanced oral history course of the Master in Digital and Public History at the University of Luxembourg.
The result is more than a digital exhibition — it is an open pedagogical resource documenting the entire process of oral history curation, from the initial recording, over transcription and coding, to public disclosure. The project was realized as an innovative part of the new course on advanced oral history, designed to empower students with hands-on experience in digital curation and interdisciplinary historical research. ‘Talking Borders’ is now available in Open Access, enabling scholars, educators, and students worldwide to use its content freely, notably for teaching, learning, or further research. The exhibition received enthusiastic feedback at its launch, praised especially for its collaborative nature and educational value. As the discipline of border studies continues to evolve, ‘Talking Borders’ stands as a prime example of how oral history and digital humanities can bring together voices, stories, and scholarly insights from around the globe. The University of Luxembourg, together with ABS members and MA students, is proud to contribute this resource to the global academic dialogue on borders. Explore the exhibition, share the stories, and join the conversation — because every border tells a story.
Talking Borders
