• Call for papers: 14th EURINT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ‘Building tomorrow’s Europe: Strategies for integration, growth, and resilience’ (16-18 May, 2025/Iasi, Romania). Centre for European Studies at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași (UAIC) in Romania announces EURINT 2025 conference and invites for submitting proposals for special sessions and papers. This year’s edition aims to foster a multidisciplinary dialogue on how to shape a Europe that is both economically vibrant and socially cohesive, while being prepared for challenges. By organizing this conference, the aim is to create a favourable framework for dialogue and analysis on European issues, as well as other relevant related topics. The event is addressed to all those interested in the broad spectrum of aspects that the Europe incorporates. The even will take place on May 16-18, 2025 in Iasi, Romania.
  For details, including deadlines and registration issues, see the conference webpage:
  https://eurint.uaic.ro/index.htm
• Czech Republic and Slovakia on the edge of the future – debate organized by the partners from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. On March 4 (2025) the Faculty of Public Policies of the Silesian University in  Opava  organised  a public debate titled: ‘Czech Republic and Slovakia on the edge of the future’. The discussion  focused on key political issues of the present and offered perspectives of experts and students from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Speakers included Pavel Tuleja and Lukáš Vomlela, both from the Institute of Public Administration and Social Policy in Opava. The Slovak perspective was presented by Martin Švikruha and Dalibor Mikuš from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Slovakia. Students from both universities took an active part in the debate, bringing their views and perspectives on the topics discussed. The main topics of the debate covered the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, the role of the Visegrad Group countries, current political situation in Slovakia and the importance of democratic values, especially in the context of the young generation. See the whole debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISlCsqGvu-g  See the pictures >>>

• CEEPUS fellowships of the AMU researchers at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. Academics from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań  have completed a teaching and research stay at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest thanks to the  CEEPUS mobility scheme. From February 23 to March 1, 2025, Prof. Tomasz Brańka, Prof. Łukasz Donaj, and Prof. Jarosław Jańczak visited the Department of Social and Economic Geography. In cooperation with their Hungarian partners, they conducted lectures, discussed details of further collaboration, and examined integration processes in the border regions of Central Europe. Each visiting professor prepared six hours of lectures and seminars, covering the following topics:
  • Migration crisis on the EU-Belarusian border,
  • Geography and geopolitics of Poland in the context of recent change(s),
  • Changing Geopolitics of European Integration: Spatial and Political Challenges – from Greenland to Ukraine,
  • The Arctic Nexus: Geopolitical Transitions and Europe’s Stake in the North.

  See the pictures >>>

• Join the International Teaching Month in April at the University American College in Skopje. The member of our network from the North Macedonia invites lecturers and educators from various disciplines to participate in the International Teaching Month in Skopje. This year’s theme of the event is ‘Bridging cultures through business education: a journey to Skopje’ The deadline for applications is March 15, 2025. See more details in the poster >>>

• Dr Lukáš Vomlela from the Silesian University in Opava visits the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań within the CEEPUS mobility scheme. On January 13-25 (2025) our network’s member in Poznań hosts dr Vomlela with his series of lectures on political and ethnic issues in former Yugoslavia. However, the current foreign policy of the Czech Republic will be also among the topics presented during his stay. This will be delivered as an open lecture on January 23, 2024 with the title: ‘Czech Foreign Policy and its relationship to the Visegrad Group Countries’. See the poster >>>  See the pictures >>>

• The special issue on Ukraine published in the Eastern Journal of European Studies. We are pleased to announce that on October 2024  the special issue on Ukraine have been published in the Eastern Journal of European Studies  – the journal of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi in Romania being a member of the Border and Regional Studies  Network.  An idea to publish the special issue on Ukraine emerged in 2023 and at that time it was associated with the Visegrad + project: Ukrainian refugees in Central Europe and the Balkans – lessons learned and policy recommendations. The project was prepared and implemented by the academics of the network. Originally, we were focused mainly on the issue of Ukrainian refugees and their reception in different, mainly Central European and Balkan countries, thus few of the articles published within this special issue are the result of this project. However, we wanted to have a wider and multidimensional picture of contemporary Ukraine, where the issue of refugees is one of many important topics to be covered. Thereby, as a result of an open call, we are able to present a selection of 14 articles tackling a broader set of research problems demonstrating a variety of areas important in understanding Ukraine and its international surroundings. See the whole issue here: https://ejes.uaic.ro/EJES2024_vol15_special_issue.htm
• The next application round for 2025/2026 within the CEEPUS discussed by coordinators. On October 11, 2024 the coordinators of the Border and Regional Studies Network meet online for preparing to the new application round. This time the deadline for submitting application is the end of November 2024, thus the meeting was organized earlier than usually. See more >>>
• Members of the Border and Regional Studies Network in Kaunas at the 28^th Annual Conference of the Central European Political Science Association. On October 3-4 academics from the network participated in the conference ‘Twenty years of EU membership: lessons learned, challenges and opportunities’ organized in Lithuania. The team organized the panel ‘War, refugee movements and their political implications after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine’ moderated by Jarosław Jańczak (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań) and Bartosz Czepil (University of Opole). Aside of the academics from Poznań and Opole, the network was also represented by the Silesian University of Opava, University of Pécs and University of SS. Cyril and Methodicus in Trnava. See picture >>>
• After the 1st Congress of the Researchers of Borders and Borderlands (16–18 September 2024, Wrocław/Opole, Poland), The border researchers from Poland and international academia have gathered in Wrocław and Opole to participate in the numerous sessions and panel discussions during the Congress titled ‘(De)Constructing Borders in Borderlands Studies’. The Congress is organized by 5 Polish universities, 3 of them being members of our Border and Regional Studies Network: University of Wrocław, University of Opole and Adam Mickiewicz Uniwersity in Poznań. There were also representatives of our network from the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE). The Congress gathered 108 participants from 17 countries representing 51 academic institutions, including 24 from Poland (other academics came from Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic, Israel, Canada, United Kingdom, Croatia, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ukraine, France, Finland, USA, Slovenia, Italy). The second congress will be organized in 2025 or 2026 in Białystok – the city located in the north-east Poland on the borderland area.   See the pictures >>>        See the programme >>
• See a short video promoting the research team from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. The Border and Regional Studies Research Group was launched at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism in December 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amF3hqWanas&t=1s
• Academics from the Border and Regional Studies Network at the conference on borderlands in Luxembourg. On September 4-6 the Luxemburg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) organized important international conference: ‘Disruptive Borderlands. Unpacking the Innovative Potential of Transbordering Practices, Imaginaries and Policies’. The conference hosted more than 100 participants from all over the world and there was a strong team of academics from our network representing universities from Liberec, Wrocław, Opole and Bratislava. During three days of proceedings variety of topics have been covered and discusses at the campus of the University of Luxembourg in the city of Esch-sur-Alzette. One of the associated events was visiting of Schengen – the Luxembourgian border town being a symbol of dismantling European borders on the basis of the agreement signed in the town in 1985. The location of the conference in borderland area facilitated spirit of the whole event providing tangible inspiration for discussions.   See the programme >>>     See the pictures >>>
• The 1st Congress of the Researchers of Borders and Borderlands (16–18 September 2024, Wrocław/Opole, Poland) >>>
  
• The report you must read: Situation of Ukrainian refugees in Central Europe and the Balkans – comparative analysis and lessons learned. This report is the result of the collective work of a team of 14 academics integrated within the Border and Regional Studies Network. The report is a part of the project ,Ukrainian refugees in Central Europe and the Balkans – lessons learned and policy recommendations’ supported financially by the International Visegrad Fund. The project was aimed at conducting comparative analysis and forming policy recommendations addressing the challenges generated in the countries receiving refugees from Ukraine The report presents a comparison of 7 countries that experienced, in different forms and degrees, influx of the Ukrainian refugees after the full-scale Russian aggression on February 24, 2022. These are the four Visegrad countries, plus Romania, Montenegro and North Macedonia. See the report >>>
• Members of the Border and Regional Studies Network at the conference in Strasbourg. On June 3-4, 2024, a two-day conference ‘Borders, Politics, and Database: Using Data to Power Border Studies’ was held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The event was attended by 40 experts from four continents who discussed solutions for standardization and harmonization of the data regarding borders and border crossing. The conference was organized by the Borders in Globalization Lab from the University of Victoria in Canada. Among participants there were representatives of the Department of Regional Studies at the University of Opole: Karolina Czabanowska, Dr. Bartosz Czepil and Dr. Wojciech Opioła. The researchers delivered two speeches titled: ‘Searching for solutions (measures) in researching cross-border cooperation from a historical perspective’ and ‘Human migrations-borderland dynamics nexus: Mapping multidimensional interdependencies by using SCOPUS database’. See galery >>>
• Special online session within the EURINT 2024 International Conference: Situation of Ukrainian refugees in Central Europe and the Balkans – comparative analysis and lessons learned. On May 24 (2024) at 12.30-14.00 (CET) there will be a special online session organized at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi as a part of the 13^th edition of International EURINT Conference ‘Debating Europe: new approaches, action tools and integration scenarios’. The session is organized in order to present and debate over the research report prepared by the team of 14 academics from 7 countries representing 10 universities of the Border and Regional Studies Network. The report is result of the Visegrad + project supported financially by the International Visegrad Fund: Ukrainian refugees in Central Europe and the Balkans – lessons learned and policy recommendations coordinated by the University of Opole, Poland. See more >>>  Partners of the Border and Regional Studies Network meet online in order to discuss future Summer School
• On May 8, 2024 academics representing five universities of the network got together on the first organizational meeting focused on discussing details of the joint event, which had been planned already within the 2024 CEEPUS application. The plan is to organize the Summer School ‘Cross-border cooperation and border conflicts in Central and Eastern Europe at the time of policrisis’. The summer school will implemented within the Erasmus + Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). A leading partner is the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland), where the BIP will be organized. The partnership includes:

1. Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic)
2. Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic)
3. University of SS. Cyril and Methodicus in Trnava (Slovakia)
4. Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (Romania)
5. University of Opole (Poland)

The summer school will be held in the summer semester 2025. It will be divided into the online component and face-to-face component in Poznań.

• Guest from Slovakia at the University of Opole On May 6-10, 2024 Dr León Richvalský from the University of SS. Cyril and Methodicus in Trnava delivered series of lectures to the students of the Institute of Political Science and Administration at the University of Opole. Dr Richvalský spoke about the following topics:

1. The role of civic participation within democratic transition and continuous democratic consolidation in Slovakia
2. NGOs a partners of democratic government and their functions within the public space of Slovakia
3. Sources of financing in Slovak non-governmental sector and importance of multisource financing for Slovak NGOsThis was the first time when a representative of Trnava visited Opole within the CEEPUS mobility scheme.​
See pictures >>>

• Students of the University of Opole, for the first time, at the University of Ljubljana on a short term CEEPUS mobility. Between March 18 to April 14, the students from the Faculty of Political Science and Social Communication at the University of Opole, Natalia Kowerek (Public Management student-3rd year), and Marcel Ryszka (International Relations student-5th year) embarked on a month-long stay in Ljubljana thanks to the CEEPUS programme. This was a historic event as it was the first such initiative from our University when our students used the CEEPUS programme for travelling to Slovenia. For Natalia and Marcel, the trip was not only an opportunity for academic development but also for personal and cultural growth. Their first encounter with Ljubljana was like a sensory overload – the picturesque streets, historical landmarks, and friendly locals immediately captured their attention. See more >>>
• Adami Mickiewicz University at the Technical University Liberec. The CEEPUS team from the Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland, visited the Technical University of Liberec, Czechia. In the period of 4-10.03.2024 prof. Tomasz Brańka, prof. Łukasz Donaj, and prof. Jarosław Jańczak were hosted by prof. Hynek Bohm at the Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education. More: https://wnpid.amu.edu.pl/badania/projekty-naukowe/ceepus-network          See pictures >>>             See  the short movie about the Technical University of Liberec prepared by professor Jarosław Jańczak (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhF2aJ06Eug&fbclid=IwAR1tv2o44ATo9xF6TlySE7095t05LGzIj_p58N_gGWMOpFxexgdN4vvysHk
• Liberec-Opole team got together to work on the borderland. On February 8-9, 2024 group of academics gathered in Liberec within the framework of the project ‘impact of post-war population resettlement on Polish-Czech cross-borders cooperation’. This was another event in the series of meetings organized within 3 years long grant. The meeting was attended by researchers from the Institute of Political Science and Administration at the University of Opole and the Department of Geography at the Technical University of Liberec, including: Dr. Bartosz Czepil, Dr. Marek Mazurkiewicz, Karolina Czabanowska, Dr. Wojciech Opioła (who managed to connect with us online), prof. Hynek Böhm, Dr. Artur Boháč and Dr. Emil Drapela. See more >>>
• The third online session within the Visegrad + project: Ukrainian refugees in Central Europe and the Balkans – lessons learned and policy recommendations. On January 22 (2024) researchers from the Border and Regional Studies network participated in the third online session organized within the Visegrad + project. This time another step of the project was discussed. After the conference organized in Skopje in October 2023 by the University America Colleague Skopje, the next step is working on the comparative report based on individual country studies prepared by country teams. Thus, the meeting was mainly focused on talking over the preliminary structure of the report and operational aspects of preparing its content. According to the project’s plan publishing of the research report will be followed by the on-line debate with representatives of different sectors engaged in refugee policy. See in Visegrad + project EVENTS >>>

1. Research Group on Border and Regional Studies established at the Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań. On December 2023 one of the members of our network, the Adam Mickiewicz University  Poznań, established a new research group specializing in border and regional studies. The  group is led by professor Jarosław Jańczak, who represents his university in the Border and Regional Studies Network, while the team includes also professors Tomasz Brańka and  Łukasz Donaj. The main goals of the research group are investigating new trends in border and regional studies, promoting academic mobility of those interested in borders and regions, creating conditions for regular debate on borderlands in the Central Eastern Europe, the Baltic and Black See regions and the Balkans. See more in Polish: https://wnpid.amu.edu.pl/badania/grupy-i-zespoly-badawcze/grupy-i-zespoly-badawcze/grupa-badawcza-studia-graniczne-i-regionalne-sgir
2. On December 19, 2023 members of the Border and Regional Studies Network met online in order to discuss preparation for the new network application round 2024-2025 announced by the CEEPUS. 

The issues addressed during our meeting were focused both on recent developments and future plans for the whole team. The agenda of our discussion was as followed:

• The main points of the first network report for 2022-2023
•  Outgoing mobilities for 2024-2025
•  Proposing a panel session for 28th conference of the Central European Political Science Association to be held in October 2024
• Possible joint events within the application for 2024-2025
• New partners within the network
• 1st Congress of the Researchers of Borders and Borderlands organized in Wrocław and Opole (16–18 September 2024)

The online meeting was another opportunity to reflect on challenges and opportunities for the Border and Regional Studies Network.

See the pictures :

• 1 
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3. After the international conference in Skopje (October 18-20,2023): Ukrainian Refugees in Central Europe and the Balkans – lessons learned and policy recommendations. The conference gathered academics from 10 universities, diplomats, experts from the UNHCR, activists from non-governmental organizations and students. The event was organized by the University American College Skopje together with the partners form the Border and Regional Studies Network (CEEPUS). It was part of the project financed by the International Visegrad Fund. See the pictures from the conference >>>   See the short movie from the conference prepared by professor Jarosław Jańczak (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań) >>>
4. On November 28th (2023) partners from the University of Opole and the Technical University of Liberec met together in Opole in order to discuss the pilot phase of three years long project (2022-2025): ‘The Impact of Post-war Population Transfers on the Czech-Polish Cross-Border Cooperation’. The pilot research phase is focused on studying cross-border cooperation in the Euroregion Pradziad, being one out of six Euroregions on the Czech-Polish borderland to be studied within the whole project. The academics from both sides of the border discussed indicators and data allowing to measure strength of the cross-border cooperation. Additionally, methodological aspects of interviews were deliberated. The Euroregion Pradziad is a testing ground for developing the methodology for further comparative research. To find out more about this project see the website of the National Science Center which funds this research: https://projekty.ncn.gov.pl/en/index.php?projekt_id=533271   See pictures >>>
5. International conference organized in Skopje in October 18-20, 2023: Ukrainian Refugees in Central Europe and the Balkans – lessons learned and policy recommendations. The conference is part of the Visegrad + project financed by the International Visegrad Fund (see: https://borderandregionalstudies.wnopiks.uni.opole.pl/visegrad-project/). See more pictures about conference >>>
6. International conference integrating border studies academics in Wrocław and Opole: Borderlands facing a polycrisis in the 21st century. Resilience and future perspectives of cross-border relations (CONFERENCE POSTER) We invite those studying borders and borderlands to Wrocław and Opole on September 10-13, 2023 to discuss the new changes and challenges that occur in borderlands. To find out more about the conference programme, its aims and scope and important deadlines see the website: http://politologia.uni.opole.pl/conference-2023/
7. In connection with the upcoming conference Borderlands facing a polycrisis in the 21st century. Resilience and future perspectives of cross-border relations, we are pleased to introduce you one of the speakers. Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly is a professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria. He led the ‘Borders in Globalization’ partnership grant funded by the SSHRC (2012-2020, extended for 2021-2028) and co-directs the UVic’s European Studies program. See more >>>
8. Call for papers to the speciall issue of the Eastern Journal of European Studies – Ukraine in the XXI century: the multidimensional challenges for the country and international community. The geopolitical importance of contemporary Ukraine and its specific position result in complicated, multidimensional processes and challenges, leading to variety of questions to be addressed by scholarly community. See more >>>
9. The kick-off meeting within the Visegrad + project: Ukrainian refugees in Central Europe and the Balkans – lessons learned and policy recommendations. On June 7^th (2023) researchers from the Border and Regional Studies network met online in order to participate in the first session organized within the Visegrad + project aimed at comparing the position of Ukrainian refugees in 7 countries of Central Europe and the Balkans. See more >>>
10. The Border and Regional Studies Network evaluated well for the 2023/2024 by the CEEPUS International Commission – It is our pleasure to announce that the Border and Regional Studies Network was accepted for the years 2023/2024 as a proper network. As a result of the evaluation process the International Commission within the CEEPUS placed us on 43th position out of 92 networks, which is better than the last year (as the last year the network was ranked 72). This is another important step towards development of our, relatively new, network and stronger integration of those interested in border and regional studies.
11. International seminar on Central and Eastern Europe and its challenges in XXI century organized in Opole. On April 18-19, 2023 the Institute of Political Science and Administration of the University of Opole organized seminar dedicated to Central and Eastern Europe. The seminar gathered academics from Czech Republic (Liberec, Ostrava), Hungary (Pecs), Ukraine (Lviv) and Romania (Cluj-Napoca). The seminar was started with key note lectures delivered by professor Vincenc Kopeček (University of Ostrava) and dr Oksana Krayevska (Ivan Franko National University in Lviv). See the poster >>> and pictures from the seminar >>>
12. Language and minority rights in the North Macedonia – the lectures of Marina Andeva from the University American College in Skopje. On March 27-31 (2023) the Institute of Political Science and Administration of the University of Opole hosted professor Marina Andeva who delivered lectures to the students of international relations and global studies. The lectures were focused on an issue of minorities in the North Macedonia. Marina Andeva is an associate professor at the University American College in Skopje and researcher at the Institute of International Sociology of Gorizia (Italy). In her research she focuses on ethnicities, minorities and multiculturalism in state and regional context with particular focus on border regions and cross-border initiatives. SEE GALLERY >>>
13. 12th EURINT International Conference in Iasi, Romania. This year’s edition will be held on May 19-20, 2023 around the topic of “Challenges and future prospects for a resilient Europe”. By organizing this conference, the aim is to create a favourable framework for dialogue and analysis on the issues facing the European Union, as well as other relevant related topics. The event is addressed to all those interested in the broad spectrum of aspects that the European Union incorporates. EURINT will be organised as a hybrid event that will combines ‘on site’ event with online component. For details of the conference see: https://eurint.uaic.ro/index.htm
14. About borders, borderlands and (not) crossing them… confronting a journalist and a sociologist views: On Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, a discussion with Ewa Pluta (journalist) and Kamilla Dolińska (sociologist, University of Wrocław) took place, as a part of the series of debates around “Socioperception”. The meeting was led by Elżbieta Opiłowska, and the event was organized by The Center for Regional and Borderlands Studies of the University of Wrocław, a partner of our network. SEE MORE >>>

1. On December 18^th (2022) coordinators of the Border and Regional Studies Network met online in order to discuss the next application for renewing the network in 2023-2024. The meeting gave an opportunity to summarize the network’s activities so far and challenges for the future. SEE MORE >>>
2. On December 7^th (2022) the academics from the University of Opole (Poland) and the Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic) met in order to discuss the main steps, methodological assumptions and challenges of the research project ‘The Impact of Post-war Population Transfers on the Czech-Polish Cross-Border Cooperation’. To find out more about the project see the website of the National Science Centre in Poland
3. The 5th lecture within the series Transformation of the border and new conceptual challenges will be delivered by dr Nina Sahraoui from Paris Centre for Sociological and Political Research: Externalized within, bordering processes in Ceuta Melilla. The lecture will be held online (zoom) in English on December 7, 2022, 4.00-5.30 pm. See details >>> Those interested must register here: http://obrop.uni.wroc.pl/Border-Realities
4. The lecture of Lucie Kamrádová from the Silesian University of Opava – On Thursday (03.11.2022) students of the Institute of Political Science and Administration of the University of Opole could hear lecture on Corporate Social Responsibility delivered by doctor Lucie Kamrádová. Doctor Kamrádová is an economist and political scientist interested in issues like public administration, cross-border cooperation and corporate social responsibility. She is visiting the University of Opole within the CEEPUS mobility programme.
5. The lecture of professor Jarosław Jańczak: Geopolitics of the European Union: Transformation of EU’s External Borders in the Context of Changing Global Order. Prof. Dr. hab. Jarosław Jańczak is a political scientist and researcher of borders. His academic interests focus around the themes of borders and border areas within the context of European integration processes. In particular, they cover the phenomena of debordering and rebordering, cross-border governance, European integration on the micro-scale, external borders of the EU as well as cross-border cooperation in Europe. MORE >>>
6. The Centre for Regional and Borderlands Studies at the University of Wrocław invites  researchers and students interested in border studies to participate in the series of lectures Border Realities. Transformation of the border and new conceptual challenges. The online lecture series aims to discuss the transformation of the border by means of empirical case studies as well as conceptual issues. International border researchers from the social sciences and cultural studies are invited to relate their own research and reflection results to the recent resurgence of borders and to elaborate on their new forms. MORE >>>
7. It is a great pleasure to inform that the Border and Regional Studies Network has become an associate partner of the FORTHEM alliance. The FORTHEM is the European University Alliance supported by the funding from the European Union. Currently it clusters 9 European universities. MORE >>>
8. The group of academics from the Border and Regional Studies Network (CEEPUS) meet at the University of Pecs in Hungary during an international seminar. MORE
9. Special CEEPUS Session in Iasi, Romania: Borderlands in war time: transformations at the eastern borderlands of V4 MORE >>>
10. New Challenges for Borderlands Studies: Regional, European and Global Perspectives. In September 8-10, 2021 the Institute of Political Science and Administration of the University of Opole organized international conference devoted to borders and borderlands. MORE>>>