Working Papers
The UniGR-CBS Working Paper series publishes the theoretical/conceptual and empirical results of border research, as well as making them accessible to the scientific community. The intention is to make the border studies more visible and to support the exchange between border researchers inside and outside the Greater Region. Please contact borderstudies@uni.lu for any publication inquiries.

Working Paper Vol. 26: 40 Years of Schengen: People, Borders, Politics
To mark the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement, the conference '40 Years of Schengen: People, Borders, Politics”, jointly organised by EMN Luxembourg and the UniGR-Center for Border Studies, of-fered a timely opportunity to celebrate European integration and critically analyse the evolving realities of border governance. Focusing on the free movement of people in border regions,…
SchengenborderEuropeFree movementMigration
Working Paper Vol. 25: Dringlichkeit(en) und Grenzziehung(en): Klima- und Energiekrise im deutsch-französischen Sprachraum. Bericht vom 12. UniGR-CBS-Seminar Border Studies
This working paper provides a synthesis of the findings of the 12th UniGR-CBS Border Studies Seminar on the concept of “urgency” in the context of the climate and energy crisis. The seminar focused on research perspectives concerning the relationship between urgency and border delineations, as explored within an interdisciplinary working space from a Franco-German perspective. A key outcome of…
Climate CrisisTransformationBoundary workBoundary workUrgencyAffectivityAnthropocene
Working Paper Vol. 24: On the Reintroduction of Temporary Controls at EU Internal Borders. Developments and Challenges 40 Years After the Schengen Agreement
Schengen countries are increasingly relying on the Schengen Borders Code to make internal borders less permeable. This Working Paper focuses on the ongoing reintroduction of temporary internal border controls within the EU between 2015 and 2024, as well as the justifications provided by Schengen countries for these measures. The analysis identifies four phases, reflecting a gradual…
SchengenborderborderingEuropecrisisWorking Paper Vol. 23: Die Stärkung grenzüberschreitender Kooperation „von unten” – Perspektiven für die Region SaarLorLux im gelebten Europa | Le renforcement de la coopération transfrontalière « par le bas » – Perspectives pour la région SaarLorLux dans l’Europe vécue
Widespread cross-border activities and relations have moved European integration step by step from what was once the European periphery towards the centre. This Working Paper spotlights the SaarLorLux region and describes cross-border cooperation at grass-roots level, as realized in specific activities in 2024. Relevant data is derived from quantitative surveys at the communal (urban and rural…
Coopération transfrontalièrerégion frontalière SaarLorLuxEuropeperspectives communalespandémie de Covid-19laboratoires vivants
Working Paper Vol. 22: Towards a New Departure in Border Studies? A Comment on the Increasing Talk of Complexity
Since the mid-2010s at the latest, there has been discussion of the border as a complex phenomenon, aimed at a more comprehensive and differentiated understanding of b/orderings. However, there seems to be an imprecise use of the term ‘complexity’ in the academic debate, and sometimes, still, an everyday understanding of complexity prevails. To sharpen the debate around a border’s complexity,…
Border studiesBordering TurnComplexity ShiftComplexity Theory