Journal of Advanced Studies on Borders, Cooperation and Development

Welcoming Address

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On behalf of the Transfrontier Euro-Institut Network (TEIN), it is my great pleasure to welcome readers to this special issue of the ABCD Journal dedicated to the TEIN Annual Conference 2025: 'Beyond Borders: Culture, Language and Identity in European Integration'.

Following the last issue of the ABCD Journal on 'What future for the concept of Borderless Europe?', this new edition consolidates the collaboration between TEIN and the ABCD Journal. TEIN’s mission is the same as the ABCD’s: to unite theory and practice, and, through this, to influence policy-making in the European Union.

Languages, Identities and Cooperation in Cross-border Regions

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This introductory paper presents a special issue devoted to the analysis of contemporary cross-border dynamics in Europe in relation to language, culture and identity. The special issue examines cross-border territories from an interdisciplinary perspective and is structured around three interconnected dimensions: language and linguistic diversity; culture, heritage and territorial identity; and governance, cooperation and citizen participation. These dimensions are conceived as interrelated processes that shape how borders are experienced, negotiated and transformed. The paper first examines linguistic diversity as both a potential barrier to and a resource for cross-border interaction. It considers multilingualism, language contact and language education as key factors in developing cross-border relations and advancing European integration. It then explores culture and heritage as socially constructed resources that can reinforce territorial differentiation but can also contribute to the construction of shared narratives and identities across national borders. Particular attention is given to the multi-scalar nature of territorial identities and to the coexistence of local, regional, national, cross-border and European forms of belonging. Finally, it examines cross-border governance as a framework for coordinating institutions, social actors and actors operating at different territorial levels in contexts characterised by functional interdependence and persistent institutional fragmentation. Citizen participation, intercultural exchange and institutional cooperation are regarded as essential for strengthening cross-border governance and reshaping traditional practices of bordering. The contributions included in the special issue illustrate these processes through a range of European and international case studies, highlighting the potential of cross-border cooperation to foster new forms of territorial integration, social interaction and shared governance.

Planning Cultural Exchange Across Borders

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Cross-border spatial development poses distinct challenges where differing planning cultures and paradigms meet at national borders, a reality that is particularly evident in the Greater Region. We present an innovative, intercultural planning game developed by the UniGR-CBS Spatial Planning Working Group, which serves as a science-policy interface with a dual purpose: it functions as a data collection methodology drawing on discourse analysis of stakeholder reasoning, and as a training format for spatial planners in cross-border contexts. The results highlight planning cultural differences and similarities as expressed by French, Walloon, German and Luxembourgish participants. These observations are followed by a reflection on the strengths and weaknesses of the planning game methodology, considering both its capacity to generate evidence on planning paradigms and its potential as a continuing professional development tool. Together, these two dimensions point toward the broader argument that sustained intercultural exchange and mutual understanding are not only academically valuable but politically necessary especially when the foundation of cross-border cooperation in spatial planning is being challenged.

Borderwalks as a tool to foster European Integration

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This contribution examines how guided “Borderwalks”, which are structured, thematic and participatory walks along national borders, can foster European integration by raising awareness of the legal, administrative, historical and cultural dimensions of border regions. Using the Upper Rhine region between Germany, France and Switzerland as a case study, “Borderwalks” are presented as an application-oriented tool for civil society, students, politicians and public administrations. Despite the objective of overcoming borders through European integration, border regions continue to face persistent legal, administrative and social barriers. The contribution first identifies the factors that shape European identity in border regions, drawing on insights from political science, social sciences and public administration, before introducing “Borderwalks” as a practical method that combines place-based learning with dialogue among diverse stakeholders. The Upper Rhine region exemplifies both the achievements and the remaining challenges of cross-border cooperation, including fragmented legal frameworks, differing administrative procedures and limited public awareness of EU policies. “Borderwalks” create a platform to identify and discuss these obstacles through concrete locations that illustrate border effects in everyday life, such as cross-border commerce, historical sites or transport infrastructure. These examples provide opportunities to explain differences in national legislation, the functioning of the EU internal market and the historical development of European cooperation. Conducted bilingually or with simultaneous translation, “Borderwalks” also promote multilingualism and intercultural exchange. Beyond raising awareness, they can contribute to identifying practical legal and administrative solutions to cross-border barriers, such as the mutual recognition of administrative requirements or improvements in cross-border transport. As a bottom-up approach, the concept complements the objectives of ECBM 2.0 by strengthening European identity and promoting the European values of freedom of movement, democracy, and the rule of law. While centred on the Upper Rhine region, the proposed methodology is readily transferable to other European border regions.

Cross-Border Civic Participation Portal

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Border regions in Europe are increasingly characterised by functional integration in everyday life, while democratic participation and digital participation infrastructures largely remain confined to national frameworks. This paper examines how a cross-border digital citizen participation platform for border regions could be designed, using the Upper Rhine as a case study. It asks which functions such a platform should fulfil, which criteria it must meet, and how it should be institutionally and legally structured. The analysis combines conceptual discussion with an examination of existing participation instruments and cross-border governance arrangements in the European Union, Germany, France, and the Upper Rhine region. It shows that most existing cross-border platforms remain limited to information provision and, at best, consultation, while genuine citizen empowerment is largely absent. The paper argues that cross-border digital participation cannot simply replicate national models but requires a hybrid architecture combining formal, legally embedded procedures with low-threshold informal mechanisms. A viable platform therefore needs multilingual access, hybrid online-offline formats, transparent feedback mechanisms, and stronger legal foundations for cross-border consultation.

Strengthening Language Skills of Cross-Border Actors

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Cross-border cooperation in the Upper Rhine Region, which includes parts of Germany, France and Switzerland, has a long tradition, dating back to the 1960s. It is a dynamic form of cooperation that operates at various levels, for example at the political and administrative levels, but also between businesses and universities. Numerous networks, often arising from INTERREG projects, exist. Over the last few years, exchanges between citizens, stimulated by cross-border dialogues or citizens’ councils, have become increasingly important. Despite this long-standing cross-border practice, there are sometimes obstacles that make cooperation more difficult. Among the obstacles cited, the language barrier is frequently mentioned. Despite the existing proximity, plurilingualism among residents, and also among administrative staff, is not a given. Research and practical experience show that language and culture are closely linked. The tandem language learning method, which is applied at the Euro-Institut with a focus on professional practice, takes this link into account. This paper aims on the one hand to provide a scientifically sound overview of the tandem method, a language learning method that focuses on interaction between learners, and on the other hand to verify the hypothesis that the tandem method is appropriate for cross-border staff.

Translanguaging Practices in Multilingual Foreign Language Classrooms in Cross-Border Regions

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This paper explores the theoretical foundations and pedagogical applications of translanguaging in multilingual and cross-border educational contexts. It reviews the emergence of translanguaging within the multilingual turn in sociolinguistics, highlighting its challenge to monolingual ideologies and its potential to support inclusive and equitable educational practices. The empirical component presents a case study conducted at Uzhhorod National University in Zakarpattia, a multilingual cross-border region of Ukraine. The study investigated the effectiveness of pedagogically structured translanguaging strategies in university foreign language classrooms. Thirty-four second-year students participated in an eight-week intervention, divided into an experimental group exposed to translanguaging-oriented instruction and a control group receiving traditional target-language-only instruction. Data were collected through teacher and student questionnaires, classroom observations, vocabulary and grammar tests, oral fluency assessments, and a final comprehensive language test. The findings demonstrate that translanguaging practices positively influenced students’ comprehension of complex linguistic material, vocabulary retention, communicative confidence, classroom participation, and intercultural awareness. Students in the experimental group displayed more favourable attitudes toward multilingual instruction and achieved higher levels of communicative, lexical, and grammatical competence than those in the control group. Teachers also reported that translanguaging facilitated the explanation of difficult concepts, reduced learner anxiety, and promoted active classroom interaction. The study confirms that pedagogically structured translanguaging can serve as an effective educational resource in multilingual university classrooms, particularly in border and cross-border regions characterised by linguistic diversity. The findings contribute to growing evidence supporting translanguaging as a transformative pedagogical approach that values learners’ complete linguistic repertoires and enhances both language learning and educational inclusion.

The ‘Linguistic Borderscape’ as an Analytical Framework for Studying Linguistic Hybridity in Border Regions

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This article proposes a new conceptual framework for analysing linguistic phenomena in border regions, drawing on examples from the Polish-German borderland. Although language constitutes one of the key dimensions of cross-border interaction, linguistic relations have remained relatively underexplored within border studies. To address this gap, the paper introduces the Model of Border Integration, which combines insights from sociology and border studies and enables the analysis of linguistic dynamics in relation to varying degrees of durability, permeability, and hybridity, characteristic of border regions. Within this framework, particular attention is devoted to the concept of the ‘linguistic borderscape’ (linguistische Grenzschaft), understood as a hybrid zone where linguistic landscape, language policy, and language contact intersect and mutually shape one another. The paper is based on the assumption that multilingualism and multiculturalism tend to manifest more intensely in permeable borderlands than in inland areas. Border regions are therefore conceptualised as “language laboratories” in which communicative practices, linguistic norms, and symbolic representations are constantly negotiated and transformed through sustained intercultural contact. Inspired by the concept of the borderscape, the study examines how hybrid linguistic realities emerge and develop in cross-border contexts. The analysis focuses on three interrelated domains: (1) the linguistic landscape of border towns and villages, including public signage and commercial communication; (2) the development of language policy and planning, such as bilingual education and multilingual public services; and (3) the communication practices of border inhabitants and service-sector providers. The findings demonstrate that hybridity in border regions is not an exceptional phenomenon but rather a constitutive feature of the communicative ecology of permeable borderlands. The article argues that the concept of the linguistic borderscape offers a valuable heuristic and methodological tool for the study of multilingualism in border areas and highlights the role of borderlands as spaces of linguistic negotiation, adaptation, and innovation.

Multilingualism in the Border Area

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Schools with Slovene as the language of instruction in Italy are both institutions of minority-language continuity and educational spaces for pupils with diverse language biographies. This article examines a complete corpus of 18 published interactive learning units designed to supplement regular school work in Slovene at primary, lower-secondary and upper-secondary levels. The units address topics, communicative situations, text types and uses of Slovene that are not normally foregrounded in regular lessons. Primary- and lower-secondary curricula provide the baseline for interpreting this supplementary function, while three published studies supply contextual evidence on unequal exposure and use. The original contribution is a qualitative comparative content analysis of the final units, not of their development, implementation or effects. The analysis considers learner activity, linguistic and textual focus, literary engagement, communicative purpose and domain, interaction and modality, and the organisation of task sequences. Eight recurrent task families were identified. Across educational levels, activities move from recognition, matching and guided completion towards situated interaction, explanation, reformulation, interpretation, evaluation and the production of complete texts for specified purposes and audiences. The units extend school-based Slovene into service encounters, health, travel, technology, public information, language variation, reading and literary response. They therefore supplement the curricular development of language and literary competence by filling gaps in thematic and communicative coverage. The study does not establish effectiveness, but it shows how supplementary materials can represent broader textual, practical, public and interpretative participation through a protected minority language.

History, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage of Interconnections and Complicities in Intra-European Borders

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This paper examines the current state of the navigable section of the Guadiana River (that marks a part of the interstate border) from the perspective of cultural heritage and tourism. Focusing mainly on the archaeological and historical record, it aims at providing some directions for the enhancement of local memories and identities around the role of the river in the past interactions, interconnections, and entanglements. Following a Global history-centred approach, this paper values the importance of the archaeology of ports such as Mértola (located ca. 70km from the coast) for the construction of a narrative centred on entanglements that explains, from a historical long-term perspective, the construction of this unique cultural landscape. This narrative is crucial for the enhancement of border heritage beyond the idea of interstate separation.

Reconstructing European Identity for the British After Brexit

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This article examines how the United Kingdom (UK)’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU) in 2016— so-called ‘Brexit’—has affected the lives, citizenship status and European identity of British nationals who continue to reside in EU member states. Focusing specifically on the experiences of British nationals living in France, this study used qualitative interviews conducted between 2023 and 2025 to explore whether the loss of European citizenship had altered their sense of belonging (to the UK, the EU and their country of residence), and how they had coped with the legal and administrative consequences of Brexit. The interviews revealed that some British nationals applied for French citizenship to ensure for remain in France following the 2016 referendum, identifying themselves as ‘British and French, or European’. Conversely, whilst some British nationals remained in France having obtained a residence permit under the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, others were refused this permit and were not recognised as “unworthed” to remain in France. This study focused specifically on the views of British nationals who had worked for European and international organisations regarding their identity and citizenship. It became clear that the particular circumstances of these international civil servants—who fall outside the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement—have created a situation of vulnerability for them. To address this situation, the study examined the current status of their efforts to reconstruct their citizenship in order to continue living in France. This study revealed that tracing ancestral roots to an EU Member State and applying for naturalisation—regardless of place of residence or the presence of a national identity—is emerging as a strategy for regaining EU citizenship rights.

Cross-Border Dimensions of Peace-Building

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Borders are not simply lines of separation, but rather dynamic spaces of interaction, making them central both to conflict and to peacebuilding. Building on this premise, this paper examines the Anthedon initiative and its flagship report “Gaza: A Vision of Hope” (2025), which proposes a vision for the reconstruction of Gaza within a broader regional framework involving Palestine, Israel, Egypt, and neighbouring countries. Developed by a multidisciplinary team of experts from Heritopolis, UN-Habitat, and diverse backgrounds, the initiative places cultural and natural heritage, urban renewal, economic connectivity, climate resilience, and cross-border governance at the core of a transformative agenda for recovery and reconciliation. It is precisely these cross-border aspects that will be explored throughout the paper. The article first revisits the content and context of the Anthedon initiative and the Vision of Hope report, and highlights the relevance of European experiences in cross-border cooperation as a valuable reference for the region. The paper then synthesises the current context in Gaza and key scenarios for future trajectories for Palestine and Israel, emphasising their spatial, political, and societal implications. Finally, it develops a detailed analysis of cross-border components embedded in these scenarios, structured around a multi-level governance framework and articulated through six dimensions of cross-border integration aimed at fostering cooperation, trust-building, and peace. By bridging scenario building in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with insights pulled from the experience of European integration, the paper argues that cross-border approaches offer a productive lens through which to reimagine post-conflict futures in Gaza and its wider regional environment.

Scott, W. James., & Wilson, M. Thomas (ed.) (2026). Routledge Handbook of European Borderlands. Routledge.

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In 2025, Routledge published an edited volume that provides an interesting research into the evolving phenomenon of European borderlands. Moving beyond traditional geopolitical analysis, the volume integrates a diverse array of interdisciplinary frameworks and innovative methodological perspectives with the aim to examine what is happening in the selected European borderlands. The contributors bridge multiple research fields such as sociology, human geography, geopolitics and political science, thus they afford a nuanced examination of how borders function not merely as lines on a map, but rather as dynamic spaces.

Engelbrekt, Bakardjieva Antonina., Ekman, Per., Michalski, Anna., & Oxelheim, Lars (ed.) (2024). The Borders of the European Union in a Conflictual World. Interdisciplinary European Studies. Palgrave Macmillan.

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Palgrave Macmillan published an edited volume that brings together interdisciplinary research examining the European Union’s borders amid ongoing geopolitical, security and humanitarian conflicts. The volume explores borders, their governance, contestation and redefinition, thus highlighting their political, social and spatial implications.