Borderlands facing a polycrisis in the 21st century, Resilience and future perspectives of cross-border relations

Within the framework of the Jean Monnet Network project ‘Borders, Human-to-Military Security Database’ led by the University of Victoria (Canada), the Centre for Regional and Borderlands Studies of the University of Wrocław, the University of Opole and the Saarland University organised an international conference between 10 and 12 September in Poland where CESCI was represented by two researchers of the UPS-CESCI Research Group on Cross-Border Cooperation.

The conference titled ‘Borderlands facing a polycrisis in the 21^st century, Resilience and future perspectives of cross-border relations‘ was held on two locations: in Wrocław on the 10^th and 11^th of September and in Opole on the 12^th of September. The conference closed with an optional field trip to Krzyżowa or Góra Św. Anny and Cieszyn.

The conference started with welcome greetings by the high representatives of universities, namely the Rector of the University of Wrocław, the Rector of the Universtiy of Opole, and the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences for International Cooperation. After the greetings, keynotes were given by Birte Wassenberg and Hynek Böhm.

During the afternoon roundtable ‘Border transformations and new approaches in borderland studies‘, the speakers reflected on the present polycrisis, resilience and the future perspectives of cross-border relations. In the afternoon a guided tour in Wrocław in English, German or French was organised. Subsequently, the participants were transferred to Opole.

On the next day, the conference continued at the University of Opole with 4 parellel panel sessions.

CESCI had a presentation that was included in the panel called ‘Borders discourses and narratives‘. We presented our research with the title ‘W/ordering in the EU. Changes of European discourse on migration‘. Melinda Istenes-Benczi and Teodor Gyelník spoke about the examination of the migration crisis from the securitisation point of view, in close relationship with the b/ordering-borderism phenomenon.

Following the last panel at the conference, a closing plenary session took place that attempted to discuss the future research perspectives in borderland studies which was followed by a gala dinner and free options to have discussions and/or to make contacts among the participants.

The detailed content of the conference is summarised on the UPS-CESCI Research Group’s website.