CESCI participated in Uzhhorod Seminar on Cross-Border Cooperation within Visegrad Fund Project
Border studies + Capacity building | 16 July 2025
CESCI participated in Uzhhorod Seminar on Cross-Border Cooperation within Visegrad Fund Project
Border studies + Capacity building | 16 July 2025
On June 19-20, 2025, Uzhhorod National University (UzhNU) hosted the third expert seminar of the international project “CBC in Ukraine and V4: In the search for examples of best practice”, supported by the Visegrad Fund. This event, held at the university’s Rectorate, brought together experts and practitioners of cross-border cooperation from across the Visegrad countries and Ukraine to analyse findings and jointly develop future strategies. Our association, partner of the project, was represented at the seminar by Melinda Istenes-Benczi and Gyula Ocskay.
The project, led on the Ukrainian side by the Research Institute of Central Europe under the leadership of Dr. Myroslava Lendel, aims to identify and promote best practices in cross-border cooperation across the V4 region and Ukraine. Partners include the University of Prešov (Slovakia), WSB University (Poland), the Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic), and CESCI (Hungary).
A central topic of the seminar was the analysis of a recent survey conducted among CBC practitioners in V4 countries and Ukraine, in March-April 2025 with the help of the project partners. Participants discussed the most pressing challenges identified by respondents: limited financial resources, lack of trained personnel, and complex administrative hurdles. Nonetheless, the survey also revealed promising areas of collaboration such as culture, tourism, and environmental protection where CBC initiatives continue to thrive.
To enrich the theoretical discussions with practical examples, participants visited successful CBC project sites in Uzhhorod. These included the Biological and Geographical Faculties of UzhNU and the Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture and Life, where modern equipment procured through ENI calls is actively contributing to both education and research.
On the second day, the seminar focused on planning the final phase of the project, including the drafting of joint recommendations to enhance future CBC efforts. These guidelines will be presented at the final project conference in November, and are intended to support policymakers, administrators, and practitioners in improving the effectiveness and sustainability of cross-border collaborations.
For CESCI, the seminar served as an excellent platform to strengthen academic and institutional ties in the region and to share Hungarian experiences in legal and strategic frameworks for CBC.
Further details about the project and earlier events can be read here.
