Frontem

The Frontem network aims at a critical assessment of the model of a Europe without borders. It is based on the assumption that the EU has developed a unilateral view on the border which essentially only takes into account its economic character whilst neglecting other aspects, more symbolic or political. Thanks to its interdisciplinary composition and its crossing over approach between European Studies and Border Studies, it will proceed with an exchange of knowledge and practices on 5 models of border management in the EU:

  • the Franco-German border of reconciliation, the fortress border between the UK and France
  • the invisible border between Ireland and Northern Ireland,
  • the model border of minority integration between Denmark and Germany
  • the dialectical (open-closed) border between Rumania and Hungary

Each member of the network will carry out a place based analysis of its border, by associating young researchers and PHD students, on the one hand, and citizen associations, on the other. The network will then proceed with a comparative analysis with the Canada/US border to evaluate whether the European models are specific or whether they could be transposed to other regions in the world.

Concretely, the program foresees the organisation of 1 doctoral seminar, 5 research/focus-group seminars, 1 comparative seminar and 1 final conference linked to a summer school, which will also associate Master students and secondary school classes. The network will thus establish a reasonable panorama of the perception of the border by representatives of the civil society in given cross-border territories and it will allow to develop a typology of EU border management models which can meet the political requirements and the needs of the European population.

Activities

  • 1 doctoral seminar
  • 5 seminars research/focus group
  • 1 final conference/summer school

Deliverables

  • 2 research cahiers Steiner
  • 1 comparative book (Peter Lang)
  • 1 Special Issue Borderland Studies: interdisciplinary approach on BS/European Integration
  • 1 film on perceptions of border in the examined border spaces
  • 1 pedagogical kit on management of borders in the examined border spaces (online)

Steering Committee

  • Birte WASSENBERG
  • Joachim BECK
  • Frédérique BERROD
  • Emmanuel BRUNET-JAILLY
  • Fabienne LELOUP
  • Bernard REITEL
  • Nicolae PAUN
  • Anthony SOARES
  • Katarzyna STOKLOSA
  • Anne THEVENET/Anne HOFMANN

Scientific Committee

  • Emmanuel BRUNET-JAILLY
  • Fabienne LELOUP
  • Bernard REITEL
  • Nicolae PAUN
  • Anthony SOARES
  • Katarzyna STOKLOSA
  • Anne THEVENET/Anne HOFMANN
  • Joachim BECK
  • Sylvain SCHIRMANN
  • Frédérique BERROD
  • Helga HALLGRIMSDOTTIR
  • Nicole BATES
  • Oliver SCHMIDTKE
  • Paula MURESAN
  • Mary Mc MURPHY
  • Katy HAYWARD
  • Martin KLATT
  • Steen Bo FRANDSEN
  • Jean PEYRONY
  • Gyula OCSKAY
erasmus-funding.jpg