Backgrounder: Research project explores borders in 21st century

“Borders in Globalization” (2013-2019) is an innovative new network of 23 academic institutions, as well as 34 non-academic organizations involved in the management of borders and borderlands in Canada and worldwide. BIG is UVic’s first Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant, and it is also one of the largest research partnerships to date (with respect to number of people and organizations, not specific to funding) for the university.

The network’s activities will involve: 18 round-tables, 10 summer schools and three international conferences; website, Facebook page and electronic newsletter; worldwide database of contacts; at least 110 studies, policy briefs and books; and training for approximately 100 graduate students to help implement and contribute to the research program. Subthemes will include: transportation corridors and agricultural trade; biometric and document security; terrorism and cross-border criminal/terrorist networks; environmental crisis and cooperation; sustainability and immigration; and cooperative trans-border arctic resource management.

The network will build on the following established relationships and will continue to expand non-academic partnerships during program implementation.

UVic and the other academic institutions:

Canada

1.    Carleton University
2.    École nationale d'Administration publique (ENAP)   
3.    Royal Military College                   
4.    Université de Sherbrooke           
5.    Trent University                   
6.    University of Lethbridge               
7.    University of Ottawa               
8.    Université du Québec à Montréal           
9.    University of Regina                   
10.    Wilfred Laurier University

US/Overseas

11.    Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel   
12.    Queen’s University, Belfast, UK       
13.    Radboud University, the Netherlands               
14.    Université Joseph-Fourier (Grenoble 1), France
15.    University of Buffalo, NY, US       
16.    University of Eastern Finland, Karelian Institute, Joensuu campus, Finland
17.    University of Grenoble 2, PACTE, France   
18.    University of Hokkaido, Japan       
19.    University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg   
20.    University of Southern Denmark, Denmark   
21.    University of Texas at El-Paso, TX, US   
22.    Western Washington University, WA, US

Non-academic partners:

1.    Association for Borderlands Studies, www.absborderlands.org
2.    Bell Canada, www.bell.ca
3.    Buffalo Niagara Partnership, www.thepartnership.org
4.    Canadian Consulate in Dallas (TX, US), www.canadainternational.gc.ca/dallas
5.    Canadian Consulate in New York, www.canadainternational.gc.ca
6.    Canadian Polar Commission, www.polarcom.gc.ca
7.    Centre for Cross Borders, www.crossborder.ie
8.    The Centre for International Governance Cooperation, www.cigionline.org
9.    Conseil des Relations Internationales de Montréal (CORIM),  www.corim.qc.ca/home/
10.    Co-operation Ireland, www.cooperationireland.org
11.    Correctional Service of Canada, http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/
12.    Euregion Rhine-Waal (the Netherlands/Germany), www.euregio.org
13.    Flensburg Chamber of Industry, www.flensburg.ihk.de
14.    Forum of Federations, www.forumfed.org
15.    Fulbright Canada, http://www.fulbright.ca
16.    Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad, www.fundacionmgimenezabad.es
17.    Geopolitics Journal, Association of American Geographers
18.    Government of British Columbia (Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat), www.gov.bc.ca/igrs/
19.    Government of Ontario (Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs), www.ontario.ca/mia
20.    International Peace Garden, www.peacegarden.com
21.    Journal of Borderlands Studies, www.absborderlands.org/2JBS.html
22.    Mission Operationnelle Transfrontaliere (Government of France, Paris, France), www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org
23.    The Northern Research Forum, www.nrf.is
24.    Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, www.niagarafallsbridges.com
25.    Pacific North West Economic Region (PNWER), WA, USA, www.pnwer.org
26.    Piepsi Koostoo Keskus, Piepsi Lake, Estonia, www.ctc.ee
27.    Public Safety Canada, www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/le/ocr/ocr-eng.aspx
28.    Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National and British Columbia, http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/
29.    Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes, www.saic.gouv.qc.ca
30.    Seinpost, www.seinpost.com
31.    SNC Lavalin, www.snclavalin.com
32.    Sûreté Quebec, www.sq.gouv.qc.ca/
33.    The International Boundaries Research Unit, www.durham.ac.uk/ibru
34.    Whatcom Council of Governments, www.wcog.org