The Border and Regional Studies Institute (BARI) operating at the Institute of Political Science and Administration at the University of Opole has received a prestigious European Union grant to establish a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence. This is a unique achievement – there are currently only three such centres operating in Poland.
With the support of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet programme, the BARI research team will be able to develop its cross-border and cross-regional cooperation activities. The project will include:
– developing policy recommendations for border regions,
– establishing a Cross-Border Academy for secondary school pupils and students of Universities of the Third Age,
– organising workshops for representatives of local governments, NGOs and public institutions,
– launching internship and research programmes for BARI members and inviting leading experts on border issues to Opole,
– organising conferences and participating in key scientific events devoted to research on regions and borderlands,
– modernising the study curriculum and organising international student camps.
As emphasised by the project coordinator, Dr Wojciech Opioła, working on the integration of border regions requires perseverance and creativity. ‘This is a task for modern-day Don Quixotes. The more cross-border cooperation develops, the more often one faces obstacles that force one to seek non-standard solutions. Cross-border cooperation strengthens regions’ resilience to crises and disinformation, supports smarter development, and builds trust and relationships between people,’ says Dr Opioła.
The grant, worth EUR 100,000 over three years, will provide the BARI team with new opportunities to promote research on borderlands, develop international partnerships, and share knowledge beyond the university walls.
In photo: Participants of the Polish-Czech student research camp organised by BARI during field research in the village divided by the border, Kamienica (Poland) – Bilá Voda (Czech Republic), June 2025.