Cross-border Projects Research Articles

Cross-Border Dialogues: A Collaborative Instructional Design Inquiry to Promote Equity and Diversity

The COVID-19 pandemic complicates ingrained educational inequalities around the globe and foregrounds the pertaining challenges that teachers have encountered due to school closures and the shift to distance learning. This cross-border teacher education project intended to examine how academics and pre-service teachers in different geographic locales could collaboratively explore equitable learning opportunities for diverse learners through the use of critical media literacies to respond to interconnected global crises. In this six-week cross-border teacher education project, we recruited four Mandarin and English literacy teacher candidates in Hong Kong to interact with one another and one Canadian professor as part of the teacher preparation phase of a larger-scale cross-border research project that connects youth from Hong Kong and Canada in a social networking space. For the purposes of teacher professional development, the Hong Kong teacher candidates and Canadian researchers engaged in collective exploration of how instructional designs in literacy education could promote equitable learning opportunities for diverse learners. Findings show that the cross-border teacher education project supported teacher candidates’ development of pedagogical skills and espoused their agency in promoting educational equity and collective problem-solving through critical media literacies. Findings relate the teacher candidates’ shifted perspectives from focusing on students’ decontextualized language skills to nurturing critical media skills. Changing from a deficit-oriented view about what literacy learners could not do, the teacher candidates also adopted an asset-oriented view about the linguistic and cultural repertoires that diverse learners could bring to literacy classrooms.

Central bank digital currencies as an element of the payment-centric model of global financial regulation

The article examines the current state of implementation of one of the largest regulatory projects in to examine the role of international cross-border payment regulation in the context of global financial architecture and to see how a modernized national payment infrastructure could be optimally embedded in the global payment infrastructure. To achieve this purpose, this article systematizes the standard setting documents and analyzes doctrinal sources. Special attention is paid to BIS Innovation Hub projects. The study analyses area E of the G20 Roadmap, which covers the development of new means of payment, including CBDCs and stablecoins. In particular, the paper provides an overview of analytics and specific projects pertaining to the introduction of central bank digital currencies (CBDC). The article also analyzes how the issuance of CBDCs relates to the international framework being created for regulating crypto assets. The authors conclude that global financial regulation is becoming more payment-centric since the issue of regulating cross-border payments lies at the intersection of several important policies and international legal regimes. In particular, this involves international policies pertaining to the regulation of financial services, macroprudential regulation, regulation of the global monetary system, regulation of crypto assets, countering illicit financial flows in the global economy, and ESG regulation. The article systematizes the features and risks of the payment-centric model for global financial regulation. It concludes that international cooperation and coordination are necessary if cross-border projects related to payments are to be successfully implemented.

Przestrzenne cechy transgranicznej współpracy turystycznej w regionie Morza Bałtyckiego = Spatial features of cross-border tourist cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region

This article aims to explain where the cross-border tourism cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) can be observed, and its specifical aim is to answer the research question: What are the spatial characteristics of cooperation in cross-border tourism projects in the Baltic Sea Region? Using the methods of spatial analysis in GIS, statistical methods and analysis of project documents, synthetic research was carried out on the cooperation of beneficiaries of tourism projects under the Interreg IV A, B and C programs in the BSR. The spatial nature of this cooperation was presented in a descriptive and cartographic form, taking into account the locations of beneficiaries, budgets, roles in the project, concentration, connections and topics of their cooperation. Although the empirical study presented below is limited only to tourism cooperation under the EU-funded Interreg IV program in the BSR, it is one of the first studies on cross-border cooperation between entities separated by a sea border in general, as well as one of the first synthetic studies on projects from different levels of European Union funding in the Interreg program (A, B and C), which cover a larger area of research. Cooperation is measured by number and distance of the relations between the beneficiaries. Comparison of the number of implemented projects related to tourism, the number of beneficiaries, the average amount of beneficiaries' budgets and their concentration showed diametrical differences in the region between its western and eastern parts. It can therefore be said that the "Iron Curtain" is still visible, which in the second half of the 20th century divided the south-eastern part of the Baltic Sea from its north-western part

To Utilize Structural Equation Modelling to Investigate the Impact of Cross-border Tourism on Regional Cooperation: The Mediating Effect of Community Support

Tourism plays an important role in encouraging cooperation and peace between the partitioned countries. The current study aims to investigate the influence of cross-border tourism on bilateral trade and cooperation between India and Myanmar. Further, the paper identifies the role of community support as a mediator between exogenous and endogenous variables. An onsite questionnaire is distributed among the residents of Indian border areas close to the neighboring border of Myanmar. The SEM is employed to reject the null hypotheses and test the proposed model empirically. The findings reveal that all the proposed hypotheses are supported. The cross-border cooperation is positively influenced by cross-border tourism development and trade between India and Myanmar. Moreover, community support mediates the relationship between cross-border tourism, bilateral trade, and cooperation. An important consideration from this paper is that tourism supported by border communities can act as a catalyst for promoting cooperation among hostile countries. India and Myanmar being close neighbors, have huge scope to support each other through different cross-border programs, projects, and bilateral trade. The study provides valuable insights for both countries to adopt tourism initiatives as a tool to ameliorate their relationships and develop the economic conditions of border communities.

ANALYSIS OF THE REMOTELY SENSED WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS OF THE INSUBRIC LAKES: METHODS AND RESULTS OF THE INTERREG SIMILE PROJECT

Abstract. Lakes are a fundamental component of the environment and the territory and represent a precious source of fresh water for various uses. The area of the Prealps north of the Po valley in Italy is characterized by the presence of lakes which represent almost 80% of the total volume of fresh water in Italy (Rogora et al., 2018). The Insubric lakes (Lugano, Maggiore and Como) have their shared basins between Italy and Switzerland, and they are the objective of the SIMILE project, a cross-border Italian-Swiss project that aims to improve their coordinated management and strengthen stakeholder participation in the processes of knowledge and monitoring of water resources (Brovelli et al., 2019) by analyzing data acquired from in-situ to satellite sensors. The present work refers to data collected by remote sensing methods which offer the possibility to obtain synoptic views of water bodies to monitor water quality parameters (WQPs) such as the chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), the total suspended matter (TSM) and the lake surface water temperature (LSWT) (Giardino et al., 2013). This work presents an extensive evaluation of the space-time trends of the parameters based on the SIMILE remote sensing database.

Impact of Factors That Predict Adoption of Geomonitoring Systems for Landslide Management

Monitoring hazardous phenomena is a fundamental requirement of disaster risk management. Using new geomatic technologies integrated into complex geo information systems represents an innovative method of strengthening collaboration between stakeholder groups that aim at reducing the risk of disasters. This paper aimed to investigate the factors of adapting a geomonitoring information system for landslides in the cross-border area of Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania; the analysis was carried out in the case of the cross-border project, GeoSES. This study developed and empirically tested a novel UTAUT model based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. PL-SEM (partial least-squares structural equation modeling) was used to test the model’s hypotheses. The data were collected by employing an online questionnaire on a target group of beneficiaries of the GeoSES project, in which the geomonitoring information system was proposed as an innovative solution to landslide management and disaster risk reduction. This study’s importance and added value reside in the theoretical and practical implications of the proposed model for predicting the beneficiaries’ adaptation of the landslide monitoring system. The results have shown that the GeoSES project beneficiaries coming from four neighboring nations are willing to utilize the integrated monitoring systems, which is one of the strengths of the collaborative efforts focused on mitigating risks and managing disasters in this region.

Participatory Design Workshops: Interdisciplinary Encounters within a Collaborative Digital Heritage Project

This article aims to investigate how participatory design influences interdisciplinary relationships in digital heritage projects. In particular, the article reflects on opportunities and challenges of interdisciplinary encounters in participatory design, with the cross-border project “Terra Mosana” as a case study, which aims to investigate, digitalize, and communicate the shared heritage of the Meuse–Rhine Euregion (EMR). Terra Mosana is a collaboration between multiple partners from municipalities, museums, cultural heritage sites, and universities in different EMR cities. Partners of the project have different backgrounds that vary from archaeologists, historians, and heritage professionals to computer scientists, developers, and communication specialists. My role in this project focused on designing and organizing several participatory design workshops with citizens of the EMR, aiming to empower and enable them to share their views about their shared history, and what they want from museums and other cultural institutions. Those workshops play a crucial role in the project by creating meaningful connections across the different disciplines involved in the project. In this article, I focus on the negotiation processes between the partners involved: What challenges were they confronted with? How did they arrive at creative solutions, and which issues remained unresolved? My analysis does not draw only on my participatory observation of workshops, but also on a focus group discussion that invited the partners to reflect on and assess the collaborative process.

Development of CCUS clusters in Croatia

Carbon Capture and Storage is a concept that is not yet fully implemented largely because of the high costs. Clustering of industrial stakeholders is imposed as a measure for cost reduction. All relevant emitters, possible transport routes, including existing gas pipeline corridors, and their geographic location in relation to potential storage locations are assessed in this paper. Site availability and CO2 storage capacity are examined, summarizing all study results gathered under the Strategy CCUS project. The CO2 enhanced oil recovery is being studied for CO2 storage rather than extra oil recovery. As logical choices, three clusters were recognized. Only less expensive, onshore injection was taken in consideration for assessment of early (economic) feasibility in the Adriatic, Central, and Eastern clusters. Because of the shorter distance between CO2 emitters and injection sites, the Eastern and Central clusters are being investigated in more detail, despite the fact that the largest point source emitter is in the Adriatic region. Because of small number of point source CO2 emitters and huge theoretical storage capacity, further research is needed to better assess the storage capacities as well as possibilities for development of cross-border projects. Based on previous research (particularly regarding the emitters), the number of facilities (fewer facilities, with more concentrated emissions), and the availability of storage objects, the Eastern cluster is recommended to be further studied as the next stage of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage cluster research and development in Croatia and nearby cross-border regions.

Influence Factors of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Micro-Enterprises in the Cross-Border E-Commerce Platforms

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are frequently exposed to a variety of difficulties during global epidemic crises like coronavirus (COVID-19), which may even threaten their lives. The purpose of this study explores the influencing factors of Taiwan’s companies between small and medium-sized enterprises and micro-enterprises on the choice of the cross-border e-commerce platform. The findings are defined as taking into account small and medium-sized businesses and microenterprises when choosing cross-border e-commerce through a literature review and an examination of secondary data among the 10 participating businesses through interviews in various regions and business sectors in Taiwan. In this case we used study-based research, which included five small, medium-sized, and micro-enterprises, as well as five cross-border e-commerce projects and the company’s management senior officers. According to the study’s emphasis on the economic, social, technological, and legal aspects of various firms, these factors lead to a variety of decisions regarding the best cross-border e-commerce platform. The case study approach was utilized in this investigation to confirm the consideration of micro-and small-sized businesses that took part in cross-border e-commerce project counseling. This study summarizes five types of enterprises with different capabilities: product enhancement, marketing enhancement, cross-border potential, knowledge-based enhancement, and cross-border start-up. According to the results, it was found that different enterprise capabilities will affect the choice of cross-border e-commerce platforms. These five capabilities also have different types of consideration factors; among them, SMEs pay attention to marketing, pricing, market analysis, culture, customer service, payment, logistics, certification, taxation, etc. In addition to theoretical implications, this research also gives small and medium enterprises and micro-enterprises practice when choosing cross-border e-commerce platform, as well as suggestions for future research.

High-frequency monitoring through in-situ fluorometric sensors: A supporting tool to long-term ecological research on lakes

Lake Maggiore is a site of the Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) network, belonging to the deep subalpine Lake District in Northern Italy. Studies on the physical, chemical, and biological features of the lake have been performed continuously since the 1980s. The lake recovered from eutrophication reaching the present oligotrophic condition. In the last decade, climate change represents the main driving factor for the long-term evolution of the lake, affecting its hydrodynamics, nutrient status, and biological communities. In 2020 a high-frequency monitoring (HFM) system was deployed, with the aim to integrate long-term monitoring based on discrete sampling and analysis. The system consists of a buoy equipped with sensors for limnological variables and algal pigments. The high-frequency monitoring program is part of a cross-border project between Italy and Switzerland focusing on lake quality monitoring as a critical input for successful lake management. In this paper we focus on Chlorophyll-a data, with the aim to test whether in-situ fluorescence measurements may provide a reliable estimate of lake phytoplankton biovolume and its seasonal dynamic. Sensor’s performance was regularly tested comparing chlorophyll-a data taken by the in-situ fluorescent sensors (Cyclops7, Turner Design), data from laboratory fluorescence analysis (FluoroProbe, BBE Moldaenke), values obtained from chlorophyll-a analysis by UV-VIS spectrophotometry and data from phytoplankton microscopy analysis. We found a general good agreement between the Chlorophyll-a data obtained with the different methods, confirming the use of in-situ sensors as a reliable approach to measure algal pigments, especially to assess their variability in the short-term, but also to describe the seasonal pattern of phytoplankton biovolume. However, phytoplankton community composition played a substantial role in the performance of the different methods and in the reliability of in-situ data as a tool to assess algal biovolume. This study demonstrates that high-frequency monitoring (HFM), used in conjunction with discrete chemical and biological monitoring, represents an important advance and support in the long-term monitoring of freshwaters and is a useful tool to detect ecological changes. Regular checking and validation of the sensor readings through laboratory analyses are important to get trustworthy data.

Sustainable cross-border cooperation? A case-study on the role of national minorities

Cross-border cooperation within the European Union is a cornerstone of regional integration, fostering collaboration and solidarity among Member States. This article explores the role of national minorities, specifically in the Romanian-Hungarian border region, as contributors to the territorial impact and sustainability of cross-border projects. While existing research highlights their potential as bridge builders, this study critically assesses the tools used for measuring impact and sustainability in cross-border initiatives, uncovering a gap in acknowledging the role of national minorities. Through a case study of Romanian-Hungarian INTERREG projects between 2007-2020, this article sheds light on the nuanced relationship between national minorities and cross-border engagement. It underscores the need for further research, policy considerations, and emphasises that by harnessing the bridge-building potential of national minorities, they could be one of the guarantees for the cross-border projects’ enduring results as well as collaboration, strengthening regional unity and prosperity in the European Union.

Under pressure: A qualitative comparative analysis on the factors contributing to the success and failure of cross-border gas pipeline construction in Europe and Turkey

Around 60% of internationally traded gas is shipped through pipelines. In Europe alone, there are around twenty cross-border gas transmission pipelines and new pipelines continue to be proposed. Yet, proposed pipelines often do not make it past the planning stage. Existing research has been unable to find a framework for determining success and failure in cross-border gas pipeline projects’ construction. In this study, a six condition explanatory framework is developed based on an extensive literature review to explain the success or failure of gas pipelines in Europe. These conditions include: support from the involved states, powerful states, the Commission and the US, as well as the number of stakeholders and the technical difficulties (length and onshore/offshore). The study then conducts a Qualitative Comparative Analysis on 21 European gas pipeline projects and finds that support from those involved, powerful member states and the Commission is imperative for the successful construction of gas pipelines in Europe. The absence of these conditions has the opposite effect.

Legal and practical aspects of international cooperation of territorial communities through the prism of the implementation of the european neighbourhood policy

The legal grounds for establishing cooperation between local self-government bodies and territorial communities of foreign countries, which are subjects of cross-border cooperation are considered in the article.
 It has been established that local self-government bodies carry out their activities in accordance with and within the limits of current legislation. The basic international legal acts and legal acts of Ukraine, which regulate the process of formation and functioning of local self-government bodies, define the list of functions and powers exercised by such bodies independently, determine the role and place of territorial communities in the development of cross-border cooperation.
 The main factors that influence nowadays the formation and effective functioning of local communities are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the communities located within the Transcarpathian region on the state border with the member countries of the European Union. It has been established that such a geographical position, in turn, leads to the intensification of international and cross-border cooperation and contributes to the further sustainable development of territories.
 The subject of Ukraine's participation in the programs of the European Neighbourhood Policy (hereinafter - ENP) is disclosed, the main advantages are characterized and the existing shortcomings are identified. It has been studied that Ukraine takes part in a number of cross-border programs within the framework of the ENP and contributes both to the Europeanization of Ukrainian society and to an increase in the standard of living of the population in the border areas of countries that are partners in cross-border projects through international technical assistance projects.
 Another opportunity for the participation of local communities in the development of international cooperation, which is membership in the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is considered. A special role is given here to cities in communities and the wide possibilities of establishing municipal partnerships and the formation of national and international associations. It has been proven that the creation of such organizational forms of international cooperation and the participation of territorial communities in them is an additional stimulus for the development and implementation of joint international programs and projects between municipalities.

Cross-border cooperation in the shadow of crisis – the Turów Coalmine case

Background: The study concerns the inter-governmental dispute between the Polish and the Czech governments on the planned Turów coalmine expansion and its impact on the cross-border cooperation between the Polish and the Czech entities, particularly in the sphere of cross-border partnerships conducting microprojects financially supported by the INTERREG Program. The conflict went before the European Court of Justice in 2021 and was the cause of hostility between the two nations. the conflict was concluded in February 2022, with the signing of the agreement on the future of the Turów coalmine and compensation for the Czechs. Although the dispute has ended formally, but some problems in relations between the Polish and the Czech partners on the borderland still exist. Research problem and questions: The research problem concerns recognizing how inter-governmental disputes at a national level can impact on cross-border cooperation at a local level, and in particular the Polish-Czech partnerships conducting cross-border microprojects. It comprises of research questions concerning the impact of this inter-governmental dispute on the ongoing and future Polish-Czech institutional partnerships in cross-border projects and the factors necessary to improve the resilience of cross-border cooperation at a local level to political factors and actors. Methods: The authors used both qualitative research methods (in-depth interviews, media analysis, desk research) and quantitative research methods (survey CATI, CAWI surveys). Conclusions: The study shows slight changes in the intensity, efficiency and approach to the cross-border cooperation; it reveals the future activities essential to improving the Polish-Czech relations in the Nysa Euroregion. It points out the important factors necessary to improve the resilience of cross-border cooperation to political factors.

New look to the Madan region, Central Rhodope – mining tourism and geological phenomena

As part of a cross-border cooperation program project between Bulgaria and Greece (Interreg), the geotourism potential of the municipality of Madan has been assessed. The assessment was made of the possibilities for the conversion of abandoned mine workings into tourist sites. Eight (8) geotopes are described and the creation of 2 geo-trails is proposed.

Building Connectivity Infrastructures in the Cold War Balkans

Abstract The article explores the development of energy and transport networks in the Cold War Balkans by bringing three case studies of cross-border connectivity into focus: the Yougelexport project, the Djerdap hydropower station and the Circular Highway. In this endeavour networks are not treated as neutral physical infrastructures, but as social phenomena with political, cultural and economic impact. Hence, the development of cross-border and cross-bloc connectivity projects between the countries of the region is connected with the course of their bilateral relations and the broader political context of the Cold War. Against this background, the article discusses the national political objectives related to infrastructure building and the role of transnational technocratic cooperation in cross-border connectivity projects in the Cold War Balkans.

Assessing the Nexus between Cross-border Infrastructure Projects and Extinction Accounting—from the Belt and Road Initiative Perspective

ABSTRACT The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a mega-global infrastructure development strategy initiated in 2013. Although the BRI has fostered huge potential for economic growth, it poses a significant threat to biodiversity, especially because many of the infrastructure projects are cross-border and are being built in areas where rare and endangered species found nowhere else on the planet live. This paper reflects and raises concerns about the repercussions of BRI infrastructure projects on species extinction. While most research has been geared towards assessing the economic and social impacts of BRI on host countries, this paper contributes to the sustainable planning and evaluation of the impacts of a less investigated sector—the infrastructure sector through the lens of extinction accounting. By identifying the specific extinction risks of different types of infrastructure projects during construction-in-progress period and daily operations period, this paper refines and extends prior general frameworks of extinction accounting, and further tailors them to the specific and important context of infrastructure projects under the BRI scenario. In addition, this paper serves as a counterpoint to prior literature on extinction accounting within the Chinese frame of reference by critically underscoring the current infirmity in extinction accounting by Chinese MNEs operating under the mega initiative. Thirty representative cross-border infrastructure projects under the BRI are examined on how they report and attempt to mitigate their ecology-specific impacts using the extinction accounting checklist. This paper concludes that the extinction accounting practices of BRI infrastructure projects are still at their embryonic stage and offers practitioners, researchers and policy makers critical insights and a broader perspective on the role of human activities in extinction crises along cross-border corridors.

Infrastructures and b/ordering: how Chinese projects are ordering China–Myanmar border spaces

ABSTRACT Border regions worldwide have gained prominence for how nation-states order, divide and understand the world. This is increasingly made explicit in the selective management of global commercial and human flows, leading to a paradoxical development and a major dilemma for the contemporary bordering practices in border regions: that of concurrently facilitating differentiated mobility while ensuring territorial integrity, securing both territories and flows. This paper argues that large-scale transnational infrastructures, by controlling, facilitating and channelizing cross-border mobilities, have emerged as a major instrument of b/ordering space in borderlands. This is especially relevant in Asia, where transnational, cross-border connectivity infrastructure projects have mushroomed, supported by political rhetoric, big budgets and diplomatic vigour. Grounded in long-term ethnographic research, the paper scrutinizes variegated infrastructure spaces in the seemingly remote and conflict-riddled borderlands between China’s Yunnan province and northern Myanmar’s Kachin state, subject to intensive Chinese infrastructure developments since the mid-1990s, further accelerated by the launch of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2015. The paper argues that infrastructures such as roads, plantations and special economic zones have started to regulate these volatile and contested borderlands more effectively than the official boundaries that delimit complex territorialities in the border region.

Strategic decision making based on energy rates and costs from Itaipu's Multinational Energy Agreement Perspective

The goal of this research is supporting strategic decision makers from countries that share and/or are impacted by cross-border energy generation projects. The methodology includes a case study of the energy surplus not used within the international agreement between two countries in LatinAmerica. The methodological procedure chosen allows the revision of the rates practiced in the energy market and the cost of building new transmission lines for energy trading with other South American countries. As a result, there are opportunities for the country with less energy demand (Paraguay) to sell its energy surplus about 456% more expensive than the price currently applied for selling to Brazil. The conclusion reached is that Itaipu's Multinational Energy Agreement members should start negotiations immediately and this research supports strategic decision makers from many countries to evaluate the best usage of Itaipu's energy surplus.

Contemplations on and practical guidelines for cooperation in the Dutch-German borderland

Despite decades of European financial stimulation for cross-border projects, the attention for cross-border cooperation (CBC) is still volatile. The focus on CBC has been fluctuating for decades, depending on political and economic trends among other aspects. Irrespective of that, it remains difficult to encourage citizens in the Dutch-German borderland to engage in cross-border working and living. Without commitment among citizens at grassroots level, CBC will primarily remain an enjoyable pastime for the euroregional elite. Based on scientific debates on border studies, this paper highlights CBC by reflecting on border-related policy. By way of illustration, this research will zoom in on the northern Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, one of the Dutch-German Euroregions. Based on some contemplations on Dutch-German cooperation in recent decades, this article concludes with some action-oriented principles for CBC which could contribute to strengthening its impact.