Christian

Wille

Christian Wille (PhD) is a senior researcher at the University of Luxembourg, head of the cross-border network UniGR-Center for Border Studies and deputy director of the trinational Master in Border Studies (Luxembourg).

He teaches cultural border studies and works on border complexities and border theories. He is a founding member of the research groups "Cultural Border Studies", "Bordertextures", "LABOR SwissLux – Labour Across Borders" and co-editor of the book series "Border Studies: Cultures, Spaces, Orders" (Nomos).

He has been coordinating the faculty key area "Migration and Intercultural Studies" in Luxembourg, teaching at the Saarland University, the University of Lorraine and working for the University of Kaiserslautern and Interregional Labor Market Observatory of the Greater Region.

His books, papers and projects deal with cultural border studies, transnational everyday lives, and spatial, identity, praxeological theories. He has published or co-edited the books "Border Geographies" (Springer, 2020), "Border Experiences in Europe" (Nomos, 2020), "Spaces and Identities in Border Regions" (transcript, 2016), "Living Realities and Political Constructions in Border Regions" (transcript, 2015).

Christian Wille holds a PhD from the German Saarland University and the University of Luxembourg.

More information: www.wille.lu

Research interests

Border

Boundary

Complexity

UniGR-CBS

Border Studies

SaarLorLux

Greater Region

Cross-border Workers

Latest content Christian Wille took part in

Geography & Spatial Planning

Interdisciplinary UniGR Center of Expertise at the University of Luxembourg

The University of the Greater Region (UniGR) has founded the first interdisciplinary centre of expertise for border research. It is a cross-border structure with border researchers from Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg, coordinated at the Department of Geography and Spatial Planning of the University of Luxembour

Geography & Spatial Planning

The UniGR-Center for Border Studies welcomes Border Researches from Ukraine

The UniGR-CBS welcomes at its sites Belval and Saarbrücken two colleagues from Ukraine, who are specialized in spatial and cultural border studies.

Faculty Blog

Borders in Times of Covid-19

This week, Christian Wille, director of the UniGR-Center for Borders Studies, shares his thoughts and observations on borders in times of the Covid-19.
Territorial borders and social demarcation processes are becoming dramatically more important during the coronavirus pandemic. A concise example is the 25th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement that coincides with border control tightening and the closure of internal EU borders. The “Guidelines for border management measures to protect health and ensure the availability of goods and essential services” issued by the EU Commission on March 16th, 2020 currently ensure that despite the re/bordering processes, the borders remain open for tightly timed supply chains, cross-border commuters, and for a country’s own citizens.

Migration

Border Complexities

If border were once only perceived as markers of territorial relationships, this definition is no longer sufficient. The recent societal developments and the increased need for knowledge regarding their dynamics require a more comprehensive approach. This methodological shift registered in border studies, aims at describing and investigating borders in more complex ways. The University of Luxembourg launches a workshop focusing on border complexities to conceptualise and discuss them in a five-part series from different disciplinary and thematically angles.

Orbilu