The Centre for Border Region Studies (CBRS) in Sønderborg is a regionally based and internationally oriented cross-faculty research centre: We have a local approach with a global reach. We are the only border studies centre in Denmark and one of the main research centres in the field in Europe.

Since 1976 the Danish-German border region has been our main research area. Gradually the focus has expanded to include a more general interest in historic and contemporary aspects of European borders and border regions. 2016 the Centre was established as a cooperation between the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark.

CBRS produces high-quality and original research in Border and European Studies. Our research has an interdisciplinary, qualitative and comparative approach to European border regions. It counts scholars from different disciplines within the humanities and social sciences such as political science, anthropology and history. Profiting from the different backgrounds and approaches of the staff, the Centre covers a range of issues in the growing field of border studies. We have strong ties to the academic world in the rest of Europe and North America, and our networks inspire innovative research.

CBRS aims to make an impact in society by disseminating our research and interact with relevant actors and civil society in general. The Centre takes pride in a strong local anchoring in the Danish-German border region. It has close contacts to archives, museums and the regional community, and is actively engaged in knowledge exchange in the region. The Centre has an obligation to do research and cooperate with the German minority.

CBRS is responsible for an attractive and profiled undergraduate study programme in European Studies. The programme, exclusively taught in English, is dedicated to themes relevant within the social sciences. It has a clear profile in European regional politics and cooperation. It attracts a large number of foreign students from many European countries.

The Centre for Border Region Studies focuses on four main research areas: