‘REBOUND: Rethinking Borders in and by the European Union’

The aim of this project is to reflect upon, discuss and problematize through multiple angles and perspectives and with different publics, the compounded changes in borders in the European Union (EU) since the refugee crisis of 2015. It is here inferred that the European Union’s constant reshuffling of internal and external borders has come to a critical juncture, epitomised, among others, by the rethinking of Schengen, the ultimate achievement of the European Union and its distinctive trait. Since the refugee crisis, EU’s borders have shown to be particularly malleable on many fronts, responding to challenges in the health, mobility and economic domains. In this multi-faceted scenario, repercussions have the potential for significant change for the EU and its understanding by internal and external audiences. The exploration and discussion of what these dynamics imply for the Union, for its global role, its position and ambition are of the utmost urgence. Combining teaching, research and outreach activities, REBOUND takes up one of the (and probably the most) pressing issues the EU has to confront with. The teaching activity engages students beyond European studies in reflection and discussion, while research is undertaken to advance knowledge and to share it both within and outside the academic domain. Finally, a whole and variegated range of events are organized remotely and in presence engaging multiple publics, thanks to the support and assistance of the Punto Europa, an excellence research centre on the European Union.