The Greater Region

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The Greater Region brings together various regional parts of the four countries in Rhineland Europe: Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, and France.

It thus brings together five regions: the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Rhineland Palatinate and the Sarre Länder, the Walloon Region, and the Lorraine Region. These correspond to two major linguistic communities: French speaking and German speaking.

The Greater Region aims to improve political and economic co-operation and partnerships between the various actors. Higher education has long been identified as a key driver in developing the specific identity of the Region. Various collaborative structures between higher education institutions have been created, in which the University of Liège plays an active role.

1.      Greater Region University Co-operation Charter 

The Greater Region University Co-operation Charter
(Sarre-Lorraine-Luxembourg-Wallonia-Rhineland) is a network which has been active for 25 years, covering 13 higher education teaching institutions.

The Rector of the University of Liège has been President of the Charter since 4 June 2009, and will hold the post for three years.

The members are:

• University of Liège (Wallonie)
• Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (Germany)
• Fachhochschule Kaiserslautern (Germany)
• University of the Saarland (Germany)
• Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (Germany)
• University of Trier (Germany)
• Fachhochschule Trier (Germany)
• Paul Verlaine University in Metz (France)
• École Nationale des Ingénieurs de Metz -E.N.I.M. (France)
• University of Nancy I (France)
• University of Nancy II (France)
• Institut National Polytechniques de Lorraine - I.N.P.L. (France)
• University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

Acting as a catalyst for collaboration, the Charter brings together universities, offering both strategic reflection and shared activities to promote communication between the two cultures. Further information can be found on the Charter website.

2. University of the Greater Region 

With funding until 2012 from the Interreg IV, the "University of the Greater Region" aims to connect the seven universities which comprise it through direct contact between the administrations and access to teaching and research facilities in this inter-university collaborative area.

University of the Greater Region

3. Other projects within the Greater Region 

Projects in the Greater Region funded by the INTERREG IV A programme

Tigre: Technology and Innovation Transfer in the Greater Region
TIGRE essentially aims to create close relationships between public research laboratories (the "technology push" approach) and the demand for new technologies from small, medium, and large enterprises (the "market pull" approach) within the Greater Region. Stimulating partnerships between public and private sectors will be achieved as the result of regional professionals sharing their specific and complementary technical expertise throughout all stages of promoting research managed in a cross-border way. The project addresses researchers, entrepreneurs, and enterprises in the Greater Region. http://www.interface.ulg.ac.be/animation/tigre.php
ULg contact: Cathy Le Baron

NANODATA
Updating a cutting-edge database for the Greater Region in relation to existing products, patents, procedures and novelties relating to nanotechnologies.
http://www.nanotech-data.com
ULg contact: Michel Morant

OPTIBIOGAZ

Working towards an optimal and integrated version of the production of biogas on farms. The objectives are to maximise the transformation of methane biomass by assisting with process management and the creation of an inventory and analysis of the flow of materials and the overall effectiveness of model methanisation units.
http://www.optibiogaz.eu
ULg contact: Jacques Nicolas

ABILITIC 2 PERFORM
Using early needs detection, this aims at improving the supply and potential of localised teaching structures in the Greater Region and activities in different domains. It relates in particular to the evolution in management of the use of natural resources, financial management, and the management and use of IT systems.
ULg contact: Bernadette Merenne

NESCAV - Nutrition, Environment, and Cardio-Vascular Health
NESCAV is a project which aims to prevent cardio-vascular diseases by focussing on the risk factors which can be changed in the Greater Region. It will support cross-border public authorities and professionals in their fight against the risk factors of arterial hypertension, diabetes, tobacco, and dyslipidemia, in relation to the general population in these regions, providing them with objective data measured using standardised tools.  
http://www.nescav.com
ULg contact: Michèle Guillaume

EDUDORA - Therapeutic and Preventative Education relating to Diabetes and Obesity Risk Factors in Adults and Teenagers
The prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes requires a multidisciplinary approach focussing on therapeutic education in the care context. The EDUDORA project constitutes a new initiative proposed by three bordering regions (Wallonia, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Lorraine).
ULg contact: Michèle Guillaume

RIFE - The Cross-border Training and Support Network for Environmental Management Enterprises
The aim is to generate best practice in terms of the environment with a panel of SMEs and to promote this to all enterprises in the cross-border area.
http://www.rife-wll.net
ULg contact: Claude Scheuren

Public health pilot project Research into preventative action and the promotion of mental health.
Built around three axes, this project is based on the following points: 1. Research and action; 2. Preventative Actions - Detection; 3. Actions to Promote Mental Health.
ULg contact: Philippe Mairiaux

Network for continuing university education in the Greater Region
The objective of the project is to establish a network of Greater Region university institutions with the theme of developing continuous university-level education throughout the region.
ULg contact: Jean-Marie Dujardin

Transregional network for control and measurement in aeronautics and space technologies
The objective is to create a cross-border network of monitoring and measuring skills to support companies in aeronautical and space technologies. The main actors in the fields of aeronautics and space technology decided to come together to create a dynamic structure within the Greater Region. They provide the conditions for developing the competitiveness of SMEs in the field of aeronautics and space technology by responding more closely to the very important and varied normative requirements and to support innovation through direct operational support on mastering the fields of monitoring and measurement.
ULg contact: Jean-Marc Defise

Greater Region Summit: Working Group on Higher Education in the Greater Region

Since 1995, a Summit of the Greater Region has been held every 18 months. These meetings, at the highest political level, aim to provide new impetus to cross-border and inter-regional co-operation within the Greater Region. A Higher Education working group meets regularly.