EUREGIO – ALMA

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Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

The Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, created in 1976, is one of the oldest cross-border partnerships situated at the heart of the European Community in the form of a Euroregion. Its aim is to highlight and promote the shared interests which exists between the regions which make it up, and by making the population even more aware of the necessity for co-operation in terms of administration, the economy, culture, teaching, and infrastructure.

The members of the Meuse-Rhineland Euroregion are the following five regions:

• The Province of Liège in Belgium;
• The Germany-speaking community in Belgium;
• The Province of Limbourg in Belgium;
• The southern part of the province of Limbourg in The Netherlands;
• The REGIO Aachen association in the District of Cologne in the German Land of North Rhein Westphalia.

1. ALMA  

ALMA is the partnership network between the four Meuse-Rhine Euroregion universities: the University of Aix-la-Chapelle in Germany (RWTH Aachen, the University of Hasselt/Diepenbeek in Flanders, the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands and the University of Liège).

This network was created in 1991 with the signature of the ALMA Convention by the university rectors. The main objective of ALMA is to strengthen co-operation in the fields of teaching, research and services to the community, in multilateral projects.

Through the contacts which it creates, the Alma network also strengthens bilateral links between universities: various partnerships have thus been created with the Universities of Maastricht, Hasselt, and Aachen. In their research, promotion, and teaching projects, these universities strive to use to the utmost the shared skills which existing between the entities, offering students a wide range of multilingual teaching, and offering researchers researchers a stronger environment for scientific activity.


Partnership within the programme

In the field of neurosciences, the four universities have long collaborated within a wider consortium, the international research network EURON (European Graduate School of Neuroscience). One of the developments of this network, in terms of teaching, was the creation of a "European Masters in Neurosciences", funded by the European Commission within its Curriculum Development programme.

A strong partnership was established between the University of Liege and the University of Maastricht which led to partnerships in a wide range of programmes:

In the field of political science, a joint Masters in political science, specialising in science, technology and society leading to the awarding of a double degree has been developed and will be launched in the academic year 2011-2012.

In relation to a Bachelor's in Law, each University has developed a specific option of 30 credits for students from the partnership in the context of a structured mobility: a minor in "Belgian law" at the ULg and a minor in "Dutch law" (delivered in Dutch), or a minor in "European and International Law" (delivered in English) at the University of Maastricht.

In criminology, the Jean Constant Criminology School each year receives a visiting lecturer from the University of Maastricht.

Finally, at the Doctoral level, the HEC-Ecole and the Maastricht Research School of Economics of Technology and Organisations (METEOR) signed an agreement which enables selected doctoral students to follow a range of seminars in the doctoral schools within the partnership.

2. Projects funded by the INTERREG IV programme in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

TOP TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER (TTC)
The Top Technology Cluster (TTC) project aims at generating and supporting corssborder cooperations on innovative projects between SMEs of the Greater Euregio Meuse-Rhine area and including laboratories and research centers.
With this aim in view, the TTC team organises events and specific meetings between potential partners and proposes to companies a dedicated support to the business activity via personalized interviews and contacts.
TTC is focusing on 4 technological domains: Life sciences/health, ICT, Energies and Advanced materials.
Website: www.ttc-innovation.eu
ULg Contact: Claire BAJOU

BIOMIMEDICS
The BioMiMedics consortium encompasses five leading Euregion institutes in the field of BioMaterials, Tissue Engineering, Life Science and Medicine of the regions Province de Liège, Provincie Belgisch and Nederlands Limburg and Region Aachen. BioMiMedics aims at the development of a Euregional centre of excellence that designs and produces innovative products for applied and Regenerative Medicine, vascular Tissue Engineering and drug delivery in particular, with considerable added value to patient care and to increase the efficacy of the healthcare system in general.
Website: www.biomimedics.org
ULg Contact : Christian GRANDFILS

ORGANEXT
The general aim of the ORGANEXT project is the development of an interdisciplinary knowledge platform "ORGANEXT", comprising in particular industrial partners (SME and large enterprises), political decision makers and high level research centres so that the Meuse-Rhine, Eindhoven and Leuven Euroregion is recognised for its skills and expertise in the field of nanotechnologies, new materials, optoelectronics, solar cells, and economic analysis, and can thus strengthen its infrastructure and its economy in the promising field of rapid growth activities.
Website: www.organext.org
ULg contact: Christine Jerome

NANO CHEMICAL APPLICATIONS FOR TECHNICAL TEXTILES : NACHATT
This project aims to develop new technological procedures for making textile products using nanoparticles. Methods have been developed to produce ultrafine natural protein particles. Natural proteins have interesting properties which we wish to use for textile production. One of these properties is its good wettability. The project also aims to improve the ease of use and stain-resistance of polyester using ultra-thin hydrofugal coverings on textiles.
http://www.nachatt.eu

Alma in Silico
The aim of this project is to establish a platform for the integration, dissemination, and application of knowledge in the field of systems biology. The project brings together industry, research programmes and academic teaching.
www.alma-in-silico.com
ULg contact: Louis Wehenkel

AUTOMOTIVE SUSTAINABLE TRAINING EUROREGION
The automobile sector which exists in the Euroregion is currently changing, new forms of motorisation are being developed and current production subsidiaries are being restructured, building new relationships between constructors and sub-contractors. The ASTE project aims to anticipate these changes and prepare the relevant populations for them. To do so, it will start by preparing a new adapted teaching programme and then disseminating it.
ULg contact: Pierre Duysinx

AUTOMOTIVE CLUSTER EMR 2012
The aim of this project is to support the development and international position of the automobile industry in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, using the skills of each partner. This results from close collaboration between the organisations of Euroregional automobile clusters.
ULg Contact: Pierre Duysinx

INTERCCOM
The IntercCom project aims to facilitate the integration of students into higher education who will work or study in one of the other regions. It is not enough to have good knowledge of the language to develop professionally in a foreign environment; you also need to know how to use the language in the right context; this is what is known as pragmatics.
http://www.interccom.eu (in Dutch)
ULg contact: Claudine Colin

EURSAFETYHEALTH-NET EMR MRSA
The safety of patients and protection against infections are important preventative tasks concerning cross-border healthcare, aiming to improve quality of life in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. Of particular importance is the rise in germs which are resistant to antibiotics, for example Methacillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). The possibility for treating infections caused by the germs are limited. This is why prevention strategies have to be broadened and improved, both locally and cross-border.
http://www.mrsa.euprevent.eu/ (in French, Dutch and German)