Removing the virtual border

The universities of Münster and Twente have been collaborating since 1979, but in their search for common research funding they still have to deal with the border that lies between them. "We don't very easily find programmes that are suitable for cross-border collaboration." By extending the network to Groningen and Oldenburg, chairmen Ursula Nelles and Victor van der Chijs hope to remove that 'virtual border'. "We love each other very much", laughs University of Twente (UT) chairman Victor van der Chijs when asked how close the ties are between his university and the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (WWU). "So that's the good news", smiles rector Ursula Nelles. Both universities have been collaborating since 1979 in many ways: from research programmes to joint degrees and exchange students. Their relationship might be close, but both partners may not see each other for months. No problem at all, in their opinion.