How can higher education institutions in a border region work together to create attractive programmes, facilitate international experiences and, at the same time, retain young talent in the region? With the new Interreg project ‘Trinational Education in Agrifood’, four higher education institutions from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium aim to break new ground in cross-border higher education. The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) is participating as the German university partner. Around 1.3 million euros from the Interreg funding programme is available for the project during the funding period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029.
The focus is on the agri-food sector, which is of great economic importance to the region whilst also facing particular challenges. The number of students in this field is declining, whilst companies are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit qualified young talent.
“The boundaries between our regions have long since become permeable in everyday life. This should also apply to higher education. With these trinational programmes, we are providing international experience without students having to leave their own region. At the same time, we are opening up new prospects for them and strengthening links with local businesses,” says Prof. Dr Georg Wittich, Dean of the Faculty of Food and Nutrition Sciences at HSNR.
Studying internationally – right on your doorstep
The project focuses on a low-threshold form of internationalisation: students should be able to gain cross-border experience without necessarily having to complete a traditional semester abroad. To this end, joint modules and exchange formats are being developed and will initially be trialled in a pilot semester. In the long term, the formats are to be firmly embedded in the curricula and further developed into trinational programmes.
Four higher education institutions are involved, comprising a total of 13 bachelor’s programmes and around 1,600 students: Alongside the HSNR, Maastricht University (Venlo campus, Netherlands), the HAS Green Academy in ’s-Hertogenbosch (Venlo site, Netherlands) and Hasselt University (Belgium) are partners in the project. The lead partner is Euregio Rhine-Meuse-North.
“For our students, this cross-border cooperation opens up entirely new opportunities to integrate international experiences directly into their studies. In doing so, they not only become familiar with other education systems and academic perspectives, but also acquire important intercultural skills. At the same time, we can expand our programme of courses to include programmes with a strong practical orientation and international elements, thereby making them even more attractive to students,” explains Wittich.
Businesses as partners
The regional economy plays a central role. As part of the project, a transnational network of companies is to be established. The aim is to recruit more than 100 companies as ambassadors for the cross-border education region, with a view to them offering, amongst other things, work placement opportunities. The ‘foodineum’ in Neuss will support the project in building this network.
In this way, the project links studies with career prospects across national borders. After all, the region has long functioned as a single labour market: companies seek specialists regardless of which side of the border they studied on. Students, in turn, are given the opportunity to get to know different companies and working cultures and to build professional networks throughout the region.
From project idea to a sustainable structure
In addition to specific educational and exchange programmes, the project also aims to create long-term structures for collaboration. The aim is to identify and remove administrative barriers, develop joint processes and draw up a roadmap for further cooperation.
A joint communication campaign is also intended to boost the appeal of studies in the agri-food sector and raise the profile of the education region across borders. The aim is to develop the pilot project into a sustainable tri-national education network.
