The Flemish Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) as a Second Memorandum of Understanding between the Flemish Community, the United Nations University, Ghent University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel was approved by the Council of Ministers on December 17th for five years (2022-2026), providing an annual subsidy of 1 Million euros.
In the framework of the quadrilateral partnership, in place since 2016, UNU-CRIS has positioned itself as one of the leading global institutes on regional integration and multi-level governance, developing research clusters focussing on key policy areas such as migration and social policy, climate and natural resources, trade and investment, and digital governance.
Based in Bruges, UNU-CRIS conducts research and provides services in the field of regional integration broadly speaking, and on regional public goods and the role of regional organisations in globalization more specifically. This research is done through scholars who are affiliated to either Vrije Universiteit Brussel or Universiteit Gent. The Brussels School of Governance at the VUB works together closely with UNU-CRIS, with a range of researchers affiliated to both institutions and a number of joint research projects.
