The University of the Greater Region (UniGR) is a 14-year alliance of seven universities: Kaiserslautern, Liège, Lorraine, Saarland, Trier, Luxembourg, htw saar, all located on the cross-border area of the Greater Region (Germany; Belgium, France, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg). UniGR federates 141.000 students, 10.250 academics and three teaching languages. Launched in 2008 through Interreg IV A program, UniGR developed cross-border student mobility, teaching and research.

The objectives of Leg-UniGR are to:

> Evaluate the existing legal status as a not-for-profit association.

> Assess the options in transforming UniGR to a legal entity which fulfils the objectives set by its governance.

> Recommend a legal status to the authorities of the member states, respecting regional legal framework.

> Explicate the prospective boost in cross-border and transnational collaboration and operations, which will favour European, national and regional fundraising.

> Improve governance to secure institutional cooperation.

> Share the steps of the institutionalisation of UniGR with European universities.

UniGR board, as presidents from the partner universities, decided to support this transition to a new legal status. National authorities are also supportive of this experiment, which may augment cross-border regional competitiveness and eventually the labour market.

UniGR and its partners will explore new collaborative instruments for reinforcing higher education, research and innovation in a large territory. This exploration will include the:

> Evaluation of the organisational, legal, and financial impacts of a change in legal status of UniGR.

> Assessment of national authorities’ capacities in transmuting a not-for-profit association in a legal structure such as a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation.

The expected result is the proposal of a legal status, approved by the national authorities, and to be implemented at project end.