The local structure around neodymium in an aluminoborosilicate glass bearing 3.6 mol% Nd 2 O 3 is studied by optical absorption spectroscopy and EXAFS at the Nd L III -and K-edges. The influence of the nature of alkalis (M + = Li + , Na + , K + , Rb + , Cs + ) and alkalineearths (M 2+ = Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Sr 2+ , Ba 2+ ) on the coordination sphere of Nd 3+ ions in the glass is particularly investigated. The Nd 3+ sites are well-defined with NdAO mean distances of 2.46 ± 0.03 Å , whatever the alkali and alkaline-earth ion type except Li + and Mg 2+ , for which glasses exhibit slightly more disordered Nd sites and longer NdAO distances (2.49 ± 0.03 Å ). Using bond valence considerations, a model is proposed for the Nd site, and consists in 7-8 non-bridging oxygens (NBO), every NBO being charge compensated by 2-3 alkalis and alkaline-earths. The NdAO mean distance is adjusted according to the mean field strength of these cations, to avoid overbonding of the NBO's. A glass series with varying Ca 2+ /Na + concentration ratio shows that Nd 3+ cations are able to maintain this average coordination site even at high alkaline-earth content.