UfM-backed architecture schools project secures Erasmus+ grant to advance ecological urbanism in the Mediterranean

Barcelona, 18 July 2025 – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) backed a project developed within its Academic Advisory Group of Schools of Architecture and Urban Planning that has secured €769,000 in Erasmus+ funding under the highly competitive 2025 Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) call, which had a success rate of just 6%.

The selected initiative, GET-MED – Grounded Ecological Transition for the Mediterranean, brings together a diverse network of universities from Barcelona, Cagliari, Lisbon, Cairo, Al Alamein, Rabat, Fez, Tirana, and Podgorica, forming a unique alliance of ten institutions across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Anchored in the UfM’s longstanding commitment to regional cooperation in higher education and sustainable urban development, GET-MED is a direct result of synergies created through the UfM Academic Advisory Group meetings. These gatherings provided a platform for academics to connect, exchange ideas, and co-develop joint solutions. The UfM has played a pivotal role as facilitator, connecting academics from across its 43 Member States.

GET-MED introduces an innovative “GET” approach—Grounded + Ecological + Transition—to promote pro-green urbanism and climate-sensitive territorial regeneration. The project aims to create context-specific, inclusive, and sustainable urban strategies through newly developed curricula and knowledge exchange networks. It will drive structural reform in higher education, combining South European architectural traditions with pressing needs in the Southern Mediterranean and Western Balkans.

The grant highlights the UfM’s capacity to foster concrete, high-impact initiatives that support the green transition, academic excellence, and inclusive development across the Euro-Mediterranean region.