Secretary General Ahmad Masa’deh calls for a ”highway of knowledge and innovation in the Mediterranean”

After a successful Key Experts Meeting held in Portorož, Slovenia on 25 September 2010, Joseph Mifsud, President of the Euro-Mediterranean University accompanied by Professor Nehale Fariid Mostapha, ENPI Project Coordinator convened on the 2nd of October 2010 in Amman, Jordan the Euro-Mediterranean University conference of Experts with the aim to launch the EMUNI initiative for the Mediterranean under the European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument (ENPI).

Jordanian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Walid Maani and UfMS Secretary General Ahmad Masa’deh attended the opening session. The President of EMUNI Joseph Mifsud thanked the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan represented by the Minister for supporting the work of EMUNI and wishing that EMUNI “can continue cooperation with higher education institutes in Jordan”. A special gratitude was also addressed to the UfMS Secretary General Ahmad Masa’deh for his support to both the works of EMUNI Conference of Experts and the mission of EMUNI as a whole.

Secretary General Ahmad Masa’deh, delivered the keynote speech where he emphasized the importance of the work of the Euro Mediterranean University “that constitutes a great step towards the construction of a common space for higher education, research and knowledge”. The Secretary General in particular said that “we always talked about the cultural and historical boundaries of the Mediterranean basin countries and it is now the challenge of the UfM and its Secretariat along with the EU, the member states, the civil society and trans-border organizations such as EMUNI, to enhance today this solidarity with a pragmatic approach and concrete projects. This programme proves once again that hand in hand, people and organizations of the two banks of the Mediterranean basin can put their energy together to build their future on their common interests and challenges.”

Masa’deh further reaffirmed that “it is now the responsibility of the Union for the Mediterranean, its institutions and its partners to hold the construction and the success of a ‘highway of knowledge and innovation’, in order to build the prosperous future of our civilizations”.

Some 55 European Neighboorhood Instrument (ENPI) project Experts from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Palestine, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and UK contributed to the work of the Conference.