The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is seeking opinions on the future of EU-Mediterranean regional cooperation in the field of research and innovation. The UfM has defined three priority areas for research and innovation cooperation: health, renewable energy, and climate change. Results will be discussed at the UfM Regional Platform in Research and Innovation in June 2021 17 March – 7 May 2021. The UfM Regional Platform in Research and Innovation (R&I) is inviting the opinion, ideas and input of relevant individuals and organisations from across the region to help outline the future of R&I cooperation between the EU and… read more
The importance of the marine and maritime industries will continue to grow in the Mediterranean area, as the “Blue Economy” sector is an engine of human and economic development. Yet, skills gap between education offer and labour market needs is accentuated by the digital and climate transitions. For instance, capture fisheries in the Mediterranean support around 200,000 direct and 500,000 indirect jobs, yet across the region, the workforce is aging, with close to half of all crew members over the age of 40, while only 17% are under the age of 25. On 14 and 15 April, the Union for… read more
14 April 2021. The UfM has joined CIHEAM and CMI Marseille in launching the 41st edition of the CIHEAM Watch Letter, to give a voice to young researchers, entrepreneurs, and activists who have ideas for more sustainable and inclusive food systems in the Mediterranean region. Food systems in the Mediterranean are faced by multiple threats: climate change, pollution and environmental degradation, unemployment and economic hardship, and of course the COVID-19 health crisis. We need green, climate-resilient and sustainable solutions for agriculture, blue economy, fishing and the food systems of the future – and we need the inclusion of young people to make it happen. CIHEAM… read more
FAO, CIHEAM and UfM join forces to boost progress on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda across the Mediterranean, in the framework of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. The MoU comes with a detailed work plan of concrete actions, to be jointly carried out between 2021 and 2024, that will span across several technical areas, such as sustainable management of land and water resources, sustainable fisheries, climate-smart and organic agriculture, food environments and healthy diets, sustainable value chain development, food loss and waste reduction. 14 January 2021. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Centre… read more
15-16 December 2020. The UfM jointly organized with the project S4D4C (Using Science Diplomacy for Addressing Global Challenges) a workshop on Science and Innovation Diplomacy in the Mediterranean on 15 and 16 December 2020. UfM Senior Advisor for Higher Education and Research, Itaf Ben Abdallah, opened the two days of exchanges: “Science diplomacy should emerge from a competitive logic and instead be driven by the spirit of partnership and cooperation. This perspective guides us at the Union for the Mediterranean, where science diplomacy is a daily exercise that the organization reflects in form and substance.” On the first day, a lively debate took place on strengthening the role of science diplomacy in the Euro-Mediterranean region, which involves taking stock of the existing regional public policies on research and innovation,… read more
9 December 2020. A new handbook for academia, industry and policymakers has just been published by the UfM with the support of the German development agency GIZ. This new useful tool is aimed at enhancing career development among students and researchers, at fostering entrepreneurship and start-ups, and at supporting universities in carrying out their ‘third mission’ towards society. The themes of the Handbook emerged through the data analysis of qualitative and quantitative input from 35 organisations around the Mediterranean (universities, research institutions, innovation centres, ministries of education, European Commission, OECD), as well as the mapping of 146 programmes, initiatives and best practices, and a literature review of 1350 publications. The handbook focuses on a total of 11 themes: skills; teaching and learning; collaborative doctorates; international mobility; internships; career services; knowledge exchange; partnerships… read more
· Two meetings, the 26th Meeting of the UfM Regional Platform in Research and Innovation, and a “Virtual Regional Seminar and Celebration of Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation – Milestones and Future Prospects” indicated a strong commitment on Research and Innovation from the European Commission and the 42 Member States. · Taking stock of the 5th UfM Regional Forum held on 27 November, participants acknowledged past achievements, including the PRIMA and BLUEMED, and discussed the future priorities for the next years. Barcelona, 10 December. On the margins of the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, the European Commission, in partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean, jointly organised a… read more
Barcelona, 19 November 2020 – The UfM Secretariat organised today a Webinar on how the challenges posed by the acceleration of digital transformation in higher education due to the covid-19 pandemic can be transformed into opportunities for the improvement of the quality and inclusiveness of teaching. Eight speakers, representing the diversity of stakeholders concerned by the undergoing changes – students, teachers, higher education leaders and policymakers – shared their experiences and their point of view on how the current situation might have an impact in the long run: Kostis Giannidis, President of Erasmus Student Network; Veronica Mobilio, Policy Officer at… read more
7 October 2020, Barcelona. UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, met with Peter Wells, Chief of the Section for Higher Education of UNESCO, and Josep M. Vilalta, Director of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi) and Executive Secretary of the Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP). The meeting was the occasion to strengthen the cooperation between UNESCO and the UfM in the field of higher education, opening pathways for future collaboration. The Secretary General emphasized that the UfM is a unique regional organization that gathers 42 Member States from the two shores of the Mediterranean that can give real and effective support to the… read more
PRIMA and UfM together call for greater attention to innovation and sustainability for rebuilding the region 16 July 2020. New Challenges, emerging trends and need of transformations: PRIMA and Union for the Mediterranean have promoted an online debate, discussing the first results of the survey on the agrifood sector, as well as concrete solutions and initiatives to address the challenges that are affecting the Mediterranean area. At the presence of UfM Secretary General and PRIMA Co-Chairs, the focus of the conversation has been from the very beginning on how to promote a rebound for the region after the pandemic has exacerbated the already existing problems from an economic, social and environmental point of view. To debate these challenges and the potential solutions ahead is even more relevant… read more
