UfM Member States met this week to discuss actions to tackle the COVID-19 crisis through research and innovation as well as a strategic regional cooperation approach to accelerate evidence-based healthcare decision-making. 8 April 2020. Conscious of the pressure that COVID-19 puts on health systems, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is exploring ways to speed and scale-up actions in the field of research and innovation. This was the objective of the virtual meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Research and Innovation, held earlier this week. The wide spectrum of initiatives announced by the European Commission and UfM Member States showed the potential for regional cooperation in terms of establishing collaborative platforms, clinical data collection and access, creation of common databases on technologies and joint development of industrial research solutions and medical treatments/vaccines. The need for a strategic regional cooperation approach regarding the socio-economic implications was also underlined. UfM Secretary General,… read more
The UfM support the Ministerial mandate on research and innovation by facilitating exchanges between researchers and experts on possible interlinkages between climate and environmental change, and the root causes of migration. According to a preliminary report by the MedECC group, the Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average, with sea level rises that may exceed 1 metre by 2100, impacting one third of the region’s population. 17 December 2019. Barcelona. On the occasion of the launch of the new EuroMedMig Working Paper Series, the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is hosting an expert exchange… read more
The UfM Secretariat gathered representatives from Ministries for Higher Education and Research, regional networks of universities and of students, higher education institutions and research centers. Participants recommended a change of scale in the support mechanisms and to aim for an ambitious higher education initiative embracing the whole UfM region. 1 December, Cairo. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) organized, in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt, a regional meeting on higher education regional cooperation on 1 December in Cairo. Building on inputs received through prior consultation, the purpose of the meeting was to initiate reflection… read more
To date, the MedNC programme has given hope to 29,000 young people through its 100 partner centres in 9 countries with programmes focusing on education, training and confidence-building. The UfM is hosting the 2019 MedNC Annual Conference, in order to support an agenda for the region based on employability for the Mediterranean youth. 25-27 November 2019, Barcelona. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is co-organising together with the Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement (IECD) the 2019 Mediterranean New Chance (MedNC) Annual Conference, to be held back to back with the 12th MedNC Steering Committee, which is taking place… read more
27 November 2019, Barcelona. On the occasion of the 2019 MedNC Annual Conference, held at the UfM’s Headquarters in Barcelona (Spain), the UfM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institut européen de coopération et de développement (IECD), promoter of the UfM-labelled regional project Mediterranean New Chance (MedNC), and the consortium led by The WonderPick Limited. Following a previous agreement signed on 17 October 2019, the purpose of this MoU is to facilitate collaboration by and among the UfM Secretariat, IECD and The Consortium for the financing and implementation of the MedNC project. In line with this, the Consortium,… read more
Country representatives in charge of Research and Innovation took stock of the progress achieved since the Valletta Ministerial Declaration (May 2017) Barcelona, 25 November 2019. The 24th meeting of the EU-Med Group of Senior Officials (EU-Med GSO) in Research and Innovation took place at the headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in Barcelona on 25 November 2019 in presence of UfM country representatives and partners of EU-funded projects with a focus on the Mediterranean. The meeting was co-chaired by Maria Cristina Russo, Director for International Cooperation at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission and… read more
First term for the new School of Digital Engineering and Artificial Engineering. Consolidation of the University’s international reach through the awarding of new Erasmus + projects. The inaugural academic year of the EuroMed University of Fez took place on Monday 16 September 2019. With more than 700 new students enrolled for the 2019-2020 academic year (85% in Engineering and Architecture and 15% in Human and Social Sciences), the University accredited by the Union for the Mediterranean continues its expansion. The main new feature of the training offer is the School of Digital and Artificial Engineering (EIDIA), which welcomed its first… read more
30 chief scientists and senior advisors for research centers, universities, governments and public agencies from across the world gathered in Barcelona to reinforce their skills, knowledge and network on science & technology diplomacy. The first edition of the Summer School on science and technology diplomacy jointly delivered by the Barcelona Science and Technology Diplomacy Hub and the Barcelona Institute of International Studies was concluded with a keynote address of UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel. Barcelona, 5 July 2019. The UfM actively took part in the first edition of the Science and Technology Diplomacy Summer School which gathered over 30 chief… read more
The Mediterranean New Chance Network (MedNC) recognised by the ten States of the 5+5 dialogue at the Summit of the Two Shores in Marseille on 24th June Marseille, 24 June 2019 – Aware that youth unemployment is a major challenge for countries within the Mediterranean region, Foreign Ministers of the ten countries that make up the 5+5 dialogue (France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania) welcomed the Mediterranean New Chance Network (MedNC) project at the Summit held on June 24th in Marseille, in the presence of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron. This important initiative will… read more
While the region is experiencing increasing enrolment rates in tertiary education – expected to reach 40% by 2030 on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, almost a third of employers consider that skills shortages are a constraint to hiring. The annual conference of the HOMERe project was held under the theme “Employment and Employability: Adequacy to the Mediterranean Labour Market” as part of the Summit of the Two Shores. The conference was the occasion of the launch of the second phase of the HOMERe project: 250 young people will be placed in an international final internship in the Mediterranean by the… read more