UfM Network of Schools of Architecture of the Euro-Mediterranean Region
Context and objectives
The UfM Network of Schools of Architecture of the Euro-Mediterranean Region was created to set in motion the review and updating of curricula in schools of architecture across the region, and to build lasting cooperation between academia, research, and the public sector around the shared challenges of Mediterranean urban development. It was established under the umbrella of the Union for the Mediterranean, in response to a clear political mandate.
The Declaration of the Third UfM Ministerial Conference on Sustainable Urban Development called for stronger links between schools of architecture and urban planning and decision makers in the region, and the UfM Strategic Urban Development Action Plan 2040 dedicates a full set of actions to promoting and supporting planning and design education and building capacity. Together with the Union for the Mediterranean Urban Agenda, both adopted in 2021, these frameworks provide a roadmap for addressing the challenges of urban development around the Mediterranean, proposing an evidence based, integrated, and participatory approach to education, focused on global policies such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
At the request of the UfM, the European Commission Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture provided information on EU funded projects involving both EU and non EU schools of architecture from UfM Member States. This surfaced two existing consortia of schools, behind the IMPAQT and MELIMED projects. Because these institutions had already shown a strong interest in regional collaboration through their successful proposals in competitive funding processes, members of both consortia were invited to Barcelona, where the Network convened for its inaugural meeting at UfM premises on 23 May 2022. From there it grew and consolidated, bringing together like minded institutions committed to working at the regional level.
Before the Network existed, many of these academics worked in isolation; the Secretariat has provided a platform for collective action where they exchange experiences, broaden their professional networks, and draw inspiration from one another’s initiatives. Beyond organising and funding the meetings, the UfM has engaged in fundraising to support the Network’s activities, provided technical assistance for reviewing and refining proposals for EU funding calls, and facilitated the funding of workshops and events.
The UfM Student Competition was launched with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and the mapping report on International Knowledge Exchanges in Architecture and Urban Planning was supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.
The Network works to identify innovative regional teaching practices involving EU and non EU UfM schools of architecture; to adjust curricula to better respond to the region’s common challenges by embedding sustainability; and to reinforce the links between academia, research, and the public sector.
Location
Key figures
Duration:
Launched in 2022, meeting twice a year
Countries:
15
Participants:
Around 25 academics
Promoter
Key partners
The Network currently brings together around 25 academics from institutions across 15 countries. It is a well established community of engaged and active members, with expansion carefully balanced to maintain geographical representation across the region.
Countries represented: Albania, Algeria, Belgium, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, and Türkiye.
Expected results
Since the process was launched in May 2022, a positive and enthusiastic spirit of cooperation has taken hold across the region. The Network has grown steadily and now meets regularly, acting as an incubator where shared ideas move from discussion to concrete projects. Among the tangible outcomes of this cooperation are:
The UfM Student Competition on Urban Design, recognising youth led projects that advance climate action through urban design, now in its second edition.
The Erasmus+ project GET-MED, Grounded Ecological Transition from the Mediterranean, submitted by a consortium of Network members and awarded 769,000 euros on 16 July 2025.
Joint proposals for EU calls, including COST Actions and further Erasmus+ applications currently being drafted.
Academic conferences and symposia, such as the conference on post disaster urban reconstruction in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye.
Exchange programmes for professors and students between member universities.
The UfM mapping report on International Knowledge Exchanges in Architecture and Urban Planning, conceived as a periodic exercise and a reference for academics across the region.
