• English
  • Français
  • العربية
Follow us
Union for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfM     Mediterranean Day
  • Who we are
    • Who we are

      The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental institution bringing together the European Union Member States and 16 countries from the Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean to promote dialogue and cooperation.

      Overview   

    • Who we are

      • Member States
      • Meet the team
      • Partners
      • History
    • Key documents

      UfM Annual Report 2022 Regional Integration
  • What we do
    • Notre action

      The UfM seeks to enhance regional cooperation, dialogue and the implementation of concrete projects and initiatives with tangible impact on our citizens to address three strategic objectives: human development, stability and integration.

      Overview   

    • Inclusive Development

      • Economic Development and Employment
      • Higher Education & Research
      • Social & Civil Affairs

      Sustainable development

      • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
      • Transport & Urban Development
      • Energy & Climate Action
    • How we work

      • Political Framework
      • Regional Dialogue Platforms
      • Projects and Initiatives
  • Work with us
    • The UfM Secretariat is the operational platform of the Union for the Mediterranean. The staff of the UfM is made of more than 17 nationalities working in a multicultural environment that fosters cooperation and intercultural communication and exchange.

    • Work with us

      • Vacancies
      • Secondments
      • Internships
      • Procurement
      • Roster of experts
  • Info center
    • Info center

      Find our latest press releases, press invitations, visual identity, key institutional documents, photos and other relevant information


      Download the UfM Visual Identity Guidelines and Logos (zip file)   

    • Info center

      • Media corner
      • News
      • Agenda
      • Publications and key documents
      • Human Stories of the Mediterranean
    • UfM in the Media

      5 June 2023 – ABC Antropía – Día Mundial del Medioambiente / Un trozo de España en el Ártico: El viaje sin fin del plástico
      View article
      17 February 2023 – La Tribune Afrique – Nasser Kamel : « L’Europe doit regarder de près l’idée d’emmener ses centres d’approvisionnement en Afrique »
      View article
      28 March 2023 – Il sole 24 ore – Anna Dorangricchia (UfM) on women entrepreneurs in MENA region
      View article
      See more
  • Contact

Recognition of higher education qualifications: experts gathered in Barcelona by the EMUNI University and the UfM Secretariat outline possible ways forward

Higher Education & Research
  • The Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) and the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) organised a joint conference on the state of play and challenges ahead for enhancing the recognition of higher education qualifications across the region.
  • Decision-makers, among whom H.E. Jernej Pikalo, Minister of Education, Science and Sport of Slovenia, practitioners and experts who took part to the conference formulated recommendations which will feed into the work of the upcoming meeting of the UfM regional platform on higher education internationalisation and academic mobility.
  • The UfM Secretariat and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to initiate cooperation notably in the field of student mobility.

 

Barcelona, 12 April 2019.  The Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) and the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) held together the conference “Recognition of higher education qualifications: Where does the Euro-Mediterranean region stand?” at the headquarters of the UfM Secretariat in Barcelona on 12 April.

At a time of growing demand and supply of international higher education, participants in the conference agreed that the recognition and portability of academic qualifications across borders have never been so crucial for promoting and facilitating the mobility of students, academics and workers, expanding employability and lifelong learning opportunities for all, strengthening cross-border cooperation and deepening regional integration processes.

According to OECD data, the number of international students is estimated at more than 5 million, an increase of 67% since 2005. Yet, like in other regions of the world, the diversity of higher education systems amongst Southern Mediterranean countries and between Southern and Northern Mediterranean countries has resulted in a lack of common practices and mechanisms for the recognition of skills and qualifications acquired abroad.

“Through the UfM regional cooperation framework, we have created Euro-Mediterranean Universities to educate a new generation of young people with a unique Euro-Mediterranean vision. With over 30 million people enrolled as students in the region, we also need to jointly work towards facilitating cross-border academic mobility opportunities to generate enough momentum to establishing a shared Euro-Mediterranean mindset and identity among our students” underlined UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel in his welcome address.

The conference provided a platform for fruitful dialogue amongst decision-makers, university rectors – including the president of EMUNI, Prof. Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry, and the president of the EuroMed University of Fes, Prof. Mostapha Bousmina, as well as experts and representatives from the UNESCO, national authorities and competent national bodies in the fields of quality assurance and recognition of international qualifications, universities’ and students’ regional networks, private sector and civil society organisations from both rims of the Mediterranean.

“We are more and more moving into the integration of higher education in Europe, we should do something similar in the Mediterranean. How to do that? It is all about trust, quality and mutual recognition” emphasized H.E. Jernej Pikalo, Minister of Education, Science and Sport of Slovenia. The first panel dedicated to “the vision of a Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education and Research area” counted also, among others, with the presence of H.E. Mr. Abdalrahim Alfarra, Ambassador of Palestine to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg and Prof. Amr Ezzat Salama, secretary general of the Association of Arab Universities, who advocated for the creation of an Arab regional qualifications framework.

Throughout the day participants shared best practice and pointed out the need for a coordinated use of top-down and bottom-up approaches to make concrete progress towards enhanced recognition of higher education qualifications in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The UfM Secretariat will now broadly disseminate the policy and operational recommendations formulated during the conference. They will notably feed into the work of the upcoming meeting of theUfM regional platform on higher education internationalisation and academic mobility in the Euro-Mediterranean area to be convened on 10 October during the first edition of the UfM Academic Mobility Week.

This conference was also the opportunity to sign a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the UfM Secretariat and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), in the presence of its President Mr. João Mourato Pinto.

“The partnership with the UfM represents the beginning of a new phase in ESN’s institutional relationships. As Erasmus+ and other exchanges increase in importance, more students will need ESN’s support and vision for society. This partnership is designed not only to start catering more for these needs, instigating more exchanges of students, but also to increase the connections between two regions bridged by the Mediterranean Sea”, declared at that occasion the ESN President.

 

Share this:

Latest news

The UfM Regional Platform on Trade and Investment convenes its sixth meeting
07 / 06 / 2023
EU Green Week 2023: Making the Green Transition Gender Inclusive
07 / 06 / 2023
See more

Agenda

UfM Conference on Youth Entrepreneurship and Future of Work
13 / 06 / 2023
Multi-Regional Workshop on Legal-regulatory frameworks for coastal land management in Mediterranean countries
15 / 06 / 2023
See more

Who we are

  • Member States
  • Meet the team
  • Partners
  • History

What we do

  • Economic Development & Employment
  • Higher Education & Research
  • Social & Civil Affairs
  • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
  • Transport & Urban Development
  • Energy & Climate Action

How we work

  • Political Framework
  • Regional Dialogue Platforms
  • Projects and Initiatives

Work with us

  • Vacancies
  • Secondments
  • Internships
  • Procurement
  • Roster of experts

Info centre

  • Media corner
  • News
  • Agenda
  • Publications and key documents
  • Human Stories of the Mediterranean
  • Photo gallery
  • Video gallery
Co-financé par l'Union européenne  -  Cookie Privacy  |  Privacy Privacy  |  Legal notice
  • Who we are
    • Member States
    • Meet the team
    • Partners
    • History
  • What we do
    • Economic Development and Employment
    • Higher Education & Research
    • Social & Civil Affairs
    • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
    • Transport & Urban Development
    • Energy & Climate Action
  • How we work
    • Political Framework
    • Regional Dialogue Platforms
    • Projects and Initiatives
  • Work with us
    • Vacancies
    • Secondments
    • Internships
    • Procurement
    • Roster of experts
  • Info centre
    • Media center
    • News
    • Agenda
    • Publications and key documents
  • Contact
  • Social media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Linkedin
    • Flickr
  • English
  • Français
  • العربية
  • English
  • Français
  • العربية
Union for the Mediterranean – UfM
/* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Loop item in Megamenu – Latest Ufm in the news - start */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Loop item in Megamenu – Latest Ufm in the news - end */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Content template for Posts - start */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Content template for Posts - end */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Loop item in NewsRoom – Related News (Sidebar) - start */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Loop item in NewsRoom – Related News (Sidebar) - end */ /* ----------------------------------------- */

 

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.


3rd Party Cookies

Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Cookies Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Read more

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!