Higher education, research and innovation take center stage at UfM Week in Barcelona
Barcelona, 5–7 October 2026 – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) brought together governments, universities, research institutions, international organisations, students and regional partners in Barcelona for the first UfM Higher Education and Research Week, three days of dialogue on the future of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in higher education, research and innovation.
“Knowledge is a force for peace. It complements politics, and it can keep channels open during geopolitical tensions. Science gives us a common language,” said Fadi Hajali, Secretary General a.i. of the Union for the Mediterranean, opening the stakeholder consultation on 6 October.
The Week brought together more than 160 registered stakeholders, combining meetings of UfM Member States and regional partners with a broad stakeholder consultation on the future of higher education and research cooperation.
The opening day focused on preparations for the first UfM Ministerial Meeting on Higher Education, bringing together National Focal Points and stakeholders to discuss key regional priorities, including the future of Erasmus+, the Mediterranean University initiative under the EU Pact for the Mediterranean, and regional initiatives supporting more inclusive, connected and transformative higher education.
On 6 October, the stakeholders’ consultation “Boosting the higher education and research partnerships for peace, prosperity and stability” provided a platform for dialogue across the Mediterranean. Discussions explored how higher education, skills, research and innovation can contribute to development and dialogue, as well as their role in resilience and recovery in crisis-affected areas. A key message was that rebuilding and recovery require not only physical infrastructure, but also the preservation and strengthening of universities, research capacities, knowledge networks and human connections.
The consultation also provided an opportunity to explore synergies between UfM work and key initiatives under the EU Pact for the Mediterranean, with dedicated sessions on the Mediterranean University, the Mediterranean Science Diplomacy Centre, Innovation and Research Hubs, and Erasmus+. These discussions brought together regional and international stakeholders to exchange perspectives on how these initiatives can respond to Mediterranean needs and build on existing cooperation frameworks.
The Week concluded on 7 October with the 32nd meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Research and Innovation, one of the longest-standing regional platforms for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, cochaired by the European Commission and Jordan’s Higher Council for Science and Technology. The meeting endorsed the outcomes of the Platform’s Working Groups on researcher mobility, capacity building and science diplomacy, and on open data and digitalisation, as well as the Regional Scalability Strategy, while opening the drafting process for the 2027 UfM Ministerial Conference on Research and Innovation.
“The next step is to translate the work we have done into a shared political vision and a common regional commitment,” said UfM Deputy Secretary General for Human Development Petra Kežman, highlighting the ambition to hold the next Ministerial Conferences on Higher Education and Research and Innovation back-to-back in 2027.
The Week also coincided with the UNIMED General Assembly, further bringing together Mediterranean universities and higher education partners.
The three-day programme demonstrated the depth of existing Euro-Mediterranean cooperation while also setting the direction for its next phase. Higher education, science and innovation remain essential tools for turning shared challenges into shared solutions, at the nexus of resilience and prosperity across the Mediterranean.
