PRESS RELEASE
Rome – October 22nd, 2024. Everything is ready for the 2024 Edition of the UNIMED General Assembly.
Hosted by the Istanbul Aydin University, under the patronage of the European Parliament and the Union for the Mediterranean and sponsored by the Istanbul Aydin University and the Bogazici University, the UNIMED General Assembly will take place next October 23-24, 2024.
The Assembly is a two-day event gathering around 200 people from UNIMED member universities and institutional partnerships.
In this yearly event, UNIMED rectors, presidents and their representatives meet to exchange views and to determine policy for UNIMED, setting the stage for a full and rich year of initiatives, activities and conferences that shape the academic calendar around the Mediterranean.
Under the title, and leading theme, of “BOOSTING UNIVERSITY ALLIANCES FOR PEACE AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM” this year the focus and reflections will revolve around the role of the Universities in the crisis situation.
The Mediterranean region is going through an intensive crisis, getting worse and affecting its neighbors. Besides the huge humanitarian crisis and the many victims, the right of many university students to continue their education path is under risk. And academic freedom is living a critical moment worldwide.
2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process and a reflection is needed to define the next steps of a cooperation that would see universities guiding the process for a better, inclusive and open Mediterranean region.
The many guests and speakers will discuss and touch all the relevant points to assess what has been done so far and which are the common challenges ahead.
The General Assembly will be opened by Mustafa Aydin, President of Istanbul Aydin University, Kherieh Rassas, UNIMED President and Vice President of An-Najah National University, Hmaid Ben Aziza, UNIMED Secretary General and Haldun Goktas, Deputy President of Higher Education Council of Turkiye. A Keynote speech by Joan Borrell Mayeur, Deputy Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, will follow.
The two-day event will then see high level speakers contributing in panel discussions about the Future and Challenges of Higher Education, the Education in Emergencies, the cooperation with African Universities, European programmes and international cooperation, University Governance in the Mediterranean region.
Attention will be given to the students as well, for their voices to be heard in the Higher Education policies for the Mediterranean Region as well as their contribution in innovative and entrepreneurial ideas towards an enhancement of the employability in the Region.
More information and the agenda are available here.
The Press Release is available here.
