“There is the need for greater investments in mobility programs and policies to facilitate academic and professional exchanges, particularly for young people in the Southern Mediterranean.”
On April 2nd, 2025, UNIMED Director, Marcello Scalisi attended the ALF4ThePact Dialogue on “Recentering the human and cultural dimension in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership: The Pact for the Mediterranean, a not-to-be missed opportunity”, a high-level event organized by the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) at the Euro-Arab Foundation premises in Granada, Spain.
The UNIMED Director participated in the panel “Unleashing the full potential of youth and civil society mobility in Euro-Mediterranean relations”, where experts tackled key challenges such as visa restrictions, funding limitations, and access to exchange programs. The discussion highlighted the transformative impact of mobility initiatives in fostering economic opportunities, social cohesion, and a shared Mediterranean identity.
UNIMED, thanks to its vast network of universities, emphasized the pivotal role of higher education and research collaboration in strengthening cross-border ties.
Held as a side event to the Forum on the Future of the Mediterranean – hosted by the Spanish Presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM) – the ALF4ThePact Dialogue gathered policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, and youth leaders to explore the human and cultural dimensions of Euro-Mediterranean region.
The ALF4ThePact Dialogue, part of ALF’s Mediterranean Youth in Action program, offered a crucial platform to address pressing issues in the region, including EU support for civil society and intra-Mediterranean cultural relations. The event reinforced the significance of intercultural dialogue in shaping a more inclusive and resilient Mediterranean in the framework of the definition of a new Pact for the Mediterranean, on the agenda of the European Union and the recently addressed European Commission.
About Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF)
The Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) is an intergovernmental organisation that brings together civil society organisations, institutions, governments, and change-makers from across the 43 countries of the Euro-Mediterranean region. The headquarters is based in the heart of the Mediterranean in Alexandria, Egypt.
