Contribution of UfM activities to regional stability and human development: research and innovation education and youth mobility

1. Contribution of UfM activities to regional stability and
human development: research and innovation,
education and youth mobility
Sergi Farré, UfM Diplomatic Advisor and Spokesperson
UNIMED WEEK IN BRUSSELS - 28 March 2017

2. At the 2nd UfM Regional Forum in Barcelona on 23 January 2017, Ministers for
Foreign Affairs and their representatives expressed their common commitment to
work together on a Roadmap towards a deepened and operational regional
cooperation within the framework of the UfM.
Through this roadmap, Member States express their political will to:
 Enhance political dialogue among Member States
 Ensure the contribution of UfM activities to regional stability and
human development
 Strengthen regional integration
 Consolidate UfM capacity for action
81
The UfM Roadmap
A ROADMAP for and action-driven organization with a common ambition

3. 2
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
&
CONNECTIVITY and
INFRASTRUCTURES
UfM l The UfM Methodology – The 3 P’s: Policies in Action
Political Forum / UfM
Ministerial Meetings
Regional Policy Dialogue
Platforms
Projects with Regional Impact
 Human development
 Stability
 Integration
Strategic Objectives

4. 3
Fostering human development: education,
youth employability and women empowerment
are essential to addressing the root causes of
the current challenges in the region.
There is no development without security and no
security without development.
Regional stability
Regional Integration
Human Development
UfM l Strategic priorities
26 UfM labelled
projects
addressing
human
development
Strengthening regional integration through
sustainable development, connectivity, trade and
investment.
Regional challenges need a coordinated
regional approach
21 UfM labelled
projects
addressing
sustainable
development

5. 4
UfM l Labelled Projects

6. 5
UfM l Labelled Projects

7. 6
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
&
CONNECTIVITY and
INFRASTRUCTURES
Political Forum through UfM
Ministerial Meetings
Human development
Activities contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
in particular to SDGs 3, 4, 5 and 8
 Foster job creation and support SME
development
 Improve the quality of vocational
training and higher education
 Provide a platform for Mediterranean
higher education and youth mobility.
 Advance the regional agenda on gender
equality
 Enhance women’s access to the labour
market and entrepreneurial networks.
• Employment and Labour – 2016
• Industrial Cooperation – 2014, foreseen
in 2017
• Digital Economy – 2014
• Strengthening the Role of Women in
Society - 2013, foreseen in 2017
Projects with Regional Impact
Regional Policy Dialogue
Platforms
UfM Strategic Objectives
• 26 projects labelled by UfM (47 total,
5.3 Billion Euros)
• 200.000+ beneficiaries
High level Regional Dialogue process on
Women
• 80+ thematic workshops and expert
groups
• 10.000 participants

8. The UfM Secretariat is committed to
 Deepening cooperation and integration in R&I among UfM
 Consolidating the role of the UfM as a regional platform, facilitator
and driving force of cooperation between Higher Education
Institutions whose contribution and efforts are crucial and need to be
further supported.
Priority areas of work:
 University cooperation and youth mobility
 Vocational training
 Research integration
 Higher Education regional centers
87
UfM Activities l Higher Education and Research
Improving youth employability and student mobility
Link with SDGs - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and
promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (SDG4)

9. Upcoming:
 Dialogue 5+5 Ministerial Conference on Research, Innovation and
Higher Education, Tunis, 30-31 March 2017
 UfM Ministerial Conference on Water, Valetta, 27 April 2017
 Ministerial Conference on Strengthening Euro-Mediterranean
cooperation through Research & Innovation, Valetta, 4 May 2017
Past (non exhaustive):
 Ministerial Conference on the Action Plan for Education for Sustainable
Development in the Mediterranean, Nicosia, 9 December 2016
 UfM Ministerial Conference on Employment and Labour, Dead Sea, 27
September 2016
 UfM Ministerial Conference on Blue Economy, Brussels, 17 November 2015
88
UfM Activities l Higher Education and Research
Political Forum / Ministerial Meetings

10.  UfM regional dialogue on higher education internationalisation and
academic mobility in the Euro-Mediterranean area (11/05/17)
• Strengthen regional cooperation and synergies amongst UfM
Member States and relevant actors and stakeholders.
• Amplify sustainable partnerships between higher education
institutions throughout the Mediterranean and enhance further
academic mobility.
• Supported by a technical assistance to define a UfM regional
strategy in that sector.
• Closely inter-related with UfM Secretariat active participation in
European Higher Education Area Advisory Group on
International Cooperation.
 Active participation to the EU-Med Group of Senior Officials in
Research and Innovation and to the DG EAC policy dialogue on
higher education with Southern Mediterranean countries and to t
89
UfM Activities l Higher Education and Research
Regional Policy Dialogue Platforms

11.  Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes – New regional centre of excellence
for higher education, research and innovation
 EMUNI University - University centre and Euro-Mediterranean network
gathering 122 universities representing over 7 000 students across the
region.
 HOMERe – Using intra-regional internship mobility to combat the skills
mismatch.
 Mediterranean New Chance – Promoting exchange of best practices among
centres working for the socio-professional integration of young prople
 Higher Education on food security and rural development / CIHEAM -
Enhancing academic cooperation between Mediterranean countries.
 Eastern Mediterranean International School – Promoting youth mobility and
providing education for young people in an intercultural environment.
810
UfM Activities l Higher Education and Research
Projects with regional impact
And other projects under UfM Med4Jobs and Women Empowerment Initiatives

12. • Private sector job creation: 12 projects labelled by the UfM
• New job opportunities and enhanced regional development: over 800 SMEs
supported.
• Positive impact on the unemployment among young people and women: 100
000 young people involved in the projects.
Achievements to date
Achievements to date
Achievements to date
MEDITERRANEAN INITIATIVE FOR JOBS (MED4JOBS)
YOUNG WOMEN AS JOB CREATORS
EURO-MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY OF FES
A regional campus that contributes towards promoting cultural exchange and
cooperation, foster academic mobility, increase student employability and business
incubation. In 2016:
• Close to 300 students enrolled
• Moved to the first buildings of the new eco-campus
• Launch of new programmes
Luma SUKARIEH , Jordan: ‘’This project gave us the opportunity to think as a professional business developer, not as a university
student, and to put our first step on the right track. Also, it taught us how to work as a team and how to have a team work
spirit.’’
Human development - Concrete benefits for youth in the region
• 50+ universities in Albania, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan
involved
• Some 2 800 young women benefitted directly from the project’s advice on how
to become successful entrepreneurs
• More than 46 businesses created formally to date
Kiliam PIERRE REY, France: ‘’The UEMF has offered to me a unique educational experience thanks to which I could better understand
and discover other peoples of the Mediterranean within an international environment.’’
Youssef Barghane, Morocco: “Upon completion of this internship and my return to Morocco, I will have the chance to continue
working in the same company, but this time as an employee.”
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13.  Prospects for deepened cooperation with DG Research & Innovation
targeting dissemination of information, awareness raising and capacity
building in Research and Innovation across UfM countries.
 Close involvement in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the
Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) Initiative - Opportunity for enhanced
synergies with the UfM mandate on promoting regional cooperation, in
particular in the area of research and innovation, but also in the water sector
and in order to face growing environmental challenges.
 UfM support to the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental
Change (MedECC) - Network of scientists working on a voluntary basis
towards a regional science-policy interface for climatic and other
environmental changes across the Mediterranean.
UfM Activities l Research and Innovation
The ecosystem and the way forward
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14.  Extension of the MoU with the UNIMED (January 2017): developing joint
activities, optimizing all possible synergies between UfM Initiatives and
projects and UNIMED ongoing Euro-Mediterranean projects, foreseen
UNIMED meeting with the Divisions of the UfM Secretariat, etc.
 EMUNI 2017 Annual Conference on “Youth, Employability,
Entrepreneurship” (Piran, 5-6 April 2017) in partnership with the UfM.
 Arab-Euro Conference on Higher Education (AECHE): UfM Secretariat
associated to the steering committee. Next conference at Mohammed V
University in Rabat on 24-26 April 2017.
 New MoU with the GID-Groupement Inter-Académique pour le
Développement (September 2016) – Network of academies of sciences and
technologies.
 UfM close relationships with: the Association of Arab Universities, UNICA
Network, European University Association, Téthys, RMEI, etc.
UfM Activities l Higher Education and Research
Increased cooperation with academic networks
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15. Thank You
www.UfMSecretariat.org
@UfMSecretariat
www.facebook.com/ufmsecretariat
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