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Fostering integration for an innovative, inclusive and resilient Western Mediterranean Region Science diplomacy for youth empowerment and sustainable development

The 5+5 Dialogue countries agreed on strengthening the potential of youth and gender balance, which is fundamental to the development and prosperity of the Mediterranean Region. They ensure full opportunities to access higher education and recall that training and professional integration of young people and job creation must remain a priority for projects within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Union for the Mediterranean, and in the context of the EU-Africa partnership.

 

Network of Higher Education Institutions within the 5+5 Dialogue

Lead country: Portugal and Tunisia

This action seeks to reinforce the network of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) within 5+5 Dialogue countries by fostering dialogue on qualitative and innovative approaches to effective institutional management and capability-building. It also aims to expand exchange and cooperation activities between HEIs, promoting shared learning and collaboration. The key objectives are: 

  • Strengthen mutual understanding, recognition, and trust between the higher education systems of the 5+5 Dialogue countries;
  • Boost the participation of 5+5 Dialogue countries in European higher education Programmes;
  • Promote increased mobility of students and academic staff among 5+5 Dialogue countries;
  • Foster stronger cooperation partnerships and networks between HEIs across the 5+5 Dialogue region.
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Quality Assurance and Blended Learning

Lead Countries: France, Mauritania, Morocco, and Spain

This action aims to establish a robust framework for quality assurance in higher education within the 5+5 Dialogue countries, with a particular focus on the integration of blended learning modalities. It will involve collaboration among national quality assurance agencies and institutions, with the objective of promoting best practices in blended learning and ensuring that educational standards are consistently upheld across the region. The key objectives are: 

  • Establish a network of Quality Assurance (QA) agencies within the 5+5 Dialogue countries, facilitating continuous collaboration and the exchange of expertise on quality standards and assessment frameworks;
  • Develop a training hub on Blended Learning at the University of Nouakchott, serving as a regional centre for capacity-building, research, and innovation in blended learning methodologies;
  • Facilitate the exchange of online knowledge repositories among 5+5 Dialogue countries, enhancing access to digital learning resources and promoting the sharing of educational content across borders.
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Skills Development and Circulation of Talents: Blue Skills to feed Jobs in the Euro-Meditteranean Region

Lead country: Italy

Aligned with one of the key objectives of the 5+5 Dialogue, i.e. to stimulating growth and employment and to promote entrepreneurship, a powerful driver of shared prosperity directly linked to the development of new skills, this action focuses on promoting capacity building and skills development activities for a sustainable blue economy. In the context of the ecological transition and digital transformation, there are several opportunities in the blue economy sectors in the Mediterranean. The key objectives are: 

  • Build capacity and develop skills for a Sustainable Blue Economy:
    • Advanced Master Programme on Sustainable Blue Economy (a second-level university Master’s degree held in English) – Yearly edition;
    • Summer School on Sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean – Yearly training of trainers event;
    • International mobility programme: multilateral scholarships to ease the circulation of researchers and talents, mainly for Ph.D. and Postdoc researchers;
    • Professional traineeship: multilateral scholarships available for students and/or researchers hosted by partner countries (Training and Research in Partner’s Labs).
  • Promote technology and knowledge transfer among Blue Economy stakeholders;
  • Enhance transferable skills and boost employability of young professionals;
  • Raise awareness on key Blue Economy issues;
  • Strengthen regional cooperation and networks through Science Diplomacy;
  • Online Platform management:

This action is fully supported by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) and implemented by the Italian National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) in Trieste, Italy. It has been labelled by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in 2019 and received the Best Project Award for Skills Development and Circulation in November 2021 by the WESTMED initiative, supported by the European Commission.

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