On April 8th, 2025, the University of Barcelona hosted the meeting of UNIMED with the Spanish members of the network. This gathering marked the beginning of a series of national meetings UNIMED is launching to strengthen intra-national cooperation, foster dialogue, and build a tailored strategy for each member country.
The meeting was opened by Dr. Kherieh Rassas, UNIMED President and Vice President at An-Najah National University who joined the meeting online, and Dr. Raul Ramos Lobo, UNIMED Vice-President and Vice-Rector for Internationalisation Policy at the University of Barcelona. Together, they welcomed representatives from Spain’s UNIMED member universities and other stakeholders from the Spanish academic community.
The first part of the day focused on reflecting on the longstanding and ongoing cooperation between UNIMED and its Spanish members, which are University of Barcelona, the University of Granada, the University of Girona, the University of Murcia and the Technical University of Cartagena. It also provided space for an open dialogue on expectations, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration within the UNIMED framework. Discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening Spanish universities’ involvement in regional initiatives and of enhancing their role in the Euro-Mediterranean context.
The second part of the meeting was open to a wider audience, including other Spanish universities and regional actors. Among the key highlights was the presentation of a national initiative aimed at supporting refugees in times of crisis, led by Cati Jerez Paredero – Coordinator of the Support Programme for refugees and people from conflict zones of the University of Barcelona – and Wenceslao Martín Rosales – Director of the Center for Initiatives in Cooperation for Development.
Spanish members actively participated in initiatives for students and researchers at-risk, within the framework of UNIMED, such as the TESI initiative for Gaza students, the “Supporting at-risk researchers with fellowships in Europe” – SAFE project and the Arab Fund mobility opportunities for Palestinian students and staff.
A particularly dynamic session focused on the topic of European University Alliances, exploring how UNIMED could support the internationalisation efforts of its Spanish members and contribute to the design of future Euro-Mediterranean alliances. The quality and intensity of the exchanges confirmed the relevance of these national meetings as strategic platforms for dialogue and coordination.
The next national meeting will take place in Rabat, Morocco on the 27th of May, continuing UNIMED’s commitment to strengthening regional ties and co-developing impactful collaborations with its members.
