Following the first Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Education and Research reported on our last ACA Newsletter-Education Europe, a partnership between the Mediterranean neighbours was established and a declaration towards the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean area for higher education and research was adopted. The result of the partnership is a new funding agreement among the European Union and Egypt of EUR 11 million. The funding will support a four-year technology and knowledge exchange between science researchers and institutions, focusing on development in areas such as biotechnology, information technology, renewable energy and health.

Egypt will be the first Arab country to sign an agreement of this sort with the EU, providing access points for Egyptian researchers and institutions to collaborate with their European counterparts in scientific areas of mutual interest. In addition, Egypt could be used as a model for other Arab Mediterranean countries to follow the Cairo Declaration launched during the meeting calling for: the development of a Euro-Mediterranean university forum, participation in a Euromed scholarship scheme, enhanced mobility in the Euromed region, as well as the integration of the Mediterranean partner countries in the European Research Area.

Press release