Programme

08:30 – 09:00

Registration of participants

09:00 – 10:00

Openings

Nicola Leone
Rector of University of Calabria

Kherieh Rassas
UNIMED President and Vice President of An-Najah National University

Hmaid Ben Aziza
UNIMED Secretary General and former Rector of the University of Tunis

Roberto Occhiuto
President of Calabria Region and President of the Intermediterranean Commission (CIM)

10:00 - 10:30

For a new Mediterranean University Initiative

Romano Prodi
Former Italian Prime Minister and former President of the European Commission

The Pact for the Mediterranean: video message from the Commissioner

Dubravka Šuica
Commissioner for the Mediterranean, European Commission

10:30 - 11:00

Family Picture, Coffee break and networking
*Short laboratory, technology centers and other campus tours available for interested participants

11:00 - 11:15

Keynote speech

The Mediterranean: Knowledge as a bridge, Innovation as a force for unity

Francesco Profumo
President of Isybak and Rector of Open Institute of Technology (OPIT)

11:15 - 11:45

Signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and UNIMED

AbdulHakim Elwaer
Assistant Director-General of the RNE Regional Office, FAO

Kherieh Rassas
UNIMED President and Vice President of An-Najah National University

11:45 - 12:00

UNIMED activities and future plans

Marcello Scalisi
UNIMED Director

12:00 - 13:15

Panel discussion on the "Pact for the Mediterranean"

Michele Amedeo
Senior Adviser on University cooperation
Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf, European Commission (DG MENA)

Rim Filali Meknassi
Head of Euro-Mediterranean Policies
European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed)

Massimo Gaudina
Special Advisor at European Training Foundation (ETF)

Alessandro Calabrò
Policy Officer Med and Middle East
Directorate-General Research and Innovation, European Commission (DG RTD)

Giuseppe Provenzano
Project Manager for Research and Innovation at the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)

13:15 - 13:30

Announcement of the Start Cup Competition results

13:30 - 15:00

Light lunch and networking

15:00 - 16:00

Panel discussion: Artificial Intelligence for Education

Roberto Trinchero(online)
Professor of Experimental Pedagogy at University of Torino

Alessio Fabiano
Associate Professor of Education and Special Pedagogy at University of Basilicata

Cristina Stefanelli
Senior Project Manager at UNIMED

Sirine Bouguettaya
Student of the PhD in ICT at University of Calabria

Naouel Abdellatif Mami (online)
Vice Rector in charge of External Relations and Cooperation at Sétif 2 University

Moderated by

Giancarlo Fortino
Professor of Computer Engineering at University of Calabria

16:00 - 17:00

University networks and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation

Kherieh Rassas
UNIMED President and Vice President of An-Najah National University

Amanda Crowfoot
Secretary General of European University Association (EUA)

Amr Ezzat Salama
Secretary General of the Association of Arab Universities (AArU)

17:00 - 18:00

Panel discussion: Academic freedom and support to scholars at risks and refugees

Frank Geary
Director of SAR - Scholars at Risk Europe

Stefanie Kottowski
Project Manager SAFE – Supporting at-risk researcher with fellowships in Europe at German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

Manal Stulgaitis (online)
Education Officer, Division of Resilience and Solutions United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Alessandro Calabrò
Policy Officer Med and Middle East
Directorate-General Research and Innovation, European Commission (DG RTD)

Moderated by

Cristina Stefanelli
Senior Project Manager at UNIMED

18:00

Social event and Gala dinner