Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Mohammed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, in partnership with the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), convened the Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Higher Education, Research and Innovation (EM-HERI 2026), under the theme : “Sustainability, Open Science, and Green Careers.” The Conference, which took place on June 23–24, 2026 at ALECSO headquarters in Tunis, brought together senior officials, policymakers, university presidents, researchers, experts, and representatives of regional and international organizations from across the Arab and European regions.

In his opening remarks, the Director-General of ALECSO emphasized that the accelerating pace of global transformations requires higher education and scientific research institutions to rethink their roles and functions in order to respond more effectively to the requirements of sustainable development and address global challenges. He also highlighted Euro-Mediterranean cooperation as a strategic platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and partnership-building, and stressed the importance of investing in knowledge, innovation, youth empowerment, and the promotion of a culture of open science to build a more prosperous and equitable future for the peoples of the region.

For his part, Dr. Mohammed Sanad Abu Darwish, Director Science and Scientific Research at ALECSO, noted that the Conference represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen scientific and academic cooperation among higher education, research, and innovation institutions across the Euro-Mediterranean region. He underlined the importance of promoting the principles of sustainability and open science, while aligning academic and research programmes with the requirements of the green economy and the jobs of the future; thereby contributing to the advancement of higher education, scientific research, and innovation policies and practices.

Dr. Rado Bohinc, President of EMUNI University, and Dr. Senén Florensa, Executive President of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), noted that the Conference is the fruit of sustained collaboration between ALECSO, EMUNI, IEMed, and a number of European partners. They described the event as a milestone in expanding cooperation and strengthening networks among Arab and Euro-Mediterranean higher education institutions. 

The Conference featured a high-level panel on Mediterranean university partnerships, alongside scientific sessions on higher education and sustainability, open science and research excellence, green skills, innovation, and future careers, with the participation of experts and academics from Arab and European countries. 

ALECSO also organized a high-level roundtable to present the “Arab–European Integration Initiative for Joint Scientific and Academic Mobility, designed to strengthen the mutual recognition of academic qualifications, facilitate the mobility of students and researchers, and develop quality assurance and academic accreditation frameworks.

Participants emphasized the importance of strengthening scientific and academic partnerships between Arab and European institutions, supporting scientific research and innovation, promoting the principles of open science, and exchanging expertise in the field of green jobs. They also called for integrating green skills into university curricula as a means of advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and building an Arab–Euro-Mediterranean higher education and research area founded on the principles of cooperation, academic excellence, and shared progress.