Page 14 - A Handbook for Academia, Industry and Policymakers: Reinforcing the Innovation-Employability Nexus in the Mediterranean

14 REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 15

The Union of the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental Euro-Mediterranean organisation with 42 members states About UfM
comprising the 27 European Union member countries and 15 countries of Southern and Eastern Mediterranean.
Figure 1

Launched in 2008, the Union for the
Mediterranean (UfM) is an intergovernmental Fully exploiting the
Euro-Mediterranean organisation that brings complementarities existing
together the 27 countries of the EU and between all Mediterranean
15 countries of the Southern and Eastern stakeholders is the best
Mediterranean. The UfM provides a forum to
enhance regional cooperation, dialogue and way for tackling the
the implementation of concrete projects and challenges our region faces,
initiatives with tangible impact on its citizens, especially concerning youth
with an emphasis on young people and women
as vectors of peace and stability. unemployment.
We need to put under the
As regional challenges call for regional spotlight the sharing of
solutions, UfM activities aim to address the
main strategic objectives of the region – experiences and knowledge
regional integration, development and stability about teaching methods,
– by concentrating efforts on two main pillars adapting curricula, life-
of action: fostering human development and
promoting regional sustainable development. long learning, partnerships,
By joining forces with the regional and quality assurance,
international community, and particularly
with the UN System, the UfM is determined qualification systems,
to address global challenges and achieve the financing schemes and
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the educational governance.
Euro-Mediterranean region, through tangible This will allow students and
and concrete activities and initiatives.
researchers to learn relevant
www.ufmsecretariat.org
skills for rapidly changing
labour markets, and to be

prepared for their future
careers.

Itaf Ben Abdallah
Senior Advisor,
Higher Education & Research
Union for the Mediterranean

UfM member countries
Syria suspended its UfM membership in 2011.
Libya has observer status.
The UfM focuses on fostering human development,
UfM non-member countries stability, and integration in the Mediterranean