Opinion
By Commissioner Dubravka Šuica*
In a world increasingly defined by fragmentation and crisis, education remains by far the most powerful tool to connect people. As the European Union prepares to launch its New Pact for the Mediterranean, we are placing people – especially young people – at the heart of this new chapter in Euro-Mediterranean relations. And nothing brings people together like education. This will be as important as working closer together in the economic and political sphere, such as on renewable energies, climate mitigation, digital connectivity, migration, or security.
That is why the EU is championing a bold new idea: a Mediterranean University, a networked institution with campuses and academic alliances on both shores of the Mediterranean, uniting students, scholars, and cultures from Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. This is not only about education. It is about building a common future.
The Mediterranean has always been a melting pot of civilizations – a place of trade, knowledge exchange, and shared destinies. In recent decades, it has too often become a frontier of misunderstanding and missed opportunities. We want to reverse that trend by investing in people, trust, and shared knowledge. The Mediterranean University will be the human and cultural cornerstone of the New Pact for the Mediterranean – a symbol of partnership, prosperity, and peace.
This initiative builds on three pillars.
First, we will upgrade the Erasmus+ programme for our Southern Mediterranean partners. We want more students, researchers, professors, and academic staff to be able to study and work across borders of the Mediterranean. That includes not just mobility, but real academic integration – with joint degrees, shared curricula, and mutual recognition of diplomas in areas of strategic interest: climate, clean tech, digital skills, the Blue Economy, and intercultural dialogue.
Second, we want to establish a University Alliance that will coordinate academic cooperation, research consortia, and cultural exchange. It will have two hubs – one in the EU, one in the Southern Mediterranean region – to streamline efforts, pool resources, and expand access. We want ideas and talent to flow freely – not just North to South, but also South to North and across the region.
Third, and most ambitiously, we will lay the foundations for a Mediterranean University with multiple campuses across our common sea. Degrees will be recognised in both EU and Southern partner countries. Students will be able to spend time in different countries throughout their studies, gaining new perspectives, and building lifelong networks. The Mediterranean University will not be a single building – it will be a living, breathing ecosystem of cooperation.
Of course, such a project comes with challenges. I have lived through times when it was almost unthinkable to imagine shared standards or educational mobility across borders. Having grown up in a closed society and experienced war in my home country, I know how cherished peace is – and how transformative education can be. This is a personal mission for me.
Through education, we can nurture a new generation that is not defined by borders or fear, but by opportunity and purpose. The Mediterranean University Initiative is not just about classrooms and diplomas – it is about inclusion, growth, and shared vision.
It is the right time to meet this ambition. Let us embrace this opportunity – not only as policymakers or academics, but as people who believe in the enduring power of human connection across our beloved Mare Nostrum.
*Dubravka Šuica is the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean.
