Barcelona, Spain, 29 June. The President of EMUNI, Joseph Mifsud, attended the UfM rectors conference held at Sant Pau Historic Site, in Barcelona. President Mifsud participated in the keynote panel, discussing the presentation that the Euro-Mediterranean University Permanent Forum intends to deliver to the 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education and Research Ministerial Meeting to be held later this year in Slovenia. President Mifsud explained the specific role of EMUNI and argued the importance of finding synergy in the actions of Universities. He took part in a panel discussion with Rector Francesc Xavier Grau, Rector of the University Rovira i Virgilio of Tarragona, Prof. F. Michavila, Director of the Unesco Chair in University Management and Policy, Politecnic Univ. Madrid, Mohamed Zaher Benebdallah, Rector of the University of Meknes in Morocco, and Prof. Jean Marcou, Director of the OVIPOT.

During the conference, which was attended by a number of EMUNI partners and senate members, President Mifsud met with President Hind Hanafy of the University of Alexandria in Egypt to discuss the follow up of the Research Souk which was mentioned frequently in the conference as a model to follow in the Euro Med area. The Res Souk was also mentioned by another coordinator of the Alexandria event, present at the conference, the director of the Anna Lindh Foundation, Andreu Claret. Further meetings were held with Prof. Labib Arafah of Al Quds University in Palestine, Prof. Cosimo Notarstefano of CUM, Laura Howard, Vice President of the Compostela Group, Prof. Ida Carraciolo of the University of Napoli, Prof. Costas Guilliamos of the Cyprus European University, and with Prof. Dris Ouacuicha, President of Al Akhawyn University. During the conference President Mifsud held talks with Josep Borrell, President of the European University Institute, who invited EMUNI to join the EUI in organising a joint event UfM together.

Further meetings were held with Rector Grau of Tarragona, who invited President Mifsud to visit Tarragona to coordinate specific research activities in the Mediterranean. Prof. Mohamed Zaher Benebdallah, Rector of the University of Meknes and President Mohamed Marzak, President of the Universite Cadi Ayyad of Marrakesh, Morocco, asked to be admitted to EMUNI. Formal steps will be taken immediately so that these key Moroccan Universities will be represented in Ankara.

On the margins of the conference Prof. Mifsud also discussed with David Constans Martigny, Director of the Universite Paris 8 and with Prof. Enric Olive, CEO of EPUF on the forthcoming Paris meeting meeting, convened by the Universite Paris VIII, to discuss the coordination role of university networks in the Union for the Mediterranean. Another meeting was held with Prof. Antoine Hokayem, St. Joseph University Beirut, Prof. Walid Moussa, Notre Dame University of Beirut, Dr. Alami Hatem of MUBS, and with Prof. Hasan Abdel Salam of Beirut Arab University on the need of a joint coordination under the supervision of the President of Beirut Arab University regarding the organisation of the Research Souk next year in Lebanon.

President Mifsud was also interviewed on Spanish Television for his views on higher education, science and technology in the Union for the Mediterranean. Prof. Mifsud also met with Laura Foraster I LLoret, Ministry of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise of Spain.