Last November at TheMerode in Brussels, we had the privilege of hosting a restricted high-level discussion with Professor Romano Prodi, bringing together representatives of the Embassies in Brussels of the ten Southern Mediterranean countries, Members of the European Parliament, senior EU officials, as well as representatives of the African Union and the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States.
Romano Prodi possesses a significant institutional expertise, since he has been appointed in 1978 as Minister of Industry, Commerce and Crafts in Italy and also Prime Minister twice, the first time from 1996 to 1998 and later from 2006 to 2008. At the European level he served as President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004.
The discussion held during the event centered on two closely intertwined initiatives: the emerging EU Pact for the Mediterranean and the prospective creation of a University for the Mediterranean — a forward-looking academic project long advocated by Romano Prodi. Conceived as a platform for academic excellence, mobility and intercultural dialogue, the University aims to strengthen cooperation across both shores of the Mediterranean basin, aligning with broader EU priorities on education, research and regional stability.
This vision is now gaining tangible momentum. Under the leadership of Dubravka Šuica, the European Commission has endorsed a structured funding framework for the initiative within the broader policy architecture of the Pact for the Mediterranean. This Pact, currently under development, reflects the EU’s renewed strategic engagement with its Southern Neighbourhood, complementing existing instruments such as the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe) and aligning with the objectives of the Union for the Mediterranean. It places particular emphasis on youth, education, economic development, and sustainable governance.
Over the past two years, ECES has played a discreet yet constructive role in advancing this initiative by facilitating dialogue among key institutional, academic, and policy stakeholders. Acting in a neutral capacity, ECES has contributed to creating the conditions for consensus-building and intellectual exchange necessary for a project of this scale and ambition.
During this same period, we also had the honor of engaging at the European Parliament with Elio Di Rupo, current Member of the European Parliament and former Prime Minister of Belgium. His longstanding commitment to European integration, social cohesion and intercultural dialogue reflects the very principles underpinning the University for the Mediterranean initiative.
Today, in a context marked by geopolitical complexity and socio-economic disparities, education emerges as a strategic lever for renewed cooperation. By fostering academic mobility, joint research and institutional partnerships, the proposed University for the Mediterranean has the potential to transform the historic line of contact that the Mediterranean region represents, into a more structured and resilient space for innovation and shared prosperity.
