The Mediterranean Universities Network for Sustainable Development (SD) focusing on Education for Sustainable Development (MedUnNet) was established as an urgent demand in order to revitalize higher education towards sustainable development. The network was launched after a series of initiatives, in Athens, on 18-19 November 2008 under the auspices of the Vice-Rector of the University of Athens (Greece) aiming, to develop the competences of university staff on ESD, and particularly, the Whole Institution Approach as well as to provide a forum for consultation on ESD among universities and key-stakeholders: CSOs, NGOs, decision makers, media, etc. The University of Athens has undertaken the Scientific Secretariat and the Coordination while MEdIES is offering the Adminitrative Secretariat of MedUnNET. In order to meet its objectives MedUnNET is active in the following areas:
– The capacity building and training of university staff on ESD & the whole-institute-approach.
– Educational activities for post-graduate students – Summer Universities.
– Advancing of policy regarding ESD.
– Creation and/or promotion of synergies among academia, CSOs, media, society, etc.
Currently MedUnNET is active on an ad-hoc basis mainly through the UNESCO Chair and Network on Management and Education for Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean at the University of Athens.
members
The following Universities have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU):
Agricultural University of Athens (Greece)
La Sagesse University (Lebanon)
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (Greece)
Technical University of Catalonia (Spain)
University of Agriculture of Tirana (Albania)
University of Bordeaux (France)
University of Cairo (Egypt)
University of Crete
University of Cyprus (Cyprus)
University of Mohamed V Souissi (Morocco)
University of Padova (Italy)
University of Peloponnesus (Greece)
University of Primorska (Slovenia)
University of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
University of Tunis (Tunisia)
University of Zagreb (Croatia)
HIGHLIGHTS
MEDUNNET LAUNCHING IN 2008
The Network was launched following a series of initiatives in Athens, on 18-19 November 2008 under the auspices of the Vice Rector of the University of Athens. The meeting was supported also by the UNESCO Office in Venice (find here the Report).
Since then, the Technical Secretariat of MedUnNET is facilitated by MEdIES/MIO-ECSDE while the Scientific Secretariat is provided by the University of Athens.
MEDUNNET SECOND MEETING 2009
The 2nd Working Meeting of MedUnNET took place in Athens, on 21 and 22 October 2009 organised by MEdIES and the University of Athens under the auspices of the Vice Rector of UoA and was attended by 25 representing the MedUnNET Members. A special session was dedicated to the sharing of experiences and know-how on the links and the role of the universities in promoting ESD in their countries, particularly at tertiary level. The participants worked the outline of a Master Course on ESD Curriculum (prepared by Prof M.Ricard and Prof M. Scoullos). The meeting closed with the distribution of tasks and responsibilities among Members, in order to prepare the full Syllabus of all Master’s Subjects by the end of 2010.
RESIDENTIAL WORKSHOP “Universities & ESD” 2010
In 2010 MedUnNET together with the University of Athens, MIO-ECSDE/MEdIES Secretariat, the Baltic University Programme (BUP) and the Centre of Environmental Education (CEE) of Amfissa organised a Residential Training Workshop on “Universities & ESD” from 23 to 28 May, in Amfissa, Greece. In total, 48 experts -lecturers, researchers and university staff- all involved in ESD, participated in the training, coming from 19 countries. The workshop focused on the concepts and methodologies of the “whole institute approach” and “sustainable university”, while it provided the opportunity to share know-how and experiences on ESD, educational practices, policies, research, etc. More about the workshop is available here
UNESCO CHAIR LAUNCHING ATHENS 2011
The 3rd meeting of MedUnNET took place back-to-back with the launching event of the UNESCO Chair and Network on Management and Education for Sustaianble Development in the Mediterranean held in the University of Athens, on December 11, 2011, under the auspices of the Vice Rector of the University of Athens, Prof. Thomas Sfikopoulos who opened the meeting. During the meeting membership and structure issues were discussed. Find here the detailed Report.
summer universities
Since 2014 MedUnNET is engaged in the organisation of Summer Universities for post-graduates, young researchers, experts and proffessionals aiming to build capacities in the sectors of sustainable management of Biosphere Reserves and Protected Areas, integrated management approaches, sustainable tourism strategies/local products, and ESD in the BRs.
MEdIES is one of the key organizers of these summer universities together with the UNESCO Chair on Management and Education for Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean. So far the following Summer Universities have taken place with the support of the Regional Office of UNESCO in Venice and of local actors, each time: Amfissa (Greece) with 45 participants from 8 universities, Samothraki Island (Greece) with 50 participants from 10 universities (2016), Sardinia Italy (2017) with 30 trainees, in Parnon, Greece (2018) with 56 trainees from 15 countries; in Bulgaria (2019) with 40 trainees from 15 countries.
Since 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Summer Universites have transformed to a Hybrid format, including a small-scale live phase (in terms of participants’ numbers and duration) and an online course, lasting 3-4 weeks reaching to a wider competent audience and embedding video recordings from the live phase.
Read more about the SUMMER & the HYBRID UNIVERSITIES here.