July 01, 2024, 4:43 PM
2 min of reading
PALERMO – Four new UniPa projects approved by MUR pursuant to the call for proposals for the granting of funding for transnational educational initiatives – TNE, published by the MUR as part of the PNRR.
UniPa will be the leader of the MARE project (Mediterranean Alliance for Research and Education) whose scientific coordinator is Prof. Fabio Mazzola, Vice-Rector for Teaching and Internationalization, funded for over 2.5 million euros. The University was in fact ranked seventh overall, out of 33 proposals, grouping together a partnership composed of ten other universities (Polytechnic of Turin, University of Bologna, Turin, Bari “Aldo Moro”, Cagliari, Macerata, Pavia, Siena, Pisa and Messina).
The project will allow the development of internationalization activities with about 50 universities on the southern shore of the Mediterranean belonging to 9 different countries. The interventions will concern incoming and outgoing mobility, both of students and staff, establishment of double degrees, development of academic curricula, launch of summer schools, higher education initiatives and creation of research centers in the field of various topics of interest for the area (migration, health, climate change, renewable energy, sustainability, tourism, employability and entrepreneurship).
In addition to the MARE project, the University of Palermo has received, as a partner, financing shares for a total of 1.3 million euros for three other projects:
the WAGON2AFRICA (WAter enerGy fOod Nexus to Africa) project, led by the Polytechnic University of Turin, focused on Sub-Saharan African countries, which involves a network of Italian and African universities to stimulate cooperation and share good practices, with a focus on the Water-Energy-Food nexus;
the DeSK project, whose leader it is the University of Bari, which will instead be dedicated to internationalization activities with the countries of Latin America and the Balkan Area;
the SEASON project, coordinated by the University “G. d’Annunzio”, which will develop internationalization activities with universities in China, Vietnam and Korea.
UniPa’s participation in the three projects will be coordinated by the University under the responsibility, in order, of professors Salvatore Mancuso, Ettore Barone and Salvatore Casabona, delegates for internationalization for their respective geographical areas.
“This new funding rewards progress made by the University of Palermo in terms of internationalization – comments the Rector Massimo Midiri – and add to the notable increase, almost 40%, of foreign nationals enrolled in the current academic year. This is thanks to the increased attractiveness of our university, which is increasingly inclusive and included in important international research networks”.
“We have achieved an extraordinary result – adds the Vice-Rector for Teaching and Internationalization, Fabio Mazzola – All four projects presented have been included in the ranking of funded projects. This will allow a great boost to our policy of international and transnational opening in about thirty non-EU countries, demonstrating an increased ability to network with Italian and foreign universities, the result of the improvement in the planning capacity of our professors and administrative offices that has solidified over time through previous experiences”.
Published on
01 July 2024, 16:43
