By involving 16 partners from 10 countries, namely Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Spain, Romania, France, Belgium, the UK and Jordan (as associated partner), ICMED project has supported the staff of Higher Education institutions in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to deal with Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility and International Mobility Programmes, through a Training Programme.
The project, which ended last April 2020, contributed to achieve an innovative, effective and efficient management of International Credit Mobility in the MENA region by fostering information and sharing best practices.
As from the experiences of the people involved in the project, it seems that a step forward has been done in the framework of the cooperation North-South and South-South.
Testimonies from Algeria
The Rector of the University of Sciences and Technology of Oran – Mohamed Boudiaf, Prof. Amine Hammou, explains how his university benefited from the project activities achieving a better structured context. This was possible thanks to the training weeks addressed to his University staff and also thanks to a needs analysis of the students that every year move from the Algerian Universities to Europe for an internship, an exchange or a degree. He added that in Algeria, a key role to highlight the importance of ICMED, has been played by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in presenting the project results as best practices among the Algerian Universities.
Testimonies from Morocco
Moroccan universities involved in the project also benefited from the project and its positive effects. As Prof. Mohammed Youbi Idrissi, from the University of Abdelmalek Essaâdi of Tétouan, highlighted, ICMED contributed to the improvement of the governance in his University. Indeed, the standards of quality and transparency were improved, and as a consequence the new generations of students will participate with more enthusiasm to the exchanges between Maghreb and Europe, contributing in this way to the development of the country and to the cooperation North-South and South-South.
Testimonies from Spain
Prof. Wenceslao Martín Rosales, from the University of Granada, reported how ICMED impacted on the internationalization process of partner institutions. The experts who held all the training faced important topics linked to the management of the International Credit Mobility, such as the academic credit recognition.
Testimonies from Tunisia
Prof. Hedi Bel Hadj Salah, President of the University of Monastir, added that, based on the ICMED project, it has produced a procedure manual, which will represent a standard for all universities in Tunisia on the topic of mobility and its management.
Testimonies from Italy
For UNIMED Director, Mr. Marcello Scalisi, ICMED represented a relevant project for the area in which it was implemented. Its activities are in line with some UNIMED initiatives, such as the petition for a Mediterranean Erasmus generation, and the several projects focused on mobility. He stressed the importance of the youth exchanges and mobilities which contribute to create the “new Med generation” able to face the challenges of the current globalized society.
Mrs. Roberta Rasa, from the University of Padova, the coordinator of the project, among the other points, indicated that another result of the project has been the production of a toolkit that will allow even the Universities, not directly involved into the project, to benefit from the activities realised. This aspect represents a useful multiplier effect with a long-term impact in the area.
Do you want to hear the full interviews and have a better overview of the project? Then you can watch this video.
Further information is available on the project website.
