CLOSE PARTNER WELCOMES EMUNI PRESIDENT ON TEACHING MOBILITY

The Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) President, Professor Dr. Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry, was warmly received by the host institution, Heliopolis University, in Egypt, on a 5-day Erasmus+ teaching mobility.

The mobility, which ran from 23 – 29 April, 2023, had a two-fold purpose: teaching and project collaboration. The Vice-President and the staff provided the EMUNI President with the support to deliver 8 hours of lectures in the classroom on ´International Cooperation in Research and Innovation as tools for Intercultural Dialogue and Science Diplomacy,´ ´From Creativity to Frugal Innovation: Towards a Common Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Agenda,´ and ´Higher Education and Research Cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean Region.´ Prof. Dr. El-Zoheiry also made himself available for one-to-one consultations with students.

The second part of the mobility involved establishing meetings with different project coordinators and officers in order to look into future collaborations, new project proposal ideas and other joint project-related activities, with a view to discussing common educational activities and short and long programme courses. Meetings were held with the President Chair of Trustees regarding educational activities, as well as with the Programme Coordinator in order to discuss course content.

From a professional point of view, the mobility in Egypt provided Prof. Dr. El-Zoheiry with the opportunity to share expertise and experience gained though a lifetime of teaching, public speaking and decades working in academia. It also connected him with peers at Heliopolis University in order to exchange ideas on how to develop and plan common activities in the future and help EMUNI to expand its circle of contacts. The mobility was important, because it supplied the setting to contribute to the promotion of an active international cooperation policy in the Mediterranean region, expand the EMUNI network through new connections and potential partners, and facilitate discussions with colleagues and peers from a new academic environment, as well as to enhance job satisfaction and motivation in the workplace for the President himself.

Heliopolis University is a long-time member of the EMUNI General Assembly and Inner Circle. Within this function, a representative from Heliopolis University is actively involved in the decision-making processes of EMUNI University, related to institutional management. Both institutions are also constantly seeking opportunities for the modernisation of study processes and to improve academic excellence. The mobility has thus contributed to the exchange of ideas, good practices, and experience. Furthermore, mobility significantly contributes to the relationship between the institutions and in setting up new collaboration frameworks. Locally and regionally, continued close collaboration with Heliopolis University strengthens the relationship and potential to work on interregional projects, joint conferences, exchanges visits of staff and students from Slovenia to Egypt and vice versa.