At the Barcelona Conference, Prof. Dr. Rado Bohinc, President of EMUNI University, emphasized that building a balanced and resilient society must be rooted in sustainable development integrating economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. He underlined that resilience today depends on addressing inequality, protecting ecosystems, and fostering inclusive growth through transparent governance, innovation, and social solidarity.
Prof. Bohinc presented EMUNI as a living example of academic resilience, highlighting the university’s concrete actions in crisis contexts, including access to higher education for Syrian and Palestinian students in cooperation with UNHCR, support through Slovenian development aid, and partnerships with institutions in Palestine and the Gulf region.
He stressed that while EMUNI’s network-based cooperation, hybrid learning models, and support for displaced students have proven effective, major gaps persist at the regional level—namely the lack of permanent crisis coordination, shared crisis data, and rapid-access funding mechanisms.
To address these challenges, Prof. Bohinc proposed:
A Euro-Mediterranean Rapid Response Facility for Higher Education & Research
A Regional Crisis & Recovery Knowledge Hub
A strengthened Euro-Med–Gulf Resilience Partnership
The development of new study programmes and micro-credentials on sustainability, peace, and resilience
Expanded joint research on climate risks, disasters, peace, and post-crisis recovery
He concluded by reaffirming EMUNI’s readiness to actively contribute to the Action Plan for the Pact for the Mediterranean, supporting a resilient, secure, and crisis-ready Euro-Mediterranean academic ecosystem.
