The BASE project was showcased by UNIMED during the International Staff Week, held from 4 to 8 May 2026 and organised by UNIMED – Mediterranean Universities Union and the International University of Rome – UNINT.

The initiative brought together 29 participants from 14 countries, including Presidents, Vice-Presidents and administrative staff from across the Mediterranean and beyond, to exchange experiences and reflect on internationalisation strategies, emerging trends and shared challenges in Higher Education.

The institutional opening session, with the participation of Dr. Fabio Bisogni, UNINT President, and Dr. Kherieh Rassas, UNIMED President, highlighted the transformative role of education, culture, mobility and academic cooperation. In her opening remarks, the UNIMED President invited participants to see themselves as “catalysts of change” and “agents of transformation”, setting the tone for a week dedicated to dialogue, collaboration and mutual learning.

The Staff Week was conceived as a true laboratory for exchange, moving from “paperwork” to “people work” and placing human connections at the centre of international cooperation.

During the first two days, discussions focused on the evolving meaning of internationalisation in Higher Education, stressing that internationalisation goes far beyond physical mobility. While mobility remains a key component, universities today are called to develop broader and more inclusive international strategies, including capacity building, joint projects, policy dialogue, sustainability-oriented cooperation and internationalisation at home.

In this framework, UNIMED Senior Project Managers Martina Zipoli and Silvia Marchionne presented a selection of UNIMED projects and activities, showcasing initiatives supported by different funding programmes — from Erasmus+ to Horizon Europe and national donors — and implemented across Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa and the Middle East. Among the initiatives presented, the BASE project was highlighted as an example of UNIMED’s commitment to strengthening cooperation, innovation and institutional development by implementing the Bologna Process in selected faculty of sciences in Palestine and Jordan.