The overall objective of “WE4HER Leadership” is to transform the governance of Mediterranean Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through the promotion and adoption of a culture of gender equality. More specifically, “WE4HER Leadership” aims to increase the proportion of women among the top decision-making bodies of the HEIs, thereby contributing to a more inclusive management and governance of these institutions. Indeed, while women are in the majority among the lower echelons, they become a minority as you rise in the hierarchy. The existence of such an injustice not only deprives the HEIs of half of their available human capital, but it is also harmful to the University communities and to society as a whole. The project partners – coordinator Aix-Marseille Université (FR), Autónoma de Madrid (ES), Roma Sapienza (IT), Constantine 3 (DZ), Mostaganem (DZ), Antonine (LB), Université Libanaise (LB), Sousse (TN) and Tunis El Manar (TN) – are all politically engaged to achieving gender equality.They will work together to progress along this road: collecting gendered data; increasing decision-makers’ awareness of the existence and causes of gender inequality; creating a political framework to support gender equality; instituting training that has been shown to reduce gender bias in recruitment decisions; and finally improving awareness of gender-based harassment and how it is addressed. Each partner will implement these actions in light of his own prior experience and institutional setting, helping each other through sharing of experience and peer learning. They will then share the lessons learned, methodologies and outputs with other HEIs of the region.Because this 36-month project specifically focuses on the institutional transformation of the HEIs, its primary target groups are the academic and administrative staff. However, the entire academic communities will benefit from the project impacts.

This project aims to develop a two-year multidisciplinary Master Program in Democratic Governance and Human Rights, including online distance learning and part-time-on-campus, which will combine theoretical approaches and project-based learning with the broad use of online learning tools. It will be based on the collaboration of higher education systems and exchange of knowledge and good practices in the field of governance and human rights. Students attending this degree will be able to understand and analyze legal and political theories of democratic governance and international and regional human rights regimes. It will also contribute to closer cooperation between the EU and partner countries Tunisia, Morocco and Lebanon by promoting research activities, mobility and capacity building of academic & administrative staff, development of innovative infrastructure if the HEIs. Outputs include complete state-of-the-art report, development of Master degree, development of vocational training for academics and administrative staff, development of learning platform and creation of Research Units. Impact will be created in institutional level, local and regional level with the networking events and transnational through the dissemination activities.

EuNIT targets the management and operation of HEIs in Jordan, Lebanon and Libya by focusing on increasing their international activity. In order for HEIs in these countries to increase their participation in international cooperation projects and benefit from opportunities available to them through programmes such as Erasmus+, H2020 and ENI, they require greater expertise in project design and management. EuNIT aims to equip these HEIs with the necessary skills and resources. It will produce:- A comprehensive training programme for 24 selected staff from 8 partner HEIs in Jordan, Lebanon and Libya, combining theory, practical work and international travel, adapted to the needs of South Mediterranean HEIs to enable them to increase their participation in EU initiatives and international cooperation.- 8 EU project design and management units dedicated to EU cooperation and research projects set up in partner HEIs in Jordan, Lebanon and Libya.- A regional network bringing together HEIs in the South Mediterranean region for the exchange of good practices and experience in project design and management.- 2 external training sessions run by Jordanian, Lebanese and Libyan trainers reaching out to HEIs across Jordan, Lebanon & Libya targeting 80 staff.- Massive Open Online Courses in EU project design and management accessible to all HEIs.The project aims to impact the 8 partner HEIs from Jordan, Lebanon and Libya. Then, the dissemination strategy will enable activities to reach firstly all HEIs in Jordan, Lebanon and Libya and secondly other Patner Countries in the South Mediterranean region. HEIs in the countries concerned should become more independent in designing and managing EU projects, being able to increase the amount of project applications they submit, and targeting more closely their needs in terms of developing and modernising their HEI. To this effect, HEIs in the South Mediterranean region will be able to develop sustainable international partnerships.

The MED2IaH initiative stems from the necessity of cover an important aspect of internationalization in Mediterranean countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan) higher education system that has not been tackled adequately until now – Internationalisation at Home (IaH). Within EU funded projects, internationalization at large has been covered by different projects embracing European concepts like Bologna system, ECTS, internationalization of curriculum and cross-cultural issues within a multi-diversity paradigm. Though IaH is a relatively recent concept, it has already been embraced widely, particularly in northern and western Europe. IaH aims to bring internationalisation to all students through the home curriculum. It is therefore primarily about teaching and learning, which implies that lecturers are increasingly becoming prominent players in internationalisation. After all, they are the ones who create learning environments with international and intercultural dimensions. The project thus attempts to develop University Strategy on IoHE and Research and individual Action plans for IaH in 12 PCHEIs after exploring the different EU models available for IaH. A common terminology around the concept of IaH will be needed as well. As a way to reinforce IaH strategies partners will establish specific guidelines and protocols for foreign student services - including those related to safety and security for instance. Other mechanisms like social integration schemes will be developed as well. A particular activity to enhance IaH will be the organisation and delivery of virtual webinars in PC HEI. The project will support the development of a strategic framework for HE and IaH specificially and the enhancement of structured regulations and procedures that facilitate incoming exchange mobilities, creation of support schemes for foreign students coming to PC HEIs and complementing other measures that have been previously put in place through other CBHE projects.

"During the last EU-South Med Seminar on Recognition of credits and qualifications, organized by the European Commission (Brussels 1st - 2nd June 2015), the need for the revitalization of the MERIC network, as a means for a stronger cooperation between the European region and the Mediterranean one, was mentioned extensively. The EC encouraged France and Italy to submit an Erasmus+ project to implement capacity-building activities to reactivate the network, thus fostering the dialogue in the region and between the two regions.In recent years, reforms in higher education in the south Med countries aiming at the harmonization of the higher education systems, based on the Bologna structure of degrees implemented in the ""European Higher Education Area-EHEA”, have generated some issues linked to recognition. In fact, an increasing number of students are going to study abroad. This makes recognition of credits and qualifications an important and urgent issue.Moreover, the current refugee crisis is high in the agenda in Europe and the South Med countries. The MERIC-Net project will address the recognition of refugees’ qualifications and the practical challenges related to it. The European experience will contribute to the sharing and developing of a common methodology in the Southern Mediterranean countries, in order to facilitate the integration of refugees and displaced people.The reactivation of the MERIC network would be a first step towards an enhanced cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean, and on a larger scale with the European Union. The existence of national recognition centres in the region would represent an asset in a contest of great mobility. In fact, the MERIC-Net project would achieve the aim of shared information, building of mutual trust, facilitating thus smooth recognition. The reactivation of the MERIC network will allow all partners to share their experiences, official information and to build direct and permanent contacts."